Two great bites...for your New Year's toast

I hope this post finds you "busy" relaxing, savoring a nice long holiday break with your loved ones.  It feels like we've been feasting for days and weeks on end but we have to save room for one more very-important celebration:  New Years!  

Croque Monsieur Crostini

Even while I was deeply (and happily) entrenched in the whirlwind of Christmas cookie-making during the past few weeks, I'd been thinking about appetizers, party food, small-bites that would be perfect for that New Year's toast!  Well, the champagne is chilling in the fridge so let's talk about a couple of great bites to go along with it.

First, I have to spread the crostini love with this recipe for croque monsieur crostini from Marie at little kitchie.  I love visiting Marie's site for dinner inspiration and she has indeed inspired me in many ways; I have her to thank for encouraging me to make homemade pizza and when we tried weeknight bolognese, it quickly became a family favorite.  Recently, I saw this genius idea for croque monsieur crostini that I knew would be delicious and make a great party appetizer.

It's everything you love about a croque monsieur - that delectable French ham and cheese sandwich - in miniature form.  When we vacationed in Paris with the little guy a couple of years back, we would order a croque monsieur for him at lunch almost by default.  I had romantic notions of making them at home and eating them while sipping some sparkling Lorina lemonade alongside.  But you know what?  I never did make the sandwiches at home.  It always seemed just a bit too decadent, a little too finicky, when I thought about it.

But turning it into crostini, reducing the portion size significantly into small bites, takes that decadence level to an ideal indulgence for New Year's eve or any other gathering.  It's satisfying without being overly heavy.  I especially love the sharp crunch of the toasted baguette that you don't get with the traditional croque monsieur.  It's a must-try!

Bacon wrapped chicken bites

My other recent discovery is bacon wrapped chicken bites.  For those of us who eat meat, you know that anything wrapped in bacon or prosciutto is practically guaranteed to be good and this is a fine example.  This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, a site I started visiting recently (I can vouch for the pulled pork recipe if anyone is looking for one), and her testimonial for these chicken bites convinced me to make them right away.

These chicken bites are not only moist, they're also flavorful and zesty from herbs (dried oregano, thyme) and spices (chili powder) as well as some sweetness from brown sugar.  It's got the entire spectrum of salty, sweet, spicy, heat, and savory all rolled in one.  

I made these recently for dinner as a test drive.  For a cocktail party, I'd make the chicken pieces a bit smaller than I did here to leave room for all the other goodies you'll undoubtedly be nibbling on throughout the night.

Many thanks to the ladies from the sites I mentioned above for these great little bites!

* Have a safe and fun New Year's eve celebration!  May the New Year bring all the good things - including good health and good food - your heart desires!


Recipes:

Croque Monsieur Crostini
From little kitchie

- Makes approximately 20 crostini - 

1 baguette, sliced approximately 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon unsalted butter,
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup hot whole milk
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup shredded gruyere, plus more for topping
Dijon mustard
6-8 oz. black forest ham

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

To toast baguette, place slices on to baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes.  Then flip each slice around and toast for another 2 minutes.  (Bear in mind that baguette loaves can vary significantly.  Depending on your loaf and how crunchy you like your crostini, you might want to adjust the baking time or bake at a slightly lower oven temp.)

While the bread is toasting, make the bechamel. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes.  Slowly pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly, and continue cooking and whisking until thickened.  Remove the pan from the heat. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup of gruyere.

Top each slice of toasted baguette with some mustard, a bit of ham, and then top with some of the cheese sauce.  Sprinkle the top with some more gruyere.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Turn on the boiler and broil for 3-5 minutes, until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned.  Remove from the oven, top with a grind of black pepper, and serve immediately.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
From Mel's Kitchen Cafe who adapted it from Good Dinner Mom

- For approximately 8-10 appetizer servings - 

2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I also added a little paprika)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
16 ounce package of sliced bacon (I used center cut bacon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place an oven-safe cooling rack on top of a large foil-lined baking sheets and spray it lightly with cooking spray.  If you don't have a cooling rack, line a baking sheet or broiler pan with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and place into a medium bowl.  Toss with the salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes.  (You could refrigerate the chicken at this point for up to a day).  

Mix the brown sugar and chili powder together in a small bowl.  Slice the bacon into thirds (for the larger bites pictured here, I sliced my center cut bacon slices in half).  

Wrap each piece of chicken with a strip of bacon.  Holding tightly, dredge the bacon wrapped chicken in the brown sugar-chili powder mixture.  Place onto the prepared baking sheet.  If necessary, you could secure the bacon to the chicken with a toothpick.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is crisp and chicken is cooked through.  If not baking on a rack, flip the chicken midway through the cooking time.  If using thick-cut bacon, baking time will be longer.  Serve immediately.