Happy Football Friday All Y’all! First and foremost did y’all save last week’s Tasty Trophy Treats? Which one was your favorite? Since next week is Turkey Day today we will tackle Thanksgiving appetizers. These will help get you through the small talk with the family as you wait for the bird to make his grand appearance. Have a great weekend of football. Enjoy!
Football Friday Tailgate Treats: Thanksgiving Appetizers
Sausage Balls With Cream Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 pound sausage
- 1 1/4 cups Bisquick
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a rimmed baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer, combine all ingredients. Using a cookie scoop, shape into 1-inch balls, squeezing sausage balls so they hold their forms. Place on baking sheet.
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Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
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Bake in the preheated oven, until brown, about 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reached 160°F when measured with an instant-read thermometer. Best served warm.
Tennessee Onion Dip
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp. salted butter
- 2 lb. sweet onions (2 large), chopped
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 oz. mild Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- 4 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (1 cup)
Directions:
- Sauté onions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add onion, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and pepper to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cook until onions are almost tender, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream, then cheeses:
- Stir in cream cheese until melted; stir in mayonnaise and sour cream.
- Gradually add Cheddar and Gouda, stirring until cheeses melt.
- Bake dip: Place skillet in oven. Bake at 350°F until dip is bubbly and starting to brown on top, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm with potato chips or crackers.
Turkey Cheese Ball
The kitschy cheesy appetizers just because it is fun! I will probably add this every year!
For Cheese Ball:
- 2 (8-oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 6 oz. goat cheese or cheese of your choice
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/3 cup freshly chopped chives
- 3/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1 sprig of thyme, stem removed, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For Decorating & Serving:
- 1 1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted, divided
- Red and yellow bell peppers
- Orange and white carrots, julienned
- Pretzels
- Crackers
Directions:
- Combine cream cheese, butter, goat cheese, and garlic powder in the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse until smooth. Add chives, parsley, and thyme leaves and pulse a few times until well combined.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Form the mixture into a large ball.
- To make the turkey body, Pulse ¾ cup pecan halves in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Roll the cheese ball in pecan crumbs and chill for at least 1 hour to allow the cheese ball to set up.
- To decorate: Make the tail by sticking pretzels, pretzel sticks, and multi-colored julienned carrots into the tail end of the turkey.
- Slice carrots to make the turkey feet.
- Cut a red bell pepper into a large triangle to make the face of the turkey and place it on the cheese ball using a toothpick or pressing into the cheese ball.
- Slice a smaller triangle from the yellow bell pepper and attach it to the red triangle to make the beak using another toothpick.
- Slice a thin carrot crosswise to get two rounds, for the turkey eyes and place it onto a red triangle with toothpicks.
- For the wings, stick pecan halves into the sides of the body, overlapping each other to make a wing shape.
- Serve cheese ball turkey on a platter along with crackers.
Pecan Pie Bites
Ingredients:
The Cookie:
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg (yolk only)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
The Filling:
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1 cup finely chopped pecans
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1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
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1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
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1 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350˚. Spray 36 mini muffin pan cups with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Combine the brown sugar, butter, egg yolk and vanilla in a bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until creamy. Add the flour, baking powder and salt; beat on low speed until well mixed.
- Shape the dough into 3/4-inch balls; place each into a prepared mini muffin pan cup, pressing the dough onto bottom and up one-third of the sides of each cup, creating a shallow cup.
- Combine all of the filling ingredients in a bowl; spoon 1 teaspoon filling into each cookie.
- Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack. Remove the cookies from the pans by running a small knife around the edge of each cookie. Place onto the cooling rack; cool completely.
Bourbon Spiked Apple Cider (Crock Pot)
Last but not least a spike beverage. You’ll need enough to serve the whole family to survive the day.
- Add good quality apple juice to slow cooker.
- Add thinly sliced oranges, apples, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves and brown sugar and stir.
- Heat on low for 3-4 hours.
- Stir in rum or bourbon before serving.
- Garnish cups with orange peels and cinnamon sticks.
On The Menu
Next week we will tackle more tasty tailgate treats. Perhaps we will find some creative recipes for those Thanksgiving leftovers. Have a great weekend of football. Have a Happy Thanksgiving. May you be surrounded by friends, family, football, and lots of love. Enjoy!
