~Fresh n’ Fun Appetizer Ideas to LIVEN up your Holiday Gatherings this year!🤩 ~
icture this, you’re having a party, you’ve invited some friends over, or maybe you have a horde of hungry kids to feed…You want something crowd-pleasing, delicious, and above all QUICK! Why not peruse your own personal at-home grocery store, by taking a leisurely stroll to your fully stocked freezer, filled with your private selection of Heartland ingredients? (Yes, it’s that easy!)
We’re giving you three fun and mouth watering Halloween ideas plus a bonus recipe from us to put that certain…spark back into your October gatherings and weekend adventures!
icture this, you’re having a party, you’ve invited some friends over, or maybe you have a horde of hungry kids to feed…You want something crowd-pleasing, delicious, and above all QUICK! Why not peruse your own personal at-home grocery store, by taking a leisurely stroll to your fully stocked freezer, filled with your private selection of Heartland ingredients? (Yes, it’s that easy!)
We’re giving you three fun and mouth watering Halloween ideas plus a bonus recipe from us to put that certain…spark back into your October gatherings and weekend adventures!
Idea 1: Stuffed Pepper Jack O’ Lanterns!
What’s Needed: 4 Orange (or Green!) Bell Peppers per pound of filling
This one is a classic for a reason. Stuffed peppers are delicious, hearty, flavorful and even a clever way to sneak in some nutritious veggies for the kids! You’ll find the best part of this recipe is total customization of it, tailored to your family’s all-time dinner favorites! And as a bonus…you’ll even get in some practice for carving your real pumpkins this year! You’ll need it for our Heartland Pumpkin Carving Contest! Check out the pinned post in the Foodie Group!
First, simply slice off the tops of your bell peppers, carefully removing the seeds.
Next, carefully carve out a silly or scary face on the side of your peppers. (Personally we love the classic Jack O’ Lantern face!) Or you can let the kids draw up a unique design! (Hack: You can use toothpicks to poke holes and plan out your design before you make your final cuts.)
Finally, hard parts over! Simply fill and bake with your favorite Heartland meats and veggies. You can implement your own favorite baked recipes, like macaroni and beef, meatloaf, or even try our delicious seasonal Apple and chicken sausage! Available this month in both our Pork and Poultry our Special Harvest boxes! Additionally, you can add rice, pastas or even couscous. The possibilities are endless thanks to our diverse and filling selections we offer at Heartland.
(Hack: Drizzle a bit of chicken or beef stock at the bottom of your casserole dish when you bake your stuffed peppers to keep your filling extra succulent and juicy!)
Idea 2: Monster Sandwich Sliders
What’s Needed:
Your favorite type of mini sandwich rolls, Green Olives, Toothpicks
We all love Halloween because there is something really fun and freeing about not having any “rules” to follow. This is one we love because you can pull this one from your tool belt even if your guests take you by surprise! Same as the previous, this recipe is completely customizable! Simply prepare your favorite sandwich or slider recipes and you’re all set! And don’t worry if you’re low on “inspo”, we got you!
Option 1: BBQ Pork Sliders on Mini Hawaiian Rolls If you have some time the night before, consider indulging in a tender slow-cooker style bbq pork. Shred and combine with your favorite sweet and tangy BBQ sauce with our Premium Heritage Breed Cheshire Pork Roast. Speaking of pork, get your hands on our farm to freezer harvest pork box! Just pile it high and add your favorite fixin’s!
Option 2: Philly Cheesesteak Sliders with Melted Provolone Simply carve out a few slices one of our broad selection of our Hormone-Free Black Angus Cuts. (Our recommendation is ribeye!) Then, top with provolone and toast in the oven for a little (or a lot) of that gooey-cheesy goodness!
Option 3: Classic Chicken Sliders We hear you, you have a slough of picky eaters in your house! Not to worry, our Antibiotic-Free Murray’s Chicken Tenderloins are here to save the day! Slice your tenders in half to fit on each bun or chop into nuggets. Finish off with a bit of ketchup or marinara sauce for a “scary effect.” Substitute regular rolls for mini pretzel buns for a unique and savory taste, or add a slice of juicy Leidy’s All-Natural Bacon…also included in our harvest pork box!
So, which option would you choose? Or would you come with your own spooky concoction of flavors? After you’ve decided, all that’s left to do is to “monster-fiy” your culinary creation. Take two green olives and stick them at the top of your sliders with toothpicks to give your monsters some “eyes” to see you with! (Hack: If you happen to have any plastic vampire teeth on hand you can add them to your sliders to give your “monsters” some teeth. These will also serve as a great party favor for your guests to remember you by!)
Idea 3: Bite-Sized Buffalo Chicken Meatball Pumpkins.
(Plus our Bonus Recipe PDF, because we know your friends will ask!)
This is what you’ve been waiting for! Heartland Family introducing the perfect Halloween party app. If you wanna really bring some life back to your parties, look no further. We’ve got the ultimate recipe, and it’s so easy!
As we all know, there are two party foods that people love: meatballs–and buffalo wings so it made sense to combine the two for a flavorful and succulent holiday crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
1 lb of Heartland’s Murray’s Hormone-Free Family Farmed Ground Chicken
½ teaspoon garlic powder (or two cloves of chopped garlic if you have fresh on hand!)
⅓ cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 egg
2 stalks of finely chopped celery
4 tablespoon butter
5 tablespoons of cream cheese
⅛ cup of chopped green onions (add an extra ½ teaspoon of onion powder if you don’t have any on hand!)
⅓ cup of your family’s all-time favorite hot sauce!
Instructions:
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- Dip your delicious meatballs in hot sauce (Or if you prefer them more mild, your remaining buffalo cream sauce! Cut up the leftover tops of your celery stalks into small pieces for your “pumpkin stems” and carefully press them into the tops of each meatball. Your guests will barely be able to keep their hands off this bite-sized and mouth-watering app!
- Preheat oven to 425 and prepare a large baking sheet. (For mess-free clean up, line with foil!) Over medium heat whisk butter, hot sauce, and cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper as desired and do this until your cheese and butter have melted. Remove and set aside.
- Chop your veggies and save those celery tops! In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, egg, and seasonings. Add your chopped garlic, celery and green onions. Then, add the star: your Heartland Ground Chicken and around half of the hot sauce mixture. “Monster mash” everything together until well incorporated. (Tip: for more flavor add an extra ⅛ cup of hot sauce into your meatball mixture.)
- Form 1-inch meatballs and place on baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. (If you have gloves you can get the kids to help you, or use a cookie scoop!)
- Bake until the tops of the meatballs are slightly golden, depending on the size of your balls anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes.
- Dip your delicious meatballs in hot sauce (Or if you prefer them more mild, your remaining buffalo cream sauce! Cut up the leftover tops of your celery stalks into small pieces for your “pumpkin stems” and carefully press them into the tops of each meatball. Your guests will barely be able to keep their hands off this bite-sized and mouth-watering app!
If you try any of these de-FRIGHT-ful recipes we wanna see it! Follow us on social media and tag us on Instagram or Facebook! And don’t forget to join our #HeartlandFamily Foodie Group on Facebook for more content like this and Halloween fun!
So join us, and let’s start the month off with flavor and fun! Adults and kids alike won’t be able to not smile with their devouring these festive and fun treats!
Boo appetit!👻
