Spinach Mini-Meatballs in Crispy Frico Cups

In yesterday's post, "Spinach-Meatball Minestrone with Tortellini" I mentioned how the meatballs are delicious as appetizers, so I always make extra (they freeze well.)

Usually I just warm the meatballs and served them with warm Marinara sauce for dipping (or in a chafing dish, together.)

This time I tried something a little different ~ I made Frico (or Parmesan Crisps) in free-form shapes and placed a mini-meatball in each cup along with a small spoonful of store-bought Artichoke Salsa.

These are very small; about two-bite size. They received thumbs up at my house.

You can make the frico ahead and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, heat the meatballs in the oven (or microwave), then just dollop a little sauce, or salsa of your choice into each cup. It's good to serve them with cocktail napkins, or small plates as the crispy frico tends to crumble ~ oooh, but they are so good; a little salty and tender-brittle. You can sprinkle a little cayenne, smoked paprika, or freshly ground black pepper on them to shake the flavor up a bit.

There are several tutorials on making the Parmesan Crisps/Frico; I like Alton Brown's version (HERE) and the seasoning variations he suggests.

To form the cup or curved shapes:

Allow the crisps to cool for a moment after you remove the pan from the oven, then with a thin metal spatula place each crisp over an upended shot glass (or something similar), gently form the shape you wish then allow to cool completely. As the frico cool they will become crisp.

Please click HERE if you would like the recipe for the Spinach-Mini Meatballs, (it's posted on my alternate blog.)