lasagna cupcakes

I’ve begun party prep countdown for Christmas on Carmarthen! We live on Carmarthen St., hence the name. I’ve decided on a mixture of fourteen different hot and cold, static and passed appetizers to offer my guests. In the past, I’ve used my dining room table as a groaning board for platters of food where my guests would stand helping themselves. This year, I am changing it up by passing some of the hors d’oeuvres. I’ll serve guests so that they don’t have to leave their conversations in search of nibbles. The challenge is to create food that is easy to manage with one hand. Bite-size pieces allow guests to enjoy what they’re eating without having it fall apart in their hand or worse yet spill down their front. I love the idea of having a taste of something delicious and then moving on to something else!

Overeating at Christmas time is difficult to avoid. Everyone is so generous and festive that indulging feels natural. It’s after the party that it doesn’t feel so good. Cocktail parties often have lots of richly flavoured foods that can upset your stomach while you are making merry! My goal this year is to treat my friends to some lovely food not mistreat them with too much.

Kabobs are a fun way to serve individually, beyond grilled meat. I’m also doing Greek and Caprese salads on a stick! The kicker will be to collect the used skewers once they’re empty. Standing around holding a wooden spear kills any kind of elegance going on!

Creating individual bites for my guests is my way of saying, ‘Merry Christmas with love’!

Lasagna Bites

Allow 1 per guest

Wonton wrappers

Mild Italian sausage, 1/2″ slices then quartered and cooked

Sweet bell pepper, finely chopped and sautéed

Marinara sauce or commercial pizza sauce

Pesto – homemade or commercial

Mozzarella, shredded

I’m not listing specific ingredient amounts. Use your own judgement after determining how many you plan on making.

Place wonton wrappers in miniature muffin tins

Add 3 pieces of sausage, a bit of sautéed peppers, a teaspoon of Marinara, 1/4 teaspoon pesto and lots of mozzarella

Bake for 15 minutes until golden on the bottom.

Cool slightly then serve.

THE LOVE: You can make these ahead by freezing them in the muffin tin then transferring them to a freezer proof container until needed. Bake covered with tin foil for 15 minutes then remove foil and continue baking until golden on the bottom.

Thanks for reading