Cold weather brings with it lots of comfy opportunities; like cozying up with a loved one under a blanket, lighting the fireplace, warming oneself from the inside w/ a glass of red wine or cocoa, and having friends over for warm apple cider & seasonal treats.

Recently, we combined several of these things and hosted a small potluck to watch the election results roll in.  Thinking back on the night, I’m so lucky to have great friends and even luckier that so many of them are no stranger to the kitchen.

Among other things, we served roasted beet sliders.

**Please, keep reading…even if you don’t like beets.  I won’t try to change your mind, but these sandwiches may.**

Yep, you read that right, beet sliders.  We tried them on a whim in the late summer and loved them so much we knew we’d have to share.  They’re pretty simple since you only need a few components.

• Bread (we’ve tried both mini yeast rolls & foccacia–both are excellent)
• Beets, roasted (not pickled!), peeled & sliced ¼” to ½” thick (I used the sweet Formanova variety from the Worthington Farmers’ Market.)
• Spread (I whipped up a spicy feta spread–recipe below.  Garlic mayo or pimiento dip might work well, too)
• Greens (endive, spinach, lettuce–whatever you love best.)

Assembly is pretty simple so I won’t detail that, but play around with proportions.  You may find you want a lot more salty spread or bitter greens to counteract the sweetness of the beets.

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Spicy Feta Spread

Ingredients:

• 8 oz feta
• ¾ cup (6 oz.) plain Greek yogurt
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Crumble the feta into the food processor or blender.  Add the pepper flakes yogurt and oil.
2. Blend this mixture until the consistency is rather smooth.  Some chunks are okay in my book!
3. If you want the mixture thinner, add a bit of water; if you prefer it thicker, add more feta.
4. Once you have the right consistency for your preference season with salt and pepper to suit your taste