Butternut Squash Soup Shooters

This is a great fall make ahead appetizer or first course. You can make the soup 3 days in advance whip up the maple cream a few hours before and reheat the soup and crisp the bacon when ready to serve. 

I ordered some soup shooter plastic glasses so I could bring these to a party but if you're at home a regular shot glass and small spoon would do. If you have any vegetarians in your group you can leave out the bacon and swap out the chicken stock for vegetable stock. 

Ingredients:

Soup:

2 slices bacon 
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish 
1 bay leaf 
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced 
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced 
3 cups chicken stock 
Salt and pepper 

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Maple cream 
1/2 cup half and half 
3 tbsp sour cream 
2 tbsp maple syrup
Salt 

Directions: 

1. Crisp bacon in a large soup pan or dutch oven over medium low heat. Set bacon aside on paper towels and crumble into a small bowl once bacon is cooled. 

2. Add drizzle of olive oil (or use bacon fat) and garlic to soup pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 1 minute. 

3. Add butternut squash, carrot, and apple to soup pan. Sauté over medium low heat for 3 minutes 

4. Add thyme, bay leaf, and stock to pan. Make sure to scrap any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add pinch of salt and pepper. Bring soup to a bowl and reduce to a simmer over medium low heat and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes

5. While the soup cooks make the Maple Cream - In a small bowl combine half and half, sour cream, and maple syrup and whisk until smooth. Season with a pinch of salt. You're looking for a sweet and salty cream to garnish your soup. 

5. Remove thyme stems and bay leaf and allow soup to cool for 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender or regular blender puree the soup until a thick but smooth consistency. Add in cayenne pepper and taste for salt and pepper. Can you refrigerate here if making ahead. 

6. To serve reheat soup and serve into small soup shooters. Top with a drizzle of maple cream and the crumbled bacon. You could garnish with some minced thyme leaves or chives as well but I preferred the soup without the extra thyme. 

Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs with Orzo

I wanted to make a different version of pasta with meatballs and found this Mediterranean recipe. It felt a little lighter and you could add as many veggies as you like.  

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Olive oil spray

1 egg

1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint

1 tsp. paprika

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided

2 Tbsp. butter

1 1/4 cup orzo

3 cup chicken stock

2 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup crumbled feta

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. 

2. In a bowl combine egg, ground chicken, panko, mint, paprika, one clove of garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. 

3. Form meatballs with a 1 1/2 Tbsp scooper and use your hands to make into smooth balls. Mix should make 12 meatballs. Place meatballs on prepared pan and spray olive oil over the meatballs. 

4. Bake meatballs for about 8 minutes until meatballs are slightly browned and cooked through. Remove from oven and seat aside.  

5. While the meatballs bake make the orzo pasta - In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter and add remaining chopped garlic. Cook while stiring for about 1 minute, do not allow the garlic to burn. Add orzo pasta and cook about 2 minutes until the orzo is lightly toasted. 

6. Add chicken stock to orzo and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium low heat. Simmer orzo uncovered, stirring frequently to orzo doesn't burn on bottom and cook until liquid is absorbed and orzo is tender, about 12 minutes. 

7. Once orzo is cooked add in the spinach, cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, and half the feta. Cook for about 2 minutes until spinach is wilted and taste orzo for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed. 

8. To serve put orzo into the bowl and top with 2-3 meatballs, a sprinkle of feta, and fresh mint to garnish. 

Crispy Potato Stack

I'm always looking for new potato recipes and this one was super quick to make. You could par bake the potatoes covered and then reheat them uncovered last minute to get the potatoes crispy. 

Ingredients:

4 medium Russet potatoes, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter melted
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1-2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar or gruyere cheese
Salt and black pepper
 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven 400° F. Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

2. Cut the potatoes using a Mandoline or very sharp knife into 1/8 inch thin slices.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the butter, oregano, thyme, garlic, both cheeses, and a large pinch of both salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and toss well to coat. Layer the potatoes evenly among the prepared muffin tin, stacking the layers all the way to the top. The potatoes will shrink down as they cook.

4. Cover with foil and place on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking another 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and golden. Run a butter knife around the edges of each stack to release them. Serve immediately, sprinkled with a little sea salt.

Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts

I was looking for a snack for the Superbowl that I could make ahead and serve at room temp to bring to my friend Kevin's parents house. These sweet and spicy nuts were a hit! They're well balanced but a bit spicy at the end so it makes you want to take another sip of your beer or cocktail. To elevate the plating I like to use a nice silver bowl so it looks a bit fancier. 

