Chefs offer easy appetizer tips and recipes for Thanksgiving Packers game

We’re getting down to the wire when it comes to cooking for tomorrow’s big event.

Which one, you might ask? The Packers game or Thanksgiving?

Well, both, actually. Because what Wisconsin household won’t be serving food from kickoff at 11:30 a.m. until their guests' stomachs can hold no more?

If you’re stuck on the sideline and can’t decide how to merge these two events — with casual fare the norm for the game and traditional fare the norm for Thanksgiving dinner — area chefs say the key is to make quick and easy appetizers for the game using ingredients you have on hand for dinner, or ingredients regularly found in your kitchen.

But it’s also important to be creative and have fun.

Lisa Kirkpatrick, co-chef and co-owner of Goodkind restaurant in Bay View, said while appetizers are meant to stimulate the appetite but also maintain hunger, Thanksgiving is a day to put this kind of thinking aside, as the day is really about indulgence.

“You can’t help but overeat. Everything smells so good. It’s a day of celebrating and feasting all day,” she said.

To merge these events successfully, she said it’s important to be highly organized and to try to use some of your ingredients for more than one recipe so you’re not overwhelmed by two parties.

And try to select dishes that can be completely or partially made in advance then reheated on the stovetop, in the microwave, or served cold.

“You may not be able to use the oven when making your appetizers, but nowadays people have more options when they want to reheat things. They have air fryers and toaster ovens,” she said.

Bob Weiss, chef and owner of Shaker’s Cigar Bar in Milwaukee, suggests enlisting the help of your guests.

“Caring is sharing, especially in the kitchen for a holiday feast. ... While the main food event is baking in the oven, have your guests assist in the kitchen to make quick finger foods. Many hands working together with stimulated conversation and an appreciation for the foods you will partake in” will result in a fun and delicious culinary experience, he said.

For the game he suggests simple appetizers with a non-traditional flair, such as pinchos, which are small snacks typically eaten in bars in northern Spain.

And use a green-and-gold theme when possible.

“Fortunately that theme matches the autumnal landscape and Thanksgiving,” Weiss said.

Peter Federspiel, chef at Larry’s Market in Brown Deer, agrees it’s important to do as much as possible in advance and to keep things simple.

“On Thanksgiving, I’m prepping everything. I make the appetizers and dinner the night before. I cook off the turkey, slice it and put it in a pan, and do the mashed potatoes. It’s prep, prep, prep,” he said.

To keep things simple for the game, he suggests serving platters of of foods such as cheeses, fruits or meats with a gourmet flair.

“For example for a cheese plate, use some assorted gourmet cheeses with different flavors of crackers — maybe a blue cheese, or a triple creme cheese,” he said.

Or make one of your favorite dips, he said, such as a French onion dip, and serve it with celery, carrots or other vegetables used in making the Thanksgiving dinner.

Traditional sports foods also work well, he said.

“I would even do pigs in a blanket. I would use an all beef hot dog and wrap it in crescent roll dough from a can and bake them off and cut them into pieces,” he said.

Here are some recipes for easy-to-make appetizers that Federspiel and Weiss created for Journal Sentinel readers.

Appetizer recipes for Thanksgiving Packer game

Federspiel of Larry's Market suggested these appetizers for the game:

Packer Salsa: Dice fresh pineapple into small cubes. Put in a decorative serving bowl. Mix in diced green bell pepper and add lime juice to lightly coat. Mix in chopped cilantro. Refrigerate overnight if possible to meld flavors. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tomato Cheese Appetizers: Wrap a ciliegene mozzarella ball in a slice of prosciutto. Secure with a toothpick, then spear a grape tomato. Drizzle with a balsamic glaze.

Green and Gold Egg Salad Sandwiches: Top small pieces of cocktail rye bread with egg salad made with mayonnaise and seasoned with tarragon, pepper, garlic powder and seasoned salt. Top each serving with a cornichon.

Shrimp Cream Cheese Crackers: Mix cream cheese, freshly chopped dill, white pepper, finely chopped onion, and seasoned salt. Put in a piping bag and decoratively pipe out onto a cracker. Top each serving with a cleaned and deveined piece of salad shrimp.

Mini Reuben Sandwiches: Using pieces of cocktail rye bread, make mini sandwiches with pastrami instead of corned beef. Serve hot or cold.

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Weiss of Shaker's suggested these pinchos-inspired recipes, which he said rely on crusty baguettes or sourdough bread that is bias-sliced about 1/2-inch, with toothpicks holding the assembly in place.

“Everyone has eggs in their kitchen, and the first two recipes are easy to make," he said. "I typically use manchego cheese in the first recipe; however, in honor of the Packers, I am switching to cheddar."

Spinach Tortilla Pinchos (makes 6 to 10): In a nonstick pan, saute fresh spinach in olive oil until just tender. Remove from pan and set aside. To the warm pan, add beaten eggs and cook as you would for a country omelet. When mixture is half set, fold in reserved spinach. Cut pieces of cheddar cheese into thin rounds, then stack over rounds of crusty bread. Cut egg mixture into triangles and stack over cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and hold together with toothpicks.

Green & Gold Deviled Eggs (makes 24): Hard boil a dozen eggs. Chill, peel and slice in half horizontally. Spoon yolks into mixing bowl and retain white portion. To the yolks, add yellow mustard and thinly sliced jalapenos, and meld with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff into egg white shells, then top with very thin slices of jalapeno and/or pepperoncini and sport chiles. Top with thin slices of chives, then set egg half atop small slices of crusty bread. Secure with toothpicks.

