food & dining
High-Volume Appetizer Squares
I Keri White
hate making appetizers.

This position stems from two ratio-
nales. First, apps are generally followed
by dinner, which is the main event and
which I work hard to make delicious. If
people dig into the apps, their appetite
and enjoyment of dinner are diminished.

Second, many appetizers are fussy to
make — canapes that require a lot of
cutting and folding and artfully arraying
on a tray are just not my jam.

However, when I discovered the
recent treasure trove in my husband’s
dear departed Aunt Beulah’s recipe file,
two appetizers landed in my repertoire.

Both recipes involve a flour and
cheese mixture that is baked in a rectan-
gular pan and cut into bite-sized squares
— this avoids the individual fussing with
each piece often required by dumplings
and other high-effort hors d’oeuvres and
provides an economy of scale.

The recipes called for Bisquick — that
retro baking mixture that formed the
basis for pancakes, biscuits, coffee cakes,
waffles and other carbs in my childhood.

I did not have Bisquick on hand but was
able to make a homemade version of it
that was fine — the recipe follows. The
squares will come out either way.

Homemade “Bisquick” | Dairy
or Pareve
Makes a little over 2 cups
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
5 tablespoons margarine,
butter or Crisco
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Mix all the ingredients well. Use it
immediately or store it in the refrigera-
tor for several weeks.

Photo by Keri White
Zucchini Squares a la Aunt
Sarah | Dairy
Makes about 4 dozen, depending on
how you cut the squares
These squares are an excellent way
to use excess zucchini — especially
if you are a gardener and your crop
is bountiful this year. You can tweak
the seasoning as desired. I skipped
the seasoned salt and instead used
a generous sprinkling of salt, garlic
powder and chipotle powder.

1 cup Bisquick
(or the homemade mix)
3 cups grated zucchini (unpeeled)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
parsley 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
(Lowry’s, Jane’s Krazy
Mixed-Up Salt, Old Bay, etc.)
½ teaspoon oregano
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup oil
3 eggs
Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 13-inch-by-9-inch rectangular
pan with oil.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Spread it evenly in the pan and bake it
for about 25 minutes until golden brown
and cooked through. Cool it slightly and
cut it into bite-sized squares.

These are best served warm, and
they keep well stored in sealable
containers in the refrigerator. We
heated them in the toaster oven and
enjoyed them for lunch the next day.

Cheese Onion Squares ala
Aunt Beulah | Dairy
Makes 36-48 squares depending on
how you cut them
Aunt Beulah’s recipe calls for mild
cheddar, but I prefer sharp. Cook’s
choice on this one!
1½ cups Bisquick
(or the homemade mix)
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped onion
1 stick butter, divided
10 ounces grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons poppy or sesame
seeds, if desired
Heat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray a 13-inch-by-9-inch pan.

Melt ½ stick of butter in a small
skillet and add the onions. Sauté until
fragrant and soft, about 5 minutes.

Mix the Bisquick, milk and egg in a bowl.

Add the salt and pepper to taste, along
with the sautéed onions and half of the
cheese. Spread this mixture in the pan.

Melt the remaining half stick of butter,
drizzle it over the mixture and top it with
the remaining cheese and seeds, if using.

Bake for 15 minutes until it is golden
and cooked through. Cut while still
warm and serve it immediately. ■
Keri White is a Philadelphia-based
freelance food writer.

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