Mealtime Magic: Flatbread Appetizers

Everyone knows that Big Game parties are all about the appetizers and finger foods. This year, try offering something new and delicious on your football party buffet: A colorful variety of hors d’oeuvres served on a warm, fluffy, mini pita bread called Kontos Cocktail Flatbreads.

Cocktail Flatbreads are two-inch mini pita disks from Kontos Foods that can be used as the basis for creative party foods. Use Cocktail Flatbreads to assemble yummy appetizers with sliced meats, seafood salad, chicken salad, or sliced fish. You can also use them for juicy hamburger sliders, pizza samplers, or serve with dips.

“The mini-flatbreads come with café-style grill marks, which make them an attractive and delicious base for simple, colorful hors d’oeuvres. Before assembling your treats, warm the bread for 1-2 minutes at 375⁰ F degrees to enhance their flavor and fluffiness,” said Demetrios Haralambatos, executive chef at Kontos Foods.

Here are some great appetizer ideas from Chef Haralambatos:

Grilled Beef or Pork Tenderloin.  Place sliced strips of grilled beef, roasted pork tenderloin or pulled pork on the Cocktail Flatbread. Drizzle with gravy, steak sauce, BBQ sauce or horseradish mayonnaise. When using beef, try topping with your favorite slivered cheese. Garnish with dill or scallions.

Chicken or Tuna Salad.  Prepare chicken salad with tiny diced chicken, apples and walnuts. Or, prepare tuna salad with chopped celery or sweet corn. Dollop a teaspoonful of your salads on the Cocktail Flatbread. Garnish with sliced cherry tomato and fresh basil.

Smoked Salmon.  Layer small pieces or chunks of your favorite smoked salmon on Kontos Cocktail Flatbread. Top the salmon with sliced avocado, horseradish mayonnaise, slivered cucumber and/or picked ginger. Garnish with capers or a small dollop of Greek yogurt,  if desired.

Hamburger Slider.  Grill a small hamburger, or cheeseburger, and place between two Cocktail Flatbreads. Garnish with your favorite condiments, lettuce and sliced plum tomato.

Pizza Samplers.  Spread a teaspoonful of pizza sauce on each Cocktail Flatbread. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella or mixed shredded cheese; add pepperoni, sausage pieces, mushrooms if desired. Bake in oven or toaster oven for 5-7 minutes at 375⁰ degrees.

“To keep your Big Game Day party preparations simple, purchase your toppings – such as chicken or tuna salad, sliced salmon, and dressings – at the supermarket and simply assemble when ready,” said Steve Kontos, vice president and owner of Kontos Foods. “And, if you can’t find mini Cocktail Flatbreads in your store, you can cut out your own from regular-sized flatbread, using a round cookie cutter or juice glass.”

The Kontos Cocktail Flatbreads, which contain no trans-fat and are 100% vegetarian, come in 20-piece retail packs. Kontos sells its products to retailers and foodservice establishments across North America and around the world. Find Kontos Foods on Twitter @KontosFoods, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Kontosfoods and on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/kontosfoods/.

About Kontos Foods
Founded in 1987, Kontos Foods, Inc. is a Paterson, New Jersey-based provider of traditional Mediterranean foods for restaurants, hotels, food service, retail specialty stores and supermarkets worldwide. The family-owned company specializes in hand-stretched flatbreads, including the Kontos Pocket-Less Pita®, Fillo dough, pastries, olives, gyro meats, and Greek yogurts, as well as nearly 50 varieties of multi-ethnic flatbreads. Kontos, which has over 225 employees and was founded by Evripides (Evris) Kontos with his son Steven, together bring over 100 years’ experience in the premium food industry. The company’s bread and Fillo products are made in the USA. Visit www.kontos.com or call (973) 278-2800.