Baked Clam Muffins

I love clams. Probably THE one food I could eat prepared any way.............shucked, steamed, baked, with linguine, with mussels, in a paella, fritters, fried, on a sandwich.......get it?

I like the convenience of store chopped clams. The clams I can get usually has large pieces not shredded so when they stock them, I buy them. The Shop-Rite had them so
I decided to make baked clams.
I used real clam shells for years but after a while they dry out and crack. Such was the case with mine so I made a decision to buy the aluminum clam shells.
I can recycle them and it just makes my life a little easier. Well, since I'm already having a bad day I should have figured I could not find them.
I don't remember where I put them and was not in the mood to tear the house apart.

What to do............I took out my mini muffin tin and made clam muffins.


Stuffed Baked Clams aka Clam Muffins
2 slices pancetta, diced
3 scallions & 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sweet onion, diced
1/4 cup white wine
juice & zest from 1 large lemon
1 container of chopped clams (1 pound fresh shucked clam meat) drained
2 tbls goat cheese
2 tbls creme fraiche or sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbls Dijon
salt & Pepper
1/4 cup red Thai sweet chili sauce
1 roasted pepper, diced
1/4 cup Parmesan
3/4 cup Italian Style bread crumbs, or more if needed

Saute pancetta in pan, remove with slotted spoon leaving fat.
Saute onions and garlic for 4 mins. Add wine and lemon juice and simmer until thickened.
Add to everything else in a bowl.

With small scoop, fill muffin tin to top and bake for 20 mins at 400F.
Let cool and remove.
Repeat.