What is a great appetizer for a holiday party?!
Answers: I'm going to a holiday party this weekend and I need to bring an appetizer. I'm actually going to bring stuffed mushrooms, but one person doesn't like mushrooms so I'd like to bring an additional appetizer. What do you suggest?
Hi there! It's so thoughtful of you to think about your friend :-) One simple and delicious recipe you can try is Mini Ham and Cheese Calzones.
You'll basically stuff ham and cheese in some dough and bake them until they're golden brown
(http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/kraft/9052...
A healthier alternative is Creamy Herb Dip and Crunchy Vegetables. You can arrange red and green vegetables such as blanched broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes, etc on a plate to give the Christmas-y colour, and centre it with a delicious creamy dip. Find the recipe at
http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/eatingwell...
And finally, if you don't want to do anything too complicated, you can simply purchase some nacho chips and create a nice cheesy dip to go with it.
(http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/kraft/5150...
Have fun!
PARTY CREAM CHEESE PINWHEELS
10 large flour tortillas
2 boxes of cream cheese
1 cup pitted black olives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pimentos, finely chopped
1 pkg ranch dressing
2 tablespoons green jalapenos, finely chopped
Soften cream cheese Mix in the powdered Ranch dressing Add the pimentos, black olives and the jalapenos.
Spread evenly over the flour tortillas using a rubber spatula. Roll tightly. Cover and chill for about one hour. Slice into pinwheels.
That is very thoughtful of you. Here are two that I have found people love.
Bacon Pasteries:
8 strips of bacon, cooked 3/4 C grated cheese
1 sm onion, chopped 1/2 C mayo
1 med tomato, chopped 1T Fresh Basil Chopped
1 Large can refrigerated biscuits( Flaky Style)
In a mixing bowl combine bacon, onion, tomato, cheese, mayo and basil. Seperate each biscuit into 2 to 3 layers and flatten slightly in your hand. Press the flattened section of biscuit into mini muffin pans. Spoon filling mixture into each biscuit. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes
French Onion Tartlets:
Olive oil cooking spray
12 very thin slices white bread, crusts trimmed (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, very thinly sliced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 teaspoons ground thyme or poultry seasoning
Salt and black pepper
1 pound Swiss cheese, shredded
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray both sides of bread and press bread into small 12 cup muffin tin. If you do not own a muffin tin, disposable tins are available on the baking aisle of market. Place bread in oven and toast until golden, 7 or 8 minutes. Remove and reserve.
In a skillet, melt butter into oil. Add onions and bay leaf, season with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook onions until caramel colored, 15 to 18 minutes.
Turn broiler on.
Place spoonfuls of cooked onions in toasted bread cups. Discard bay leaf. Cover onions with cheese and set tarts under hot broiler to bubble and brown cheese. Serve hot.
I love a cheese ball, 3-4 pkg of cream cheese, chopped ham chopped beef, pepperioni, grated cheeder cheese (onion opt.) then roll in the chopped meat, cheese, or crushed crakers, or chopped nuts. Serve with several different types of crakers. Also you could do veg with different dips, dill, ranch, spinach dip is also good with crakers.
hot dogs in puff pastry.
Here's a simple one that I do quite often.
Three ingredients:
French bread
Brie
Some savory jelly, (red pepper jelly) or chutney
Slice the french bread into rounds
Spread with jelly
Put a thick slice of brie in top
Put into a 350 degree over until the cheese starts to melt and bubble
Serve.
Deviled Eggs
I love taking bar-b-cue meatballs and they are so simple ....Just take your hamburger,add garlic, Italian seasoning,finely chopped onions, beard crumbs, and a egg mix together and form into small meatballs...bake in the oven on 325 for 20 minutes....let cool.....In a crock pot mix together a small jar of grape jelly and meduim size bottle of catsup....add the meatballs ...the jelly and catsup makes a tangy bar-b-cue sauce.....Have fun
crudites -- because I am sure NOTHING else will be healthy and I am pretty sure there will be a ton of women there who WISH there were veggies around because they are on diets!!! No one WANTS to admit they are on a diet, but if you bring veggies, you will secretly be thanked!
