Food for Thought

Miniature food favorites for micro meals

Great for party appetizers, quick lunches or just because, these mini-sized recipes of some favorite meals are not only delicious but also fun!

Mini Chicken Quesadillas

1 1/2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken

1 1/2 c. shredded Mexican cheese

1/3 c. salsa

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 c. refried beans, homemade or store-bought

16 street corn or flour tortillas

3 T cooking oil, divided

1 c. guacamole

1 c. pico de gallo

1/4 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, cheese, salsa and cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Working one at a time, spread refried beans on half of the tortilla; top with the chicken mixture, folding over to seal. Repeat with remaining tortillas to make 16 in total.

Heat one tablespoon of the cooking oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Working in batches, add quesadillas to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown, about one to two minutes per side; keep warm in the oven up to 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining oil and quesadillas.

Serve with desired toppings, like guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream.

Mini Pepperoni Deep-dish Pizzas

1 package crescent roll dough

1 package mini pepperoni slices

3 c. grated mozzarella cheese

1 can pizza sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Lay the crescent roll dough on a cookie sheet and cut out 12 circles for each mini pizza crust. Place the dough circles at the bottom of each muffin cup.

Add a layer of cheese, a spoon of pizza sauce to cover the cheese, and layer of cheese, the pepperoni slices and then seasonings to taste.

Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble and the crust is golden brown. Let them set for five minutes before pulling from the muffin tin and serving.

Mini Bloomin’ Onions

Onions:

2 lb. cipollini onions, peeled and sectioned

2 large eggs

1 c. buttermilk

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 T paprika

1 T salt

1 T pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

Onion Dip:

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. sour cream

1 T ketchup

1/2 tsp. paprika

Pinch of salt and pepper

Prep onions by slicing off the root end (aiming to slice off as little as possible). Carefully peel the onions. Use a sharp knife to cut the onions into eighths, vertically, being careful not to cut all the way through the onion so it stays together.

After you slice each onion, press on it gently to separate the sections. Toss all the prepped onions in the buttermilk and egg mixture. Let them sit for at least 5-10 minutes to soak. You can also let them marinate overnight.

Stir together flour with paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Remove onions from buttermilk mixture and dust heavily with flour mixture. Be sure to get in all the cracks of the onions so they "bloom" as they fry. Move coated onions to a clean plate.

Heat frying oil to 350 degrees F. Fry bite-sized onions for about four minutes each until they are golden brown. Remove onions and let drain for one minute. Serve while hot with the prepared dipping sauce.

Mini Baked Potatoes

1 lb. baby or new potatoes

1 T olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sour cream

2 T chopped chives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Add the potatoes to a bowl, drizzle with the oil and toss to coat. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Jiggle them around halfway through their cooking time so they brown evenly.

Cut a small wedge out of each potato once cooked, then fill with sour cream and top with chives.

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