Nacho Cheese Bites Holiday Appetizers

Nacho Cheese Bites with Puff Pastry
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Bite-size appetizers are always perfect for entertaining--these fit into both casual settings or more upscale cocktail parties. Serve with additional salsa for dipping.

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup Chunky Salsa
5 pitted ripe olives, cut into quarters (optional)
Chili powder

Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk. Stir the cheese and salsa in a small bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle. Cut into 20 (3-inch) squares. Place about 1 tablespoon cheese mixture in the center of each pastry square. Top each with 1 olive piece, if desired. Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg mixture. Fold the pastry over the filling to form triangles. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Place the filled pastries onto baking sheets. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the chili powder.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Holiday Party Appetizers Smoked Sausage Purses

These bite-sized appetizers feature spicy kielbasa flavored with Dijon-style mustard and marmalade atop flaky puff pastry purses. Great Appetizer for any party or get-together!
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Smoked Sausage Purses

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
6 ounces kielbasa, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
Chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oven to 400°F. Unfold the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x15-inch rectangle. Cut the pastry sheet into 24(2 1/2-inch) squares. Press the pastry squares into 24 (1 3/4-inch) mini muffin-pan cups.

Stir the kielbasa, marmalade and mustard in a medium bowl. Spoon about 1 tablespoon kielbasa mixture into each pastry cup.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Sprinkle the pastries with the parsley before serving.

Pillsbury Dough Magic - Asian Pork Dumplings

Asian Pork Dumplings from Pillsbury Flaky biscuits.

Great for Lunch, party appetizers or as dinner.

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INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 lb lean ground pork
1 can (8 oz) sliced or whole water chestnuts, drained, coarsely chopped
1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
12 medium green onions, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
2 eggs
2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers refrigerated original biscuits (8 biscuits each)
1 1/2 cups sweet-and-sour sauce or sweet-spicy chili sauce


DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except biscuits and sweet-and-sour sauce.

2. Remove 1 can of biscuits from refrigerator just before filling (keep remaining can of biscuits refrigerated). Separate each biscuit into 3 layers. Press each layer into 3 1/2-inch round, being careful not to tear dough.

3. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of pork filling on center of each dough round. Bring all sides of dough up over filling, stretching gently if necessary, and gather in center above filling to form a dumpling; press gathered dough to seal. On ungreased large cookie sheet, place 24 dumplings 2 inches apart.*

4. Bake 17 to 27 minutes or until thermometer inserted in center reads 160°F** and sides and tops of dumplings are golden brown. Repeat to make remaining dumplings.

Serve warm with sweet-and-sour sauce.

**Due to the natural nitrate content of certain ingredients such as onions, the pork filling may remain pink even though pork is cooked to 160°F. *To make ahead, cover and refrigerate unbaked dumplings on cookie sheet up to 2 hours before baking.