appetizers Archives - The Midnight Baker

Crab Rangoon Stuffed Mushrooms

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 23:00:20 +0000

Crab rangoon stuffed mushrooms are the perfect savoury or snack!

Crab Rangoon Stuffed Mushrooms–Great Savoury

Looking for a great savoury? Well, there goes my Britishness–savoury is just their word for appetizer. These crab rangoon stuffed mushrooms are also a great snack for tailgating or sports watching.

They’re pretty easy to make because you can start with canned crab if you wish. Crab has always been pricy in any form but fortunately the canned flaked stuff is pretty reasonable as crab goes. Any shellfish you like or have on hand can stand in for the crab and it will still be totally delicious.

Imitation Crab?

Oh you betcha! I actually love this stuff better than the real thing. It’s got a wonderful slightly sweet flavor and I make a great seafood salad with it.

In fact, I used it here to make these stuffed mushrooms. I usually have a packet in the freezer so why not.

If you’ve never used it or bought it, it can either be found in the seafood area of the supermarket if it’s not been frozen, but many stores do sell it frozen so look where they keep the frozen seafood.

Another great thing about imitation crab meat is that it’s far cheaper than the real deal. Calling it “imitation” may conjure up some laboratory creation, but it’s actually white fish; usually cod so it’s a “real” product.

Great In The Air Fryer

These are a natural for the air fryer even though I mostly do these in the oven.

They’d require about 10 minutes at 400F/200C if you want to make them in your air fryer. The only thing I do with air frying them that I don’t do with the conventional oven is give them a spritz of oil to help them brown.

The Recipe

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Crab Rangoon Stuffed Mushrooms

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Air Fryer Cook Time10

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer stuffed mushrooms, fancy stuffed mushrooms

Servings: 6

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

12 medium baby Bella mushrooms
6 oz cream cheese softened
1 green onion finely chopped
3 tbs Panko breadcrumbs
4 oz flaked crab
1 clove garlic finely minced
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbs butter
1 tbs Panko crumbs for topping
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
Carefully remove mushroom stems an chop them finely.
Heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté the stems with the garlic until mushroom stems begin to lightly brown. Let them cool slightly.
Mix the cream cheese, green onion, crab, soy sauce, Panko crumbs and pepper in a small bowl. Add the sautéed mushrooms and garlic. Mix well.
Fill the mushroom caps with cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the mushrooms with the additional Panko crumbs. Place the stuffed mushrooms on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Bake at 400F/200C for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes

For air fryer: see in-post instructions

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Sausage Balls

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 00:03:09 +0000

Air fryer sausage balls are perfect for your New Years or Super Bowl party.

Easy Sausage Balls

With New Year’s parties coming up, there’s definitely a need for great appetizer recipes. Let’s not forget that the Super Bowl is on the horizon too so delicious party food is needed. And if it’s easy, then all the better.

Now these air fryer sausage balls fill the bill on both fronts; delicious and easy. They have only three ingredients and I am willing to bet you might have all the ingredients you need on hand.

Since I make so many things with refrigerated crescent roll dough, I always have at least two tubes in the fridge. I usually have a roll of bulk sausage in the freezer to. And shredded cheese? Uh huh, got that too.

Air Fryer Is Perfect For Appetizers

I’m the first to admit I love my air fryer (affiliate link). Mine isn’t one of the newer and fancier ones. I have a 5 Q basket style. This is one of the most versatile appliances you’ll ever have. While I love–and have come to prefer–air fryer fried chicken–it’s also my go-to appliance for appetizers and snacks like these garbanzos. These sausage balls are not exception.

When making this recipe, I am advising the use of the parchment rounds (affiliate link) sold specifically for air fryers. They will make clean up much easier due to the amount of cheese in these sausage balls. They won’t eliminate cleaning, just makes it easier. I don’t use them often but this is one time I do use them.

Sausage And Cheese

Here, the choice is totally up to you. I use mild-flavored sausage and mild cheddar in mine. That’s a pretty safe choice if you’re feeding people whose tastes are not familiar to you.

However, there are many varieties of sausage–hot, very herby and even maple flavors. If you’re serving people who like hot and spicy then the hot variety is a no-brainer. Chicken or turkey sausage would be great (and less fatty) too.