Ham and Eggs (makes 50 to 60): Boil, chill and peel a dozen eggs. Using a sharp knife, slice into coin shapes. Place one or two slices of egg on each round of crusty bread, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Top with a piece of thinly shaved ham. Top ham with a small amount of olive oil, sprinkle with sliced chives and add a dash of hot sauce. With a toothpick, spear a pitted green olive and use to secure appetizers. (In this recipe the olives bring the flavors of the ham and eggs together.)

Mushroom and Ham Pinchos (makes 12 to 24 depending on size of mushrooms): Over medium heat, saute 12 to 24 large button mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil, with a dusting of paprika and smashed garlic.When heated through, add a little sherry or white wine to deglaze. Remove from heat. On rounds of crusty bread, stack thin slices of ham (Iberico ham works best), then top with a mushroom. Drizzle any pan juices over top, garnish with diced parsley, and skewer with a toothpick.

Seared Tenderloin Medallions with Green Olive Tapenade (makes about 12): Make a tapenade by combining medium chopped, brined green olives with minced garlic and a few slices of sun-dried tomatoes or jarred roasted red peppers. Saute in olive oil just until soft. (Use a cast iron pan if possible.) Slice 2 pounds beef tenderloin into about 12 1/2-inch-thick medallions on a bias. (The tail end of the tenderloin works best in this recipe). Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Saute steak to rare or medium rare in the same pan you used for the tapenade, adding additional olive oil and crushed garlic. Place slices of meat on rounds of crusty bread slices and top with olive mixture. Skewer with a toothpick, then garnish with a light dusting of smoked paprika.

Pork Belly or Thick-Sliced Bacon with Green Chiles (makes about 12): Slice jalapenos lengthwise and remove seeds. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then put in an air fryer or 350-degree oven and bake until edges are browned. Cut about 1 pound pork belly or bacon into 1/4-inch slices and pan fry until cooked through but not crisp. Set slices of meat on rounds of crusty bread, then top with a piece of the baked jalapeno. Use a toothpick to hold in place. Garnish with sliced chives and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Garlic Shrimp with Chimichurri Pinchos (makes about 12): Marinate 1 pound of colossal shrimp (tails on, cleaned) in a mix of olive oil, freshly minced garlic and a little lemon zest. Make chimichurri paste by combining chopped parsley with lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, kosher salt to taste, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Pan fry shrimp in olive oil until a pink-orange color. Remove from heat and set each shrimp on a round of crusty bread. Top with the chimichurri and skewer with a toothpick.

Cranberry Turkey Sliders

This recipe comes from Larry's Market in Brown Deer.

Makes 14 sliders

Tested by Joanne Kempinger Demski

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves

• 1/4 cup cranberry juice

• 1/8 cup ginger ale

Sliders:

• 1.5 pounds ground turkey (can substitute ground beef)

• 1 cup plain bread stuffing (moisten with turkey or chicken stock or water)

• 1/2 cup raw cranberries, finely chopped in food processor

• 1/2 rib celery, finely diced

• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

• 1 egg, beaten

• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves

• 1 1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

For glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients and divide into 2 portions.

For sliders: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except glaze, and mix as you would a meatloaf. Form into 3 ounce sliders. You will have 14 sliders.

Heat a stovetop grill or large frying pan that has been coated with vegetable spray, or lightly coated with vegetable oil. Add sliders and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Turn, and coat with one portion of the glaze. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reaches 165 degrees.

Remove from heat and top sliders with remaining glaze. Serve on slider rolls topped with your favorite condiments.

Note: Sliders can be made in advance and reheated in the microwave for 2 minutes. They can also be cooked in a 350-degree oven for 14 minutes or until they reach 165 degrees. Top with first portion of glaze when putting in oven.

Crab Martinique

This recipe comes from Shaker's Cigar Bar in Milwaukee.

Makes 12 appetizers

Tested by Joanne Kempinger Demski

• 6 ripe avocados, halved, pits removed

• 1 pound premium lump crabmeat

• 1 large mango

• 1/8 cup chopped roasted red pepper plus red pepper strips for garnish

• 1/4 cup cream of coconut

• Paprika to taste

• Juice from 1 fresh lime for filling, plus lime juice for garnish

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Peel mango and finely dice about half for the filling. Cut the remainder into long slices for garnish.

Remove fruit from avocado halves and set in a large plastic or ceramic bowl. Set shells aside.

Mix in crabmeat, mango, red pepper, cream of coconut, paprika, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mash together but retain some chunkiness.

Mound into shells then refrigerate about 20 minutes so flavors meld. Top each serving with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Note: If desired, serve each avocado half with crab claws inserted in the center and surround with slices of mango and dressed salad greens.

Shaker’s Pumpkin Spiked Hot Chocolate

Shaker’s bar manager Michaela Mueller created this holiday drink using pumpkin pie ingredients.

Makes 1 serving

• 1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin puree

• 2 dashes pumpkin pie spice mix

• 1.5 ounces spiced rum

• 5 ounces prepared hot chocolate

• Whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs for garnish

In large, hot drink mug, combine pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. Add rum, then fill glass with hot chocolate. Stir, then garnish with whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These easy appetizers are perfect for the Thanksgiving Packers game