I was in charge of the appetizers at this year's Thanksgiving celebration with the McNamee clan. I wanted to make something that was tasty and unique, not too terribly filling, and somewhat healthful. I also wanted appetizers that were visually appealing, likable by all palates, and fun to eat. I decided on the following items:
Spiced mixed nuts
Smoked almond and goat cheese olives
Zesty deviled eggs
Bacon roll-ups
I took step-by-step photos of the nuts and the olives, as these are the healthier and more interesting items.
Note: I tripled this recipe for the large group (and to have leftovers!).
Yields 2 cups
Ingredients:
2 T butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 T water
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups mixed nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts)
Directions:
Mix spices and reserve.
Heat nuts in a skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to toast, about 4 minutes.
Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Add butter, sugar, water and spices to the hot skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until a glaze forms, about 1 minute.
Return the nuts to the skillet and toss to combine with the glaze.
Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.
Yields 32 olives
Ingredients:
2/3 cup smoked almonds
8 oz goat cheese
32 Spanish green olives, stuffed with pimiento
Directions:
Assemble ingredients.
Add almonds to a small food processor or chopper and pulse briefly to chop. Pour into a small bowl.
Cut the goat cheese into 8 equal pieces, and then cut each piece into 4 equal pieces. Each piece will be about 1/4 ounce.
Wrap each olive with 1/4-oz piece of goat cheese and shape into a ball.
Roll into chopped almonds and place in a container.
Repeat with the remaining cheese, almonds, and olives.
Once the container is filled, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve on a tray with a toothpick placed in each olive.
Zesty Deviled Eggs
Yields 24
Ingredients:
12 hard boiled eggs
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Dirty sea salt, pepper
Cayenne pepper
Directions:
Slice all 12 eggs in half and place the yolks in a bowl. Combine the yolks with mayo and mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to smooth out yolk clumps. Add small amounts of cayenne to achieve desired spiciness. Place the yolk mixture in a plastic bag, cut the corner of the bag, and fill the egg white halves with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle paprika on top.
Bacon Roll-ups
Yields 40
Ingredients:
20 pieces of white whole wheat bread, crusts removed
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
20 slices of bacon
Directions:
Flatten each piece of bread with a rolling pin until very thin. Combine cream cheese and shredded cheese in a bowl. Spread cheese mixture over each slice of bread. Roll each piece of bread up into a tight roll. Cut bacon slices in half, length-wise. Wrap 1 bacon piece, spiraled, around each bread roll-up. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is fully cooked and the bread is lightly browned.
We served these on a personalized McNamee Thanksgiving platter I gave my inlaws as an early Christmas gift.
Happy holiday feasting!
*M*
