Cookin' with Karl
Super appetizers
Pictured are fruit pizzas, recipe courtesy of The Post’s Tami Cassidy. Photo by KARL GERHARD
With the big game Sunday night, it is time to talk about Super Appetizers. After all, most of us will be watching the Super Bowl. Some will watch it with friends at their favorite sports bar and have whatever great food and drink choices they want. Others will have or attend Super Bowl parties with family and friends. One thing is for sure, Super Bowl parties are the ultimate “appetizer” party.
I have written about my favorite Smoked Atomic Buffalo Turds in the past (bacon-wrapped, cream cheese and pork stuffed jalapeno peppers). Those are great, as are my wife’s famous stuffed mushrooms.
There are so many other great options, that it is worth trying some new ones each year. The key for good Super Bowl food is that it should be mostly bite-size appetizers. Things like chicken wings and loaded potato skins are always well received.
As are great dips, like my friend Patti’s Reuben dip. Many combos of quesadillas can be made into great appetizers, as well. Pizza quesadilla, yes! Cheese platters are good. Cold veggie cream cheese-based pizzas are always popular, too. Healthy veggie platters, yes! But I want to throw some new ideas your way.
One great new one I found was loaded cheese ball bites.
Here is what you will need: 12 oz. cream cheese, softened, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. paprika, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, 8 slices bacon, cooked and finely chopped, 1/3 c. finely chopped fresh chives, 1/3 c. finely chopped pecans. To make them, just mix together cream cheese, cheddar, garlic powder, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Form into 18 small balls and refrigerate until firm for one hour. Then, in a shallow bowl or on a plate, stir together cooked bacon, chives and pecans. Next, roll balls in bacon-chive-pecan mixture and insert a pretzel stick in each ball. Serve. If not serving right away, loosely cover with plastic wrap and return to fridge. Let them sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.
These are a great take on the age old cheese ball and, most importantly, bite size.
Next, one for all the vegetarians out there. This one is pure genius – baked buffalo cauliflower wings.
Here is what you need: 1 head of cauliflower, cut into large florets, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup buffalo-style hot sauce (such as Franks), 1/4 cup butter, melted, ranch dressing and celery sticks, for serving (optional, but why not). To make them, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Make batter by combining flour, milk and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk until the batter is smooth. Dredge cauliflower in batter until evenly coated. Shake off excess batter and transfer cauliflower to the lined baking sheets. Bake until the cauliflower begins to turn golden around the edges, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile make buffalo sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together hot sauce and melted butter until evenly combined. Or just buy pre-made buffalo wing sauce in a bottle. Toss baked cauliflower “wings” in the sauce before serving. A big bowl or a gallon zip lock back works well for this. Serve with ranch dressing and celery sticks.
I have not personally made this one, but it sounds delicious.
And finally, from Tami Cassidy in our office, bite-size fruit pizza. I asked her what her favorite bite-sized appetizer was and she gave me this gem. Dessert appetizers are essential, but this one has a nice amount of healthy fruit on it, making it tasty and almost good for you, too.
Simply bake sugar cookies from the pre-made rolls. Then frost with a mixture of 1 package (8 oz.) softened cream cheese, 2 tbsp. frozen lime-aid concentrate, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. You will need to use your mixer to get this nice and creamy. Top with blueberries, sliced strawberries and kiwi slices (pineapple works well too, she says). I went home and made this after Tami described it to me, and let me tell you, it was super easy and very low prep time. My official taste testers (my wife and boys) each gave it the two thumbs up. My son, Jake, asked me to please bring it to the Super Bowl party. I believe I will.
Game on!
I have written about my favorite Smoked Atomic Buffalo Turds in the past (bacon-wrapped, cream cheese and pork stuffed jalapeno peppers). Those are great, as are my wife’s famous stuffed mushrooms.
There are so many other great options, that it is worth trying some new ones each year. The key for good Super Bowl food is that it should be mostly bite-size appetizers. Things like chicken wings and loaded potato skins are always well received.
As are great dips, like my friend Patti’s Reuben dip. Many combos of quesadillas can be made into great appetizers, as well. Pizza quesadilla, yes! Cheese platters are good. Cold veggie cream cheese-based pizzas are always popular, too. Healthy veggie platters, yes! But I want to throw some new ideas your way.
One great new one I found was loaded cheese ball bites.
Here is what you will need: 12 oz. cream cheese, softened, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. paprika, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, 8 slices bacon, cooked and finely chopped, 1/3 c. finely chopped fresh chives, 1/3 c. finely chopped pecans. To make them, just mix together cream cheese, cheddar, garlic powder, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Form into 18 small balls and refrigerate until firm for one hour. Then, in a shallow bowl or on a plate, stir together cooked bacon, chives and pecans. Next, roll balls in bacon-chive-pecan mixture and insert a pretzel stick in each ball. Serve. If not serving right away, loosely cover with plastic wrap and return to fridge. Let them sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.
These are a great take on the age old cheese ball and, most importantly, bite size.
Next, one for all the vegetarians out there. This one is pure genius – baked buffalo cauliflower wings.
Here is what you need: 1 head of cauliflower, cut into large florets, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup buffalo-style hot sauce (such as Franks), 1/4 cup butter, melted, ranch dressing and celery sticks, for serving (optional, but why not). To make them, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Make batter by combining flour, milk and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk until the batter is smooth. Dredge cauliflower in batter until evenly coated. Shake off excess batter and transfer cauliflower to the lined baking sheets. Bake until the cauliflower begins to turn golden around the edges, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile make buffalo sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together hot sauce and melted butter until evenly combined. Or just buy pre-made buffalo wing sauce in a bottle. Toss baked cauliflower “wings” in the sauce before serving. A big bowl or a gallon zip lock back works well for this. Serve with ranch dressing and celery sticks.
I have not personally made this one, but it sounds delicious.
And finally, from Tami Cassidy in our office, bite-size fruit pizza. I asked her what her favorite bite-sized appetizer was and she gave me this gem. Dessert appetizers are essential, but this one has a nice amount of healthy fruit on it, making it tasty and almost good for you, too.
Simply bake sugar cookies from the pre-made rolls. Then frost with a mixture of 1 package (8 oz.) softened cream cheese, 2 tbsp. frozen lime-aid concentrate, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. You will need to use your mixer to get this nice and creamy. Top with blueberries, sliced strawberries and kiwi slices (pineapple works well too, she says). I went home and made this after Tami described it to me, and let me tell you, it was super easy and very low prep time. My official taste testers (my wife and boys) each gave it the two thumbs up. My son, Jake, asked me to please bring it to the Super Bowl party. I believe I will.
Game on!