When it comes to cheese, frankly anything you like is fine here.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Sausage Balls

Great party appetizer that's easy

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Course: Appetizers, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer appetizers, easy new years party food, quick air fryer snacks, super bowl snacks with sausage

Servings: 10

Calories: 290kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

16 oz bulk sausage meat
2 cups shredded cheese
8 oz refrigerated crescent roll dough 1 tube
2 tbs flour
3 Parchment rounds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place sausage and cheese in a large bowl.
Unroll crescent dough. Dust one side with 1 tablespoon on the flour; flip and dish the other side with the remaining flour. Cut into small squares--about 1/4-inch. Add these to the sausage mixture and incorporate into the mixture. It will be sticky but try to mix as thoroughly as possible.
Line air fryer basket with a parchment round. Form mixture into balls about 1-inch/2.5-cm in diameter. Place 1/3 of the balls into the fryer.
Fry at 390 F/198 C for 6 minutes. Turn balls with tongs and fry an additional 2-3 minutes.
Repeat 3 times, using a fresh parchment round each time.

Notes

Make sure to check the sausage balls during the cooking. The times are approximate based on my fryer which is 1800W. Your time could vary.

I got 30 meatballs from this and figured 3 balls per person serving.

Nutrition

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Jalapeño Bacon Cheese Balls

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 00:00:51 +0000

Jalapeño bacon cheese balls are perfect for holiday–or any–party!

Jalapeño Bacon Cheese Balls

If you love jalapeño poppers, you’ll just love these jalapeño bacon cheese balls! Since they have bacon, they should be even more delicious.

They’re really simple to make but can be a bit messy. If you read on further, I give tips on how to make it a less messy process. However, these are so good, I really didn’t mind the mess at all. The fact that they disappear very quickly when you put them out on the buffet is just another reason I think they’re worth it.

Tips For Success

Cream cheese is dense and sticky in its natural state. It becomes a little less so if its mixed with something else just like it is in this recipe. However, it’s still pretty sticky and hard to handle.

Some people have success working with wet hands. While that may work for some, sadly it does not work for me.

What I do is use a drop-cookie scoop (affiliate link). It’s the perfect size for these cheese balls too. Just scoop and drop in the bacon bits and roll. Your hands will get greasy from the bacon, but not gummed up.

Another Thing You Could Do…

The other tip is really simple. Make one big cheese ball! That way its one-and-done and that’s that. Put it in the center of the plate and surround with crackers and problem solved.

I have to say I still prefer the individual portions. It’s special because everyone does the large cheese balls. Mostly I think it’s more sanitary because if you have your own, you won’t “double-dip” as with the larger one.

The Recipe

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Jalapeno Popper Cheese Balls

Make one big one or smaller ones for each guest

Prep Time15

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheese ball with jalapeño and bacon, cheese balls for a party, jalapeno poppers

Servings: 10

Calories: 626kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

16 oz softened cream cheese
2 tbs mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely chopped chives
1 cup finely diced jalapeno peppers
2 cups finely crumbled bacon
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbs finely diced red onion
1/2 tsp pepper
Pinch of cayenne optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix all ingredients, except the crumbled bacon in a large bowl. Mix well until its all incorporated.
Spread the crumbled bacon on a piece of wax paper or a platter.
Form the cream cheese mixture into balls about 1-inch/2.5 cm in diameter. A cookie scoop is very helpful here.
Roll the balls in the crumbled bacon, coating well. Alternatively, you can make one big ball instead of individual balls.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition

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Cheese Twists

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 28 Nov 2021 00:02:18 +0000

These easy cheese twists are perfect snacks for your holiday get-togethers or any other time.

Use Leftover Pie Crust For Cheese Twists

Got any leftover pie crusts? Here’s one of the easiest snacks you’ll ever make.

The pie crust can be leftover scraps of your own recipe or those pre-rolled refrigerated ones that many of us find so convenient.

Since my store had the refrigerated ones on special for the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I bought the requisite two that the special required. They keep well so I figured why not.

If you did like I did and bought more than you actually needed, here’s a good way to use them before you forget about them entirely. Or if you are like my mother and save scraps of your own homemade pie crust, this is an excellent way to. use them.

The Best Cheese

For these cheese twists, the best cheese to use–in my opinion–is a good cheddar cheese. In these I used a mild variety and they were excellent.

Another good choice is Swiss cheese. The mild and nutty flavor is also perfect.