Smoked Salmon Bites
Smoked Salmon
Malva Toast or any kind of bite size toast
Cream Cheese
Tomatoes
Onions
Capers
Balsamic Vinagrette
Cut the tomatoes and onions in dice. Mix together, you can add salt and pepper as your taste. Put some cream cheese on top of the toast. Add a little piece of smoked salmon, then the tomato-onion combination and a little caper on top of it. Then drizzle balsamic vinagrette on top of it. If you don't have any balsamic vinagrette, you can reduce balsamic vinegar to a slow boilling and you make the vinagrette.
I would suggest any of the following...!
Perky Olive Penguins-- http://www.recipezaar.com/40463
Spinach Dip Pinwheels-- http://www.recipezaar.com/131168
Cheesy Artichoke Bread-- http://www.recipezaar.com/77567
Jalapeno Poppers-- http://www.recipezaar.com/14565
Cherry Tomato Appys-- http://www.recipezaar.com/55086
Enjoy! Happy Holidays!
Platters x 5:Mediteranaen,Indian,Vegetarian&cheese(... chick&fruit)+i do these olives(antipata plate);ROSEMARY,CHILLI&LEMON marinated olives-ORANGE&THYME rosted olives.For platters...
INDIAN PLATTER:
2(400g)lamb back straps
1/4cup tandoori patse
4(250g)plain,mini naan bread
1egg white,lightly beaten
1red onion,finly chopped
1tblspn veg oil
1/3cup mango chutney(hot as you like)
200g plain greek style yoghurt
2tblspn lemon juice
1/3fresh corriander,chopped
3tomatoes,chopped
1 lebanese cucumber,chopped&de-seeded
1.Heat oven200c.Combine lamb&tandoori paste in ceramic bowl.Cover in fridge for 30mins.(if time allows)
2.Place naan bread on baking tray.Brush with eggwhite&sprinkle with1/2the onion.Bake10-15mins till crisp.Tear into pieces.
3.Heat oil in a pan.Cook lamb4mins each side(medium)longer for more cooked.Remove to plate,cover with foil&allow to rest10mins.Thinly slice.
4.Combine chutney,yoghurt,1tblspn lemon juice,coriander in bowl.(sauce)
Combine tomatos,cucumber,remaining lemon juice&remaining onion in a seperate bowl.(sala)
Just need to plate up..arrange naan&sliced lamb near each other on large serving platter,put that tommy salad next to the lamb&a dish with the yoghurt mixture(sauce)in between the salsa&naan.
There the hardest one's out the way!
VEGETARIAN:
1each of,green,yellow&red capsicums
1long,red chilli
2garlic cloves
400g kalamata olives
400g,fresh ricotta cheese
1/4cup olive oil
1tblspn lemon juice
430g turkish bread,(3cm,slices)
2tblspn,fresh oregano
cooking spray
1.Pre-heat oven220c.Line 2 large baking tray with baking paper.Cut capsicum into1/4s,remove seeds,membranes.Place skin side up on one tray.
2.Thinly slice1/2chilli&2garlic clove.Place in bowl.Add olives&combine.Place olives&riccotta wedge(peice)on a baking tray. Finly chop remaining chilli&garlic&sprinkle over ricotta.
3.Drizzle2tblspn oil over capsicum,riccotta&olives.BAKE for 25mins.swap trays over1/2way through.When done,set aside the olives&riccotta.Place capsicum in plastic bag,stand5mins.Peel skin away.Cut into wide strips&put in bowl with remaining oil&lemon juice.
4.Place bread on baking tray,spray with oil bake10mins till crisp.
Arrange capsicum,olives,ricotta and bread on a large serving platter.Sprinkle oregano over olives&serve.
SMOKED CHICKEN&CHEESE PLATTER:
250g cream cheese(soft)
1/4cup wholegrain mustard
2tblspns flat-leaf parsly,chopped
2spring(green)onions,thinly sliced
1.1/2tblspns lemon juice
1red apple,cored,1/4&thinly sliced
1pear(as above)
2(300g)smoked chick.breast,thinly sliced
210g,brie(1-2others/sharp&gouda+flavou...
