Brie with Jam and Bread

Actually, it's Brie with Apricot Preserves and Puff Pastry - but that loses that whole "Ti, a drink with jam and bread" flavor a la Sound of Music.

Anyway.

Here is one of the appetizers I made for the New Year's Day party that turned out fabulously.

Here's what you need:

1 Wheel of Brie
1 sheet of puff pastry
A few tablespoons of preserves (apricot, raspberry, whatever you want. I used apricot)
optional - chopped nuts of some sort - I didn't use any.

Preheat oven to 350

Thaw out puff pastry and lay it in a greased pie plate.

Slice wheel of brie in half so that there are two wheels.

Place bottom of wheel on top of puff pastry rind side down.
Spread preserves over brie, sprinkle nuts.
Place top of brie on top of all that rind side up.

Fold over puff pastry around brie, seal seams with fingers.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes. Serve with crackers or bread or whatever strikes your fancy.

Everyone seemed to like this a lot - and it's really best HOT.

I need your help! Meatballs

A friend from college is getting married on Saturday and is doing a pot-luck style reception. (Which I love the idea of - so if I ever turn out to be the not-so-single domestic get your favorite recipes ready!) Anyway. Problem. Aside from the time when I was about 12 and spent HOURS preparing a meal from Kirsten's cookbook complete with sweedish meatballs - I've never made meatballs. (And I'm not making those due to the whole hours in the kitchen thing.)


I'm thinking I'm going to go with the frozen meatballs and just make my own sauce and dump it all in the crock pot because I don't have time to actually make meatballs this week and the wedding is an hour and a half away from me.


So - I need meatball sauce recipes! I've heard there is something as simple as BBQ sauce and grape jelly - but, really? Is that any good? Is it "normal" good or "I'm at a wedding the food should be special" good?