Hosting a Party, Need Appetizers!

I used to make a crab cream cheese spread on Ritz crackers that was so good. Served warm. Believe it or not, good pigs in a blanket... Or fancy sliced sausage served on toothpicks. I found really good frozen mini crab cakes once. Smoked salmon is good.

Bruschetta.
Red pepper jelly over a brick of cream cheese.
Baked brie.
Escargots in mushroom caps.
Chicken wings.

I have one that guys like, and some gals, too.
Roast beef (I get Boar's Head from the deli) roll-ups.

They are delish! A little bit of bite due to the horseradish.. Let me get the exact recipe for you...

1/2 lb cold roast beef
1 cup cream cheese
3 Tbsp creamed horseradish
3 Tbsp finely chopped chives
1/4 cup sliced stuffed olives

Cream the cheese, horseradish and chives together. Spread it over the beef slices. Roll the slices together jelly roll fashion, slice into bite size pieces. Place on waxed paper lined serving platter. Garnish each pin wheel with one slice of olive placed in the center. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

When you refrigerate them, I usually take a few toothpicks and stick in a few of the pieces... to keep the plastic wrap from sticking. And they work for self-serving, too.

The following are always a hit at my parties:

BBQ meatballs in the crock pot (super easy, poor a couple pounds of frozen meatballs in, some good BBQ sauce and a half jar of grape jelly, cook on low for 6 hours or so)

Bruschetta

Cheese and crackers (even some dill triscuits with feta cheese and cucumber are easy and yummy!)

Fruit plate

Buffalo Chicken dip with tortilla chips - this is good indoors not just for cookouts!

Cream Cheese Pinwheels

Antipasto platters like the other poster mentioned

And ditto the shrimp cocktail!

I am not much for a lot of dips at parties. They seem to be overdone.

I prefer.....

Antipasta platter with assorted Italian meats and cheeses

Salad on a stick (a skewer type appetizer... bottom is cucumber, middle feta cheese, top 1/2 grape tomato) drizzle the skewers with fresh Italian herbs and Italian dressing. Keep everything bite sized on the toothpick.

Shrimp cocktails and stone crabs over ice.

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts

Fresh Brushetta

Stuffed mushrooms.

Have fun!!

deviled eggs
mini quiches (costco carries great ones)
potato skins or mini stuffed potatoes
do a google search "easy appetizers)

Cheese plate with olives.
Baba ganouj or hummus w/ veggies or crackers
Shrimp cocktails (a bit pricey but all you do is steam or boil the shrimp, chill and serve w/ a bowl of cocktail sauce - yum)
Taramasalata - http://greek.food.com/recipe/taramosalata-59957
Stuffed grape leaves (we usually purchase these - you can make your own but very labor intensive)

I am a sustah. When I hostess, I gotta have some stomach filling foods (wings, shrimp, potatoes in some fashion) or else I will get kicked outta the ethnic group!

I know wine is a classy drink, but you are also having guys--so I would still have a few beers on hand--imported if you wanna be classy.

I made both of these recipes for a client a few weeks ago. they were gobbled up. They can be made ahead of time and frozen too!

Even people that do not like feta cheese told me they could not believe how good the cheese ball was.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/feta-cheese-ball/

http://www.food.com/recipe/cheese-wafers-straws-cookies-3...

Do meatballs in sauce, google for sauce ideas. Another fan favorite in our home and at my work are what I call sweet lil smokies. Like pigs in a blankets. place 1/2 c melted butter in 8' x 13' pan. add in 2 tbsp honey, 3 tbsp brown sugar and a small bag of nuts (any kind, I buy the nut topping ones in the bakery ailse). Take tube of crescent rolls and cut each triangle into 3, the roll little smokies into each one and place in buttery mixture. Bake I think 350 for 15 minutes I think (sorry, don't have recipe in front of me) Another favorite is warm artichoke dip
- 2 6oz cans marinated artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
½ cup mayo
1-1/2 cup Shredded Parmesean Cheese
1-1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
8 oz pkg Cream Cheese, softened
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1-1/2 teaspoon horseradish (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 boxes Triscuits (or whatever crackers you want, I just like this texture with the creamy dip)

Combine all ingredients except crackers: spread in lightly greased 13”X9” baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top. Serve warm with crackers for dipping. Serves 8-12.

good luck!

caprese salad/dip! I take a loaf of crusty bread (like one of those long thin french breads) and slice it into small pieces. I have a bowl where I mix together chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, basalmic vinegar and some salt and pepper. Serve with fresh mozzerella cheese. You pick up a bread, put a cheese slice (thin) on top, then spoon out some of the tomato mixture on top. Yum.

Pesto Brushetta

Sliced baguette drizzled w/EVOO on a sheet pan
thin layer of pesto sauce on each slice
top w/a thin slice of mozzarella
*top w/slice of tomato
sea salt & pepper
broil til cheese melts

*I make 1 pan w/fresh tomato and 1 pan w/cooked tomato...some people do not like warm tomatoes!

spinach dip :-) allrecipes.com has lots to chose from. cheese & crackers? baked brie,

Do you get the brand Viccolo's Pizza? they also sell it retail at whole foods.. it's a nice cornmeal crust and hold up nicely.. you could buy a couple and slice it in appetizer size bites.. it's pretty yummy stuff.. :) and even when room temp, is GOOD........

Also, if you decide to do a cheese and fruit platter, salami, assorted olives, add>>> the Pita Crackers at Trader Joe's............... crunchy goodness and lightly salted, not high in fat like chips but same goodness (almost :)

you can try chex mix or do pigs in a blanket all that is tiny hot dogs wraped in bis and baked or try doing meat balls in a cooker some of your local store carries cheese balls you could try that comes in diffrent flavors which I happen to like well with ritze crackers hope some of these ideas helped

YES to the buffalo chicken dip. If its a crowd pleaser, its a crowd pleaser. Just fancy it up with flatbread and sprinkling parsley over the plate. In fact... If you pre portion and stab with a toothpick, voila.

Super Easy Slightly Posh:

Bruschetta
- Tomato / Basil / Olive Oil
- Cannelini beans / purple onion / olive oil / LOTS of salt

Cheese Plate
- Brie (Id do a luscious Brie instead of earthy, etc.)
- Bleu (I like SmokeyBlue from Rogue River, bleu fans live and blue haters usually surprise themselves by liking!)
- Hard (like a pecorino or similar)
- Soft (herbed goat cheese)
- Washed Rind (sounds like Montesano, my brain is stuck)
- Mild (like smoked Gouda)
- Kids : baby bell, mozzarella cheese sticks
- Supposed to be kids, but adults snag : Mac n Cheese Balls (TraderJoes)

A big salad. Standard bag of baby greens & herbs. Fancy it up w toasted pecans & pomegranate

Warm sweet green olives

Warm Almonds
_______

More Time Consuming:

Pear & Bleu Cheese Tart
Stuffed Mushrooms
Seared Shrimp w/ Chorizo

Lil' smokies

Cream cheese, ham or turkey pinwheels

Spinach dip

Artichoke dip w/bread

Make your own mini sanwhich bar: mini sliced breads, reg mustard, hot
mustard, salami, ham, turkey. Serve w/black & green olives

Nacho platter

Shrimp w/cocktail sauce

Bbq chicken wings