You do want a cheese that doesn’t “string.” Once cooled, a stringing cheese would only be a dense and rubbery glob, so the best thing to do–if you are not sure these will be eaten immediately–is to bypass such cheeses as mozzarella and those like it.

Why The Cayenne?

You actually use so little cayenne or hot sauce that it’s barely noticeable. What it does is enhance the flavor of the cheese much like chili powder does for chocolate (try this–Aldi sells it). If you like stuff hot and piquant, then use more.

On the other hand if you can’t tolerate any for dietary reasons or you feel uncomfortable using it, leave it out. They are perfectly delicious anyway.

The Recipe

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Cheese Twists

The easiest cheese snack ever

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheese twists, Christmas parties, cocktail party food, using leftover pie crusts

Servings: 8 varies--I got 16 twists

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 refrigerated pie crusts or your own scraps/recipe
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg beaten
Pinch of cayenne or 1-2 drops hot sauce
Coarse salt
Paprika

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Beat egg and cayenne; set aside
Unroll pie crusts on a lightly floured surface. Brush entire circles of crust with the egg mixture (reserve a bit for brushing the twists). Distribute cheese evenly over half of each crust.
Fold the ends without cheese over the sides with cheese forming a semi circle and press or roll getting out any air bubbles and that the cheese adheres to the dough.
Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut into 1-inch/2.5 cm strips and form twists by holding the ends and twisting in opposite direction. Place on prepared pan and brush with remaining egg mixture. Sprinkle with coarse salt (if desired) and paprika.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

I got 16 twists and nutrition info is based on 2 cheese twists per person.

Nutrition

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Italian Herb Pull Apart

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 23:00:40 +0000

Use these Italian herb pull aparts as dinner rolls or an appetizer.

Easy Italian Herb Pull-Apart

This is one of the easiest bread recipes you’ll ever make.

The reason for that is you don’t make the bread dough; that’s left up to the factory. Yep, it uses frozen bread dough or better yet dinner rolls. You can use either here, but the frozen dough rolls are recommended since a loaf would make far too many. Of course, if you’re having a party and need more then I’d go with the loaf of bread dough.

This is a versatile recipe–not only is it easy but it’s tasty and can be used as fancy dinner rolls or a buffet appetizer.

A Freezer Staple

One thing I always have in my freezer is a loaf of frozen bread dough and a bag of frozen uncooked dinner rolls.

If you’re short on freezer space then I suggest having the loaf rather than the rolls on ice. You can always make rolls out of the loaf. By the same token, you can make a loaf out of the rolls, but it’s more labor intensive that way. And one thing I’m into now is eliminating what I can that is labor intensive.

If you’re using a defrosted loaf for these pull-aparts, then cut off pieces that are a little less than an inch. Remember they rise so they will double in bulk. You don’t have to be exact here because a little difference in size and shape makes these pull-aparts more rustic.

Make It Fancy

Making these rolls more interesting is relatively simple. Just insert a small cube of mozzarella cheese in the center of each bit of dough.

A local restaurant in my area does just that and serves them as an appetizer with a dish of marinara for dipping.

The Recipe

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Italian Herb Pull Apart

Serves as dinner rolls or as an appetizer

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Rising Time1

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: italian herb rolls, italian style pull apart rolls, using frozen bread dough

Servings: 6

Calories: 474kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

24 oz frozen unbaked dinner rolls thawed about 10 rolls
4 oz butter melted

Herb Blend:

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1 tbs parsley
2 tbs cornmeal or semolina
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spray a 9 x 9-inch square pan (for EU the best approximation is a 2L square dish) with non-stick spray.
Mix the herb blend ingredients in a small bowl.
Cut thawed rolls in quarters, coat each quarter with melted butter and roll in the herb blend. Place in prepared pan in a single layer--if they touch it's ok.
Cover pan with plastic wrap sprayed with non--stick spray and let rise in a warm draft-free place until double, about 1 hour.
When rolls are almost double, preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Bread is done when internal temperature is 190F/88C

Nutrition

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Spicy Tso-Style Wings

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:52 +0000

If you love General Tso’s chicken, you’re sure to love these spicy tso style wings.

Tso-Style Wings Are Delicious

Do you love General Tso’s chicken? Then you’re sure to love these wings!

Wings are one of the most popular finger foods to serve while watching the big game–or any game for that matter. It’s the perfect Super Bowl food. Perfect for tailgating too.

