For Tasty Bread Baskets which you can serve not only as snacks but also as starters or Appetizers for Dinner Menu can be prepared with Indian, Italian or Mexican fillings.
Basket: To make bread baskets all you need is a Wheat bread or any type that you like. I prefer wholegrain for some nutty taste.
- Take the sides out. Trim the bread.
- Roll the bread to flatten the bread to about 1/8 inch thickness
- For choosing size of the basket, you can choose muffin size or cupcake size pans
- Press the bread into the cups.
- Spray cooking spray or butter spray and cover with a foil
- Bake for 10-12 min or until bread is golden brown or crisp.
- Cool in pan and you and store this for later use.
Fillings: 8-10 baskets:
Italian: You can make it with green beans, bell peppers, onion(optional), marinara sauce some crushed peppers and olives topped with cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium bell pepper finely chopped
- 10 green beans cut into small pieces
- 1 small onion (optional) finely chopped
- 1/4 a cup olives (slices)
- 1 table spoon olive oil
- 1/2 a cup of marinara sauce(can use just roma tomatoes chopped finely)
- 1/2 tea spoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tea spoon salt
- Grated Cheese to top
Preparation:
- Heat Olive oil in pan and add all vegetables
- Add salt, crushed peppers and seasoning and saute it for 5 minutes until beans and onions are tender.
- Turn off the stove and let it cool for 10-15 minutes
- Transfer the filling in the bowl and add olives and marinara sauce. (If using tomatoes, add it with other vegetables to saute)
- Mix it well
- Place bread baskets in baking tray
- Scoop the filling into the baskets
- Top each basket with generous amount of cheese.
- Bake the baskets until the cheese has melt
- Serve it hot
Indian: You can make it with mung sprout, chana sprout, onion (optional) cilantro, tomatoes red and green chatni and sev.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 small tomato finely chopped
- 1/2 onion (optional)finely chopped
- 1 cup mung sprout
- 1 cup chana sprout
- 1&1/2 table spoon green chatni
- 1&1/2 table spoon red sweet chatni
- 1/2 tea spoon chat masala
- 1/2 tea spoon salt
- Sev and cilantro to top
Preparation:
- Add all the ingredients in a big mixing bowl except Sev and cilantro
- Mix it well
- Scoop the filling into the baskets
- Top each basket with sev and cilantro
- Sprinkle some chat masala
- Serve it cold
Mexican: You can make it with pinto beans, salsa, rice, bell peppers, onion (optional), jalapenos and top it with cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup baked pinto beans( you can use black or red beans as per the availability)
- 1 cup boiled rice
- 1/4 small onion(Optional)finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno finely chopped
- 1/2 tomato finely chopped
- 1/4 bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 table spoon olive oil
- 1/2 tomato finely chopped
- 1/4 tea spoon finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- 1/4 tea spoon finely chopped cilantro
- 1/2 tea spoon salt (add more as per taste)
- 3 table spoon salsa
- shredded Cheese to top
Preparation:
- Heat Olive oil in pan and add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno to saute
- After 3 minutes, add tomatoes and 1/2 tea spoon salt for taste.
- Saute it for 3 more minutes
- Add boiled beans, boiled rice and mixed it well.
- Add parsley and cilantro and turn off the heat
- Transfer the filling in the bowl
- Mix it well
- Place bread baskets in baking tray
- Scoop the filling into the baskets
- Layer each basket with salsa
- Top each basket with generous amount of cheese.
- Bake the baskets until the cheese has melt
- Serve it hot
- Optional - you can serve the baskets without baking the cheese in case you want fresh shredded cheese instead of the melted.