Brie & Cranberry Cups

Apps for dinner might be a new tradition here! I didn’t have an occasion so I just made these delicious bites for dinner with a few other snacks and it was so fun! Phyllo cups get filled with brie and whole berry cranberry sauce and just a bit of rosemary – just a little assembly required.

The Three Bite Rule - Cranberry Brie Cups

Cranberry not your jam – lots of alternative ideas below!

Brie & Cranberry Cups
Ingredients: (app for ~6)

1 package phyllo cups (15 mini cups)
1/2 wheel of brie
1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 sprig of rosemary
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
Slice the brie into small pieces. Open and stir the cranberry sauce.

The Three Bite Rule - Cranberry Brie Cups

Chop the rosemary while the butter is melting then stir together.
On a baking sheet, lay out the phyllo cups and fill each with 2 small pieces of brie (to mostly fill the cups but not over the top edge).
Spoon a tiny dollop of cranberry on top, then spoon butter/rosemary into the cups.
Bake for 5-8 minutes as the package indicates and until the brie melts.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Cranberry Brie Cups

I had whole berry cranberry sauce and used it for these Thanksgiving Hot Wraps so I froze the remainder and here it is! These brie cups would be great with some raspberries or blackberries, out of the oven they could get a dab of jam (don’t bake that), or some pieces of bacon or caramelized onions.

We had these little cups as well as some crackers and dip, some caesar salad, and some ranch popcorn chicken. Everyone liked something and it was a fun meal.

Greek Chicken Turnovers

These little turnovers had a few flavors we love, in an easy format, plus the kiddos helped and liked them. We used puff pastry, hummus, roasted chicken, salad dressing, and tomatoes.

The Three Bite Rule - Greek Chicken Turnovers

Anything in crescent dough is good in my book but the hummus in here was great! They would be perfect as an app or we had them with some orzo and some salad.

Greek Chicken Turnovers
Ingredients:
(for 8 turnovers, serves ~4 as a meal or 8 for apps)
1 tube crescent rolls (or crescent dough as a roll would make double sized ones)
1 cup roasted chicken (~1 chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken)
1-2 tablespoons creamy caesar dressing
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or fresh chopped oregano
1/4 cup hummus
1-2 small tomatoes

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees (or as the package directs).

The Three Bite Rule - Greek Chicken Turnovers

Chop and mix the chicken, the dressing, and oregano.
Unroll the crescents and lay each triangle flat, then spread hummus onto each triangle. Add chicken onto the wide part of the triangle and top with tomato slices and salt & pepper.
Carefully roll the wide end of the triangle and roll over onto itself towards the point.
Place onto a baking sheet.

The Three Bite Rule - Greek Chicken Turnovers

Bake for ~10 minutes (according to your crescent rolls) until golden brown.

The Three Bite Rule - Greek Chicken Turnovers

Enjoy!

We had these with orzo and some tomato/cucumber/feta salad in Italian dressing. They were so fun! The hummus is really subtle but adds some substance and keeps them from being too liquid-y and dripping.

The Three Bite Rule - Greek Chicken Turnovers

Each kid ate one. They’re not always excited about foods all together but these are flavors we like and they were a hit. They’re very, very into feta in salad.

They reheat well too – especially if you undercook a bit (maybe 8 min versus 10) and reheat in the oven or toaster oven. They don’t need to be served hot – room temp is good too!

Need an alternate along the same lines?
Cheeseburger turnovers
Broccoli & Cheese Pinwheels
Chicken, Bacon, Ranch turnovers

Thanksgiving Nachos

Plan now – these Thanksgiving inspired nachos are perfect for leftovers, or if you’re not the host and want to whip up something with Thanksgiving vibes leading up to the holiday!

The Three Bite Rule - Thanksgiving Nachos

Thanksgiving Nachos
Ingredients: (serves ~4 as a meal, or ~6 as an app)
1 package waffle fries
2/3 cup jellied cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons mayo
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
~1 cup turkey (I used roasted chicken as it was before Thanksgiving)
~1 cup turkey gravy
6 sage leaves, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees (or as waffle fry package directs).
Bake the fries (or air fry, but like nachos, there will be toppings and continue to cook).
Blend together cranberry sauce, sour cream, and mayo. This can be prepped in advance and refrigerated.

