First - I hope you have an awesome birthday - Happy Birthday
Here is one that everyone loves and if you look at my 4H post you can see what they look like
Sausage Rolls
1 sheet puff pastry
4 links Italian Sausage Links (or other sausage of your choice)
1 large each eggs slightly beaten with water
1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Set puff pastry out to thaw for about 30 minutes
3. Once pastry is thawed and flexible, spread flour onto your workspace and roll the pastry out into a 12" X 16"
4. Remove sausage from the casing and roll out to the length of the pastry
5. Put sausage on pastry and roll the pastry so that there is enough dough to cover the sausage and seal the pastry but do not seal
6. Cut along the edge and remove the excess pastry
7. Pull the pastry back and brush the area to be sealed with the egg wash
8. Fold pastry over sausage and seal
9. Cut the sausage rolls into 1 1/2 " pieces and place on a baking sheet sprayed with quick release spray
10. Take a scissor and snip the top of the roll in 2 places just thru the pastry. This keeps the rolls from curling during baking
11. Brush the tops of the sausage bites with egg wash
12. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes
13. Reduce heat to 350 and continue cooking about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top
14. Serve warm
Servings: 40
Yield: 40
Oven Temperature: 400°F
Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
We will often serve these with a bowl of mustard for dipping
These can be made ahead and frozen then reheated
Here is another one that is really good and is very easy
Asparagus and Prosciutto Rolls
12 slices prosciutto, thinly sliced, diced in 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
24 asparagus spears
3 ½ oz butter, melted
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated in a shallow dish
Fresh nutmeg, grated
1 lemon
1. Cut each slice of prosciutto in half.
2. Cut off the base of each asparagus stem so that each spear is about 3 ½ “ long.
3. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to boil, add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute or until just tender.
4. Drain the asparagus and pat dry.
5. Brush with the melted butter.
6. Wrap the spears with the prosciutto and roll in the parmesan.
7. Brush an ovenproof dish with butter and place the asparagus in a single layer with the melted butter.
8. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan, grated nutmeg and cracked pepper to taste.
9. Bake for 7 minutes.
10. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the top and serve warm.
Servings: 24
Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
The rolls ups can be assembled up to 6 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated. Cook just before serving.
These are really easy and always a big hit
Balsamic Chicken Drumettes
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 sprigs of rosemary
5 garlic cloves, halved
10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.
3. Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.
5. Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.
Servings: 4
Oven Temperature: 450°F
Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes