Category Archives: Appetizers

by kkregel | October 10, 2011 · 8:17 am

Cauldron Beer Cheese Fondue

Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Easy crafts to make and be seen
Whip up some treats, it’s Halloween!

Halloween is such a fun time of the year, so why not dress up your party like you would yourself? We put together a Double Double Toil and Trouble witch-themed Halloween party for our stint as featured bloggers for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s Halloween Entertaining segment. We used just a few simple store-bought and/or DIY props and paired them with a few delicious fall treats featuring Wisconsin cheeses.

We kicked off our party with a creamy Beer Cheese Fondue, served in a cauldron-like casserole dish with thin Italian breadsticks and sliced baguettes for dipping.

Cauldron Beer Cheese Fondue
3 Tbsp butter
1 C milk
2 Tbsp flour
2/3 C Oktoberfest or amber beer
1 1/2 C Smoked Gouda, shredded
1 1/2 C Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp Worchestershire
1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to thicken, taking care not to burn, and then gradually whisk in milk until mixture is semi-thick and smooth. Continue whisking while adding beer. Next, gradually whisk in cheeses allowing each addition of cheese to melt before adding the next. Once cheese is melted, whisk in mustard, Worchestershire and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste to bring out flavors.

Serve warm with thin Italian breadsticks and slices of French baguette for dipping. Stick breadsticks into the sliced bread to create “broomsticks”.

Be sure to check back later this week for more Halloween recipes and our Halloween decor ideas!

6 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Holidays

Tagged as beer cheese dip, beer cheese fondue, Halloween entertaining, Halloween recipes, witch party

by Anne | October 5, 2011 · 8:46 am

Gouda and Apple Tarts

I love apple season and often find myself using apples to sweeten up my dishes. I wanted to try my hand at a savory apple dish this year and these tarts were just what my taste buds were craving. The combination of the sweet apple with the Gouda cheese was the perfect match. These easy tarts can be made in no time and use only 4 ingredients!

Gouda and Apple Tarts

1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
1 apple, thinly sliced ( I used golden delicious)
1 cup shredded Gouda Cheese
Chopped fresh sage

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut your puff pastry into evenly sized rectangles. I was able to cut mine into 12 pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and top with about 2 Tablespoons shredded Gouda and a few sliced apples.

Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Top with chopped fresh sage and serve warm.

6 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Cook

Tagged as easy apple tarts, fall appetizers, gouda and apple tarts

by Stef | September 16, 2011 · 7:34 am

The Art of Toddler Food: Snack Time

When Lincoln started on solid foods last year, I thought I had this whole food thing down pat. He ate every colorful vegetable I so lovingly pureed for him. Hooray! I do not have a finicky eater on my hands! Or so I thought…

Once Lincoln started to think a bit more independently (and by a bit, I mean VERY independent), meal and snack time began to change. My once blissful fresh produce state morphed into countless meals dropped on the floor and one frustrated mommy. I don’t necessarily believe it is the taste of the food Lincoln doesn’t like. He will eat peas one day and turn his nose the next. My little food critic decides what he will or will not eat before putting it into his mouth. So I have had to become crafty in making healthy and wholesome food for my pint sized Anthony Bourdain. If eating can be a fun experience, it is more likely the food will be consumed!

Enter: dip. The little man loves to dip his food in sauces. Most often he likes the sauce more than the dipping food. With the help of some healthy, creamy ingredients, I’ve started to create dips I feel better about than anything I can find in the store. (And they are great for moms too!)

Yogurt Veggie Dip

1 1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
1/3 C sour cream
1/2 large cucumber, finely diced
1/2 large carrot, finely grated
1 tsp dry dill
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp table salt

Add yogurt and sour cream to a large bowl. Stir thoroughly. Add cucumber and carrots, mix well. Add dry spices, mix well. Make sure to taste before serving to make sure the spices are to you or your child’s palette.

Serve with cut up fresh vegetables, crackers, pretzel sticks, pita bread or veggie chips.

I like to spoon the dip into individual containers. Lincoln finds himself to be pretty awesome when he has his own bowl in which to dip. It is a great and easy snack to have on hand.

If you don’t have kids, make this for yourself! It is a perfect lunchbox companion for those afternoon office munchies.

