Thanksgiving seems decades away at this point, but I’m still very much into the appetizers I made for our family’s feast so let’s talk about ittttt. Also, these would be particularly good for football watching and with the Super Bowl not so far off, you might as well start prepping your spread now.
The first appetizer I cooked up was my take on pigs in a blanket. Only, instead of using hot dogs/cocktail weinies, I used chicken sausage; and instead of crescent roll dough, I used puff pastry. I added some extra flair and bada bing. Set out puff pastry to defrost on the counter (for about 40 minutes) before you’re ready to cook. Once it’s pliable, slice each sheet in half up the middle and then each half could be cut into about 3 sheets. Roll up a chicken sausage (any variety works, I like the garlic flavor) and seal with a bit of egg wash. Slice them up into bites, brush more egg wash on top, and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning and grated parmesan (get the pre-grated stuff). HOT TIP: I didn’t do the egg wash and these were tougher to work with. The taste is just as good, but you’ll have to work harder/faster to keep the pastry on the sausage and the toppings won’t stick as well. Learn from my mistake. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes. (Just keep your eyes on em – you want them to be golden.) Serve with homemade honey mustard (mayo, dijon mustard, honey, and salt).
For appetizer number two, I made this fried pickle dip. Start by melting 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan before adding and coating 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs. Toast them until they’re nice and brown. Set them off to the side. (You can make this dip 3 days in advance, you just don’t want to top with the bread crumbs until serving time. The idea is to have a crispy topping…you know, like a fried pickle. I simply plated the dip and put the toasted panko in a mini tupperware/ziplock then sprinkled it on when I got to my brother/SIL’s house and was ready to put out on the buffet.) In a bowl, combine 16 oz sour cream and 8 oz cream cheese and beat them together using a handheld mixer. To the mix, add 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp ranch seasoning, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tbsp pickle juice. Stir to combine completely. Fold in 1 c. diced dill pickles and 1 tbsp fresh dill. Serve with thick/kettle cooked potato chips.
Both dishes received great reviews but the pigs in a blanket were polished off before the main meal began. All it took were the teeniest little updates to a familiar recipe to completely change – and improve – the dish. I, personally, couldn’t get enough of the dip (which makes a ton, by the way), but immediately commented that it felt more like football-watching fare than Thanksgiving vibes. That means now is its time to shine! It truly tastes like fried pickles, which is…awesome.
Peaches to Apples 