Mini Ham and Cheese Frittatas and Baked Vidalia Onion Tartlettes

 
I am sharing recipes for two delicious appetizers in preparation for Superbowl Sunday. Of course this means they should be somewhat 'manly' bites but also appeal to the ladies who will be watching the game.

The first is Mini Ham and Cheese Frittatas which I adapted from a Cooking Light recipe. I made a few minor tweaks to the original recipe and used leeks instead of regular onions and also added a splash or two of Tabasco sauce to give them an extra 'kick'. Rather than mini muffin tins, I used my mini cheesecake pans with lift out bottoms. They worked beautifully. You can find the original recipe here and my version below:

This non-stick Mini Cheesecake Pan is perfect for making these and other bite-sized treats!

Mini Ham and Cheese Frittatas

Yield about 1-2 dozen mini frittatas depending on the size of the pan you use. My mini cheesecake pan only made about 12.

Ingredients

1 T Canola oil
1/2 cup finely diced leek or onion
2/3 cup finely diced ham (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 dashes of Tabasco sauce
4 large egg whites
1 large egg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat 1 tablespoon coooking oil a large skillet. Add chopped leek or onion and sauté 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add ham and sauté another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add ham mixture, stirring with a whisk. Spoon mixture into miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until set.

For my next appetizer, I chose a recipe that had been given to me by a good friend a few years ago called Baked Vidalia Onion Dip. Normally, I use a shallow casserole dish to bake the recipe and serve it with crackers but this time I used store-bought mini phyllo tart cups. I found some beautiful baby Vidalia onions which I used but regular Vidalias or any sweet onion will work just fine.

I simply spooned a tablespoon of the mixture into each emply tart shell and baked in the oven for 20 minutes. Yummy!

Baked Vidalia Onion Spread

Preheat oven to 350F

1 cup sliced Vidalia or other sweet onions (if you are using mini tart cups make a finer dice)
1 cup Swiss cheese/or Gruyere
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne for ‘kick’ - optional

Phyllo Cups

Sauté onions in frying pan with a little olive oil until soft, translucent and caramelized (don’t let them burn!)

If not using phyllo cups, mix onions with cheese and mayo and pour into oven-proof dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 45 minutes.

If you are using the mini tart cups, place shells on a baking pan and spoon about 2 teaspoons of the above mixture into each cup. Bake for only 20 minutes.

Serve with Crackers  or fresh baguette slices if not using phyllo cups.