These wings also make a fine appetizer on a buffet. They’re spicy, but you control the amount of spiciness in the sauce. The amount of sriracha in my recipe give a bit of heat but it’s not overboard. Use less if you just want a bit of zing and more if you like your food extra spicy.

Cook Three Ways

Since it’s the sauce that counts with this spicy tso wings, how you cook the wings is entirely up to you.

My favorite way has become the air fryer. They always seem to come out crispy and don’t dry out. They cook pretty quickly too; maybe 1/2-1/3 of the time it takes to oven roast them’

Before my air fryer, I would use my electric deep fryer to do them. Honestly, that’s the quickest way. They take an average of 8 minutes done this way so if you’re really in a hurry, this is the way to go. And remember, if you deep fry at the correct temperature, very little fat gets absorbed by the food. If you use this method, you may want to skip the cornstarch as it can foul the oil–especially if you recently did an oil change in the fryer.

Next is oven roasting. Pretty much the same as the air fryer (unless you have a convection oven) only it takes a bit longer.

Spicy Sauce

While the sauce can be made in advance, I always prefer to make it while the wings are cooking.

It’s reduced down to a syrupy consistency, but the sauce may thicken substantially if it’s refrigerated or left to sit out.

You don’t want a sauce that has the consistency of honey–more like pure maple syrup. You’ll know it’s just right if you take a wooden spoon, stir it and the sauce clings to the back of the spoon and if you run your finger down the length of the spoon, it’ll leave a bare “track” where your finger swiped it.

The Recipe

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Spicy Tso-Style Wings

If General Tso made wings, it'd be these

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: general tso wings, wing recipes for tailgating, wings for super bowl

Servings: 6

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3-4 lbs chicken wings cut into drums & flats with tip removed
1/4 cup cornstarch
oil for spraying

Sauce:

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce low sodium preferred
3 cloves garlic finely minced
4 tbs unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tbs Sriracha
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tsp fresh ginger grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For air fryer--dust wings with the cornstarch.
Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your fryer). Spray with some oil.
Air fry at 360 degrees F for 13 minutes; turn and air fry at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Times may vary by the power of your fryer. Mines is 1800W.
If you fry in batches, keep the cooked wings in a 200 degrees F oven to stay hot.
For oven--line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Spray the wings with oil and bake at 400F/200 C for approximately 30 minutes.
For deep fryer--fry for 8 minutes at 350F/180C
To make sauce--place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sauce becomes slightly syrupy. It should coat a wooden spoon. This should take about 8-10 minutes. It's a good idea to make the sauce first if you're deep frying and while the wings are cooking if you'r air frying or baking.
Place the warm wings in a large bowl and add the sauce. Toss until colated.

Nutrition

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Honey Dijon Mustard Sauce Wings

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 23:00:59 +0000

Honey dijon mustard sauce make these wings spectacular and great football snacks. The sauce works for any chicken parts too.

Wings And Football

It’s football season and that means it’s time for finger foods and great snacks.

And what is a more perfect finger food than wings. Apart from ribs, it’s the quintessential food that pairs so well with sports.

Since they’re so popular, there are several ways to cook wings. My favorite way of late is to do them in my air fryer. And these can be cooked that way, but for these, I used my oven. Actually, that’s my second choice but since this makes a big batch and I didn’t feel like cooking the wings in shifts, I opted for the method where I could cook all of them at once.

Flats Drummies Or Whole

Some folks definitely have their favorite part of a wing. Oddly, I do not. I like drummies as much as I do flats. I’ll also take them whole. Heck, I just love wings and any way you give them to me.

It doesn’t matter which part you choose to cook since they’re all good. Even with whole, it’s best to cut off the wing tip because there’s not much if anything to eat off of it. The wing tip will likely burn too so it’s best to cut if off. However, don’t discard it. They make excellent stock so cut them off and freeze them for later.

Honey And Dijon Mustard Sauce

The honey and dijon mustard sauce make these wings a sticky delight. You’ll see plenty of finger licking when you serve them so make sure there’s plenty of napkins available!

This lovely mustardy sauce also works well for any chicken parts. In fact, it reminds me very much of deviled chicken.

Just one caveat her for the sauce–it contains a bit of turmeric so it’s likely to permanently stain anything it comes in contact with so make sure you use a stainless saucepan to make it in and serve it on a glass or disposable tray.

