Party Menu C Recipe

assemble

Wash and dry cherry tomatoes and basil leaves. Drain mozzarella balls. Slide one cherry tomato, one basil leaf (folded if large), and one mozzarella ball onto each skewer. Place skewers on a platter.

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Lightly brush or drizzle oil over skewers, then finish with a light drizzle of balsamic glaze. Arrange on serving platter and keep chilled until serving.

prep bread and topping

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice baguettes on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices (about 40 slices from 2 baguettes). Place slices on a baking sheet, brush lightly with olive oil on both sides, and toast in oven 6–8 minutes until golden and crisp. Let cool slightly.

In a bowl combine softened cream cheese, lemon zest, and chopped dill. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on each toasted slice. Top each crostini with a small piece of smoked salmon, a few capers, and a crack of black pepper. Arrange on platter and serve immediately or hold refrigerated for up to 2 hours.

make meatball mixture

In a large bowl soak the breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes until softened. Add ground beef, ground pork, eggs, grated onion, minced garlic, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Use your hands or a spoon to gently combine until just incorporated—avoid overmixing.

shape and brown

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs (about 60–70 meatballs depending on size). Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown meatballs in batches 2–3 minutes per side until nicely seared (they will finish cooking in the oven). Transfer browned meatballs to a baking sheet.

bake

Bake meatballs in preheated oven 12–15 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).

make sauce

While meatballs bake, combine ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and optional hot sauce in a saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and sauce is slightly thickened, about 5–7 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

finish

Toss baked meatballs gently in the warm sauce to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl and keep warm. Provide small toothpicks or a ladle for guests to serve.

Wash all fruit thoroughly. Hull and halve strawberries, core and cut pineapple into bite-sized chunks if not prepared. Arrange grapes, strawberries, pineapple chunks and blueberries artfully on a large platter. Scatter mint leaves over the top for color and aroma. Keep chilled until serving.

melt chocolate

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat semisweet chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth (about 1–2 minutes total). Do the same in a separate bowl for white chocolate chips, but stop when almost melted and stir to finish melting to avoid burning.

dip and decorate

Dip each pretzel rod about two-thirds into the melted semisweet chocolate, letting excess drip off. Lay on parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle with sprinkles or chopped nuts if using. For a finish, transfer white chocolate to a small piping bag or zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped and drizzle over the set semisweet coating. Let set at room temperature or refrigerate 10–15 minutes until firm.

Once set, arrange pretzels in a container or on a platter. Store in a cool, dry place until serving.