5 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Family, Healthy, Quick & Easy

Tagged as greek yogurt veggie dip, healthy snacks, kids snacks, toddler food, yogurt veggie dip

by kkregel | August 29, 2011 · 8:36 am

{In the Garden} Heirloom Tomato Tart

I wait all year for my heirloom tomatoes to become ripe. From the smell of the plants to the funky shapes and colors of the tomatoes themselves, I love everything about them.

However a week or so ago, I went out to pick the first ripe one only to find that some critter had taken a nice big bite out of it already. GASP! I figured it was a fluke…until it happened again and again. Every afternoon I would check my tomatoes to see what would be ripe in the morning and every morning the newly ripe one would be compromised. Was it a squirrel? Rabbits? My dog, Lena? The creature was smart enough to only eat the ripe ones. This was war and not one I planned to lose.

I still haven’t figured out the culprit but my battle tactic has been to cage my plants with chicken wire. So far it seems to be working and I’ve been able to harvest a pile of gorgeous tomatoes to make this Heirloom Tomato & Three Cheese Tart and an all-fresh batch of our favorite Heirloom Tomato Soup. I’ve heard tales of pepper-vinegar sprays, dog hair, coffee grounds, netting and more deterring animals as well but haven’t tried them.

Have you had issues with garden thieves? How do you prevent animals from eating your tomatoes? What worked or didn’t work for you?

Heirloom Tomato & Three Cheese Tart
Tart Shell
1 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C shortening
1 C ice water
1/s tsp vinegar

Filling
1/2 C low-fat ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 C half & half
4 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1-2 heirloom tomatoes
1-2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
handful basil, chiffonade
drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375. Combine ice, water and vinegar in a bowl and set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Cut in small balls of shortening, spreading them throughout flour. Spoon in 2-3 Tbsp of vinegar water and use a pastry cutter or your hands to work into a dough. Add more water, one Tbsp at a time until dough holds together but is not too sticky. (Tip: If you overdo it with the water, just add a sprinkle more flour to dry things out). Use your hands to push dough into an 11×7 tart pan, working dough evenly up the sides and flattening evenly across the bottom.

In another small bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, half and half and parmesan cheese until creamy and well-combined. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour filling over dough. Bake for 10 minutes to just set filling. Remove from oven and layer tomatoes and goat cheese on top. Bake for another 30 minutes. Cool slightly and top with basil and a light drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar.

More Tomato Recipes: FoodNetwork.com Summer Fest

We’re participating in FoodNetwork.com‘s Summer Fest summer vegetable recipe round up with lots of other great food bloggers! Check out these other tasty-looking tomato dishes with the rest of your garden bounty:
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Seared Chicken with Cherry Tomato Pan Sauce
What’s Gaby Cooking: Zebra Tomato and Burrata Crostini
Zaika Zabardast: Balsamic Roasted Tomato-Basil Ice
And Love It Too: Healthy Lunchbox – Garlic Tomato Basil Pesto Bruchetta
Chez Us: Roasted Tomato Sauce
Daily*Dishin: Refreshing and Rustic – Tuscan Bread Salad
Glory Foods: Fresh Tomato Salsa
Dishin and Dishes: Tomato Tart Tatin
The Purple Cook: Eggplant Parmesan Caprese Salad
I Am Mommy: Tomato Crudite
Cooking With My Kid: Gluten-Free White Bean Chive Cakes with Heirloom Tomatoes
FN Dish: Easy Tomato Appetizers
Add a Pinch: Simple Caprese Salad Skewers
Sweet Life Bake: Salsa Cruda
Virtually Homemade: Farfalle with Roasted Tomato Sauce, Bacon and Shaved Romano
Dixie Chik Cooks: Tomato, Basil and Olive Bruschetta
The Sensitive Epicure: Yemista – Greek Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers with Potatoes
Mooshu Jenne: Sun Burst Tomato Pasta
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Book Club, Tomatoes and a Recipe for Chicken Provençal?
Cooking With Elise: Tomato Parmesan Biscuits
From My Corner of Saratoga: Cooking from the Garden – Bruschetta Pizza
Fritos and Foie Gras: Tomato Terrine
Creative Culinary: Fresh and Savory Tomato Pie
Big Apple Nosh: Caprese Salad/Tomato Carnage
Spices and Aroma: Quick and Easy Paneer Curry
Zaika Zabardast: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Breakfast Rolls