The Three Bite Rule - Thanksgiving Nachos

Chop or tear the turkey into bite-size pieces and warm.
Mix or warm the gravy.
When the fries are cooked, top half with the cheese, half the chicken, and a drizzle of gravy. Then place the remaining fries on top with remaining cheese, and another gravy drizzle. Return to the oven for ~3-5 minutes to melt the cheese.

The Three Bite Rule - Thanksgiving Nachos

Remove from the oven and top with sage and a drizzle of cranberry sauce.
Enjoy and serve remaining cranberry sauce and gravy on the side.

We had it for dinner with some green beans on the side. It was so fun! The 1st grader ate it all – and took care of the remaining cranberry sauce. The pre-schooler ate the cranberry aoli-sauce by the spoonful and only took a few bites of the rest.

The Three Bite Rule - Thanksgiving Nachos

I loved the bites with everything together! They are kind of a fork-nacho but these would be fun with sweet potato fries too! They could be party friendly as mini “stacks” and maybe a toothpick to hold together to serve a portion. The subtle cranberry was really good and would be great on a sandwich or wrap for leftovers or on a turkey burger!

Add this to your leftovers – or make this if you’re not having a turkey dinner!

Italian Deviled Eggs

These Italian Deviled Eggs are a twist on traditional deviled eggs with lots of herbs, some balsamic drizzle, Italian dressing, and parmesan cheese! I loved these and it would be good as egg salad too!

Italian Deviled Eggs - The Three Bite Rule

Italian Deviled Eggs
Ingredients (for 12 eggs)

1 dozen eggs, hard boiled and cooled
2 tablespoons of 2 or more herbs (basil, parsley, chives – or any combo also with rosemary, oregano, or thyme)
3 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2-3 tablespoons Italian dressing
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1 small tomato, seeds removed
1 tablespoon balsamic reduction (optional)

Directions:
Slice the eggs in half and pop the yolks into a bowl with basil, parsley, chives, mayo, mustard, Italian dressing, parmesan, and salt & pepper.

Italian Deviled Eggs - The Three Bite Rule

Mix very well, breaking up all the yolks. A hand mixer works well or it could go in a food processor.
Place a plastic zip-top bag into a glass or a small bowl to stand upright while you scoop the filling in. (It can remain like this until serving in the refrigerator with the egg halves.)

Italian Deviled Eggs - The Three Bite Rule

When serving, chop the tomatoes separating out the seeds so they are not too wet and drippy.
Push the filling to the bottom corner of the bag and snip the end off to have about 1/4 inch opening.
Fill each egg half (I fill each to be level with the egg to know that there’s enough, then I can go back and top each with a swirl higher to all be even.)
Sprinkle with tomatoes and drizzle with balsamic.
Enjoy!

Italian Deviled Eggs - The Three Bite Rule

I loved these! The herbs and the salty parmesan with the sweet balsamic was so great together. They are nice for variety in a spread – flavorful, not super heavy, protein, no gluten if that matters.

If you have leftover balsamic – you’ll use it a million ways! A drizzle on pizza, on tomatoes, on caprese salad, on grilled veggies, on grilled cheese – or whatever! You could skip it, but it lasts forever and I definitely recommend it. Top with some shaved parmesan if skipping the balsamic!

We often have deviled eggs as a side for dinner or as party food. They travel well – though need to stay very very cold so you could bring them ready to assemble to serve. These little egg holders are worth their weight in gold – for your fridge or transport. Without an egg tray, slice off a little so the egg cup will sit flat. I didn’t transport them to walk them down the deck stairs – they felt so secure as-is!

You also could chop it all and serve it as egg salad! Scoop some onto melba toasts and top with the tomatoes and balsamic reduction.

For other variations of Deviled Eggs or Fancy Egg Salad:
Truffle & Herb Deviled Eggs
French Onion Deviled Eggs
Caesar Deviled Eggs
Greek Deviled Eggs
Taco Spiced Deviled Eggs
Bacon Ranch Deviled Eggs
Sour Cream & Onion Deviled Eggs

Football Cheeseball

The inauguration was so so so important to me and I’m so happy to look forward. Next up: the Superbowl! I’m into the Superbowl for the snacks. And the commercials. And the halftime show. The cheeseball not only resembles a football but it also brings together the two delights of snacking: bacon and cheese.

