Okay, I need to give you one more version of canapes. It’s the last one for now, I promise. But really you’ve got to try these Soppressata and Manchego Pesto Canapes for your next dinner party. They’ll give your guests a delicious balance of flavors in one tiny bite.
These Soppressata and Manchego Pesto Canapes use the more “intense” version of my Whipped Pesto Dip. Basically, you need the Dip version to stand up to the slightly stronger flavor of the soppressata and the nuttiness from the Manchego that has a smidge of a mellowing effect on the flavor combination.
What You Need
Equipment
- For the Canapes
- Cutting Board – For cubing the keto bread
- Chef’s Knife – For cubing the keto bread
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil – Optional
- For the Whipped Pesto Dip
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer and Large Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Rubber Scraper
Ingredients
- Keto Bread – Cut each slice cut into 9 cubes.
- Whipped Pesto Dip – Make the more intense “star of the show” Dip version (Option 2) for use in these canapes. You’ll only need about half of the recipe.
- Soppressata – I like to find one with a spicier flavor.
- Manchego Cheese – You can pick a different cheese if you prefer. With the Manchego, I’m going for one that holds up to the flavors of the Whipped Pesto Dip (which includes Parmesan) and the soppressata.
Getting Started
As with my other canapes, this recipe mostly comes down to getting your components all prepped and then setting up your assembly line. The prep steps go as follows:
- Cut and dry your bread cubes
- Make the Whipped Pesto Dip
- Cube the soppressata and Manchego
You can (and should) do all of these well in advance of your dinner party, so that assembly is your only required action in your “Day Of Timeline.”
For the bread cubes, remove the crusts and cut each slice into 9 cubes. Remember that you’re going for single-bite size pieces. Adjust if needed. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil for easy clean up and spread out the cubes. Bake them in the oven at 250 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove them, toss / flip, and put them back in the oven for another 20 minutes. They should be completely dried out.
While that is going, make the “star of the show” (more intense) version of my Whipped Pesto Dip.
Cube the soppressata into 80 pieces. I usually slice my soppressata into ¼ inch rounds and then quarter them. Cube the Manchego so that it is about the same size as the soppressata pieces. Store both in zip top bags or airtight containers in the fridge until you are read to assemble the canapes.
As usual, I suggest saving the assembly line portion of things until closer to the time of the party. Just don’t forget to account for this handwork time in your Time Budget. I like to allocate 25 – 30 minutes to assembly. Maybe you’re super fast and will knock it out faster. However, it’s much better to plan for the longer time and then be pleasantly surprised.
Lori Side Note: Most of the time, we set the appetizers on the table or wherever is the main socialization location before dinner. For us, that’s the dining room table. I like to use smaller serving plates for canapes (or really any appetizer) so that I can set some at each end of the table to make it easier for people to reach.
When you are ready to assemble, place the bread cubes directly on the serving dish(es). If you have a lid for your rimmed baking sheet, you could also do this on there and then just fill and refill the serving plates as needed. Because the Whipped Pesto Dip is thicker, this isn’t a great candidate for piping with a plastic bag (one of my favorite time savers). Instead, use a small spoon or butter knife and spread about 1 teaspoon of the Dip on each bread cube. Set your soppressata and Manchego cubes in front of you and place one of each on top of the Whipped Pesto Dip.
When you’re done with assembly, cover the canapes with plastic wrap until you are ready to serve. Put them in the fridge if it will be a while before guests begin to arrive.
Looking for Related Ideas?
Soppressata and Manchego Pesto Canapes
Ingredients
- 9 slices Keto Bread Each slice cut into 9 cubes.
- 1 ⅔ cups Whipped Pesto Dip This is about ½ of the Whipped Pesto Dip Recipe. This is Option 2, the more intense “star of the show” version of the recipe.
- 1 log Soppressata 1 (9 ounce) log. Cut into 80 pieces each. I cut 20 (¼ inch) rounds and then quarter them.)
- 10 ounces Manchego Cheese Cubed into 80 pieces. Each piece is approximately ⅛ ounce.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.
- Remove the crusts (if you would like) and cube each slice of keto bread into 9 pieces. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the bread cubes on the sheet.9 slices Keto Bread
- Bake at 250 degrees F for 20 minutes. Take them out to flip / toss them. Put them back in the oven for 20 more minutes to finish drying out.
- Make the Whipped Pesto Dip (i.e. the more intense version) of my Whipped Pesto recipe. You only need half of it for these canapes.1 ⅔ cups Whipped Pesto Dip
- Cut the 9 ounce Sopressata log into 20 (¼ inch) rounds. Then cut each round into quarters. Cut 10 ounces of Manchego cheese into 80 cubes approximately the same size as the soppressata pieces. Each piece will be approximately ⅛ of an ounce.1 log Soppressata, 10 ounces Manchego Cheese
- Spread approximately 1 teaspoon of the Whipped Pesto Dip on each keto toast piece.
- Place 1 piece of soppressata and 1 piece of Manchego cheese on top of the spoonful of Whipped Pesto on each piece of bread.
- Cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.
Equipment
- Cutting Board For cubing the keto bread
- Chef's Knife For cubing the keto bread
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil Optional
- Stand Mixer OR Hand Mixer and Large Bowl
- Measuring Cups
Notes
- Single Bite Sizing
- These canapes are intended to be single bites, so they are intentionally small. You can make them bigger, but the idea here is to be able to get all 3 flavors–pesto, soppressata, and Manchego–in one bite.
- Soppressato Alternatives
- I wanted something with a bolder flavor for these canapes, so I would suggest doing substitutions in that vein. A spicy pepperoni or salami would work well as substitutes.
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