This healthy stuffed mushroom appetizer is a nice balance of soft mushrooms, creamy filling and crunchy topping!

WHAT DO WE NEED?

• Cooking spray
• 1½ pounds medium-size fresh button mushrooms (about 30 mushrooms)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons whole-wheat panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs), divided
• 4 ounces ⅓-less-fat cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ¼ cup), divided

STEP BY STEP

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve. Lightly brush any dirt from mushroom caps and stems. Arrange mushroom caps, stemmed sides up, on prepared baking sheet. Chop stems.
 
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add chopped mushroom stems, garlic, salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, until mushrooms soften and turn golden brown and moisture has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add ¼ cup of the panko; cook, stirring often, until panko is light golden, about 1 minute. Add cream cheese, parsley, thyme and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan; remove from heat, and stir until combined.
 
3. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon mushroom mixture into each mushroom cap. Stir together remaining 3 tablespoons panko and 2 tablespoons Parmesan in a small bowl. Working with 1 at a time, gently dip the stuffed tip of each mushroom cap in panko-Parmesan mixture to lightly coat; return to baking sheet. Lightly coat tops of stuffed mushrooms with cooking spray.
 
4. Bake in preheated oven until tops of mushrooms are golden brown and mushrooms are soft, 20 to 22 minutes.

Toasted baguette slices with creamy, melted brie are topped with an orange-cranberry-pomegranate mixture.

WHAT DO WE NEED?

• ¾ cup pomegranate seeds
• ½ cup fresh or frozen chopped cranberries, thawed
• 2 tablespoons sugar (see Tip)
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• Dash salt

• 6 ounces baguette-style French bread, cut diagonally into 16 slices
• Cooking spray
• ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 (6 ounce) log brie cheese, cut diagonally into 16 slices
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

STEP BY STEP

1. Combine pomegranate seeds, cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and salt in a small bowl. Cover and chill up to 3 days.
 
2. To serve, preheat oven to 350°F. Place bread slices in a parchment paper-lined 15x10-inch baking pan. Lightly coat both sides of bread with cooking spray; sprinkle with pepper. Bake 8 minutes, turning once. Top with cheese. Bake 4 minutes more or until cheese is softened.
 
3. Stir basil into pomegranate mixture and spoon on top of bruschetta. Serve warm.

Dress up a cheese board or snack spread with these homemade carrot crackers.

WHAT DO WE NEED?

• 1½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup finely shredded Parmesan or Gruyère cheese
• ¾ cup finely shredded carrot
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup cold butter, diced
• ¼ cup water
• ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
• Apricot fruit spread or fig preserves (optional)

STEP BY STEP

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Combine flour, cheese, carrot, thyme, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a fork until well combined. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and starts to stick together. Add water and stir with the fork just until combined. Gather the dough into a ball and shape into a square.
3. Place the dough between sheets of parchment paper and roll out to a 10x10-inch square about ⅛-inch thick. (If necessary, remove the top sheet and use your hands to reshape the dough into a square.) Transfer to a baking sheet. Cut the dough into 18 long rectangles about 1x5 inches each (see Tip). Separate the rectangles and sprinkle them lightly with pepper.
4. Bake the crisps until the centers are firm to the touch and edges are evenly browned, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Separate the crisps and transfer to the rack to cool completely.
5. Serve with fruit spread (or preserves), if desired. Store in an airtight container or sealable bag for up to 24 hours.

These bite-size tarts turn traditional holiday stuffing into a clever appetizer, with an easy homemade crust and a quick sausage-mushroom filling. Prep

WHAT DO WE NEED?

• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs, divided
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 8 ounces lean ground turkey sausage
• 4 to 5 mushrooms, chopped (1 cup)

• ½ medium onion, chopped ( ½ cup)
• 2 small stalks celery, chopped ( ⅓ cup)
• 1 slice whole-wheat bread, dried and crumbled (see Tip)
• ¼ cup chopped dried tart cherries
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or sage, crushed
• ½ cup water

STEP BY STEP

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
 
2. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 egg and oil; beat until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Add all-purpose flour and pastry flour; mix until just combined. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
 
3. Meanwhile, cook sausage, mushrooms, onion, and celery in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring, until the sausage is browned and the vegetables are tender, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat. Add bread, cherries, and rosemary (or sage). Whisk the remaining 1 egg and water in a small bowl. Drizzle over the sausage mixture and stir until combined.
 
4. Divide the dough into 24 equal balls. Press each ball evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a muffin cup. Spoon the sausage mixture evenly into the dough cups.
 
5. Bake until the filling is heated through and the crust is golden brown on the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

We complement the Brie with tart cranberry sauce and bake it in pretty individual tartlets using premade pie crust for an ultra-easy crowd-pleasing appetizer.

WHAT DO WE NEED?

• 1 (7 to 8 ounce) prepared pie crust ( ½ of a 14 ounce package; see Tip)
• ½ cup prepared cranberry sauce or homemade (see associated recipe), divided

• 3 ounces Brie cheese, cut into 24 pieces, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (optional)

STEP BY STEP

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly coat a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
 
2. Unroll pie crust onto a cutting board or clean surface. Flatten dough to about 12 inches in diameter. Cut 24 2-inch circles out of the dough with a biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps if needed. Place the dough circles in the muffin tin cups, gently pressing on the bottom and sides. Prick the dough with a fork. Bake until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven.
 
3. Add 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce to each cup, then top with a piece of Brie. Return to the oven and bake until the sauce is hot and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chives, if desired, and serve warm.

Tangy horseradish flavors this smoked salmon cream cheese. Serve it spread on rice crackers for an impromptu cocktail party snack.

WHAT DO WE NEED?

• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 ounce smoked salmon, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, or scallion greens

• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

STEP BY STEP

1. Blend cream cheese, smoked salmon, chives (or scallions), horseradish and pepper in a small bowl.

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