Party Bites
Cooking Skills: Cheese and Party Snacks 1
Chapter 5 · Party Bites
Skill goal
Make hot party bites ahead, cook them through safely, and offer a vegetarian choice.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Party bites are small, hot, savoury things that guests can eat in one or two bites. They are mostly pastry and a filling, and what makes them work is doing most of the work ahead so that all you have to do at the party is bake and serve.
The party-bite rules
- Bite-sized: one or two bites, no knife and fork, and nothing that drips.
- Make ahead: assemble the day before, chill, and bake just before serving.
- Cooked through: any meat, sausage or bacon must be steaming hot all the way through. Test one.
- Hot and crisp: serve straight from the oven. Pastry softens within the hour.
- Offer a vegetarian choice and label which is which.
Working with puff pastry
- Keep it cold. Warm pastry sticks, tears and bakes flat. Work quickly and chill between steps.
- Use a sharp knife, cutting straight down, because dragging seals the layers.
- Egg wash on top only, not the cut edges, so they can rise.
- A hot oven (200°C, or 180°C fan) puffs it before the fat melts away.
- Score and rest: scoring the top lets steam out, and chilling shaped bites for 20 minutes makes them rise better.
Making ahead
| Bite | Assemble ahead | Keep | Bake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pigs in blankets | Wrap, cover and chill | Raw, in the fridge for a day (check the use-by); or freeze raw | From chilled, 25 to 30 minutes |
| Sausage rolls | Assemble, cut and chill (not egg-washed) | Raw, in the fridge for a day, or freeze on a tray | Egg wash and bake from chilled or frozen, adding a few minutes |
| Pinwheels | Roll and chill, cut just before baking | Rolled and wrapped, 1 day in the fridge | Slice and bake, 15 to 20 minutes |
| Stuffed mushrooms | Fill and chill | Filled, 1 day in the fridge | From chilled, 15 to 20 minutes |
Cooking ahead
Cooking ahead: if you cook party food in advance, cool it quickly (within 1 to 2 hours), refrigerate it covered, eat within 2 days, and reheat until steaming hot all the way through, and only once. Raw wrapped sausages can be kept in the fridge, covered, for a day before baking (check the use-by date on the pack).
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Pigs in blankets
A party favourite and easy to make ahead. Stretch the bacon with the back of a knife so it wraps thinly and crisps. Set the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 12 chipolata sausages (or vegetarian sausages)
- 6 rashers of streaky bacon, halved (or thin slices of vegetarian bacon-style rashers)
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
- 1 pinch black pepper
- Cut the bacon rashers in half and stretch each piece with the flat of a knife until it is long and thin.
- Wrap each sausage in a piece of bacon, tucking the ends underneath, and lay them seam side down on a tray.
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and the sausages are cooked through. Brush with honey for the last 5 minutes if you like.
- Cut one open to check there is no pink, and serve hot.
Pork, hygiene and vegetarians
Sausages and pork: sausages, sausage meat and bacon must be cooked right through until steaming hot, with no pink meat and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes). Cut one open to check. Wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat, and keep it away from ready-to-eat food.Allergens: pastry contains gluten, and these recipes contain milk, egg, and in some cases mustard. Pigs in blankets and sausage rolls contain pork and so aren't suitable for some religions or vegetarians: offer a vegetarian version and label which is which.
Level 2 · Pastry
Sausage rolls
Homemade sausage rolls are far better than the shop's. A full pastry course is planned in this series. Set the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 1 sheet ready-rolled sheet of puff pastry (about 320 g)
- 400 g good-quality sausage meat (or 2 sausages, skinned)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped and softened
- 1 tsp dried sage or thyme
- 1 Lion-marked egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp sesame or poppy seeds (optional)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- Mix the sausage meat with the onion, herbs and pepper (don't taste it raw). Unroll the pastry and cut it in half lengthways to make two long strips.
- Roll half the filling into a long sausage shape and lay it down the middle of a strip. Brush one edge with egg, fold the pastry over the filling and press the edge down with a fork to seal.
- Cut into 3 to 4 cm lengths, score the tops with a knife, brush with egg and scatter with seeds. Place seam-side down on a lined tray.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and puffed and the filling is cooked through with no pink: cut one in half to check.
Raw meat and egg
Sausages and pork: sausages, sausage meat and bacon must be cooked right through until steaming hot, with no pink meat and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes). Cut one open to check. Wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat, and keep it away from ready-to-eat food.Raw pastry and egg: don't taste raw pastry mixtures. Lion-marked eggs are safe lightly cooked, and in these recipes the egg wash is baked fully. Wash your hands after handling raw egg and raw meat.
Allergens: pastry contains gluten, and these recipes contain milk, egg, and in some cases mustard. Pigs in blankets and sausage rolls contain pork and so aren't suitable for some religions or vegetarians: offer a vegetarian version and label which is which.
