appetizer | kingcooks

Pigs in a Blanket

kingcooks — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 20:30:55 +0000

My take on the party classic. Juicy turkey sausage wrapped in a flakey cheesy blanket. A simple 30 minute snack that’s too easy not to make! Made in the air fryer or traditional oven, it’s amazing either way. This version of pigs in a blanket will quickly become a favorite.

Pigs In A Blanket

My take on the party classic. Juicy turkey sausage wrapped in a flakey cheesy blanket. A simple 30 minute snack that’s too easy not to make!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword appetizers, pigs in a blanket

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Servings 9 pieces

Author kingcooks

Equipment

Air Fryer optional

Ingredients

1 roll puff pastry I used jus-rol
3 turkey sausage links fully cooked
6 slices mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup honey mustard plus more for dipping
1 tsp fennel seed ground
1 tsp black pepper ground
1/2 tsp poppy seeds

Egg Wash

1 egg
1 tbsp water

Instructions

Roll out the puff pastry and divided into 3 equal parts matching the length of the turkey sausage.
Spread out an even layer of honey mustard.
Sprinkle on some fennel and black pepper.
Add sliced mozzarella cheese and finally the whole fully cooked turkey sausage link.
Roll up as tightly as possible and press to seal at the seam.
Cut into equal pieces and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Repeat with remaining puff pastry and sausage links.
Whisk together egg and water to make an egg wash.
Brush egg wash onto each piece and top with poppy seeds.

Regular Oven

Bake at 425F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Air Fryer

Bake at 400F for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
TIP:when baking in the air fryer it’s best to use a liner considering most baskets or trays have holes. This will prevent the dough from seeping through and cook evenly.
Serve with a side of honey mustard and enjoy!

Video

The post Pigs in a Blanket first appeared on kingcooks.

Cheesy & Extra Crispy Mozzarella Sticks

kingcooks — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 23:59:42 +0000

Cheesy & Extra Crispy Mozzarella Sticks

The cheesiest, crispiest mozzarella sticks ever! Simple recipe, packed with amazing flavor and it's freezer friendly.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword mozzarella sticks

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Freeze Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings 6 people

Author kingcooks

Ingredients

8-10 string cheese sticks
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 cup flour
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp parsley
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
vegetable oil for frying
½ cup parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs, 1 tsp salt, pepper, oregano and parsley. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the egg and milk. Beat until well combined and set aside.
Cut each string cheese stick in half.
One piece at a time, dip into the flour mixture. Make sure each piece is evenly coated. Shake off excess flour.
Next, dip into the egg wash.
Then, dip into the seasoned breadcrumb. Making sure to press the breadcrumbs into the mozzarella stick. This will help the coating stick better.
Then, back to the egg wash.
And Finally another dip into the seasoned breadcrumbs. Again, pressing the breadcrumbs into the mozzarella stick.
Lay each piece on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. *Important* Don't skip this step. If the mozzarella stick go into the fryer now they would fall apart.
Once frozen solid, fry the mozzarella sticks at 350 until golden brown.
Top with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

*Freezer Friendly*
These are great to make ahead and freeze until needed. Once they are breaded and frozen solid, put them in a freezer safe bag and store in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy! They’ll last in the freezer for up to a month.

The post Cheesy & Extra Crispy Mozzarella Sticks first appeared on kingcooks.

Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots

kingcooks — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 23:56:02 +0000

Back at it again with another keeper! This time we are making the easiest garlic knots in 30 minutes, using only 2 ingredients to make the dough. Once baked to golden brown deliciousness, the knots are smothered with garlic parmesan butter…Sounds crazy, but it’s all facts!

Ingredients
Simple enough, the dough only takes 2 ingredients to make! It consists of self-rising flour and Greek yogurt. You only need garlic, parmesan, butter, parsley, and salt to make that amazing garlic parmesan butter.

Making the Dough
Set oven to 400 F.
In a large bowl, combine the flour and greek yogurt. Mix with a spoon or fork until the flour and yogurt are incorporated. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. With dry hands, knead into a smooth ball.
If the dough is sticky, sprinkle with a bit of flour as you’re kneading or rub some flour on your hands. It’s going to come together fairly quickly!

Tying the Knot
Once you’ve kneaded the dough into a smooth ball, divide it into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into strips and tie them into individual knots.
Be careful during this step – the dough is soft, so slow and steady will get you the best results!
I opted to just make 8 because I wanted them to be on the larger side but this will work with different counts as well.

Place each the knot into a lightly greased baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil over each knot.
I like to use a baking dish just so I get that pull apart goodness when it’s time to serve. But the recipe will work great either way.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Liquid Gold
While the knots are baking to golden perfection, add the melted butter and garlic to a small bowl.
Next, mix in the parsley, parmesan cheese, and add a pinch of salt. Whisk ingredients together and set aside until you’re ready to serve.

Meet The Garlic Knots
Once the knots are golden brown and out of the oven, brush with the garlic parmesan butter and top with additional parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

*On Pinterest? Click the pic below to pin!*
See how easy that was?!? Until next time, cook like a king!

Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots

Garlic knots in 30 minutes??? That's right! The dough is made with just 2 ingredients and smothered with garlic parmesan butter. Guaranteed to please even the pickiest eater.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings 8

Author kingcooks

Ingredients

2 Ingredient Dough:

1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

Garlic Parmesan Butter:

1 stick of butter
2 tbsp. garlic minced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
½ tbsp. parsley chopped, dry or fresh
Salt to taste

Instructions

2 Ingredient Dough:

Set oven to 400 F.
In a large bowl, combine the flour and greek yogurt. Mix with a spoon or fork until the flour and yogurt are incorporated. With dry hands, knead into a smooth ball. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 equal pieces.
Tip: if the dough is sticky, sprinkle the dough and the surface with a bit of flour as you’re kneading.
Roll each piece into strips and tie into individual knots.
Place the knots into a lightly greased baking dish or baking sheet.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Garlic Parmesan Butter:

As the knots are baking, add melted butter and garlic to a small bowl.
mix in the parsley, parmesan cheese, and the salt. Whisk ingredients together and set aside until you're ready to serve.
Once the knots are out of the oven, brush with the garlic parmesan butter and top with additional parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Drop a comment if you give this recipe a try! Don’t forget sharing is caring!

The post Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots first appeared on kingcooks.

Garlic Herb Smashed Potatoes & Creamy Yogurt Sauce

kingcooks — Tue, 01 May 2018 04:16:16 +0000

Side dishes are key and this is one of my favorites. Today we have smashed potatoes with a creamy yogurt sauce, and it is mind-blowing! The potatoes are soft on the inside, and crispy and golden brown on the outside. This will definitely leave an impression at your next meal or pot luck. Let’s dive right into this one!

Creamy Yogurt Sauce

In a bowl, mix together the greek yogurt, green onion, 1 clove of garlic (grated), salt and pepper to taste.

Set aside. The longer it sits, the better it is! so make it first and let the magic happen.

Dried Herb Oil

In a bowl, mix together 2 tbsp of olive oil, dried oregano, 1 clove of garlic (grated), dried rosemary, dried parsley, and dried thyme.

Stir and set aside.

Smashed Potatoes
In a large stock pot, add all the potatoes and fill with water until the water is about an inch above the potatoes. Bring to a boil until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. That should take about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes.

Once done, drain and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels to remove additional moisture. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Using a flat bottom object (such as a plate or cup), one at a time, press down gently on each potato until they are about 1/4″ and transfer to a baking sheet. Be careful not to push to far so the potatoes stay intact.

Brush the top of each potato with the dried herb oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook in the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Once done, carefully flip each potato and brush the other side with the dried herb oil, and return to the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and golden brown.

Once golden brown, serve immediately. Top with the creamy yogurt sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or serve as a dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

Garlic Herb Smash Potatoes & Creamy Yogurt Sauce

Servings 6

Author kingcooks

Ingredients

12 small potatoes 1"- 2" in diameter
1 clove of garlic grated
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Creamy Yogurt Sauce

1 Cup greek yogurt
2 tbsp. chopped green onion
1 clove garlic grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Water

Instructions

Creamy Yogurt Sauce

In a bowl, mix together the greek yogurt, green onion, 1 clove of garlic (grated), salt and pepper to taste.
Add a bit of water to thin out the sauce to your liking. Set aside.
Tip: the longer it sits, the better it is! so make it first and let the magic happen.

Dried Herb Oil

In a bowl, mix together 2 tbsp. of olive oil, 1 clove of garlic (grated), dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried parsley, and dried thyme.
Stir and set aside.

Smashed Potatoes

In a large stock pot, add all the potatoes and fill it with water until the water is about an inch above the potatoes.
Bring to a boil until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes.
Once done, drain and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels to remove any additional moisture.
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Using a flat bottom object (such as a plate or cup), one at a time, press down gently on each potato until they are about 1/4" and transfer to a baking sheet. Be careful not to push to far so the potatoes stay intact.
Brush the top of each potato with the dried herb oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
Once done, carefully flip each potato and brush the other side with the dried herb oil and return to the oven for an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and golden brown.
Once golden brown, serve immediately and top with the creamy yogurt sauce, or serve as a dipping sauce.
Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Drop a comment if you give this recipe a try! Don’t forget sharing is caring!

*On Pinterest? Click the pic below to pin!*

See how easy that was?!? Until next time, cook like a king!

The post Garlic Herb Smashed Potatoes & Creamy Yogurt Sauce first appeared on kingcooks.

Sweet & Spicy Potstickers

kingcooks — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 20:52:22 +0000

One of the best things about Chinese takeout is the appetizers! My all time favorite takeout appetizer is hands down: POTSTICKERS. Every time I eat something delicious I always ask myself the same questions… Can I recreate this at home? And can I make it even more delicious? After a couple tries, I have done it with this one! I love remaking classic takeout dishes at home with my own twist. These potstickers are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. They’re packed with flavor from the freshness of the green onion, cilantro and freshly grated ginger and garlic. And the sauce definitely takes these potstickers to the next level! The sweet and spicy combo completes this dish and gives it the perfect balance. I know I always say this, but this is one of the best things I’ve ever made. You can even store them in the freezer for up to a month – even out of the freezer, they come out perfect every time.

