Meatball Bubble Biscuits

Another tasty recipe from Pillsbury (original here), this appetizer makes simple meatball sandwiches buffet ready. Meatball Bubble Biscuits are the thirteenth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Jr. Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk or flaky biscuits
  • 10 frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs (about 5 oz), thawed, each cut in half
  • 2 sticks (1 oz each) string cheese, each cut into 10 pieces
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup marinara sauce, heated

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375°F.
  2. Separate dough into 10 biscuits.
  3. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers.
  4. Press each biscuit layer into 3-inch round.
  5. Place 1 meatball half, cut side up, and 1 string cheese piece in center of each dough round.
  6. Wrap dough around meatball and cheese, pressing edges to seal.
  7. In ungreased 8- or 9-inch round cake pan, place seam side down in single layer.
  8. Repeat with additional biscuits, cheese, and meatballs.
  9. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
  10. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are no longer doughy in center.
  11. Serve warm biscuits with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Mini Crescent Cheeseburgers

The taste of cheeseburgers in a simple appetizer, what more could you ask for? From the Taste of Home site (original here), the note with the recipe explains, “A friend first brought these snacks to a Sunday school party. The original recipe called for pork sausage, but I substituted ground beef with taste-tempting results. – Pam Buhr, Mexico, Missouri.” Mini Crescent Burgers are the fifth of my 25 Appetizers of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix
  • 3 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375° F.
  2. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
  3. Stir in cheese and soup mix; set aside.
  4. Separate crescent dough into triangles; cut each triangle in half lengthwise, forming two triangles.
  5. Place 1 tablespoon of the beef mixture along the wide end of each triangle.
  6. Roll up; place pointed side down 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  7. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Variations

  • Mini Crescent Burgers can be assembled up to 2 hours in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
  • Mix in some bacon bits for Mini Crescent Bacon Cheeseburgers.

Time Required: 45 minutes

Servings: 16

Poppin’ Fresh Barbecups

These easy-to-serve sandwiches are a variation of a Pillsbury recipe. We prefer the lighter taste of crescent rolls, and the Manwich sauce makes the recipe even simpler to prepare. We serve our barbecups with fries or hash browns, and a green vegetable. Leftovers can be refrigerated and warmed in the microwave.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 15.5oz can Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce
  • 1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
  • 3/4 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  2. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. You need 8 muffin cups.
  3. Brown ground beef in a large skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Add Manwich sauce to the ground beef, and stir to combine thoroughly.
  5. Remove skillet from heat.
  6. Place one crescent roll in each muffin cup, pressing the roll into the bottom of the muffin cup and up the sides to form a shell.
  7. Repeat with remaining crescent rolls.
  8. Fill each of these muffin cups with the Manwich mixture (about 2/3 to 3/4 full).
  9. Sprinkle evenly with Cheddar Cheese.
  10. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
  11. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Variations

  • Use your favorite flavor of Manwich sauce—Original, Bold, or Thick & Chunky.
  • Substitute refrigerated biscuit dough for the crescent rolls, if desired.
  • Make your own Manwich sauce with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tbsp minced onion and 1 tsp brown sugar.
  • Create your own variations by changing the sauce and cheese. For instance, try using Taco Sauce with Mexican cheese blend, or use pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Time Required: 20 mins

Servings: 4–8

Simple Chicken Salad

This simple chicken salad uses ingredients we typically have on hand and makes a nice alternative to your typical lunchmeat sandwiches. Also a great hit at a party with crackers or celery sticks.

Ingredients

  • 2 12-oz can chicken breast
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 tsp honey mustard
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp poultry seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients except nuts, and chill.
  2. If desired, just before serving, stir in nuts.
  3. Serve with crackers or spread on bread for sandwiches.

Variations

  • Dijon mustard can be used instead of honey mustard.
  • Use light or fat-free mayo and sour cream to cut the calories.
  • In addition to (or as substitutes for) the chopped vegetables, try chopped grapes.
  • Substitute 1 tsp celery seed and 1 tbsp dried chopped onion for the vegetables. Be sure to allow 4 to 6 hours to chill to ensure the onion softens.

Time Required: 15 mins

Servings: 4

Rating: 5 stars (★★★★★)