Features

Staff stuff: Thanksgiving appetizer recipes

By Spectator Staff

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Appetizer: Sweet Onion Tartlets

Natalie Adams, Production Editor

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter

• 1 Vidalia, or other sweet, onion (about 3 c)

• 1 box refrigerated pie crust (Recommend: Pillsbury)

• 1 large egg

• 1/3 cups half-and-half

• 1/2 envelop golden onion soup mix (recommended: Lipton)

• 1 tsp fine herbs (Recommended: Spice Islands)

• 1/2 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Make it happen:

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Unroll pie dough 1 at a time. Use a 2 1/2-inch round cutter and cut as many rounds as possible (about 14 to 16), reserving scraps. Repeat with second pie dough. Gather together scrap dough and cut out as many rounds as needed to make 24 in total. Fit dough rounds into cups of mini muffin pan. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, half-and-half, golden on- ion soup mix, and fine herbs. Set aside. Divide onions among tartlet shells, about 1/2 teaspoon each. Stir the egg mixture and fill tartlets to cover the onions. Top each with 1/2 teaspoon of cheese. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Appetizer: Squash Bisque

Molly Geisinger, Features Editor

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter

1 cup minced onions

1/4 cup minced carrot

2 medium potatoes  2 acorn squashes 4 c white chicken stock or chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

A few pinches of cayenne

Make it happen:

In a saucepan melt the butter. Add minced onion and minced carrot and sprinkle the vegetables lightly with salt and white pepper. Cover the pan with a sheet of buttered wax paper, cover with the lid and cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes, or until they are tender. Add the potatos and squashes, both peeled and cubed, and white chicken stock or chicken broth and simmer the soup, covered, over low heat for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes and squashes are very tender. Force the mixture through a sieve or put it through the fine disk of a food mill. Return it to the pan and add heavy cream and milk. Cook the soup until it is heated through and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the bisque into a tureen and serve it in heated cups, sprinkling each serving with a bit of cayenne, if desired.

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