The holiday entertaining season is upon us (please tell me where this year went?), and it’s a great idea to make a few easy appetizers that you can freeze and bring out when you’re going to have friends over.
Anything that can be done ahead of time is a bonus at this time of year. Spend an afternoon putting together these really delicious appies, stow them in your freezer, and pat yourself on the back for getting ahead of the game.
Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs
1 lb ground chicken or turkey (I recommend using ground thigh meat)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk lemongrass, tender white inside part only, minced
3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
1½ tsp cornstarch
½ tsp kosher salt
A few grinds of fresh black pepper
Granulated sugar for rolling the meatballs, about ¼ cup
sweet Thai chili sauce for dipping
Mix the chicken in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients, except the sugar. Mix thoroughly but gently. Don’t overwork the meat or your meatballs will be tough. With slightly damp hands, roll the mixture into golfball-sized meatballs.
Put them on a large plate and place in the fridge for half an hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the meatballs out of the fridge, roll each one lightly in the sugar and place on the baking sheet. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes, turning the meatballs a couple of times to make sure they brown evenly.
Serve hot with a bowl of sweet chili sauce for dipping. Makes about 20 meatballs. To freeze: Once meatballs are cool place them on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. When they have frozen put them into plastic freezer bags and return to the freezer. To reheat, place frozen meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover loosely with foil and place in a 350° F oven until warm.
Source: foodandwine.com
Puff Pastry Rolls with Prosciutto & Olives
1 package frozen puff pastry
¾ cup shredded Gruyère or Fontina cheese
2 slices prosciutto, diced
12 pitted green olives, chopped
1 egg yolk
Preheat oven to 425° F. Roll out puff pastry into a rectangle (the puff pastry I usually buy has two small blocks in the package; roll each block out into a rectangle a bit less than one-quarter of an inch thick). Sprinkle cheese, prosciutto and green olives evenly over pastry rectangle(s) and roll up pastry with filling, starting from one long side of the rectangle. Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer until firm but not hard (this makes them easier to cut).
Cut each roll into half-inch slices and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Beat egg yolk with a teaspoon of water and brush a little on top of each slice. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm. Makes about 24 appetizers.
To make ahead, leave the wrapped rolls in the freezer. When serving, let them thaw in the fridge until soft enough to cut, then proceed to bake as instructed above.
Source: recipesandme.com
Make-Ahead Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed totally dry
2 cups sour cream, regular or light, not fat-free
One 250 gr. package cream cheese, regular or light, not fat-free, softened
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
One 398-ml can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1 minced garlic clove and ½ cup finely chopped onion, sautéed in a little butter and oil until tender
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat on low speed with an electric mixer until well combined.
Divide into four portions and place into two-cup plastic containers. Freeze. To prepare: Thaw dip in container at room temperature. Scoop into a baking dish and bake at 350° F, stirring once or twice, until heated through. Serve with baguette slices and/or assorted crackers. Makes about 16 servings.
Source: cleverlyinspired.com
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. [email protected]
