Hanky Panky Canapes, The Best Party Appetizers!
These Hanky Panky Canapes are the BEST Party Appetizers around! They're cheesy, meaty, and absolutely delicious. Ground beef is mixed with homemade chicken sausage meat and then combined with lots of cheese until its a creamy addictive pot of goodness. Then it's scooped on top of bread, toasts, or crackers. Freeze to bake whenever you want them!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef I used 90% lean
- 1 lb Ground White Meat Chicken any ground chicken or ground turkey will work
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seed
- 3 tablespoon Parsley chopped
- 1.5 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Oregano, dried
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 8 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 80 1" crackers I used Absolutely Gluten Free Crackers, Original
Instructions
Prepare the Hanky Panky for the freezer
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Chop 3 tablespoon Parsley. Mince 2 cloves garlic.
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To a medium mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, minced garlic, the chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon of fennel seed, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Mix to combine. Either store in fridge until ready to cook or keep going.
Make the Hanky Panky Topping
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Preheat a large pot or dutch oven. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and then add the ground chicken mixture. Separate the ground chicken to break it up into small pieces and then let it sear to get browned for about 4-5 minutes.
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Next, stir in the ground beef along with another ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of ground pepper, and the oregano. Let cook for about 6-8 minutes more stirring every couple minutes to ensure the meat cooks completely through.
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Turn the heat to low and add the cream cheese to the meat mixture. Stir the cream cheese to combine. Add the shredded cheese and stir to melt and combine.
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Once the meat and cheese are completely combined into a creamy and very thick mixture. Remove from the heat.
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At this point, you can top the crackers with a small amount of the meat mixture and serve. If freezing...
Freezing - On sheet pans that will fit flat into your freezer (if you are freezing), lay out the crackers. Fit as many as you can on the sheet pan. Try to keep them from touching so they do not freezer together. Once the meat and cheese mixture has cooled enough to handle, start placing a small amount of the mixture on top of each cracker. Once all are topped, lay a piece of aluminum foil over top, seal, and place in freezer to freeze. Once completely frozen (approx. 6 hours) transfer gently to a freezer container or freezer bag.
Frozen - Cook the Hanky Panky Canapes for serving
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When you are ready to serve, preheat your oven to 375 F degrees. Remove the Hanky Panky Canapes from the freezer and place on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Cook in the oven for 12-14 minutes, until warmed through and the crackers are crispy.
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Serve and Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Serving Size in this recipe for the Calories is based on 1 Hanky Panky.
- What can you use for the Cracker or Bread Base? The traditional base for Hanky Panky is a Cocktail or Party Rye Bread square. If you are looking for a substitute, as I did, you can use a crisp cracker. I used Absolutely Gluten Free Crackers, Original. They are the perfect size, not too salty, and because they are plain, they let the Hanky Panky Meat Topping stand out. You can also use pumpernickel bread cut into small squares.
- How many Hanky Panky pieces should I estimate per person? I usually estimate 5 Hanky Panky Pieces per person in this recipe for a cocktail party or get together with other food. That means a total of 70 pieces providing about 14 servings of 5 pieces each. I generally estimate a total 10-12 appetizer pieces per person for a cocktail party with either passed or table appetizers or hors ‘d’oeuvres. That means that if you have 4 different appetizers, then each of those 4 will need to serve about 3 pieces per person. I assumed for this recipe that you will have other food available.
- How long will these Hanky Panky Appetizers last in the freezer? These Hanky Panky Appetizers will last for up to 6 months in a sealed container in the freezer. To freeze, place all of the topped Hanky Panky pieces on a baking sheet, lightly cover and seal with foil or plastic wrap, and place in freezer. Once completely frozen (approx. 6 hours) transfer gently to a freezer container or freezer bag.