33 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Garden

Tagged as heirloom tomato recipes, heirloom tomato tart, prevent squirrels from eating tomatoes, three cheese tart

by kkregel | July 11, 2011 · 8:03 am

Mango, Corn & Black Bean Salsa

Every summer when the produce gets really ripe I crave this super addictive, colorful salsa – a recipe I picked up from my friend Colleen back in the day and tweaked to my liking. There are lots of variations of corn salsa out there (like Anne’s!) but I like to load mine with pretty much every salsa ingredient under the sun to get a mix of crunchy and soft, sweet and savory with a little spice to kick it up. Definitely buy thick tortilla chips to serve with it so that you can pile all the goods onto your chip without it breaking!

Mango, Corn & Black Bean Salsa
1 C or 1 can drained sweet corn
1 can black beans, washed & drained
2 lg avocado, diced
2 med tomatoes, diced and seeded
1 sm red pepper, diced and seeded
3 green onions, chopped
1 sm mango, diced
handful cilantro, chopped
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne

In a large bowl, combine black beans and corn. Chop tomatoes, red pepper, mango, avocado and green onions and add to bowl, mixing to combine. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne, salt and sugar. Chop cilantro and whisk into dressing. Pour dressing evenly over vegetables and mix lightly to coat. Serve with tortilla chips as a salsa or just as a side salad.

7 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Sides

Tagged as corn salsa, fiesta salsa, mango black bean salsa, mango corn salsa

by Anne | February 16, 2011 · 8:34 am

Corn Salsa

It is the middle of February and I am desperately missing fresh, homegrown produce after this long winter. During the summer months I love making salsa with things that I grow in my garden and this week I got a craving for some fresh, homemade salsa. However the fact that my garden is currently under 10 inches of snow means that I need to look elsewhere.

This corn salsa strays from a typical tomato based salsa, but it is full of flavors and tastes fresh from the garden. Just what I needed!

Corn Salsa

4 cups frozen corn, cooked and cooled
1 green pepper, diced
2-3 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 small red onion, diced
juice of one lemon
juice of one lime
3-4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste.

Toss all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Eat with chips or use to top tacos, quesadillas or even a crunchy salad with chipotle ranch dressing.

Think Spring!

6 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Cook, Garden

Tagged as chipotle corn salsa, corn salsa, winter salsa

by Stef | January 21, 2011 · 8:07 am

Bears v. Packers: Nacho Typical Rivalry Fare

While most of the people in this state will shout a resounding chorus of “Go Pack Go” on Sunday, I will be singing “Bear Down.” I am a displaced Bears fan in a land of Cheeseheads. It truly is a hard life. But the glares at the grocery store when I carry my Bears reusable grocery bag, the trash talking from my friends and the jeers from neighbors when I walk to the mailbox in my Bears jersey are all well worth it, for I am not ashamed. The Bears hold a very special spot in my heart.

The Bears have not played the Packers in the NFC Championship since 1941. (Sidebar: Bears won) So this rivalry game of epic proportions deserves the fare to back it up. For Sunday’s game, I am dishing up some rivalry nachos and football treats. All these dishes are a cinch to put together so you can focus your energy on the game.

Monsters of the Midway Nachos

Ingredients:

blue corn tortilla chips
sharp cheddar cheese
chorizo, de-cased and chopped
orange pepper, diced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small non-stick saute pan, cook chorizo on medium-high heat, approximately 8 minutes. Lay tortilla chips on a baking pan. Sprinkle with peppers, chorizo and cheese. Heat on top rack of oven for 5-6 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Green and Gold Nachos

Ingredients:

yellow corn tortilla chips
sharp cheddar cheese
bacon
green onions, diced
green pepper, diced
fresh or picked jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook bacon according to package directions. Cool and chop. Lay tortilla chips on a baking pan. Sprinkle with bacon. Next, sprinkle with cheese, green onion, green pepper and jalapeno. Bake on top rack of the oven for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted.

If you are looking to get even more festive, these iced Twinkies are an easy dessert and look great on a table. Guests can enjoy a throwback to their childhood with this little treat. Using gel icing, simply draw football lines and the logos of your favorite teams. For an added touch, lay them on a plate topped with green colored coconut and draw white icing yard lines.

