Apps for a Feast

I love hanging in the kitchen all day on Thanksgiving. The smells, the taste testing, and the conversation make for such a fun day! This year I made 2 appetizers to kick start our taste buds. I wanted to make something that was easy to eat in small amounts so bacon stuffed dates quickly came to mind! I also wanted to make something that wasn't super rich so I made antipasto skewers. These skewers are great leftovers as a snack or you can use the ingredients to top a pizza or to eat with scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Antipasto Skewers

Ingredients

- 1 lb cheese cubed

- Salami

- Pepperoni

- Marinated artichokes

- Roasted red peppers

- Banana peppers

- Cherry tomatoes

- Pesto (Check out post Pesto Pesto Pesto! for a homemade recipe)

- Parsley, to garnish

- Cheese marinade:

- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme

- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano

- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

- Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine cherry tomatoes with pesto. In separate bowl, combine cubed cheese with cheese marinade ingredients. Cover and store in fridge overnight.

2. On a bamboo skewer, add the cheese, tomatoes, artichokes, roasted peppers, banana peppers, and meats in any order you like. Garnish with parsley.

Bacon Covered Dates

Ingredients

- 8 oz package of pitted dates

- 16 oz package of bacon cut into thirds

- Cream cheese

- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

- Chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Make a slit in the date but do not cut in half. Stuff dates with cream cheese, rosemary, chopped walnuts and pinch date back together.

3. Wrap half piece of bacon around date and secure with a toothpick.

4. Bake 6 minutes on each side or until bacon is crispy.

5. Drain on paper towel.