Saturday, November 12, 2011

Tiny Thanksgiving Tarts

Are you getting your Thanksgiving menu thoughts in order? I’m beginning to. Just to make myself get more serious, I’m going to give this nifty subtitle to every post having to do with Thanksgiving this month:
   Thanksgiving 2011   

Appetizers are on my mind today. I love tiny phyllo tart shells as a base for quick and super-delicious snacks. Ideas for fillings are limitless, but here are three, which make a varied and pretty presentation. The standard rule is 3 to 4 hors d’oeuvres per person, but factor in the huge meal to follow and anything else you might be serving as an appetizer.  

Before baking:

Bake the tarts on a foil-lined baking sheet in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Printable recipe here.

Black Bean and Cheddar Cheese Tarts


1 can black beans
1 onion, chopped
1 tbl. olive oil
1 small carrot, diced
2 tsps. cumin
grated cheddar cheese
frozen phyllo tart shells

Rinse and drain can of black beans well. Completely soften onion and carrot in olive oil in small saucepan. Add cumin and stir on low heat for 2 minutes. Add black beans and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Fill tart shells with black bean mixture. Top with a bit of grated cheddar cheese. Bake as directed above. If desired, top with a dab of salsa.

Fig, Cheese and Toasted Almond Tarts


Next time, I’m definitely using Bleu cheese, but you can use goat cheese or cream cheese, flavored or not.

Layer into each frozen phyllo tart shell (in this order): a dab of fig jam, a small bit of Bleu cheese, goat cheese or cream cheese. Top with a well-toasted almond. Bake as directed above. 

Fig and Prosciutto Tarts

 

Layer into each frozen phyllo tart shell in the order given: a dab of fig jam, two tiny squares of mozzarella cheese and a folded 1“ square of prosciutto. Bake as directed above.

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Another quick idea is strips of crispy baked prosciutto topped with a Parmesan cheese slivers. (Bake the prosciutto on a foil-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until completely crisp.)


Garnishing them with real herbs is probably a better idea than drawing them in.  

8 comments:

Sheila said...

I love the fig tart idea! Sounds soooo good!

I'm always torn at Thanksgiving. I love the tradition. The food you only eat once a year - but every year. And I also like doing something new (tested prior to the day, of course!)

I'm looking forward to your vegetable ideas!!!!

Michael said...

All the three recipes were very nice one more additional detail provided here was the direction for given recipes, its really helpful for me. I need to try these recipes for Thanksgiving food festival, more recipes are needed for me.

The Short (dis)Order Cook said...

I love your little drawings though!

I'm not panicking about Thanksgiving at all. Probably because once again I'm heading to Chicago with Kevin's family and eating out. I'm wondering if this year I'll order something other than the turkey dinner again.

I do miss it a bit. I wouldn't mind making *something* I guess I'm forgetting how stressed out holiday dinners were making me. I think in a perfect world I'd be making Thanksgiving for a maximum of 8 people instead of 17. At least I can get a sane number of guests and cook a showstopper dinner on Christmas Eve this year.

Emily said...

Hahaha I love the herbs!

I like all of these ideas. I want to bring some sort of cheese plate to our Thanksgiving, but I'm unsure if anyone would actually eat any of it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sue,

I have had to swear off Thanksgiving appetizers/ finger foods because I have no self-control, and then of course I still have to eat the entire meal (and more than one helping of it, too). But these look lovely!

Tom

Sue said...

Hiya Sheila,
When you think about it, Thanksgiving is the perfect day to try something new. There's so much other food, that no one will notice if one dish doesn't turn out.

Lolitha,
Thanks so much.

Hi Rach,
I'll keep my fingers crossed that you have good flying weather.

I don't find the COOKING for lots of people a problem. It's the cleaning up that expands exponentially with a each additional place setting. (But I just stash stuff in the laundry room sink, until my company is gone and voila - a cleaned-up kitchen.)

Emily,
You could serve a bag of peanuts and people would eat it up.

Tom!
Have you been talking to H??! He always says I have too many hors d'oeuvres and I always say people are hungry!

Anonymous said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! You always save the day Sue...

Now pray for me, this gal might attempt to make a pie crust this week - eeeeeeekkkkk!

Sue said...

Aly,
DO it! You'll love it.