Level 2 · Vegetarian
Cheese and onion pinwheels
A vegetarian party bite: puff pastry spread with mustard, onion and cheese, rolled up and sliced. Chill the roll before cutting for neat pinwheels.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 1 sheet ready-rolled sheet of puff pastry
- 1 onion, finely sliced and softened in butter
- 100 g mature cheddar, grated
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 Lion-marked egg, beaten
- 1 tsp chopped thyme or chives
- Soften the sliced onion in a little butter for 10 minutes until sweet. Cool.
- Unroll the pastry on its paper and spread with the mustard, then scatter the onion, cheese and herbs over it, leaving a 1 cm edge on one long side. Brush that edge with egg.
- Roll up tightly from the other long side, finishing on the egg edge. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
- Cut into 1.5 cm slices, lay flat on a lined tray, brush with egg and bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.
Egg and allergens
Raw pastry and egg: don't taste raw pastry mixtures. Lion-marked eggs are safe lightly cooked, and in these recipes the egg wash is baked fully. Wash your hands after handling raw egg and raw meat.Allergens: pastry contains gluten, and these recipes contain milk, egg, and in some cases mustard. Pigs in blankets and sausage rolls contain pork and so aren't suitable for some religions or vegetarians: offer a vegetarian version and label which is which.
Level 2 · Filled
Stuffed mushrooms
Little caps of cream cheese, garlic and herbs. They can be filled ahead and baked just before the party. Set the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 12 medium button or chestnut mushrooms, stalks removed
- 100 g pasteurised cream cheese
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp grated hard cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley or chives
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- Wipe the mushrooms clean and remove the stalks. Chop the stalks finely and mix them with the cream cheese, garlic, herbs, half the breadcrumbs and half the hard cheese. Season.
- Spoon the filling into the caps and place on a tray. Mix the remaining crumbs and cheese with the oil and sprinkle on top.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and bubbling and the filling is steaming hot.
- Cool for 2 minutes and serve warm.
Hot filling
Hot trays and fillings: use dry oven gloves, and warn guests: the filling inside pastry stays very hot after the outside has cooled.
Experiments
Experiment
Sealing and scoring
Seal the roll or leave it open.
- Make two sausage rolls: one sealed with a fork and scored on top, one sealed but left unscored.
Look for: The scored roll lets steam out and puffs evenly; the unscored one can balloon or split at the sides.
Experiment
Oven temperature
Hot or moderate.
- Bake two pinwheels at 200°C (180°C fan) and two at 160°C (140°C fan) on separate trays.
Look for: The hot oven gives puffier, golden pastry; the cooler oven gives pale, flat, greasier pastry. Pastry needs a hot oven.
Experiment
Making ahead and reheating
Fresh or from the fridge.
- Bake half of the pinwheels straight away. Chill the rest overnight and bake them cold. Compare puff and crispness.
Look for: Chilled pastry often puffs even better. Baked and reheated pastry loses crispness, so bake just before serving.
Experiment
Freezing
Frozen sausage rolls.
- Freeze half of the unbaked sausage rolls on a tray, then bake straight from frozen, adding 5 to 10 minutes.
Look for: Frozen rolls bake well and are a great way to prepare ahead. Check they are cooked through and steaming hot in the middle.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pigs in blankets | ||||
| Sausage rolls | ||||
| Cheese and onion pinwheels | ||||
| Stuffed mushrooms | ||||
| Sealing and scoring | ||||
| Oven temperature | ||||
| Making ahead | ||||
| Freezing |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pastry won't rise | Warm pastry, or a cool oven | Chill before baking; use a hot oven |
| Soggy bottoms | Wet filling, or tray not hot | Cook the filling down; bake on a preheated tray |
| Filling leaks out | Not sealed, or overfilled | Seal with egg and a fork; use less filling |
| Sausage not cooked in the middle | Pieces too thick, or oven too cool | Cook longer; cut one open to check |
| Bacon not crisp | Wrapped too thick | Stretch it thin; roast on a rack |
| Pinwheels unroll | Not wrapped and chilled | Chill the roll for 20 minutes before slicing |
Meat, allergens and heat
Sausages and pork: sausages, sausage meat and bacon must be cooked right through until steaming hot, with no pink meat and clear juices (70°C for 2 minutes). Cut one open to check. Wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw meat, and keep it away from ready-to-eat food.Raw pastry and egg: don't taste raw pastry mixtures. Lion-marked eggs are safe lightly cooked, and in these recipes the egg wash is baked fully. Wash your hands after handling raw egg and raw meat.
Allergens: pastry contains gluten, and these recipes contain milk, egg, and in some cases mustard. Pigs in blankets and sausage rolls contain pork and so aren't suitable for some religions or vegetarians: offer a vegetarian version and label which is which.
Hot trays and fillings: use dry oven gloves, and warn guests: the filling inside pastry stays very hot after the outside has cooled.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can make pigs in blankets and cook the meat through.
- I can assemble a sausage roll and a pinwheel from cold pastry.
- I know how to make party bites ahead and freeze them.
- I offer a vegetarian choice and label it.
- I keep raw meat and cooked food apart.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Cheese and Party Snacks 1, chapter 6 is A Party Spread: planning quantities, timing and safe serving.