Hey, Ya'll, it's appetizers Part 2

This has nothing to do with the recipe that follows. I just like my Christmas mug. I sip warm apple cider from it while I cook. Good times.

This recipe is for Tomato Tarts. Again, super easy...VERY tasty! Here's the recipe:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

olive oil

1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese (couldn't find this in my podunk town, so I used mozzerella)

4-5 plum tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick

salt and pepper

fresh thyme

parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Allow puff pastry to thaw for 20 mins. Unfold the pastry and use a 1 1/2 or 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of dough. Place the rounds on the baking sheet. Prick the surface of the rounds with a fork (I forgot this step in my first batch...huge mistake!) Brush each round lightly with olive oil and top with white cheddar (or mozz in my case), then with a tomato slice, then sprinkle with a pinch of thyme and a little parm cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 mins before serving.

Here's what my prep looked like. Can you believe with all the cooking I do, that I dont have a biscuit cutter?? I do, however, have this muppets glass that I've had since I was a kid. It's always been my biscuit cutter. Cute, huh?

This is what these yummy babies look like when they are ready to go in the oven.

And here's the finished product. Even my neighbor (who doesn't eat tomatoes) gladly picked the tomato off just to eat the puff pastry. It's THAT good, folks.

The husband is already begging for more.

Hey, Ya'll, it's appetizers! Part 1

Last year, the husband gave me the Christmas with Paula Deen book for Christmas. I took it off the shelf this year and tried out two of her appetizers in the "Christmas Open House" section.

This recipe is called Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, and it's seriously easy to make. Here's the recipe:

24 fresh mushrooms (stems removed)

one 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach

2 ounces of cream cheese, softened

4 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup of finely chopped green onion (white and green part)

salt

parmesan cheese

Wipe the caps of the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drain the spinach in a collander and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, cream cheese, feta, green onions, and salt to tast. Mix well. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture and place on a cooke sheet. Sprinke the parmesan cheese on top.

Bake 15-20 mins until golden. Serve warm.

This is what they look like assembled and ready to pop in the oven.


And although the pic isn't great, this is what they look like out of the oven. However, you want get to see them for long. They go fast. Trust me. Go ahead and double the recipe.