Sam's Place: party foods

Showing posts with label party foods. Show all posts

Ideas for Charcuterie Board

Some of you might be thinking, what is a charcuterie board? Well, a charcuterie board is an assortment of cured meats, cheeses crackers, and so much more.

It's easy to impress your family, friends, and guests by preparing a charcuterie board for your next party or event.

So, now the next question is, how do you pronounce charcuterie? I found this easy one online, (Shar-Koo-ta-Ree).

Many people think charcuterie is an Italian term, but actually, it is a French term meaning "Pork Butcher".

Our son Sammy and his wife Tricia created the board you see in the photo on our last visit to their house. They created this board in about 15 minutes. They were like watching two artists create a masterpiece.

What is on a Charcuterie Board?

Cured Meats
Cheeses (Sharp and Mild)
Fruits and Nuts
Crackers and pieces of bread
Soft Cheeses and dips
Olives
Jelly and Jams
Small pieces of bread
Candies
Veggies

You can use one board or several boards or just use plates and platters. To me, it is all bout the food.

Charcuterie boards are very popular around the Holidays but are perfect for any party or family gathering where you need to have some delicious appetizers.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it.

These Charcuterie Boards are a perfect Gift Idea

Bamboo Cheese Board with Knife & Fork Set, Wood Charcuterie Platter & Food Serving Tray for Wine Glasses, Bowls, House Warming Gift, Misoph Collection by PandPal…ROYAMY Bamboo Cheese Board Set with 3 Stainless Steel Knife, Meat Charcuterie Platter Serving Tray, Perfect Choice for Wedding Birthdays Christmas Anniversary Housewarming Kitchen Personalized Gift Cheese Board and Knife Set - Charcuterie Board Set Unique Bamboo Cheese Board, Charcuterie Platter & Serving Tray (17.5 Unique Bamboo Cheese Board, Charcuterie Platter and Serving Tray for Wine, Crackers, Brie and Meat. Large and Thick Natural Wooden Server - Fancy House Warming Gift & Perfect Choice for Gourmets

Spinach Pizza Greens

This is an old family recipe, one that my grandmother made and one of my favorites. My grandmother called them pizza greens, and I like to keep these old recipes alive.

I’ve had them on my list to make for quite some time now, so I decided it was time to dust this one off. Pizza Greens from my grandmother’s kitchen to yours.

They consist of seasoned spinach wrapped in wonderful sweet and soft dough. The original recipe calls for cake yeast, which is very hard to find so I had to convert it to dry yeast. If you have read one my previous post All Purpose Dough Recipe, this is not the same dough this dough is much softer and sweeter.

Here is how we make this dough:

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 package dry yeast

1 Egg Beaten

¼ cup white sugar

½ stick butter

½ cup water (lukewarm)

1 cup warm milk (not too hot)

Add the flour, salt, and butter to a mixing bowl; I use my KitchenAid Stand mixer for the dough. Mix the sugar with the lukewarm water, add the yeast, milk, and egg. Add this to the flour mixture and knead until smooth. Cover and let the dough rise.

The Spinach Filling:

1 bag (16oz.) frozen chopped spinach

2 cloves garlic diced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Crushed hot red pepper (optional)

¼ cup Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Coat the bottom of a 10-inch skillet with the olive oil, add all of your seasonings and cook until spinach is warm.

I pulled off pieces of the dough and rolled them to about 6 x 6 inches. Fill them with 2 tablespoons of the spinach filling. Fold over each side and pinch the dough together, pinch the corners and fold up, then flip over onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes until they are golden brown.

What I like about this recipe is that there are so many options to add to the spinach filling, such as mushrooms, sausage, ham, and pepperoni; you decide the options are endless.

This recipe yielded me eight nice pizza greens and I had enough dough left over to make six sandwich buns.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy.