The Recipe

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Honey Dijon Wings

Finger licking good wings

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Course: Appetizers, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken wing recipes, football food, honey dijon dipping sauce, wings made in air fryer

Servings: 6

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 lb chicken wings disjointed with tip discarded
Sauce:
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp turmeric

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick parchment.
In a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; set aside.
Bake wings for 30-35 minutes, turning halfway through the baking.
Brush sauce generously on wings and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until sauce bubbles and begins to caramelize.

Notes

For air fryers: spritz wings with oil and cook at 400F/200C for 15 minutes.

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 00:00:37 +0000

Don’t order out for popcorn shrimp. Make them at home in your air fryer for a fraction of the cost.

Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp: Less Fat

Popcorn shrimp has got to be one of the most popular appetizers ever.

I used to buy them pre-made from that well-known frozen food delivery place. They were pricy. However, I liked them so I’d buy them from time to time. They were also impregnated with quite a bit of oil.

Believe it or not, it never once occurred to me that I could make them myself. Go figure, but I did like the convenience.

But then came the air fryer and seeing a recipe for them. That totally changed my mind. This air fryer popcorn shrimp is delicious and has way less fat.

Shrimp Size

The appetizer is generally made with small shrimp which is the least expensive of all sizes sold.

As shrimp goes on sale quite often–at least where I live–you should be able to score a good deal on a package of small ones. Just make sure to get uncooked shrimp as I’m not sure if the cooked ones will be able to hold the coating. If you try this, please let me know if you had any success. I hardly ever buy cooked shrimp so I can’t experiment with it.

In this recipe, I used medium shrimp because I had a bag of that size in my freezer. Actually, I’d recommend making this with the medium (41-50 per pound) since they’re easier to handle. They’re also priced about the same as the small ones so it’s still economical.

Spices

As I said before, I’ve been eating the prepared shrimp for ages and loved the taste.

I was a bit surprised when I saw the ingredients in the original recipe because it contains a spice I’m not overly fond of. That’s cumin–and I have a friend in Texas that kids me that her house reeks of it.

Since I’m not that fond of it, I changed the amounts and made minor additions. I also don’t use cooking spray–and you’re not supposed to use it according to the air-fryer experts in some groups I belong to. I use good old olive oil and you can’t go wrong with that. And if you serve them with these air fried garlic chive fries, it’s perfection.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp

Never buy frozen prepared popcorn shrimp again!

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer shrimp, low-fat popcorn shrimp recipe, seafood appetizers

Servings: 6

Calories: 235kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp uncooked, small or medium size
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup flour
oil for spraying

Coating:

1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbs garlic powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix all coating ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
In another small bowl, beat the eggs with about 1 teaspoon of water. Place flour in a plastic bag.
Peel and devein shrimp and dry on paper towels. Place shrimp in the flour bag and toss to coat. Then place the shrimp in the beaten egg and coat well.
Put half the crumbs in another plastic bag. Remove half the shrimp, draining off excess egg, and place in the bag with the crumbs. Shake to coat.
Line the basket of an air fryer with a parchment round or spray with some oil. Place the shrimp in the basket, spritz with a bit of oil then air fry at 360F/180C for 8 minutes, shaking basket midway through. Repeat with remaining shrimp.

Notes

I have a 5.3Q basket-style air fryer and had to cook the shrimp in 2 batches.

Nutritional information calculated with 2 tablespoons of oil.

Nutrition

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Maple Orange Beef Baby Back Ribs

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 00:00:29 +0000

These beef baby back ribs with a maple orange glaze is perfect for any New Year’s party or any time.

The Perfect Glaze For Ribs: Maple And Orange

Maple and orange are wonderful flavors when combined.

You have the tartness of citrusy orange offsetting the sweet maple syrup. And this glaze also introduces a little heat via Sriracha. However, if you don’t like a touch of heat, leave it out; they’ll still be delicious. On the other hand, if you belong to the “some like it hot” group, then add lots more! As always, taste the glaze using the minimum amount of heat if you’re using the Sriracha then add more if you feel it needs it.

Instant Pot Or Oven

There are so many methods for making these maple orange glazed ribs–or any others–that you can choose the one you’re most comfortable with.

For myself, in the winter I use the oven method for obvious reasons. In the summer, I switch to my Instant Pot. Actually, the Instant Pot is a boon if you want your ribs fast. Your time investment is roughly 15 minutes.

For slow cookers, I recommend cooking on high for maybe 5 hours minimum. When I use this method, I don’t add any water because then they will roast.

