#easy appetizer

Endive Bites

Fresh, crunchy endive leaves with a creamy, cheesy filling, topped with charred corn and chili-infused honey.

Makes about 20 bites Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients 2 heads baby Belgian endive 2 ears of corn 4 ounces goat cheese 2 ounces cream cheese 2 tablespoons chili pepper-infused honey (such as Mike's Hot Honey), divided (can substitute regular honey) 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Directions

Separate the endive into individual leaves. Set aside.

Char corn on grill or hot cast iron pan. Allow to cool slightly, then cut kernels off the cob and set aside.

Mix together goat cheese, cream cheese and 1 tablespoon honey.

Spread a spoonful (about 1 tablespoon) of the cheese mixture into each piece of endive.

Top with a spoonful (about 1 tablespoon) of charred corn.

Brie Melt

Total time 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

🌼 1 small wheel or wedge of brie with the rind (I try to get one thatll fit on whatever baking tray I'm using with space on all sides)

🌼 1 can of premade crescent roll dough

🌼 Club crackers

🌼 Jellies and jams of whatever kind you like (My family's favorites are grape, strawberry, blackberry, and orange marmalade)

Instructions:

🌼 Open the crescent roll dough and lay out on a lined baking tray

🌼 Pinch the seams of the dough together so it forms one large rectangle

🌼 Lay your brie in the middle of the dough, then wrap the dough around the cheese. Try to get an even number of layers on both sides, but if its not even don't worry about it.

🌼 Pinch closed any holes that formed while wrapping

🌼 Bake according to the instructions on the crescent roll packaging or until the dough is golden and flakey

🌼 Place crackers on a serving plate, and set out the jam(s) however you like for serving.

🌼 Place the cooked crescent wrapped brie on the plate with the crackers.

It's ready to eat as soon as its cool enough. It's best warm. I like to cut pieces off and put them on a cracker then add a bit of strawberry jelly to mine. But my mom just cuts a wedge, adds jelly, then eats it with a fork. There's really no wrong way to eat it. 💖

That's a picture of mine tonight 💖

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

This sweet and spicy grilled pineapple salsa goes perfectly with salty, crunchy chips for dipping. Delicious served with fish or chicken, too!

8-10 servings Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients 1 pineapple, peeled and cored 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 red onion, diced 2 jalapeño peppers, finely diced (remove seeds and ribs for a less spicy salsa) 2 limes, juice and zest ½ cup cilantro, chopped Salt, to taste

Directions

Heat grill (or grill pan) over medium-high heat.

Lightly brush the pineapple slices with oil and grill for 2 minutes on each side.

Dice the pineapple and mix together with the rest of the ingredients. Serve with your favorite L&B chips.

How to Build a Cheese Board

The key to building a great cheese board is to have a nice variety of cheese flavors and textures to choose from. Here are some great options that are guaranteed to please!

Chèvre – Made from goat's milk. Soft and bright. Triple Creme Brie – Creamy, buttery cow's milk cheeses with an earthy finish. Manchego – A Spanish sheep's milk cheese. Nutty and caramelly. Piave or Parmigiano – Dense, sweet and nutty cow's milk cheeses. Blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola – Tangy and creamy cow's milk cheese. Cheddar – This classic cow's milk cheese is sharp and smooth.

Complete your cheese board with a variety of finger foods to complement the cheese. The more the better - get creative! Here are a few of our recommendations:

Salami

Olives

Pickled red onions

Dried apricots

Cherries

Blackberries

Honey

Pepper jelly

Fig jam

Crackers

Stop by our cheese counter for even more delicious recommendations from our cheese experts!

Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

Hearty, cheesy mini sandwiches from Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate. Great for a crowd!

If we live in Minnesota, can we really have an opinion on what makes a good Philly Cheesesteak? I mean, it would kind of be like someone from Florida telling us what the best hotdish recipe is or where to go for the best Juicy Lucy. There are just some territories we know not to cross into.

Regardless, I’m going to put it out there that these Philly Cheesesteak Sliders are pretty dang good. Authentic? Probably not. Delicious? Absolutely.

From what I’ve heard, one of the biggest debates when it comes to Philly Cheesesteaks is the cheese. Cheez Whiz is a common “cheese” used, while others choose American or provolone cheeses. Along with cheese, people argue about the type of bread, the toppings and the kind of meat. There’s so much passion when it comes to food!

For these sliders, I opted for provolone cheese, slider buns (definitely not authentic), thinly sliced sirloin steak, onions and peppers. Simple and delicious. To top it off, I made a butter mixture with melted butter, Dijon, minced onion and garlic powder to brush on top of the buns before baking, which really makes these sliders even more delicious.

We had these for dinner along with some sweet potato fries, but I think they would make great little appetizers or game day food, too! You could certainly prep these ahead of time, sautéing the onions and peppers and cooking the steak in advance. All you would have to do to assemble is layer it all between some slider buns, top with that butter mixture and bake. Super simple!

Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

Makes 8 sliders Preparation time: 15 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 yellow onion, sliced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt & pepper 16 ounces boneless rib eye or New York strip steak, thinly sliced ¼ cup beef broth 1 tablespoon Worcestershire 8 slices provolone cheese 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon minced onion ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 8 slider buns

Directions

Heat oven to 375 F.  

In a large skillet, add oil and heat over medium-high heat.

Add onion and bell pepper; cook until they are well cooked and softened, about 10 minutes.

Add garlic and cook one more minute.

Season with salt and pepper.  

Remove veggies from pan.

Add thinly sliced steak to the same pan over medium-high heat and cook until no longer pink.

Add beef broth and Worcestershire; cook another 8-10 minutes, until the broth has reduced.  

Meanwhile, make the butter topping by combining melted butter, Dijon, garlic powder, minced onion and salt.

Place bottom of the slider buns in a 9x13 pan.

Distribute beef among the buns; top with veggies.

Top veggies with cheese and bun tops.

Brush thoroughly with butter topping.  

Cover with foil and bake for 12-15 minutes, until cheese is melted.