FROSTED: Thanksgiving Finger Food Feast...No Table Needed!

During this month of November many of the social media websites have been filled with people sharing the things in their lives that they are thankful for. I have seen it range from giving thanks for their children to showing their admiration for reruns of their favorite television show. Everyone has something in their life that they can appreciate and openly recognize during this time of year. So this Thanksgiving, I am extremely thankful for the "F's" in my life: my fiance, family, friends, food....and my Frosted followers! I wish that I could sit down with you all at an orange and red clothed table adorned with beautifully folded napkins and enjoy all of the classic Turkey and fixins.

But, I realize that not everyone's Thanksgiving tradition includes a sit down dinner. With everyone's schedules getting busier due to attending multiple dinners with family and friends, there is hardly any time to relax and enjoy a formal meal at a table. So this week I am sharing a fabulous way to enjoy the same Thanksgiving feast that we all love...but with finger foods that are easier for guests to enjoy while mingling and sitting around the living room watching football.

These recipes would also make fantastic dishes to bring to any Thanksgiving potluck at your work, a perfect addition to any Thanksgiving church buffet, or as donations to your local soup kitchen or food pantry. So pile a few of these goodies on your plate and enjoy the highly anticipated taste of Thanksgiving with your fingers!

 Cranberry Bruschetta
(Courtesy of Food Fashion & Flow)

Ingredients:

• 1 12 ounce of package fresh cranberries
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1/4 cup of green onion chopped
• 1/4 cup of cilantro chopped
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 Tablespoons of lime juice
• A dash of salt
• A crusty french baguette; cut in thick slices
• Goat cheese or cream cheese

 Directions:

1.  Put the cranberries and jalapeno pepper in a mini chopper or food processor. Pulse until the cranberries are chopped, but still a little chunky. 

2.  Chop up green onion and cilantro into small pieces. Add all ingredients and mix together. Refrigerate for at least a few hours to allow cranberries to soften a little and for flavors to blend.

3.  Toast baguette slices and spread with goat cheese or cream cheese and top with cranberry mixture.

Mashed Potato Puffs

(Recipe by The Kitchn)

 

Ingredients:

(Makes between 12-24 puffs depending on the size of the pan)

• 2 cups of mashed potatoes (your favorite Thanksgiving recipe)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan or Gruyere, divided
• 1/4 cup of minced chives
• 1/4 cup of diced ham (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper   

 Directions:

 1.  Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease the cups of a regular muffin tin, or a mini-muffin tin.
Whisk together the mashed potatoes, the eggs, 1/2 cup of cheese, the chives, and ham. Taste and season, if necessary, with salt and pepper.

2.  Put a spoonful of the mixture in each muffin cup. Sprinkle the top of each potato puff with grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the potato cups are set, browned on top, and hot through and through. Serve immediately.

 Green Bean Casserole Stuffed Mushrooms
(Via Taste of Home)

(Image from She Makes and Bakes)

Ingredients:
(Serves 30; Makes 2 1/2 dozen mushrooms)

• 3 strips of turkey bacon, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) of French-style green beans, drained
• 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup of condensed cream of onion soup, undiluted
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 cup of dry bread crumbs
• 30 whole baby portobello mushrooms
• Cooking spray
• 1 can (2.8 ounces) of French-fried onions

Directions:

1.    In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Place the green beans, 1/2 cup cheese, soup, water, nutmeg, pepper and bacon mixture in a food processor; process until blended. Transfer to a small bowl; fold in bread crumbs.

2.  Remove stems from mushrooms; discard stems or save for another use. Spritz mushroom caps with cooking spray; place in an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan, stem side down. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes, turning once.

3.  Drain liquid from caps; fill with green bean mixture. Top with remaining cheese and fried onions. Bake 8-10 minutes longer or until mushrooms are tender and filling is heated through.

