Fix it and forget it appetizers for an upscale cocktail party? Please help me think of some!?!


Question: Something in between queso and foi gras


Answers: Something in between queso and foi gras

Cut small rounds out of thawed frozen puff pastry sheets. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese, or sweet paprika, garlic salt, chopped parsley or really with anything that takes your fancy.

Place on oven tray - lined with baking powder - bake until cheese slightly browns and pastry has puffed and lightly browned.

Cool and store in glad zip bags or tupperware.

When ready to use - split in half and fill with perhaps:
foi gras
shrimp and a dollop of philly with lemon juice mixed in
creamy french onion dip
finely chopped salami and camembert
goats cheese and pommegrante seeds
curried egg
egg and caviar
chopped smoked salmon, capers, red onion and cream cheese

You don't have to reheat these little cases - they are wonderful served cold. They may be filled a couple of hours ahead and popped into the fridge.

Don't forget a really good bottle of "bubbles" to go with them. Australian of course.

mini bread slices w/ cream cheese, dab of cocktail sauce, top with a boiled shrimp(skin off)

Fried shrimp
Stuffed mushrooms
Mini Polenta cakes with dried tomato and basil topping
Samosas
California rolls

Rumaki
spiced chicken livers
chicken liver pate
stuffed cheese puffs, stuff with shrimp or crab
stuffed mushrooms

gourmet olive platter
gourmet cheeses
brushetta
hummus and pita
chicken skewers with pnut sauce
crab cakes
nuts
deviled eggs

Mozzarella Sticks
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis


1 1/2 cups Italian-style dried breadcrumbs
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
2 (16-ounce) blocks pasteurized mozzarella cut into 4 by 1/2-inch sticks
4 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 cups Marinara Sauce, recipe follows

Stir the bread crumbs, 1 cup of Parmesan and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl to blend. Dip the cheese in the eggs to coat completely and allow the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Coat the cheese in the bread crumb mixture, patting to adhere and coat completely. Place the cheese sticks on a baking sheet. Repeat dipping the cheese sticks in the egg and bread crumb mixture to coat a second time. Cover and freeze until frozen, about 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the cheese until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the fried cheese to plates. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve with the Marinara Sauce.


Marinara Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Yield: 2 quarts
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

The simplest one I can think of is shrimp and cocktail sauce, or a dilled mayo dip - it's always the first thing to go. Melon slices wrapped in prosciutto. Chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce. Teriyake marinated beef on small skewers. A nice vegetable tray with unusual things like jicama or snow peas. Or roasted vegetables. Chocolate fondu with fruit and pieces of pound cake. Check out the frozen appetizer section of your local Costco or Sam's Club for other ideas (such as savory pastries or mini quiches).

I am hoping I get an invite to jonesy's party. That sounds great. Anything with deviled eggs is a winner. It is so simple now days to go to your local deli or grocery and get quick ideas based on your likes. Just pick out a few that match your intended audience and it is sure to be a hit.

easy and forget it
date stuffed with a pecan wrap in bacon put under broiler to cook bacon
can be served at room temp
edited to add
i saw the other poster mention feta
another easy one is
feta mixed with cream cheese and Italian dressing
scoop out cherry tomatoes and stuff with cheese mixture

These little bites are not only delicious, but they're easy to make and as good at room temperature or cold as they are warm.....

Feta-stuffed Peppers

3 ea lg. bell peppers (assorted colors)
6 oz feta chesse –— crumbled
1/2 ea lemon –— juiced
1/4 c minced red onion
3 tbsp minced fresh dill
1 ea egg –— beaten

Heat oven to 375F.

Stem the peppers and cut into eighths, top to bottom. Remove pith and seeds. Cut eighths in half cross-wise.

Mix all remaining ingredients in a small bowl with a fork, crushing any large chunks of cheese. Spoon about a tablespoon of the cheese mixture into each pepper segment and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack until cheese begins to brown – about 15 minutes.

Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold.

Prosciutto Gougères
Makes about 24

6 slices prosciutto
1 c water
7 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp kosher salt
Pinch of sugar
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
4 - 5 ea large eggs
5 oz Gruyère – grated

Heat the oven to 450F.

Slightly cook prosciutto in a skillet over medium heat – about 10 seconds per side. Then coarsely chop by hand, you should have about 1/3 cup lightly packed.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt, pepper, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add all the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium, and stir for 2 minutes, or until the mixture forms a ball and the excess moisture has evaporated (if the ball forms more quickly, continue to cook and stir for a full 2 minutes).

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle and beat for about 30 seconds at medium speed to cool slightly. Add 4 eggs and continue to mix until completely combined and the batter has a smooth, silky texture. Stop the machine and lift up the beater to check the consistency of the batter. The batter in the mixing bowl should form a peak with a tip that falls over. If it is too stiff, beat in the white of the remaining egg. Check again and, if necessary, add the yolk. Finally, mix in 3/4 cup of the Gruyère and chopped prosciutto.

Line a pair of baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a one-gallon heavy plastic bag with the gougère batter and snip off a bottom corner. Pipe the batter into 1-tablespoon mounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the gougères. Sprinkle the top of each gougère with about 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining grated cheese and bake for 7 to 8 minutes (my oven needs 10 minutes), or until they puff and hold their shape. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. When the gougères are done, they should be a light golden brown color. (Note: Unless you have a convection oven, I recommend cooking these in two batches, if you have a convection oven you may be able to cook both sheets at once.)

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