Party H'ors D'oeuvres: Golden Beet Bites with Smoked Trout

My sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law are engaged! I threw a small party last month in their honor and made all the food bite-sized and passable. This was one of the most popular bites, and it was so easy to make! All the prep was done the day before and then I assembled them just before the party. Use golden beets so that the color won't bleed onto the crackers while they are sitting, or if you can't find them just use red beets and try not to let them sit for too long.




Golden Beet Bites with Smoked Trout
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients: (makes about 45 bites, can be halved)

12 golden beets, about the same size in diameter as the crackers you will be using to serve them
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
5 oz. smoked trout (near the packaged smoked salmon in the grocery), cut into small pieces
1/4 C dill, broken into small pieces for garnish
2 packages of water crackers

Prep work that can be done in advance (up to a day or two before the party):

Roast the beets: Preheat oven to 375. Put the beets in a wide, shallow baking dish and add about 2 inches of water to the bottom of the dish. Cover with a tightly sealed tent of aluminum foil to allow the dish to fill up with lots of steam and cook the beets evenly. Place in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your beets. Check their progress part way through by carefully lifting the foil and sticking with a fork. When done, the fork should go in with little resistance. Run the beets under cold water until they are cool enough to hold and then use your fingers to rub off the peel. Cut the beets into 1/4" rounds and store in the refrigerator in an container.

Cut up the trout and the dill and store each in small containers in the refrigerator.

To assemble:
Arrange water crackers on a serving tray. Top each one with a roasted beet, a dollop of cream cheese, a piece of smoked trout, and then a small piece of dill.