thanksgiving - appetizers (bacon pinwheels & mini sausage quiches)

My boyfriend's mother suggested I make the bacon pinwheels I made about a month ago as an appetizer for Thanksgiving. Those pinwheels that I made were haphazardly put together and not that great, so I decided to find a better recipe and spend more time putting them together to make them special for Thanksgiving. I also wanted to make something with my newly purchased mini-muffin pan, mostly because I just think mini things are so cute.


I prepared all the fillings the night before so I could easily and freshly bake them the morning of Thanksgiving. I was a little scared these wouldn't turn out so good because I realized that morning that I didn't have crescent rolls, but crescent rounds instead.


Apparently they turned out almost the same. They weren't as rolled as I wanted- because of the stupid crescent rounds- but it still gave the effect of being a pinwheel.


I obviously chose bacon because my boyfriend won't eat anything with vegetables and is such a meat-lover.


The mini sausage quiches made me nervous. They were so tiny that I didn't know how they'd fit all the ingredients. Also, those stupid rounds ruined my calculations. I divided each round in half, pushed them up the mini-muffin tin, and filled them accordingly. First was the sausage mixture, and then the egg mixture.


Surprisingly these also turned out fine. Maybe it's just my bias- but I love anything mini! The smaller and cuter something looks, the more tasty I think they are. And of course- just like the pinwheels- these had to contain some meat substance. While I'd rather have spinach quiches, I knew he'd prefer sausage.

---PINWHEEL RECIPE---
Adapted from many different websites

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
5 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/6 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp milk
1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-Mix cream cheese, bacon, Parmesan cheese, onions, and milk until well blended; set aside.
-Separate can of dough into four rectangles; firmly press perforations together to seal. Spread each rectangle with 2 rounded tablespoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture. Cut each rectangle into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges, starting at short ends. Place, seam-sides down, on greased baking sheet.
-Cut the dough lengthwise into 4 equal pieces, approximately 1/2 to 3/4-inches wide. Roll the dough up into a pinwheel and place on baking sheet.
-Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

---QUICHE RECIPE---
Adapted from Taste of Home

1/4 lb Italian sausage
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tube (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (I used mozzarella cheese)
1/2 cup cottage cheese (I used ricotta cheese)
1/6 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-In a large skillet, brown sausage and onion over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; drain.
-On a lightly floured surface, unroll crescent dough into one long rectangle; seal seams and perforations. Cut into 48 pieces. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups.
-Fill each with about 2 teaspoons of sausage mixture.
-In a large bowl, combine the eggs and cheeses. Spoon 2 teaspoonfuls over sausage mixture.
-Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
-Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.