Jalapeno Cheddar Bites

Summertime is prime entertaining time around my house. From family get togethers on my porch to big family BBQs and even full on reunions, there’s just something about summer that gets everyone in the mood to get together. Of course, it’s the perfect way to spend hours reuniting with loved ones you rarely see, or even just spending  a little more down time with the same folks you see every day. With 99 million family get togethers planned in about 3 months time, I’m always looking for easy recipes that are easy to pack and will feed a crowd with minimum effort and maximum flavor. My easy Jalapeno Cheddar Bites fit the bill – super simple to make, just a tad spicy, and always a crowd favorite.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 jalapeños, finely diced (I leave out the seeds – but if you want more heat, leave them in)

Butter topping:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In  a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, mayo & buttermilk, until you have a biscuit dough. Fold in the jalapeño and cheese until well combined. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, then drop dough on the sheet in tablespoon amounts (a small scoop works best.) Give them a bit of room, but you won’t need a lot because they do not spread much. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.

While they bake, melt the butter in a small sauce pan with the clove of garlic (making garlic butter.) Once the bites come out of the oven, immediately use a brush and coat them with garlic butter.

Recipe makes about 50 bites

And that’s all it takes to make my jalapeno cheddar bites. So easy – so good – so perfect for a crowd (or to hoard for yourself!)