125g crackers(i use poppy seed mini lavosh&chive rice round+always some jatz)
1.arrange meat,cheese&crackers on platter.
2.In seperate bowl mix some lemon juice with each the pears&apple(stop browning)&place on plate.
3.Combine cream cheese,mustard,parsly,green onion&2tspns lemon juice in a bowl mix well&seve in a dish along side.
MEDITERANAEN:
Lavosh bread-tear it up,brush with eggwhit&sprinkle with poppy seeds&cisp(as above)Put on platter
Buy(or make) tabouli salad.Put on platter
Get small tomatos&remove centre&fill(mix feta,lemon juice&fresh herbs of choice)S&P,place filling inside,sprinkle with parsly)Put on platter
Make hommus:400g can chickpeas,drain&rinsed.2garlic cloves,chopped,2tblspn tahini past,2tblspn lemon juice,1/4cup olive oil&pinch paprika.Process chickpeas till almost smooth.Add other ingredients&blend.Put in bowl,pour on a little olive oil&sprinkle with paprika.Put on platter.
you can also have a bowl of homemade pest on the side,
Well i hope i gave you an idea'coz im sure tired of typing..Sorry abou the gap error up there(comp isnt letting me fix,just moves,bigger spaces)Kittens(x7raced over here b4,so again SORRY EVERYBODY
well its called muddy buddies. its more of a dessert but it goes for both.
the instructions are on any chex mix crerel boxes
[[it has chocolate and peanut butter stuff like that in it]]
Fabulous seven layer Dip
First layer
boil one tomato, a jalapeno, and a small piece on onion,
put in blender until chunky, put in a medium bowl, add a pinch of salt, and one box of Philly cream cheese, melt in microwave and mix well. spreed on to a large serving dish
second layer
re fry a can of ranch style beans, in hot lard.
third layer
brown ground beef, with onion, salt ,pepper, garlic and cumin and a can of tomato sauce
fourth layer
fresh Avocado,smash with salt and lime
fifth layer -cheese
sixth layer - tomato's
seventh - olives
bruschetta....serve with crostini.
i like homus & pita wedges to dip in it. you can add black olive slices and/or artichoke. they both go nicely with the flavors in the homus.
Crazy! when I first started reading your question I though right away, stuffed mushrooms. Anyway, those are a great choice. For those who don't like mushrooms, a good appetizer is salmon dip ( smoked salmon put in mixer with lemon juice and sour cream), or favorite, "shrimp cocktail block." Take a bar of Philly cream cheese (room temp), pour cocktail sauce over it, then top it with a good helping of thawed out, cooked rock shrimp. It is so delicious! Serve it with club crackers or whatever, it is great.
Hm, what about cutting pieces of bred into four pieces, and topping with things like pineapple, cheese, tomato, and other pizza-esque toppings, to make healthy, mini-pizzas?
Merry Christmas, and good luck! :D
people always ask me to bring my layered dip, its REALLY easy and pretty cheap..
in a glass or corningwear dish
spread the bottom with a can or refried beans (fat free is fine)
top with a small wendy's chili
top with some shredded cheese
heat in oven until the cheese melts and the chili and beans beneath are bubbling. while it is heating mix
1 pint sour cream (light is ok, but don't use fat free)
with
some taco seasoning
top the bubbling cheesiness with the sour cream mixture and you can serve as is or top with black olives or some fresh chives or scallions.. serve with tortilla chips and salsa in a separate dish...
it is easy to transport too, I usually just assemble it at the party
I am also know for my BBQ chicken mini pizzas
cook 2-3 boneless skinless breasts in a crockpot (or pot on the stove) until fork tender, shred and mix with your favorite bbq sauce.
cook pillsbury (or store brand) biscuits in the oven to the minimum time on the directions (they will be cooked through but not golden brown)
split the biscuits (each 1/2 becomes a mini pizza) and top with a tiny amount of the shredded chicken, mozzerella and some italian seasoning. heat in the oven until golden brown and cheese is melted..
this also travels well and is cheap if all the ingredients are on sale
