Southern Quick Bits

Yesterday afternoon, I was expecting a visitor for a quick business meeting. Of course, as a Southerner, you can’t have anyone cross your threshold without offering at least a drink and preferable something to drink with a bite to eat.  Since I had less than an hour and didn’t have time to go to the store, I had to find something quick and easy to make with what I had on hand. As it happened, I had a can of apple pie filling sweetened with Splenda and some biscuit mix. I found this recipe and substituted my canned apples for fresh (I actually have some fresh apples, but didn’t have the time).

French Apple Pie

Filling
3 cups sliced peeled apples (3 large)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs

Streusel
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine
1. Heat oven to 325ºF. Grease 9-inch glass pie plate. In medium bowl, mix apples, cinnamon and nutmeg; place in pie plate.
2. In medium bowl, stir remaining filling ingredients until well blended. Pour over apple mixture in pie plate. In small bowl, mix all streusel ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over filling.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Store in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 375ºF.

While I was looking for recipes, I came across this picture on Southern Living that I thought was so cute and, of course, I have given you a recipe for the sausage cheese balls before, so all you have to do to this is add the olive before you bake. If you aren’t going for the eyeball look, you could always wrap the olive in the sausage ball mixture and bake. Here is the sausage ball recipe that I have posted before.

Sausage Cheese Balls

2 cups Bisquick
1 pound hot sausage
1-1/2 cup medium or sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with your hands. Roll mixture into balls a little smaller than a golf ball. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 20 minutes.

Christi’s note: I like to add garlic powder, a couple of splashes of Worcestershire sauce, a dash of cayenne and sometimes a little dried parsley to this mixture.

That recipe would be another quick easy bite for impromptu visitors. By the way, go over to the Southern Living site and check out their really cute and yummy looking Halloween appetizers.

Okay, one more easy appetizer. I mean, you know, you never know when someone might drop by.

Olive Feta Pinwheels

1    can (8 oz)  refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2    tablespoons cream cheese spread (from 8-oz container)
1/4    cup crumbled feta cheese (1 oz)
1/4    cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
2    tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or parsley

1.    Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2.    Unroll dough; separate into 2 long rectangles. Press each into 12×4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations     to seal.
3.    Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese spread over each rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with feta cheese, olives and oregano.
4.    Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on cookie sheet.
5.    Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

There you have it 3 quick and easy things to whip up when you have someone dropping by on short notice and you want to show them a little of your Southern hospitality (whether you live or are from the South or not)! 🙂

Today’s Lagniappe: Pumpkin Fritters
Miss Joan on the What’s for Supper board at SL posted this recipe and I thought it sounded so yummy!

4 cups mashed cooked pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup flour
Salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbs. sugar
Oil

Combine pumpkin, eggs, flour, and salt to taste, baking powder and sugar, making a soft batter.

Fry spoonfuls in shallow oil until both sides are lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with cinnamon-sugar or caramel sauce, if desired.

Serves 4-6

It's a three-for Tuesday! Join these great blogs for more recipes and great ideas. Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday Blessed with Grace's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday The Gypsy's Corner's Three or More Tuesday