Gluten Free Appetizers

Try Great Tasting Appetizer Recipes

Gluten Free Never Had It So Good!

Here are some great tasting appetizers that will be a hit at any party, or celebration time with friends. Finding some great tasting appetizer recipes may be difficult especially for those that have gluten sensitivities. Now you can make special appetizers for game winning teams, church socials, pot lucks, and watching on TV your favorite team win the championship.

Now, your search is over. Here are some great appetizer recipes that you can use and everyone will be surprised when you tell them that it’s gluten free.

We highly recommend you follow the recipe exactly has stated before you add any variation. This way you will know if you need to increase, decrease any ingredients or omit some of them, based on your taste preferences.

Be sure to try one!

Appetizer Recipe Table of Contents

To assist you in getting to the appetizer recipe you are interested in, just click on any recipe link below and you will be taken directly to that recipe. Or, you may scroll down to view them all.

Guacamole Appetizer Recipe

Prep: 10 min. Cook: 0 min. Ready: 10 min. Servings: 4 Calories: 262

guacamole-appetizer-recipe

Guacamole Appetizer Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 avocados – peeled, pitted, and mashed
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt.
  2. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic.
  3. Stir in cayenne pepper (optional).
  4. Refrigerate for 1 hour for best flavor. Or, serve as is.
  5. Serve with dipping vegetables or chips.

Variations

  1. Add a little olive oil for a smoother texture. Use ripe avocados.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of sour cream.
  3. Add finely chopped jalapeno pepper, ½ teaspoon cumin and salt to taste. Cut back on cilantro.
  4. Use 4 avocados, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, and 2 cloves of garlic.

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Sugar Coated Pecans

Prep: 15 Cook: 1 hr. Ready: 1 hr. 15 min. Servings: 12 Calories: 328

sugar-coated-pecans

Sugar Coated Pecans Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
  2. Grease two baking sheets. Or, skip this step and place parchment paper on bottom of sheets.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
  5. Add pecans to egg white mixture, stir to coat the nuts evenly.
  6. Remove nuts and toss them in the sugar mixture until well coated.
  7. Spread the nuts on the prepared cookie sheets.
  8. Bake in preheated oven at 250 degrees (120 degrees C), for 1 hour. Stir mixture every 15 minutes.
  9. Serve when cooled.
  10. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last several weeks.

Variations

  1. Use 2 egg whites, 2 teaspoons of water, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. After mixing egg white mixture, add the pecans. Slowly add in the sugar in batches. Mix after each small addition.
  2. Use 2 egg whites, 1 tablespoon vanilla and omit the water, and add 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
  3. Use 2 egg whites, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
  4. To reduce sugar content, substitute Splenda for the white sugar.
  5. Follow recipe exactly and double the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon.

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Simple Deviled Eggs

Prep: 15 min. Cook: 0 min. Ready: 15 min. Servings: 12 Calories: 63

deviled-food-egg-recipe

Simple Deviled Egg Recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 hard cooked eggs
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
  • 1 pinch of paprika, or to taste

Directions

  1. Slice eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks and set whites aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, mash yolks with a fork.
  3. Stir in mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, onion, celery, and mix well.
  4. Stuff or pipe egg yolk mixture into egg whites.
  5. Sprinkle with paprika.
  6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Variations

  1. Use reduced fat mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and white wine vinegar.
  2. Use 2 tablespoons sweet relish, red wine vinegar instead of white, honey mustard with bacon dressing, and sprinkled smoked paprika over eggs.
  3. Used white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and Miracle Whip instead of mayo.
  4. Use recipe as is accept reduce salt by half to ¼ teaspoon.
  5. Omitted the celery and added 2 tablespoons of sweet relish.

