Italian Sub Bites

I think we've all been in the position of being invited to a last-minute gathering. "It was spur-of-the-moment," the host says cheerfully. "Just bring a side!" Which is all well and good...unless you have two sons, a weekend that is already jam-packed, and haven't had a chance to go to the grocery store yet -- and no time to do it anytime soon. That exact thing happened to me recently, and these Italian sub bites were my solution. I brought together bits and pieces of what I had on hand and made them into one really delicious appetizer.

These little bites are easily customizable with whatever you have on hand. I could see using turkey, bacon, and cheddar cheese to turn them into club sandwich bites. These were simple, delicious, and a huge hit with everyone who tried them -- and as a bonus, I felt pretty satisfied with myself for making them up on the fly. :)

Italian Sub Bites

1 sleeve buttery crackers, like Ritz

1/2 cup chopped pepperoni

1/2 cup chopped salami

1/2 cup chopped ham

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Arrange the crackers on a baking sheet. Top each cracker with some of the pepperoni, salami, and ham, then add a sprinkling of cheese.

3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the meat mixture is warmed through. Serve warm.