Ingredients:
1 cup mixed nuts (raw, not toasted) I used pecans, cashews, and almonds
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chipotle powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Olive oil spray

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 300 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil spray so nuts do not stick later. 

2. Place the egg white in a bowl and whip with a fork until really frothy. 

3. Add in the spices and nuts to the egg white. Toss until everything is well coated.

4. Place the nut mixture on the baking sheet and cook for about 35 minutes. Make sure to toss the nut mix around every 10 minutes for even baking and to prevent sticking. 

5. Allow to cool on the baking tray, mixing occasionally so the nut mix doesn't clump together. Store at room temperature in an air tight container until ready to serve.

Chicken Skewers with Saffron Rice and Spicy Yogurt Dipping Sauce - Brian Meal Prep

This dish was requested by my Husband, Brian, as I continue to do his meal prep for lunches. We both liked this one so much I had to post about it. If you don't have metal skewers you can use wood skewers but make sure to soak them in water for about 30 minutes before using so they don't burn. 

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. grated garlic
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion power
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks

Yogurt Dipping Sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp. grated jalapeno
1 tsp. grated garlic
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Saffron Rice:
1 cup white long grain rice
2 cups chicken stock 
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt, grated garlic, turmeric, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl and mix together. Add chicken chunks and allow to marinate at least 2 hours. 

2. While the chicken marinates prep the yogurt dipping sauce by mixing all the ingredients together and set aside. 

3. Once chicken has marinated turn your broiler to high. Using metal skewers add a piece of marinated chicken, a piece of green bell pepper, another piece of chicken, and then a piece of red bell pepper. Continue this method until all the bell pepper and chicken pieces are skewered. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper over the skewers. 

4. Broil for about 5 minutes until the chicken and bell pepper start to darken or blister slightly getting nice char marks. Turn the skewers 180 degrees and cook on the other side for another 5 minutes. The goal is to get the chicken fully cooked but make sure the bell peppers don't turn into charcoal. 

5. While the skewers broil, make the rice by adding the saffron threads to the chicken stock in a sauce pan and let bloom for about 5 minutes until the chicken stock has a bit of red or yellow coloring from the saffron. Turn heat to medium high and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the rice and salt. Cover and reduce heat so rice is on a low simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. 

6. Allow the chicken skewers to rest for about 4 minutes before serving them over a bed of saffron rice and drizzling them with the yogurt dipping sauce. Enjoy! 

Brie, Pecan, and Hot Honey Puff Pastry Bites

This is a great appetizer for the fall and winter since it's served warm. You can prep the puff pastry ahead by rolling it out, docking the dough, cutting the rounds and placing into a butter coated mini muffin tray. Keep them covered in the fridge with plastic wrap.

The classic combination of brie, pecans, and honey has been used so many times but making it bite size made them seem a little more fun and elegant. This recipe makes 24 bites

Ingredients:
2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed overnight in the fridge
1 wheel brie cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped into small pieces
Hot honey, to drizzle over top

Directions:

1. Roll out the puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. Prick the dough all over with a fork (this is called docking). Use a cookie cutter and place the dough rounds into a butter lined mini muffin tray. 

2. When ready to serve preheat the oven to 400. Place a small cube of brie cheese into each puff pastry cup. Drizzle with a bit of hot honey and cook for 15 minutes until the cheese starts to melt and the pastry gets a little golden brown. 

3. Top the puff pastry bites with pecans and bake for another 5 minutes. Allow to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes and then gently place them on your serving tray. They are best served warm but are tasty at room temp also. 

Tator Tot Bites

I love potatoes! I found this side dish for some sliders but it could also be an appetizer. If you want to make it extra fancy you could top the bites with creme fraiche and caviar. You definitely want to serve these warm and they need to be made in the moment, when I tried making the tator tot cups in advance they didn't get very crispy the second time when reheating. 

You can make these in a muffin pan and make some big hash brown cups but I prefer to make them bite size by using a mini muffin tray. 

Ingredients:
Olive oil spray
24 frozen tator tots
Sour cream
Bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
Chives, finely minced

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 425. Spray the muffin tin with olive oil spray. 

2. Place one frozen tator tot into each mini muffin slot. Cook as is for 10 minutes. 

3. Use a shot glass and press into the tator tot to make a small cup. Spray with olive oil and put back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the tator tot bites are crispy and golden brown. 

4. Fill the bites with your toppings of choice. I did a dab of sour cream, bacon bites, and topped them off with the chives. Serve warm!