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Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

Prep: 30 min. Cook: 10 min. Ready: 40 min. Servings: 12 Calories: 187

bacon-and-cheddar-deviled-eggs

Bacon and Cheddar Deviled Eggs Recipe

Ingredients

  • 12 eggs
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 4 slices of gluten free bacon
  • 2 tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon mustard

Directions

  1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Let the eggs stand in the hot water for 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. To cool more quickly, rinse eggs under cold running water.
  3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-heat until evenly brown. Alternately, wrap bacon in paper towels and cook in microwave for about 1 minute per slice. Crumble and set aside.
  4. Peel the hard-cooked eggs.
  5. Cut eggs in half lengthwise.
  6. Remove yolks into a small bowl.
  7. Mash yolks with mayonnaise, crumbled bacon, and cheese. Stir in mustard.
  8. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture.
  9. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Variations To Recipe

  1. Add a little sour cream to the recipe. Place egg mixture into a bag and cut the corner off and pipe into eggs. Sprinkle slices of green onion on top.
  2. Added a bit more finely chopped onion, and used bacon bits. Use reduced fat mayo and reduced fat cheese.
  3. Used half sour cream and half mayo. Good using turkey bacon or bacon bits. Used white cheddar cheese or pepperjack cheese. For those that like hot sauce, add a little to the filling.
  4. Use light mayonnaise, or light Miracle Whip, and turkey bacon. Add a sprinkle of paprika on top.
  5. Used 4 tablespoons of cheese, a splash of Worcestershire Sauce, and a splash of Siracha. Added a little salt and pepper and paprika.
  6. Use sharp cheddar cheese.

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Annie’s Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Prep: 15 min. Cook: 10 min. Ready: 45 min. Servings: 10 Calories: 312

annies-fruit-salsa-with-cinnamon-chips

Annie’s Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
  • 2 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced
  • 8 ounces of raspberries
  • 1 pound of strawberries, sliced to bite size
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of gluten free brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of gluten free fruit preservers, any flavor
  • 10 (10-inch) gluten free flour tortillas
  • Butter flavored cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoons gluten free cinnamon sugar:

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves.
  2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  4. Cut tortillas into wedges and place on cookie sheets in a single layer on to of the parchment paper on bottom of cookie sheets.
  5. Spray tops of wedges with butter cooking spray. Sprinkle wedges with cinnamon sugar. Spray tops again with cooking spray.
  6. Bake in preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges until all are baked.
  7. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
  8. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Variations

  1. Use a pizza cutter to cut the wedges. Cut the apples last to prevent browning.

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Seven Layer Taco Dip

Prep: 30 min. Ready: 30 min. Servings: 56 Calories: 66

seven-layer-taco-dip-recipe-2

Seven Layer Taco Dip Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 (16-ounce) package of gluten free taco seasoning mix
  • 1 (16-ounce) package of gluten free can of re-fried beans
  • 1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened (Low fat can be substituted)
  • 1 (16-ounce) container of sour cream (Low fat can be substituted)
  • 1 (16-ounce) jar of gluten free salsa
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
  • 1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
  • 1 (6-ounce) can of sliced gluten free black olives, drained
  • 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and re-fried beans.
  2. Spread the mixture as the first layer in a serving platter.
  3. Stir together the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl, then spread over the re- fried beans. This is the second layer.
  4. Spread jar of salsa over the cream cheese layer.
  5. Using a serrated knife, cut one large tomato into small pieces and place this over the salsa layer evenly distributing.
  6. Chop a green bell pepper and sprinkle it over the tomato layer.
  7. Chop a bunch of green onions and distribute them over the onions.
  8. Finely shred one small head of lettuce and sprinkle over the green onions.
  9. Evenly distribute 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese on top of the lettuce.
  10. Sprinkle the black olives as a garnish over the top of the cheese.
  11. Serve with plenty of taco chips.

Variations

  1. 9×13 pan works well for this dish.
  2. Add 1 lb. of hamburger to taco seasoning and guacamole instead of lettuce.
  3. Started with the re-fried beans for layer one. Cream cheese, sour cream and half taco seasoning mixed together for layer two. Added guacamole for layer 3. Diced tomatoes for layer 4. Black olives for layer 5. Salsa for layer 6. Lots of shredded cheese for layer seven. Omitted the lettuce, onions, and peppers. Heated in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
  4. First layer, re-fried beans, 2 – cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, 3 – guacamole, 4 – tomatoes, green peppers, green onions, 5 – salsa, 6 – shredded Cheddar cheese, 7 – black beans. You can serve this warm or cold.
  5. Reduce the fat by using reduced fat cream cheese, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese.

