When I’m planning a party and I need a variety of different appetizers, I want to keep things simple and one of the best ways I’ve found to do that is to create a few easy variations based on one common ingredient. Back when we lived in Georgia, I learned one could bake wonton wrappers to make healthier “chips”. They weren’t very satisfying as chips, but I adored how perfect they were to as a base for toppings to make perfect little appetizers. They immediately became one of my secrets for easy entertaining.
I made all three of the appetizers I’m going to share with you today: turkey banh mi cups, baked brie bites, and cream cheese chive wontons, in just under 30 minutes start to finish. Bam! Party entertaining made simple.
If you don’t have 30 minutes or don’t need to make three different options, the Brie Bites are ready in 12 minutes – 2 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to bake. So easy, but they look so pretty and are the perfect size for munching while mingling.
And if you’re really in a bind, or you don’t like Brie, bake the cups just like I do for the banh mi bites and fill with your favorite filling. Some of my favorite alternatives:
- Hummus with a shred of roasted red pepper or sprinkle of paprika
- Spinach dip – bake with the cups if you want to serve hot or spoon in later to serve cold
- Taco bites – layer your favorite taco seasonings in each cup
- Antipasti
- Fresh strawberries with a drizzle of chocolate or condensed milk
Find what makes you happy and go with it! I’ve separated the recipes so you can see them more easily. The do chua (pickled vegetables) for the banh mi can be made ahead, and you can wrap the cream cheese chive bites up to a day ahead and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to bake.
Wishing you happy and stress-free holiday entertaining!
- 24 wonton wrappers
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1 tsp fish sauce**
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 cup quick pickled vegetables/do chua (recipe at [url href=”http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2009/05/daikon-and-carrot-pickle-recipe-do-chua.html” target=”_blank”]Viet World Kitchen[/url])*
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced into 24 pieces
- 1/4 c mayonnaise
- Preheat your oven to 375 F.
- Spray a nonstick mini-muffin tin with nonstick spray. Gently place the wonton wrappers in the wells and spray again. Bake for 9-10 minutes until the cups are golden brown.
- While the cups are baking, mix the turkey and soy sauce in a skillet over medium heat and cook thoroughly, stirring to break up the meat well.
- When the cups are done baking, remove from the oven and allow to set for two minutes.
- To fill the cups, layer with the turkey, vegetables, cilantro, a drizzle of mayo, and top with a sliver of jalapeno.
- 24 wonton wrappers
- 1/2 lb brie cheese
- 1/4 cup jam*
- Preheat your oven to 375F
- Spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray, place the wonton wrappers in the nonstick pan, and spray again.
- Cut the brie into 24 cubes (about 1/3″) and place one in each cup.
- Bake the cups for 9-10 minutes until the edges are a crisp golden brown.
- Place the jam in a piping bag or zip top bag, snip the tip or a corner, pipe the jam into each cup.
- Serve warm
Cream Cheese Chive Wontons
Ingredients
- 24 wonton wrappers
- 1 8 ounce block of cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the chives with the softened cream cheese.
- Take a wonton wrapper, place about 1.5 tsp of the filling in the center. wet the edges and fold two opposing corners together to make a triangle. Leave as is or bring the two corners at the base of the triangle together. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat until you've made all the wontons. Spray the finished wontons with nonstick spray (canola oil) or lightly brush with avocado or vegetable oil.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the wontons are lightly golden and crispy.
Thalia @ butter and brioche
Monday 5th of January 2015
Love how easy and delicious these appetizers are! Those baked brie bites are especially calling my name.. they definitely would not last long if I made the recipe!
TheGodmother
Thursday 8th of January 2015
Here either... even without a party. ;-p