The method you use to do the initial cooking is totally up to you and if you use liquid in your crock pot, then by all means add it. The ribs all end up at the same point for the final touch.

Also Good With Pork Baby Back Ribs

I’m lucky that I can find beef baby back ribs in one of my local stores. They come cryopacked just like the pork ribs.

However, if you can’t find the beef baby back ribs, then pork baby back ribs will do just as nicely.

And these can be made with beef short ribs too–you just have to cook them a bit longer so they’re tender enough to eat.

The Recipe

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Maple Orange Beef Ribs

Oranges and maple make an excellent glaze for beef ribs

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baby back rib recipes, beef ribs, pork baby back ribs, rib recipes

Servings: 6

Calories: 363kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 lbs 2 slabs beef baby back ribs

Maple Orange Glaze:

1/2 cup maple or pancake syrup
1 tbs soy sauce
1/4 tsp Sriracha
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp garlic powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix all glaze ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Oven method: Lay ribs on a rack and bake at 325F/160C for approximately 60 minutes or until tender. Leave ribs in baking tray.
Instant Pot Method: Place ribs in the insert, add 1 1/2 cups water, seal and cook on high pressure for 15-18 minutes. Release pressure immediately and remove ribs to a baking dish.
Preheat oven to 500F/250C or use broil setting. Set oven rack to top position.
Brush ribs with most of glaze and place in the preheated oven. Cook for around 5 minutes or until glaze begins to bubble. Remove from oven, cut into individual ribs and brush with remaining glaze if desired.

Nutrition

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Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 00:00:40 +0000

Shrimp stuffed poblano peppers can double as an appetizer or a main course! And either way, you can’t stop at one.

The Perfect Poblano

Poblanos are my favorite peppers! They’re not too bland and they’re not too hot either.

Poblanos have that perfect whisper of zing that makes them so lovely. The color is appetizing too; a rich dark green that really doesn’t fade when you cook them either.

These peppers are not too big so they make the perfect vessel for appetizers where you’re serving heartier appetites. So if you use them for appetizers, plan on one per person. However, if you want to make this a main course, then plan on two per person.

Shrimp Filling To Die For

This is one of the most delicious fillings I ever tasted!

It’s chock full of shrimp, cheeses and rice. Speaking about the rice, of course you can use plain old every-day rice. However, I choose to use one that has tons of flavor–jasmine. The taste will vastly improve if a fancier rice is used. Basmati is a good choice too.

Those tiny pre-cooked shrimp are perfect for use here. Mainly they’re pretty inexpensive and no cooking is required. Another plus is they’re already cleaned. Just make sure that they’re well defrosted and you’ve dried them pretty well before using them.

Other Peppers

Where I live, poblanos are rather touch-and-go as far as availability. I can get them, but they’re not constantly in stock.

This recipe can be made with any peppers you like. For instance, if you know your guests like things on the hot side, then make them with jalapeños. Want to serve them for dinner with younger children? Then sweet bell peppers or those Italian sweet frying peppers will do very nicely. The filling is so good, it goes with just about anything.

The Recipe

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Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Stuffed peppers that work as an appetizer or main course depending on the peppers used

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: appetizers, poblano peppers, shrimp, stuffed peppers

Servings: 4

Calories: 692kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 large poblano peppers
1 tbs melted butter

Stuffing:

1 tbs butter
1 lb cooked shrimp chopped
2 celery ribs finely chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely minced
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 3/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend—see NOTES
2 tbs lemon or lime juice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs finely chopped parsley

Topping:

2 tbs melted butter
1 cup Panko/Japanese bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Mix all topping ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Cut each pepper lengthwise and remove seeds and ribs. Place cut side down on prepared pan and brush each pepper with the melted butter. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until just beginning to get tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
Stuffing: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter. When butter is melted and bubbly, add the onion, garlic and the celery and saute until tender. Add the cream cheese and cook until it’s melted. Add the shrimp, shredded cheese, rice, lemon/lime juice, parsley and seasonings. Stir until heated through and blended.
Spoon filling into pepper halves. Sprinkle each with topping.
Bake at 350F/180C for 10-15 minutes or until topping is nicely browned.

Notes

Mexican cheese is usually a combination of cheddar, jack, asadero and queso quesadilla. If you cannot find it, a combo of equal amounts of cheddar and jack cheese can be substituted.

Video

Nutrition

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