LUX Dinner Party: Mind Blowing Munchies
Summer dinner parties are all the rage! Step outside the box and get creative on how your wet the palette this time around and give your guests a creative spread of appetizers that will make their taste buds sing! Beyond the delishh vibes, presentation is everything! So we are also throwing in some fun ideas we found from a cute little site. Dive in!
1. Let's start with the heavy hitter: Bacon Candy (How could you ever go wrong with this?)
Ingredients:
Thick Bacon
Light Brown Sugar
Yellow Corn Meal
Directions:
Line baking pan with heavy aluminum foil and spray the baking rack with non stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and corn meal (1 cup of brown sugar to 1 T corn meal). For this entire package of bacon, I will use approximately 3 cups of brown sugar and 3 T of corn meal.
Before separating the bacon, cut the slices into thirds. One third of a slice creates a nice, 2 bite piece. Dip each piece of bacon into the brown sugar/corn meal mixture to coat heavily and place onto the baking rack. If you run out of the brown sugar mixture before finishing, just make a little more.
The bacon will shrink a bit, so don't worry about placing the bacon too close together. Bake until the bacon is red/brown, approximately 15 - 20 minutes depending on how thick your bacon is. It's extra savory when it's a little charred around the corners. Remove to cooling rack. The bacon will not crisp until it cools. Serve at room temperature and get worshiped for serving at your next dinner party!
2. Blueberry // Pineapple Salsa - Refreshing sweet and addictingly delicious with chips, on chicken, fish, tacos or just a spoon! This easy salsa makes everything better and is the easiest tastiest appetizer!
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
1 cup blueberries
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, de-veined, minced, seeds separated
2 tablespoons loosely packed cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons red onions, minced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a large bowl EXCEPT for jalapeno seeds and toss to combine. If you want some heat, add jalapeno seeds a little at a time. Add salt, pepper, more lime juice as desired.
Chill or serve immediately with chips for a delightful pre-dinner summer snack!
3. Cranberry Brie Tart w/ Pancetta and Thyme - Colorfully tasty, addicting and total crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the fridge
1 egg white
1½ cups fresh cranberries
¼ water
½ cup brown sugar
3 sprigs of thyme
2 oz. diced pancetta
6 oz. brie, sliced
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, water, brown sugar, and the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme. Bring ingredients to a boil, boil for 2 minutes on medium heat or until cranberries have started to break down. Place in the refrigerator to cool.
In a saute pan, cook pancetta over medium heat until browned. Remove from saucepan and place on a paper towel. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Fit your puff pastry sheet into an ungreased 14”x5" tart pan; you may need to cut pieces to fit. Prick the puff pastry all over with a fork, and then brush with egg white. Bake for 8 minutes or until shiny and just starting to puff up. Remove from the oven.
Spread prepared cranberry sauce evenly over the puff pastry. Top with sliced brie and pancetta bits. Return to the oven for 15 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining thyme leaves. Serve warm.
How cute are these ideas we found at Brit + Co when it comes to come clever and fun ideas for a rehearsal dinner. But we say, why not just do up your dinner party?
