First of all: What’s a canapé (can-uh-PAY)?

It’s a type of hors d’oeuvre: a small, savory bite on a base of bread, toast or pastry. It is a finger food, eaten in one or two bites.

Canapés are often served at cocktail parties, and in the hands of a caterer or chef they can be beautifully decorated works of edible art. Canapé is the French word for sofa. The idea is that the toppings sit on a “sofa” of bread or pastry.

These Super Bowl snacks are much more down to earth, as befits the occasion. They’re guacamole canapés, a change of pace from the same old, same old guacamole and chips.

Since the tomatoes and onions are separate from the mashed avocado, this is effectively “deconstructed guacamole.”

The recipes below are courtesy Wholly Guacamole.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SLICE baguette into 1/2 inch slices and toast lightly. Spread approximately 2 tablespoon of guacamole on each slice.
2. TOSS diced tomatoes with onions an cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. DISTRIBUTE tomato/onion mix to canapés. Top with lime slices and serve on a platter.

Most people enjoy a classic wedge salad: iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing. Here, we turn it into finger food.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CUT lettuce into mini wedges, about 3 inches each. The objective is to pick them up by hand.

2. TOP with bacon and tomato slices.

3. DRIZZLE with blue cheese dressing and top with optional crumbled blue cheese. Serve on a platter.

Mini iceberg wedge salad, for when you just want a taste. Photo courtesy Wholly Guacamole.