If you’re making snacks for a football game, these spicy appetizers will be a guaranteed fan favorite. Meatballs are dipped in a fiery glaze and baked in a spicy puff pastry wrap. Set aside some of the glaze for dipping, and watch the hearty treats disappear.

I have a real aversion to storebought frozen meatballs, but if you like them, by all means, use them and save yourself some time! I used ham balls because I had just made a bunch of them. They were wonderful, (you’ll find the Taste of Home recipe here: Brown Sugar Glazed Ham Balls) but beef would be great too!

I admit to being a total wimp when it comes to spicy foods, so I ask you to use your judgment and season the glaze to taste. You may want to add a whole lot more hot sauce that I used. If you’re making your own meatballs, you could add a little Chinese hot mustard to the raw meat, or red pepper flakes for another layer of spiciness. This is a recipe that is just begging for you to make it your own!

Tips:

• If you want to use store-bought puff pastry (not phyllo dough!) you can roll the spices onto the dough before cutting out the circles.
• If you make your own dough, don’t panic if it’s very, very crumbly and messy at first. With each roll, fold, and turn, it will get more cooperative. Every time I make this I think I’ve done something wrong, but it always comes together!
• The dough can be made ahead, which will make the assembly a snap. I even cut out the circles, dusted them with flour, and stored them in a zipper-type freezer bag for 3 days and they worked perfectly. I left the dough a tiny bit thicker and cut out smaller circles, then when I was ready to use them I used a small roller to thin and enlarge the dough.
• When you dip the balls in glaze and roll in breadcrumbs, your fingers will get messy, so either get an assembly line going or be near a sink or bowl of water.
• After baking, immediately move pastries from the cupcake pan onto a cooling rack so the bottoms won’t get soggy.
• The tops will open up a little during baking to show the top of the meatball. If you don’t want this, you can go with Plan ‘B’ and use two smaller rounds of dough (imagine a flying saucer) like this:

It’s a little bit more work, but pretty. Not sure if “pretty” is critical if you’re making this for a group of football fans, though! Your call.

The pastry on the left uses two rounds. The one on the right uses one larger round.

Add spicy seasoning to flour on work surface.

Cut butter into small pieces

Chop the butter (don’t blend!) into the flour. Butter pieces should be about the size of large peas.

Use a scraper to corral it into an 8×5-inch rectangle.

See this crumbly mess? This is what the first “fold” may look like. Don’t worry!

The next roll and fold will look better!

Final fold before it goes in the fridge. The small, flattened pieces of butter that are visible are your friends. They will make the pastry flaky.

Glaze ingredients.

Boil the glaze ingredients for 2 minutes, then add hot sauce. Allow glaze to cool until it’s thick and sticky. Mmmmm.

Coat meatball with glaze, then roll in breadcrumbs. (I use Panko.)

Place meatball on the circle of dough. Brush egg wash around the outer edge of dough.

Bring edges up, gather together at the top and pinch together, like an Asian dumpling.

Brush with egg wash and they’re ready to bake

Baked. Lift them out of the pan and let them cool on a rack. Or . . . just eat ’em!

Okay, I know these are a little more work than Pigs in a Blanket, but c’mon. Puff pastry! Meatballs! If you’ll try these, I promise to come up with a very easy recipe next time.

Lorinda