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Cocktail Meatballs

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 1 hr. 25 min. Ready: 1 hr. 45 min. Servings: 10 Calories: 193

cocktail-meatballs

Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, and minced onion.
  3. Roll into small meatballs using a small ice cream scoop for uniformity and place them on a baking sheet.
  4. Roll gently in hands to finish forming them.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking time.
  6. In a large saucepan over low heat, add cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice.
  7. Mix the sauce together and bring it to a simmer.
  8. Add the meatballs into the sauce and stir to cover meatballs with sauce. Cover sauce pan and simmer for 1 hour before serving.
  9. When ready to serve, insert toothpick into each meatball and place the leftover sauce in a small bowl for dipping. Or, have a bowl of toothpicks handy for individuals to use for getting a meatball out of the dish or pot.

Variations

  1. Most jellied cranberry sauce come in 16 oz. cans. Decide on doubling this recipe. Typical chili sauce comes in 12 oz. bottle. You will need two bottles if you use the full can of cranberry sauce.
  2. Add one packet of Lipton onion soup mix to meatball mixture if you don’t have time to mince the onions. Bake meatballs over a drip pan to remove excess fat before adding to the sauce. If using frozen meatballs, do not use Italian as this upsets the balance of the meatballs and the sauce. Make the sauce the day before and let the flavors marry. The Heinz sauce in the round bottles seems best chili sauce for this recipe.
  3. Use cornflakes crumbs instead of bread crumbs. Add 1/3 cup parsley, ¼ cup ketchup instead of water, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
  4. Instead of the minced onions, use 1 packet of Lipton onion soup mix.
  5. For less fat, use ground turkey.
  6. Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and place the meatballs and sauce in a crock pot on low for a couple of hours.

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Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 1 hr. 30 min. Ready: 1 hr. 50 min. Servings: 12 Calories: 152

sweet-and-sour-meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-ounce) can or bottle of gluten free chili sauce
  • 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
  • 9 ounces of gluten free grape jelly
  • 1 pound 80% lean ground beef
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 large onion, grated
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. Whisk together the chili sauce, lemon juice and grape jelly. Blend.
  2. Pour mixture into a slow cooker and simmer on low until warm about 30 minutes.
  3. While the sauce is cooking, combine ground beef, egg, onion and salt. Mix well and form into 1-inch balls. Use ice cream scoop for uniformity and roll in hands to finish forming them.
  4. Add meatball into sauce. Continue until the meat is all gone.
  5. Simmer meatballs and sauce for 1 ½ hours.
  6. Serve with toothpicks inserted into each meatball and with the sauce.

Variations

  1. Use frozen meatballs and place them and sauce in slow cooker on low for 4 hours.
  2. Replace lemon juice with pineapple juice. Use frozen meatballs and place the meatballs and sauce in slow cooker for 2 hours.
  3. Tripled the recipe used 3 pounds of ground beef and still was not enough. Cooked everything on low in crock pot for 4 hours.
  4. Used ½ lb. ground beef and ½ pound pork sausage, and brown and drain them before putting in the sauce. Added some Dijon mustard and garlic to sauce to cut the sweetness.

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Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Prep: min. Cook: 35 min. Ready: 2 hrs. 5 min. Servings: 6 Calories: 479

swedish-meatballs-recipe

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Meatball Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup plain gluten free bread crumbs
  • ¾ teaspoon gluten free ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon gluten free ground allspice
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)
  • 1 pound ground beef chuck
  • 1 pound ground pork

Gravy Ingredients

Directions

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet using medium heat.
  2. Cook and stir in onions and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in butter until onions begin to turn translucent, about 6 minutes.
  3. Transfer onion mixture into a large bowl.
  4. Add milk, eggs, bread crumbs, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and cayenne pepper (optional) to the breadcrumb mixture. Stir to combine.
  5. Mix well the beef and pork into the bread mixture.
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Sauce Directions

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet (same one used for cooking the onions) over medium heat.
  2. Whisk flour into butter and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk slowly the beef broth into the butter mixture.
  4. Increase heat to medium-high, whisk cream into mixture and bring to a simmer.
  5. Stir sugar and Worcestershire sauce into gravy.
  6. Simmer until slightly thickened, 6 to 7 minutes.
  7. Season with black pepper and salt. Turn off heat or remove from heat and set aside.
  8. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  9. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat foil with cooking spray.
  10. Remove meatballs from refrigerator and roll 2 to 3 tablespoons meatball mixture into a ball using wet hands and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining meatball mixture.
  11. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. When inserting a thermometer, the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
  12. Transfer meatballs to the gravy and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
  13. Serve.

