Thursday, February 7, 2013

Appetizers for Dinner

I love me some appetizers!  They are my favorite part of going out to eat.  Sometimes, my friend, Nat, and I will go out to a restaurant and just order a bunch of appetizers to share.  They just seem to be the tastiest part of the meal!  I may be able to fill up on little bites, but not my husband or growing teenage son.  So, I thought I would morph a few appetizers into a full meal.  Here's what I did:


My family loves chicken wings, but there is not a lot of meat on a little wing.  So, I used chicken drumsticks instead.  I gave them the same flavors as our favorite wings, but you get more bang for your buck.


BUFFALO & BBQ CHICKEN LEGS

1 large package chicken drumsticks ( a few pounds)
salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Season chicken well with salt and pepper.  Place on a cookie sheet with sides or in a baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes, until done.  Remove from oven.  Turn oven heat up to 425-450 degrees.  Brush half the chicken with BBQ sauce (recipes for sauces to follow) and half with Buffalo sauce (you can just pour the sauces over the chicken).  Return to oven for 5-10 minutes until sauces have thickened and glazed the chicken.

BUFFALO SAUCE

1/2 stick butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup hot sauce, depends on how hot you want it
2 TBS honey

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened.

You can just use store bought BBQ sauce or make this version:

BBQ SAUCE

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup bbq sauce
2 TBS brown sugar
a few dashes worcestershire sauce
a few dashes of hot sauce

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.


Here's the BBQ:


Here's the Buffalo:



I also made Bacon Wrapped Artichoke Hearts.  They are super easy to make and taste great.  Perfect for a party or just a treat with dinner.

BACON WRAPPED ARTICHOKE HEARTS

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts (make sure you get the marinated ones) drain them & reserve the marinade.
bacon (cut strips in half)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Wrap each artichoke heart with a piece of bacon.  If you're watching your waistline, use turkey bacon.



Secure with a toothpick.



Place on foil-lined cookie sheet and brush with the reserved marinade.


Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.



Really easy and so good!  Throw in a green salad and you've got dinner!


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