The Three Bite Rule - Football Cheeseball

Football Cheeseball
Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese
1 onion
2 tablespoons bbq sauce
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon seasoning blend (Todd’s Dirt or Mrs. Dash or Italian Seasoning or 1/2 tsp Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt)
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 slice of provolone cheese
serve with sturdy crackers, like wheat thins or pita chips

Directions:
Caramelize the onion- slice and cook over low heat with a tablespoon of olive oil, for ~40 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat when they are soft and golden brown.
Bring the cream cheese to room temperature.
Using a mixer, mix up the cream cheese, caramelized onions, bbq sauce, worcestershire sauce, and seasoning blend.

The Three Bite Rule - Football Cheeseball

Wrap in plastic wrap into a ball and refrigerate until serving, or at least 2 hours.
Chop the bacon and pan fry until crisp. Then drain the drippings.
When serving, unwrap the plastic from most of it and holding the plastic on one side, form into a football shape about 3/4 inch thick so you still have plastic to cover your hands while forming it.
Flip onto a serving plate removing the plastic. Push the bacon crumbles onto the top and sides until completely covered. Slice the cheese into one long strip with short strips across to be the laces.
Serve with crackers and enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Football Cheeseball

If you’re making this one in advance, mix up the cheeseball and chill until serving with the bacon separate.

We looooved this. The flavors are fantastic and very chill – it would fit in well with other tailgate-ish foods! Hot tip: leftover cheeseball spread onto a turkey sandwich = delicious.

Soft Cornbread with Hot Honey

My mom makes several cornbreads and this one is by far my fav- it has real corn and is so soft but not crumbly. The rest of the fam looooves one with dill and sour cream and onions but my heart is with this one. There’s real corn flavor and I can’t get enough of it. Make a half batch to go alongside your BBQ and then griddle some the next morning with a drizzle of hot honey- you can thank me later. Only make a whole batch if you have enough eaters- it lasts about 5 days refrigerated but spoils in 2 days at room temperature. This would be great in times of potlucks whenever that happens again?
The Three Bite Rule - Corn Bread with Hot Honey

Corn Bread with Hot Honey Drizzle

Ingredients: makes 9×9, ~6 servings

1 1/2 Boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
1 stick softened butter + 2-4 tablespoons to pan sear before serving
8 oz sour cream
8 oz can creamed corn
8 oz canned corn or frozen corn
2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
Mix together the muffin mix, butter, sour cream, creamed corn, corn, and eggs with a stand or hand mixer until incorporated.
The Three Bite Rule - Corn Bread with Hot Honey
Pour into a 9×9 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake for 35 minutes until set and the edges brown.
While letting it cool, mix together the honey and hot sauce.
The Three Bite Rule - Corn Bread with Hot Honey
In a medium skillet, melt butter and sear each cut side of slices of cornbread.
Drizzle with hot honey and enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Corn Bread with Hot Honey

It freezes well or freeze the remainder of the creamed corn and the save the half box of corn muffin mix. Next time you want to whip some together you’ll be well on your way! A whole batch would be 3 boxes of corn muffin mix- everything doubled and that makes a 9×13 so that would take a huge number of cornbread lovers!

 

Lettuce-less Salad Series: Watermelon Mint Salad

All these lettuce-less salad series will not be exclusively with fruit, but this was too good not to come next. Also, we bought a whole watermelon and the kids are just not as into it as other fruit so finding all the ways to use it was necessary. I chopped it up really finely to use the salad as a relish/topping, but it would be great on the side!

The Three Bite Rule - Watermelon Mint Relish

Watermelon Mint Salad

Ingredients: (for 4 as a side, for 6 as a topping)

1 cup watermelon
1 cucumber
1/2 shallot
~10 mint leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

Chop the watermelon, cucumber, shallot, and mint and add to a bowl.
The Three Bite Rule - Watermelon Mint Relish
Add in the olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice plus some salt and pepper and chili powder. Stir well and chill until serving.
The Three Bite Rule - Watermelon Mint Relish
Enjoy!

This salad is so fresh and light and flavorful. It could be spiced up with jalapenos or other peppers. It would be great as salsa with chips too or in larger pieces as a side. We had it on top of grilled chicken this time.

The Three Bite Rule - Watermelon Mint Relish

Dark Cherry & Arugula Flatbread

I love the simplicity most about this flatbread. It has some special touches but is wayyy easier than it seems! The cherries were frozen- with the pits already removed! They can pretty much thaw on the counter while everything else is prepping! What a great way to get another color of the food rainbow in!

