Light appetizers that are easy to eat with your hands are perfect for standing and socializing outside with family and friends. Using wonton wrappers to make crunchy "cups" that can be filled with a variety of ingredients is an easy and quite versatile option. For fillings, I created three versions: a meat filed version with roasted chicken, a vegetarian version with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, and a sweet version using apples, cream cheese and brown sugar. Once you've experimented with these, be creative and make your own fillings. Try adding seafood, like smoked salmon and shrimp, other meats, like grilled steak or smoked duck breast or other vegetarian and sweet versions. Your guests will love the options.
Wonton Cup Appetizers
makes 24 cups, 8 each of 3 different fillings
Ingredients
24 Wonton Wrappers (roughly 3" square size), thawed if you purchased them frozen
1 24 sheet Mini Muffin Pan
Roasted Chicken Bites
1/2 cu Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese
2/3 cu Deli Sliced Roasted Chicken (about 1/4 lb), chopped
2 tsp Fresh Oregano, roughly chopped
1 tsp Fresh Orange Juice
1 tbl Dijon Mustard
1 tbl Fresh Orange Zest
2 strips of Bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Thin Cucumber Slices, each quartered to yield 8 wedges
Caprese Bites
1/4 cu Fresh Mozzarella, finely chopped
1 med Tomato, seeded and diced
1 tbl Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
8 small Basil Leaves left whole
Dutch Apple Pie Bites
1 tbl Butter
1 tsp Granulated Sugar
1/4 cu Cream Cheese
1/4 cu Apple Sauce
1 med Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 tbl Brown Sugar
2 Ginger Snap Cookies Crushed
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a shot glass or similarly small glass (or just your fingers), gently ease a wonton wrapper into each of the cups of the muffin pan. Once inserted, use your fingers to fully press it into place and push any excess elements slightly against the wall to insure space inside the cup is available for filling.
For the 8 roasted chicken wontons, distribute the shredded cheese evenly over the bottom. For the 8 apple pie wontons, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter and distribute it evenly over the bottom (use a pastry brush if available). Sprinkle a bit of the 1 teaspoon of sugar on top of the butter in each cup.
Place the pan in the oven for 5 minutes. This will create a slightly crunch/slightly chewy wonton cup. If you'd like an all crunchy version, continue to bake the cups for an additional 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let the cups cool slightly. I like to build the cups while they are still in the tray for ease and stability.
Roasted Chicken Bites
Toss the chicken, orange juice and oregano together. Distribute the chicken mixture among the 8 wontons. Top with a bit of Dijon mustard. Add the bacon and a cucumber wedge and sprinkle a bit of orange zest on top.
Caprese Bites
Distribute mozzarella on the bottom of the 8 caprese wonton cups. Toss tomatoes, chopped basil, and olive oil together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and distribute on top of the mozzarella. Wedge a full basil leave into the top of the mixture.
Dutch Apple Pie Bites
Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter, apples and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Saute over high heat for about 3-4 minutes until apples are just tender. Remove from heat and cool.
Distribute the cream cheese onto the bottom of the 8 apple pie wontons. Top with applesauce. Distribute sautéed apples over applesauce. Sprinkle crumbed gingersnaps over apple mixture.
Serve all 24 wonton bites on a large platter or put them in individual groups of 8 on separate serving plates.
If you have any comments or questions, please send me an email at wayne@waynesweekend.com or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