Variations

  1. True Swedish meatballs do not have cayenne pepper or Worcestershire sauce in the recipe. You may omit these ingredients.
  2. Add a bit of nutmeg into the sauce.
  3. Started making the sauce when meatballs were in the oven.
  4. Use all beef instead of ½ beef and ½ pork. Use 80% lean meat.
  5. Added ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon dried parsley to gravy mixture. Tip: Be sure that your frying pan isn’t blazing hot when you add the bouillon or beef broth into the flour mixture or you’ll get lumps in the gravy.
  6. For more gravy, just double the gravy ingredients.

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Italian Meatballs

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 35 min. Ready: 2 hrs. 15 min. Servings: 30 Calories: 82

italian-meatballs

Italian Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup gluten free plain bread crumbs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 pound ground beef 80% lean
  • 1 pound ground pork 80% lean
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon gluten free dried Italian herb seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray top with cooking spray.
  2. Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl, stir, and let sit for 20 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  4. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.
  5. In a large bowl, mix beef and pork together.
  6. Stir in onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs mixed, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture using a rubber spatula until combined.
  7. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
  8. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  9. After one hour, remove meat mixture from refrigerator. Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter, or slightly larger than golf ball size.
  10. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet. Note: This recipe makes about 30 golf ball size meatballs. You can make larger or smaller size meatballs to your preference.
  11. Bake in preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
  12. Add meatballs into your favorite tomato or spaghetti sauce on simmer for 1 to 2 hours.
  13. Serve.

Variations

  1. Drain fat off meatballs before placing in sauce.
  2. Add more bread crumbs than the recipe called for, left out the red pepper flakes, and used beef broth instead of milk.
  3. Use seasoned breadcrumbs instead of plain, and dried parsley instead of fresh. Follow recipe exactly. Used ice cream scoop to roll into meatballs.
  4. Mix breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl allow it to rest 20 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix in the eggs, parsley, Parmesan cheese, sautéed onions with garlic, and all dry seasonings into this bowl. In a separate bowl, mix beef and pork together, then mix the contents of the previous bowl into the bowl of meat. If batch of meatballs is more than you need, you can freeze them for a later use.
  5. Used 93% lean and all beef and ate them plain with no sauce.
  6. Personal preference, reduce pepper and salt by half.
  7. Added 1 extra tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and used 4 cloves of garlic.

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Caprese Appetizer

Prep: 15 min. Ready: 15 min. Servings: 20 Calories: 104

caprese-appetizer

Caprese Appetizer Recipe

Ingredients

  • 20 grape tomatoes
  • 10 ounces of mozzarella cheese, cubed (or mozzarella balls)
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 pinch of ground black pepper
  • 20 toothpicks

Directions

  1. In a bowl, toss tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper together until well coated.
  2. Skewer one tomato and one piece of mozzarella cheese on each toothpick.
  3. Place on a platter for serving.
  4. Pour any remaining oil over the tomato and cheese around the platter.
  5. Serve.

Variations

  1. Used Bononcini (little fresh mozzarella balls), marinated them for 2 days in garlic powder, dried basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Assembled them with one strip of fresh basil folded in half, sandwiched between the cheese and tomato.
  2. Add Italian seasoning to olive oil mixture. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese after skewering.
  3. Halved the tomatoes and the cheese, putting halves together on one toothpick with a fresh basil leaf between.