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread

Cherry, Arugula & Parmesan Flatbread

Ingredients:

4 naan (I used wheat)
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
3 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup shaved parmesan
1/2 cup dark cherries, frozen
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, or a toaster oven to toast the naan for 5-8 minutes, until crisping on the edges but still soft.
Toss the arugula in olive oil with salt & pepper.
Spread cream cheese on each piece of naan and sprinkle arugula, parmesan, and cherries on top.
The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
Slice & enjoy!

This takes 10 minutes and I can picture munching it on a patio at a restaurant who’d ask $18 for it. I love the cherries contrasting the arugula and parm. The cherries are a great smoothie addition for leftovers or are fantastic on yogurt.
The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
I use naan for the fastest weeknight pizzas ever. This week is nutty at work with an event this weekend so I planned some quick pizzas on naan for a weeknight meal and my Thursday night self thanks that Sunday planning self! Naan pizzas freeze well too if prepping in advance – not an arugula flatbread, but go for it with traditional toppings! I also found tiny naans that are a great kid size for lunches too!

Pesto Puff Pastry Twists

We go through a lot of pesto pasta here at our table. The pre-schooler and baby both love it and I appreciate it for variety. I smeared some on some puff pastry with cheese for this instant appetizer knowing it would be a hit!
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Pasta Twists

Pesto Puff Pastry Twists

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted in the refrigerator for ~8 hours or overnight
3 tablespoons pesto
1 cup shredded mozzarella & asiago
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Directions:

Roll out the puff pastry sheet.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or as the puff pastry package suggests).
Spread the pesto across the whole sheet, all the way to the edges.
Sprinkle the cheese on top, all the way to the edges.
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Pasta Twists
Slice with a pizza cutter into 1 1/2 inch strips. Hold from the ends and twist around. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking sheet. (Add the cheese that falls out back into a crack.)
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Pasta Twists
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Pasta Twists
Let cool 5 minutes.
Serve with tomato sauce to dip. Enjoy!

These were a fun appetizer and could even be a meal of their own! Serve them as an app, alongside soup or pasta or with salad. These are a great use for a smaller amount of leftover pesto. These take so little hands-on time!
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Pasta Twists

Truffle & Herb Deviled Eggs

This twist on deviled eggs is packed with flavor. There’s truffle oil, dijon, parmesan, and herbs in the filling and brown butter panko topping for a crunch. I made just a few to have with dinner. These would be fun for a party! I tell you, deviled eggs fly off a party table since they’re typically gluten free and dairy free. Mine aren’t this time, but I love the fun flavors into a deviled egg and just add a label for what is in them.

The Three Bite Rule - Truffle & Herb Deviled Eggs

Truffle and Herb Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 teaspoon truffle oil
1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped chiffonade
1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

Hard boil the eggs and let them cool in an ice bath.
Slice them in half and pop the yolks into a mixing bowl and add mayo, mustard, garlic, parmesan, truffle oil, and most of the fresh herbs – reserving a little for the topping.
Mix well and spoon into a bottom corner of a ziplock bag. (tip: open the bag into a drinking glass to more easily fill without tipping over!)
The Three Bite Rule - Truffle & Herb Deviled Eggs
Snip the corner off the bag and pipe into the egg halves.
The Three Bite Rule - Truffle & Herb Deviled Eggs
In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and watch it to bubble, foam, and brown.
Stir in the panko and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, mix well, and remove from the heat. Add in the last of the herbs.
The Three Bite Rule - Truffle & Herb Deviled Eggs
Sprinkle over the eggs just before serving.
The Three Bite Rule - Truffle & Herb Deviled Eggs

I love these. A little truffle oil goes a long way so add some taste and add more if necessary. Any fresh herbs would be good – use rosemary, thyme, or oregano. The brown butter breadcrumbs are ahhh-mazing. I had leftovers I put on everything I ate the next day- eggs at breakfast and then on a hot dog with parmesan peppercorn dressing!

The Three Bite Rule - Truffle & Herb Deviled Eggs
We’re off to the beach soon! I hope I can blog a few things while on vacay! Stay tuned! I live for this week all year for the huge and empty beach, nightly ice cream, walking everywhere, and mini golf!