BBQ Meatballs

BBQ Meatballs

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

Your favorite sweet and spicy BBQ sauce, or use recipe below

1 large bag of frozen pre-cooked meatballs

BBQ Sauce:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water - or more depending on consistency.

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup Ketchup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons liquid smoke

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon smoked paprika 

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground dry mustard

1 pinch salt



Instructions:

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat mix butter, brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a simmer and add tomato paste and ketchup. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer 10-20min stirring occasionally. Flavors will develop as it sits.

Let cool completely and add to the crockpot of frozen meatballs.

Cook on warm for 8 hours or low for 4 hours, stiring occasionally.

Serve with cute toothpicks

Smoked Salmon Canapes

Smoked Salmon Canapes

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

1 smoked salmon fillet

3 cucumbers - sliced thin

1 box of fancy crackers of your choice

1 tub of whipped cream cheese (chive flavor if you can find it)

1 lemon

fresh dill

salt and pepper

Take your smoked salmon fillet and slice on a bias into very thin (sashimi style) pieces. Use a sharp knife. Make sure that your salmon is cold, it will slice easier.

Then take your very thinkly sliced cucumbers and pat dry with papertowels to remove excess moisture to prevent cracker from sogging.

Take your cream cheese mixture and zest the lemon into it. Then take a pinch of salt and pepper and a few pieces of dill and finely chop into it. Squeeze about 1/4 of the lemons juice into the whipped cream cheese - just enough for flavor but not too much to change the consistency. At this point you could also add capers, but since I hate capers and cannot get over my hatred for them, I didn't.

Place a small dallop of the cream cheese on the cucumber and then place the cucumber slice on the cracker. Finish with the slice of salmon and a small piece of dill for garnish.

Keep cool before serving.

Bacon Wrapped Chestnuts

Bacon Wrapped Chestnuts

Ingredients:

2 cans whole water chestnuts, drained.
1 package of thin regular bacon
1/4 cup of sweet chili sauce
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
toothpicks




Instructions:

Drain your whole chestnuts.

Cut the bacon slices into thirds.

Soak your toothpicks in water.

 

Take a piece of bacon and wrap the whole chestnut, sticking the toothpick in the top to hold it together.

When all your chestnuts are wrapped brush the glaze onto the bacon.

Place on a baking dish lined with foil.

Place in a 325 degree oven until the bacon has rendered and is crsipy. Low and slow on this to make sure the bacon cooks well.