 

Turkey Stuffing Balls

(Courtesy of Jun-Blog)

 

Ingredients:

(Makes around 15 balls)

• 4 Tablespoons of butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped, (about 1 cup)
• 4 stalks of celery, finely chopped, (about 1 cup)
• 1 loaf of white bread, dried and torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 Tablespoon of poultry seasoning
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 egg

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  Sauté onion and celery in butter until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, and spoon over the torn pieces of white bread.  Dust with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Whisk an egg in the chicken stock and pour over the stuffing until it is moist enough to form balls that hold together.

3.  Form the stuffing into 3-inch balls. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Thanksgiving Pie Petit Fours
(Recipes by Savory Simple)

Tart Dough Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 7 ounces of cold butter, chopped
• 1/3 cup of cold water

Pecan Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 1/2 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 ounce of butter
• 1/8 cup of maple syrup
• 1/3 cup of pecans
• a splash of vanilla 

Pumpkin Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1/6 cup of white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 egg + half a yolk, beaten
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon of fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamon

Sweet Potato Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sweet potato puree
• 1 Tablespoon of butter, melted
• 1/8 cup of heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1/3 cup of chopped toasted pecans (optional)
• Marshmallow Fluff 

(Image courtesy of One Charming Party)

Tart Directions:

1.   Add flour, butter and salt into a food processor. Pulse on and off until the mixture is crumbly. Slowly add the water with the machine running just until the dough forms a ball. Chill for at least 2 hours.

2.  Roll the dough very thin and carefully shape it into the tart molds.**See notes below.** Allow to chill for at least 30 minutes.

3.  Dock the dough and cover the bottom with parchment paper and beans. Blind bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until firm, then allow to cool.

4.  Make pie fillings. Spoon pie fillings into tarts. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Tart Notes:

•  You need to work very carefully with the dough here.  Since the bites are so small, you want to roll the dough as thin as possible.  Paper thin, if you can.  If there is a lot of dough in each bite, the filling won’t stand out.
• While working with the dough, you always want it to be cold.  The dough can become elastic once it gets too soft or overworked.  Break up the dough into separate pieces and work with a small amount at a time while the rest is being chilled.  If you keep balling it up and trying to roll it out again, it will shrink.  With mini tarts you want the walls to extend all the way up.
• After you roll the dough into the petit four molds, chill for at least 30 minutes.  Then poke numerous tiny holes the dough with a small point such as a bamboo skewer or push pin.  This is known as docking and it will prevent air bubbles from forming and causing the dough to rise.
• After you dock the dough, I recommend placing tiny squares of parchment in the middle of each tart, then topping with uncooked beans.  This is additional protection against the dough rising. 

Pecan Pie Filling Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add a teaspoon into each pre-baked petit four shell. Bake 375 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Pumpkin Pie Filling Directions:

1.  Mix sugar, spices and salt in a bowl. Add the eggs, pumpkin puree and cream.  Whisk until well combined. Add a teaspoon into each pre-baked petit four shell. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Sweet Potato Pie Filling Directions:

1.  If you’re using a fresh sweet potato, poke several holes in it with a fork and then roast in the oven at 400 degrees F until soft all the way through (check after 20 minutes).  Use an immersion blender or potato ricer to make a puree.  You can also use canned puree.

2.  Whisk the sweet potato, butter, cream and spices together.  Fold in the pecans. Add a teaspoon of the mixture into each pre-baked petit four shell. Top in the center with a small dollop (maybe 1/2 teaspoon) of Marshmallow Fluff. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

(Image from One Charming Party)

Nothing could be more festive and fun than these tiny appetizer versions of your favorite Thanksgiving day side dishes. These recipes are perfect to serve at the kid's table at your traditional Thanksgiving formal dinner or even as munchies for football Sunday (made from your Thanksgiving leftovers). The possibilities are endless for these miniature Turkey Day staples.

So try a nibble of these yummy Thanksgiving dishes and be thankful for another "F" in your life...FINGER FOOD! Have a wonderful weekend and a scrumptious Thanksgiving!