Some other fun ideas: have a food rivalry with the Wisconsin brat and the Chicago-style hot dog. I’ve also seen this football stadium cake pan that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Here at HAP, we are two to one, Packers to Bears fans. We hope you enjoy the game this weekend and may the best team win! And by the best team, I mean DA BEARS!

9 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Cook, Entertain, Quick & Easy, Treats

Tagged as bears v packers, blue and orange nachos, football game appetizers, football twinkies, green and gold nachos, nacho recipes

by Stef | December 30, 2010 · 8:19 am

Peanut Butter Snowball Mix

If you are headed off to a New Year’s Eve party this year cannot figure out what to bring, think about putting together this yummy Peanut Butter Snowball Mix. This mix has been a staple in my family for as long as I can remember. It is cheap, easy and very addicting. You only need four ingredients:

Ingredients:
1 box Peanut Butter Capt’n Crunch cereal
1 bag mini marshmallows
1 1/2 C dry roasted peanuts
20 oz. white almond bark

In two 9×12 sized pans, mix together first three ingredients. Melt almond bark on stovetop or microwave according to directions. (Make sure to constantly stir or you will end up with a mess!) When it is completely melted, pour over both pans and stir the mix until all ingredients are coated. Continue to stir intermittently for the next 10-15 minutes or until the mix is dry. The mix should cluster.

Place in a serving bowl and enjoy! This is great mix to make a few days ahead of time or right before a party in a pinch.

Thank you for sharing in our fun this past year. We look forward to bringing you some haute new ideas in 2011! If there is something you are dying to see on our site or have any questions for us, please feel free to email us anytime at hauteapplepie@hotmail.com.

Happy New Year!

1 Comment

Filed under Appetizers, Holidays

Tagged as captn crunch mix, easy appetizer, marshmallow white chocolate mix, New Year's appetizers, party mix recipe, peanut butter snowball mix

by Anne | December 29, 2010 · 8:24 am

Mini Apricot Tarts

With New Year’s Eve parties just around the corner, everyone is scrambling for an appetizer recipe that will please a crowd. This recipe for Mini Apricot Tarts uses refrigerated crescent dough and creates a unique flavor combination with pepper jack cheese and apricot preserves.

Mini Apricot Tarts

2 cans refrigerated crescent roll sheets (or regular dough if you are unable to find the sheet)
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
¼ cup apricot preserves
¼ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

Unroll your crescent roll sheet. If you are using traditional crescent dough with the perferations, lay flat and press dough together to eliminate seperation marks.

Slice crosswise into 12 strips, each about 1 inch thick, and separate the dough. Press each into a greased muffin tin, being sure to cover the bottom and all of the sides with the dough. Continue with the other crescent roll sheet until each of the 24 muffin tins are filled with dough.

Next, add 2 teaspoons of shredded jack cheese. Cover the cheese with ½ teaspoon of apricot preserves and ½ teaspoon of chopped pecans.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

These are best if eaten warm, so if you are bringing them to a party, I suggest assembling at home and baking them once you get to your location.

Recipe adapted from pillsbury.

2 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Cook

Tagged as apricot appetizer, apricot preserves, mini tart appetizer, new years eve Hors d'oeuvre

by kkregel | December 27, 2010 · 8:01 am

Interactive Crostini Bar

Mix things up with your New Year’s appetizers this year with an “interactive” crostini bar. My sister brought this fun appetizer over for Christmas and the DIY aspect of it made not just tasty but conversation piece as well.

Pre-slice the cheese and meats and dish out any spreads or toppings in a set of small bowls so that guests can create their own combinations. Thinly sliced baguettes and a variety of sturdy crackers make the best bases.

Some of my favorite combos are:
(clockwise from top left)
1. Warm Brie, Prosciutto & Arugula
2. Roasted Red Pepper Hummus & Green Onions
3. Stone Ground Mustard & Applewood Smoked Wisconsin Cheddar
4. Widmer’s Brick Cheese Spread & Prosciutto
5. Smoked Ham & Baby Swiss
6. Bruschetta with Shaved Parmesan

The nice part about the crostini bar is that it requires very little prep time since you can pick up most of the ingredients pre-made from the store. However, if you’re feeling adventurous and have extra time, you could make homemade bruschetta topping or hummus for even fresher flavors.

Happy New Year!