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Easy Ham and Cheese Appetizer Sandwiches

Prep: min. Cook: min. Ready: 30 min. Servings: 12 Calories: 412

easy-hame-and-cheese-appetizer-sandwiches

Easy Ham and Cheese Appetizer Sandwiches Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1 onion, grated
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
  • 2 (12 ounce) packages gluten free white party rolls
  • ½ pound chopped cooked ham (sliced in strips)
  • 5 ounces of shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together butter, poppy seeds, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and prepared Dijon-style mustard.
  3. Slice rolls in half horizontally and set aside tops. Spread bottoms with butter mixture.
  4. Top with ham and Swiss cheese. Replace tops.
  5. Arrange rolls in a single layer in a medium baking dish.
  6. Top rolls with the leftover butter mixture.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until rolls are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Note: You can cover the baking dish with aluminum foil to keep food moist and cook evenly.

Variations

  1. For large parties you can prepare ahead of time. Wrap each roll tightly in tin foil and secure them in plastic bags. Put the whole bag in freezer for up to two weeks. On day of party, thaw sandwiches (still in tin foil) and bake in the foil as directed in recipe.
  2. Use King Hawaiian rolls – regular or multi-grain.
  3. Reduce the poppy seeds by half.
  4. Lined 9×13 pan with foil with top of foil sprayed with PAM.
  5. Use regular yellow mustard instead of Dijon.
  6. Use Honey-Dijon mustard, omit the onion for onion powder, and use King’s Sweet Hawaiian Rolls. Make some with Roast Beef, Cheddar, on Butter Rolls.

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Brown Sugar Smokies

Prep: 10 min. Cook: 40 min. Ready: 50 min. Servings: 12 Calories: 356

brown-sugar-smokies

Brown Sugar Smokies Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 pound bacon (any brand will do, center cut bacon has less fat)
  • 1 (16 ounce) package gluten free little smokie sausages
  • 1 cup gluten free brown sugar, or to taste

Note: Recipe works well with mini hot dogs if you cannot find the mini smokies.

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Makes for easy cleanup.
  3. Cut 1 pound bacon into thirds.
  4. Open sausage package and wrap one bacon slice around each sausage.
  5. Place wrapped sausages on wooden skewers. Place up to 5 to 6 sausages per skewer. If no skewers, individual wooden toothpicks will do.
  6. Arrange the skewers on the baking sheet.
  7. Sprinkle liberally the wrapped sausages with the one cup of brown sugar.
  8. Bake smokies in preheated oven until bacon is crispy and brown sugar is melted, about 30 to 40 minutes.
  9. Serve hot, warm or cold.

Variations

  1. For large parties, you can double or triple the recipe.
  2. Midway through the baking process, turn over the smokie skewers. Makes for a crisper bacon.
  3. Wrap the smokies and layer them in a slow cooker without any skewers. After two layers, add brown sugar. Continue this process until all smokies are in pot or you run out of room. Let them cook for a couple of hours. Let guests take out the smokies using a toothpick.
  4. Serve with dipping sauce. ¼ cup mayo, ¼ cup red chili sauce and ½ cup brown sugar. Mix sauce ahead of time for sugar to melt and flavors to meld.
  5. Dredge both bacon and smokies in the sugar to marinate. Set them on a large plate with paper towels underneath. Microwave them for 1 min 30 sec, checking on them at 30 sec intervals. Switch smokies into a pan and bake in oven for 5 minutes. Sprinkle another layer of brown sugar and broil for 4 or 5 minutes.
  6. Put 2/3 cup of brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Roll each smokie/bacon piece in it before placing it on a broiler pan. Place broiler pan in oven to bake.
  7. Dip bacon in brown sugar and roll it around the sausage. Placed them on a broiler pan and broil them during the last 10 minutes to crisp them up.
  8. Roll both bacon and sausages in dark brown sugar. Do this a day before serving. This allows them to marinade. When baking them, add dark brown sugar to the tops and place on a 15×13 baking sheet. Cook at recommended temperature for 45 minutes. Broil for 10 minutes to get bacon nice and crispy. Flip skewers half way through the broiling process.