Sweet & Spicy Sauce
So let’s get started on the recipe!

First things first, you want to get your sweet and spicy sauce ready so all the flavors can marinate together. Start by combining low sodium soy sauce, white sugar, green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, white vinegar, sambal chili paste, white pepper, freshly grated ginger and garlic in a bowl. (If you can’t find chili paste, red pepper flakes are a great substitute). Give it a good stir and set to the side. The longer it rests, the deeper the flavors. So the longer it sits, the better!

Pork & Shrimp Filling
Now lets make the filling! I decided to go with ground pork and shrimp. The fat content in the pork helps keep the filling nice and juicy after cooking. Remember it’s all about balance! (If you can’t find ground shrimp, don’t stress.. Just add peeled and deveined shrimp to a food processor and pulse until mixed). In a small bowl, mix together the ground pork and shrimp with low sodium soy sauce, green onions, cilantro, rice vinegar, sesame oil and white pepper. Once you’ve got all the ingredients well mixed, you’re ready to start building the potstickers!

Potsticker Assembly Line
Set up an assembly line with a stack of potsticker or wonton wrapper, a small amount of water in a bowl, and your filling. First you want to lay out a wrapper and dab water around the outline of half of the wrapper. Then, you will take about a teaspoon of the filling and place it in the middle of the wrapper. Fold over the dry side of your wrapper and seal it tight with your finger tips. You want to squeeze out as much air as possible to help everything bind inside of the wrapper. (You can stop at this step and your dumplings will be just as delicious or you can continue and make them a bit tighter and create a pocket to hold your sauce – See picture below). Dab a little water on one of the corners you created from the fold. Then take the two ends created from the fold and bring them together. Ta-da! You just made your first potsticker! Now, repeat these steps (This is when you put your loved ones and family to good use, lol) until you run out of wrappers and/or filling.

Time to Cook
After you’ve got all your potstickers assembled, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a medium to large skillet. Once the oil is heated, put down a layer of potsticker. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, you want them to get a nice, crispy and golden brown bottom. After about 1-2 mins of cooking, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes. Once all the water is evaporated, uncover and check the bottoms to make sure they are golden and crispy. Remove the potstickers from heat and set them on a plate.
Repeat until you have cooked as many as you’d like. You can freeze any uncooked potstickers for up to a month.

When you’re ready to serve, you may serve it with your sweet and spicy sauce on the side… or you can take it up a notch, and pour it over the potstickers and top it off with some sesame seeds. Serve immediately!

Ready, Set. Eat!

Now, go! Make some potstickers for you to enjoy… and maybe if you’re feeling nice you can share them, lol. Don’t forget to drop a comment if you try out this recipe, I’d love to hear from you all!

Until the next recipe, eat like a king!

Sweet & Spicy Potstickers

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Author Kingcooks

Ingredients

Sauce

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup green onion chopped
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp freshly grated garlic
1 tbsp sambal chili paste
1/2 tbsp white pepper

Filling

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground shrimp
1/4 cup green onion
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp white pepper
30-40 potsticker or wonton wrappers

Instructions

Sweet & Spicy Dipping Sauce

Combine low sodium soy sauce, white sugar, green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, white vinegar, sambal chili paste, white pepper, freshly grated ginger, and garlic in a bowl. Give it a good stir and set to the side.
Tip: If you can't find ground shrimp, just add peeled and deveined shrimp to a food processor and pulse until mixed.

Shrimp & Pork Filling

In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork and shrimp with low sodium soy sauce, green onions, cilantro, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and white pepper.
Next, set up an assembly line with a stack of potsticker or wonton wrappers, a small amount of water in a bowl, and your filling.

Assemble

Lay out a wrapper and dab a small amount of water around the outline of half of the wrapper. Take a teaspoon of the filling and place it in the middle of the wrapper. Fold over the dry side of your wrapper and seal it with your finger tips. Be sure to squeeze out as much of the air out to help everything bind inside.
Tip: You can stop at this step and your dumplings will be just as delicious or you can continue and make them a bit tighter and create a pocket to hold your sauce. Dab a small amount of water on one of the corners you created from the fold. Take the two ends created from the fold and bring them together to form a little area to hold even more sauce.
After you've got all your potstickers assembled, heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a medium to large skillet. Once the oil is heated, put down a layer of potsticker. Be careful to not overcrowd the pan. Cook for approximately 1-2 minutes and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes.
Once all the water is evaporated, uncover the pan and check the bottom of the potstickers to make sure they are golden and crispy. Remove them from heat and set on a plate.
Serve with the sweet and spicy sauce on the side or pour it over the potstickers and top it off with some sesame seeds.
If you have any uncooked potstickers left, place them in an airtight container/ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. These are freezer-friendly for up to a month!

*On Pinterest? Click the pic below to pin!*

The post Sweet & Spicy Potstickers first appeared on kingcooks.