Easy Gourmet Appetizers That Will Have Guests Begging for More

Photo credits Kalina Nichole and Pepper Nix

Today, we’re going to share two of our most popular appetizers: Bacon-wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese Crema and Angry Onion Beef and Cheddar sliders. Here at Culinary Crafts, we serve these easy gourmet appetizers at weddings, corporate events, private parties—basically any event you can imagine—and they are always a smash. Sweet, succulent, and savory, they never fail to get guests excited and begging for more. Best of all, these recipes are simple enough to be made at home.

Photo credit Logan Walker

Bacon-Wrapped Dates on Goat Cheese Crema

(makes a dozen servings)

Ingredients

• 4 strips of bacon
• 12 dried dates
• 12 toothpicks
• ¼ cup goat cheese
• 1 Tbsp cream
• 1 dash liquid smoke
• 1 Tbsp honey (We love to use local artisan Slide Ridge honey.)

Instructions

1. Slice each raw bacon strip into three equal pieces (roughly 4 inches long)
2. Place a date on the end of a piece of bacon and roll the bacon around the date. Use slight pressure as you roll to make the wrap tight. Use a toothpick to skewer the bacon and date together.
3. Place on a greased sheet pan. Repeat with all dates and bacon pieces.
4. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until bacon has reached desired crispiness.
5. To make the goat cheese crema, add goat cheese, cream, and liquid smoke into a medium bowl. Mix until combined.
6. Serve hot with a dollop of crema and a drizzle of honey.
7. Watch them disappear!

Photo credit Pepper Nix

Angry Onion Beef and Cheddar Sliders

(makes 30 3” sliders)

Buns

You’ll need 30 slider buns. We have our bakery make fresh brioche buns, but you can also use Rhodes dinner rolls cut in half or Hawaiian rolls. You can also use a round biscuit cutter to form perfectly-shaped rolls.

Caramelized onions

Ingredients

• 6 medium-size yellow or sweet onions
• 2 Tbsp Chef Paul Prudhomme Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning Blend
• ¼ cup butter

Instructions

1. Remove root and tough outer layers of onions. Slice onions into thin slivers.
   

   Pro Tip:

   Cut your onions in the direction with the grain, from top to bottom, not across the onion. (If your onion slices are in the shape of a rainbow instead of slivers, you’re cutting the wrong direction). Top-to-bottom slices make straighter pieces that will be easier to top on your sliders. Plus, some of our chefs swear it will result in fewer tears. (Then again, some chefs wear swimming goggles and hold a matchstick in their teeth as they cut onions, so who really knows?)

2. Place butter and onions in the largest skillet or pot you’ve got, over medium low heat.
   

   Pro Tip:

   Don’t overcrowd your pot. If you can’t fit all the onions in at once and still have room to stir, try cooking half the onions until they’ve reduced enough that there’s room to add the remaining onions. You don’t need to worry about the first half of the onions overcooking.

3. Allow onions to cook down, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes.
   

   Pro Tip:

   Some recipes suggest adding sugar to the onions, but that is a shortcut you want to avoid. The key to extraordinary caramelized onions is patience. Give the natural sugars of the onions time to work their magic! Typically, we would want to cook onions for longer than 30 minutes, but for this recipe we don’t need them to be fully caramelized. The juice released from the onions should be enough moisture to prevent scalding, but it’s still a good idea to give them a stir every few minutes.

4. When onions are golden brown, remove from heat. Add seasoning blend and stir. Set aside.
   

   Pro Tip:

   Caramelized onions are such an explosion of deliciousness that they can elevate all kinds of dishes from hamburgers, pizza, pasta, and onion dips to breakfast casseroles, rosti, salads, risotto, wraps, and, of course, French onion soup. The only drawback is the long cooking time, so we recommend making large batches and storing the leftovers in your freezer

   

   Patties

   Ingredients

   • 5 lbs ground beef
   • 1 Tbsp ground mustard
   • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
   • 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
   • 1 ½ tsp cumin
   • 1 Tbsp seasoning salt
   • 1 Tbsp coriander
   • 1 ½ tsp black pepper
   • ¼ tsp chili powder
   • 1 ½ tsp granulated onion
   • cheddar cheese

   Instructions

   1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
   2. Use your hands to mix ingredients thoroughly.
   3. Scoop a ball of meat for each slider. (Remember that meat will cook down, so make your patties a bit larger than 3” in diameter.) Flatten each patty.
   4. Prepare a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil. Place patties into skillet and give them a good sear.
   5. Flip the patties over and sear the other side, leaving a little pink inside. Add desired amount of cheddar cheese and let it melt as you finish searing.

   Assembly

   Bottom bun, patty, onions, and top bun. Easy-peasy!

   Whichever of these easy gourmet appetizers you choose to serve at your next party, your guests will be begging for the recipe. Just make sure you make enough!

   Eat Well.