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Cheese and Bacon Potato Rounds

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 40 min. Ready: 1 hr. Servings: 4 Calories: 806

cheese-and-bacon-potato-rounds

Cheese and Bacon Potato Rounds Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 baking potatoes, cut into ½ inch slices
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • 8 slices gluten free bacon – cooked and crumbled
  • 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup chopped green onions

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  2. Brush both sides of potato slices with butter.
  3. Place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until slightly browned on both sides, turning once.
  5. When potatoes are ready, top with bacon, cheese, and green onion.
  6. Continue baking potato slices until cheese has melted.
  7. Serve.

Variations

  1. Melt butter in small pan and add 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder. Toss potatoes to coat. Bake 30 minutes. Then, top with cheese, bacon bits and 2 minutes in oven.
  2. Just salt and pepper the tops before baking, and omit the onions.
  3. Top the cooked potatoes with sour cream and then add the cheese and bacon bits.
  4. To cut down on calories, spray potatoes sides with butter-flavored PAM. For seasonings add pepper, salt, and garlic powder, and mix bacon, cheese, and onion with Ranch dressing.
  5. Dip potatoes in the melted butter instead of brushing them.
  6. Cook potatoes on a cookie cooling rack so you don’t have to flip them.
  7. Mix the bacon, cheese and onion in a bowl then top potatoes.
  8. Serve the rounds with sour cream on the side.
  9. Sliced russet potatoes with EVOO in lieu of butter.

Note 1: Be careful not to cut or slice the potatoes to thin as they might burn or come out of the oven like a potato chip.

Note 2: Add salt and pepper to taste (optional). For those on restricted sodium diets, omit the salt.
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Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Prep: 20 min. Ready: 3 hrs. 20 min. Servings: 32 Calories: 102

chocolate-chip-cheese-ball

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup butter, softened (1 stick)
  • ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 tablespoons gluten free brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup gluten free semisweet chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup finely chopped pecans

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth using a hand mixer.
  2. Mix in confectioner’s sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.
  3. Stir in chocolate chips
  4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.
  5. Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball.
  6. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  7. Roll cheese ball into finely chopped pecans before serving.
  8. Serve with graham crackers, chocolate graham crackers, chocolate wafers or all three.

Variations

  1. Tasted best using chocolate graham crackers. Add graham crackers to the ingredient list so you don’t forget them. Tell everyone that this is a dessert cheese ball.
  2. Chill in freezer to cut chilling time in half. Omit nuts and roll cheese ball into toffee bits and add extra chocolate chips in recipe.
  3. Increase confectioner’s sugar to 1 cup. Let butter and cream cheese soften at room temperature for 1 hour. Then proceed with the recipe.
  4. Use 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Use real butter and regular cream cheese at room temperature, and chill mixture overnight. Forms into a ball nicely. Rolled in toffee bits.
  5. Used 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 cup mini chips, and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Served with honey graham sticks and chocolate teddy grahams.

Note: This recipe requires butter only and not margarine. Also, regular cream cheese and not light. Otherwise, you will have difficulty in forming mixture into a ball.
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Coconut Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Prep: 15 min. Cook: 5 min. Ready: 25 min. Servings: 10 Calories: 251

chocolate-coconut-peanut-butter-balls

Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 11 tablespoons gluten free peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 6 tablespoons gluten free semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, stir confectioner’s sugar, peanut butter, and butter together using your hands until well mixed.
  2. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange them on waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
  3. Freeze peanut butter balls and prepare chocolate shell.
  4. Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scooping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until smooth.
  5. Remove double boiler from heat and set aside for 5 minutes.
  6. Remove peanut butter balls from freezer and dip each ball into the melted chocolate until evenly coated.
  7. Place coated peanut butter balls back on the baking sheet.
  8. Let the balls set until hardened.
  9. Serve.

Note: If the chocolate mixture does not harden on the peanut butter balls, put the balls in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until the shell has hardened.

Variations

  1. Instead of coconut oil use ½ teaspoon coconut extract added to chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening microwaved for two minutes. Stir them together with the coconut extract.
  2. Reduce coconut oil to one tablespoon. Use coconut butter instead of butter.
  3. Use coconut peanut butter than just peanut butter. Put coconut flakes on outside of balls.

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