Norpro Double Pastry Roller Deluxe Wooden For Pasta Pie Pizza

Alpha Grillers Garlic Press and Peeler Set. Stainless Steel Mincer

Rachael Ray Oven Lovin' Nonstick Bakeware 3-Piece Baking and Cookie

Poor Man's Pizza My Grandmother's Recipe

Poor Man’s Pizza, another recipe passed down from my grandmother. I really don’t know why my grandmother called this poor man’s pizza, I never asked. I learned how to make this by watching her. Although my grandmother made it best, isn't that always the case?

This is a great snack, or you can serve it with dinner because it's like garlic bread only in pizza form. This is very simple to make and if you don't want to take the time to make the dough. Just pick up a pre-made pizza shell or most stores will have dough already to use. Then it becomes very quick and easy.

So if you happen to like garlic, give this one a try. Poor Man's Pizza is great served with a nice salad and your favorite pasta dish and of course a glass of wine.

Ingredients for the Dough:

5 to 6 cups of all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups of Luke warm water
2 packages of dry yeast
3 tbs. of oil or Crisco
1 tsp. salt

Ingredients for the Topping:

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbs. of light olive oil (or more if needed)
Black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
Grated Romano cheese to taste

Instructions:

Dissolve the yeast in the water, add oil and salt, and pour into a large mixing bowl
Add flour one or two cups at a time, and mix until the dough is smooth
Set the dough aside to rise for about 1 hour
Grease your pizza pan with Crisco. Spread your dough in a pizza pan (you can make it thin or thick however you like it)
Pour the olive oil into the middle and spread over the entire pizza with your fingers (Wash your Hands First)
Spread the finely chopped garlic over the pizza
Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and grated Romano cheese to your taste
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees, Bake for about 10 minutes on the middle rack or until the crust is golden brown

I like using my KitchenAid Stand Mixer for making the dough.

Spread the dough in the pizza pan, you can make it thick or thin, I really like mine thin and crispy. I use my handy Norpro pizza dough and pastry roller, it's really a big help.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it.

KitchenAid 5-Qt. Tilt-Head Stand Mixer KSM150PSBM Artisan Series, 5 Quart, Black Matte Baking Sheet Set, 2-Piece Cookie Sheet Set with Silicone Handles, Steel Baking Pans Set, Durable Baking Sheets for Oven, BPA Free Cookie Sheets for Baking Nonstick Set, Sheet Pan - Black Baking Tray

Veggie Bars a Party Favorite

Make these quick easy party snacks for your next party

This recipe is one of our all-time favorites, it's so popular and such a big hit at picnics, parties, and Holiday gatherings. These are one of the best veggie snacks you'll ever have and are so simple to make.

Even I can do it, there are so many options for all of your favorite fresh veggies, you can top this with whatever you desire or whatever you're in the mood for.

My daughter and wife have been making these for years for all of our family events, and no matter where we take them, everybody gives this treat the thumbs up.

Pictured here are the veggie bars my daughter made for the 4th of July, with broccoli, cauliflower, red and yellow peppers. Aren't they just so colorful?

The options for these easy veggie bars are endless, you can add as little or as much fresh veggies as your heart desires. I'm not so sure about the cream cheese mixture, but for sure the fresh veggies are very healthy.

What you need for these easy veggie snacks:

2 Tubes of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 packages of 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1-8oz. package of shredded cheddar
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
2/3 cup of mayonnaise
2/3 cup of sour cream

Veggie Options All Finley Chopped about one cup each:

Green, Red, and Yellow Peppers
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Black Olives
Carrots
Mushrooms
Onion
Tomato

Here is how to make your veggie snacks:

Spread the crescent rolls out onto a 17" x 11" pan and pinch the sections together
Bake the crescent rolls at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown, set the pan aside and let them cool
Mix the cream cheese, ranch dressing, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a mixing bowl, whip until it is nice and creamy
Spread the mixture over the cooled crescent rolls evenly
Press your choice of veggies into the cream cheese mixture and top off with the shredded cheddar
Place the veggie bars in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
After they're cooled cut them into 2 or 3-inch squares and serve