By Susan Selasky
Be ready to cheer on the next gridiron event with a game plan: Have your snacks made in
advance.
These mini roast beef wraps are an easy appetiser to whip together — just chill, slice and serve. Fans will love them for their flavour and cooks will love them for their ease. And meatballs are a slow-cooker favourite — these have sweet and spicy crowd-pleasing flavours.
Sweet and Spicy
Southwest Meatballs
Makes: 60 meatballs
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour (plus additional warming time if needed)
Ingredients
2 ½ pounds ground chuck or round
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped, optional
3 tbsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp smoked or Spanish paprika
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs or fresh bread crumbs as needed
Sauce
1 jar (450gms) grape jelly
1 bottle (350 gms) favourite hot red pepper sauce (a thicker one is best)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Directions
Line two sided baking sheets with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, thoroughly combine all the meatball ingredients, adding enough bread crumbs so the mixture holds together when shaped into balls. Using about a 1-tablespoon measure, shape the meat mixture into balls. You should get about 60. Place them on the baking sheet as you make them.
Once they are all made, chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the meatballs for about 15 minutes or until crispy on the outside and cooked through.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the grape jelly, hot sauce and Dijon. Bring just to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened.
Remove the meatballs from the oven and transfer to a slow cooker or baking dish. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and return to the oven or place in a slow cooker to keep warm. The sauce will continue to thicken.
Nutritional information:
Per meatball:
62 calories (38% from fat), 3 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat), 6 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 207mg sodium, 19mg cholesterol, 7mg calcium, 0 grams fibre.
Roast Beef Wraps
Makes: 40
Preparation time: 40 minutes (plus chilling time)
Total time: 40 minutes (plus chilling time)
Ingredients
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise (regular, reduced or non-fat)
1/2 cup horseradish, white or red
1 package large (at least 10 inches in diameter or more) lavash bread (6-8 pieces) or favourite flatbread
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds good-quality medium-rare roast beef, sliced thin
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
1-2 packages alfalfa sprouts
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and horseradish until combined.
Place one lavash on a clean, flat surface. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture over the bread, especially on the uppermost edge (this is the glue that holds the lavash together after it has been rolled). Place about 2 slices of the cheese on half of the lavash. Repeat with the roast beef.
Sprinkle red peppers over the beef and place a hearty line of sprouts on top of the beef along the outer edge (this will end up in the centre of the wrap).
Begin rolling from the outer edge, using your fingers to keep the filling in place. The last roll should contain no filling. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill 2 hours before slicing. When ready to slice, place the roll seam side down on a cutting board and cut the lavash into about 1-inch slices on the diagonal. Repeat with the remaining lavash slices.
Makes about 40 or more appetizers, depending on the bread diameter.
Nutritional information:
Analysis based on 1 appetizer with regular mayonnaise.
153 calories (67% from fat), 11 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat), 5 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams protein, 154mg sodium, 30mg cholesterol, 96mg calcium, trace of fibre. — Detroit Free Press/MCT
YUM: Sweet and spicy Southwest meatballs.
