Easy Appetizer Recipes

Source: My mother Dorothy's friend Dorothy.

Ingredients:

• shredded Swiss cheese
• Mayo
• Small shrimp or shrimp pieces
• Bread of your choice, cut in 1-1/4 inch squares

Steps:

1. Mix enough mayo with cheese to hold together. Add a little cayenne if you wish.
2. Cover bread pieces with the cheese-mayo mixture. Top with shrimp.
3. Broil 3 inches from broiler until cheese is melted and just starts browning. Serve immediately.

I made a taco dip for a recent get together and it was almost gone by the time it was my turn in line!! (This isn't "finger food", BUT it's cheap, quick and easy to prepare and a lot of people like it.) I mix a large can of fat free refried beans with a couple tablespoons of taco seasoning and spread in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Then you can add layers with whatever you have--I use fat free sour cream, chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, a bit of salsa if you have it. I also put some chopped onion on it. Then all you need is a bag of tortilla chips and you are done! I hope this helps!

The easiest thing I can think of is a crudite.

Get some cherry tomatoes, baby carrots etc and serve with a nice veggie dip. Knorr makes a good veggie dip mix.

put some cheese on Triscuits, microwave quickly and then you can top with pieces of tomato, green or black olives, dollop sour cream, whatever.

Tortilla Chips and salsa...you could even make a fancier dip...I brown some ground meat and drain it, put it in a crock pot or microwave, add cubed velveeta and salsa...heat to melt and serve it warm. It is quick and tasty.

Hi, Take some slices of lunch meat, spread cream cheese on them. Roll each slice up with the cream cheese inside, then slice into fourths. You can add a tiny slice of pickle before rolling up if you want. This always goes over well. Loretta

Grapes and cheese! Get a platter and arrange the grapes with cubed cheese. You can buy the cheese cubed already or you can get a block of cheese and cut it into cubes. Very easy!! It also looks great!

If you have a way of keeping it warm, how about a can of chili without beans and a small-sized Velveeta cheese package (block) microwaved and stirred. Provide tortilla chips. (I find that Mexican Velveeta gives it a different twist and guests cannot always figure out just what you have done!) Also, cocktail sausages in a pot with maple syrup and brown sugar, keeping it warm. Have fun!!!

MEATBALLS ...either sweet and sour or bbq.

Here's how I fix mine and everytime we have a party or get together this is what they request from me.

I open a bag or two of frozen meatballs from the grocers, add two bags of lil' smokies sausages, a can of pineapple chunks, and a drained jar of spanish olives.Dump it all into a crockpot and pour a large bottle of bbq sauce over it and cook on high until it heats up, then switch to warm or low heat.

Either frozen meatballs or Little Smokey type cocktail weinies simmered in a crock pot with a whole jar of chili sauce (found near ketchup) and a whole jar of grape jelly. When I got the recipe I could not BELIEVE these were the ingredients - but I have never had ANY leftovers!

It may look like a lot of ingredients but except for the butter which is melted in the baking dish everything else is mixed together and baked. Then cut into bite size pieces and served warm or room temperature so you don't have to worry about reheating. You probally would want to double the recipe for 40 people.

Spinach Bars

4tbs butter

3 eggs beaten

1 small onion chopped

12 sharp cheddar cheese finaly grated

1 10oz pack frozen chopped spinach, drained

and thawed

1 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms chopped

1 tspn salt

couple of dashes of garlic power

1 tspn baking powder

Heat oven to 350

melt butter in 12x9 backing pan when melted spread to

coat sides and bottom.

in a bowl mix everything else. spoon into pan.

bake 35 minutes until lightly brown. cool slightly and

cut into squares (I cut them into bite size pieces for

finger food). Serve hot or at room temperature.

I have used this when catering parties:

2 1lb cans Ham

1 medium size sweet relish

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened

mustard

hotsauce

2 pkgs 12 inch flour tortilla or 3 smaller size

garlic powder

onion powder

6 large celery stalks

In food processer, finely mince celery. Put in large bowl.Finely mince ham as if for ham salad in processor, add to bowl. Process cream cheese till light and fluffy. Add a squirt of mustard, a few sprinkles of garlic powder and onion powder,few shakes of hotsauce, and the relish to the bowl. Mix well by hand. Stir in cream cheese. If needed, you may add a small bit of mayo to desired consistency. Get out a 9x13 pan, set aside. Place one tortilla on work surface--spread with mixture to 1/2 inch from edges. Roll tightly, then roll tightly in wax paper.Place in pan. Continue till you have used all ham mixture. Refridgerate overnight. When time to serve, cut into 1/2 inch slices and arrange on platter, sprinkle with paprika if desired. I never have any leftover. I call these Lori's Ham Roll-ups. It sounds fussy, but is actually quite easy to make, and you do them the day before. Good Luck!

These are all 5-star recipes - ENJOY!

Jet Swirl Pizza Appetizers

INGREDIENTS:

1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough

1/4 pound Genoa salami, thinly sliced

1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, sliced

1/4 pound provolone cheese, sliced

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Roll pizza crust dough into an approximately 10x14 inch rectangle on the baking sheet. Layer with Genoa salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese to within 1/2 inch from edges of the dough. Roll jelly roll style. Seal the edge with a fork.

Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice into 1 inch pieces to serve.

Garlicky Appetizer Shrimp Scampi

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced shallots

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 pounds large shrimp - peeled and deveined

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat grill for high heat.

In a large bowl, mix together softened butter, olive oil, garlic, shallots, chives, salt, pepper, and paprika; add the shrimp, and toss to coat.

Lightly oil grill grate. Cook the shrimp as close to the flame as possible for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Brie Cheese Appetizer

INGREDIENTS:

1 (8 ounce) wheel Brie cheese

3 tablespoons apricot preserves

1/2 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg white

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Slice one wheel of Brie cheese in half so you have 2 circles of cheese. Spread apricot or peach preserves on (the cut side) half of one circle of brie. Make sandwich out of the two halves of Brie, so that the preserves are in the center of both halves. Wrap the entire wheel of Brie with one sheet of puffed pastry and flip the entire concoction onto the prepared cooking sheet so the seam is on bottom. Brush the puffed pastry with the egg white.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry in golden brown. Serve immediately.

Quick and Easy Taco Dip

INGREDIENTS:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3/4 teaspoon taco seasoning mix

1/3 cup salsa

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, taco seasoning mix and salsa. Spread the mixture into a shallow serving dish or an 8 inch baking pan. Top with Cheddar cheese. Chill in the refrigerator approximately 1 hour before serving.

Here are a couple of our family favorites...

Cheese Ball "in Crust"

Make or buy an 8 oz. cheese ball

I have just fixed them with a large package of cream cheese and added a couple of tablespoons of raw onion and a couple of tablespoons of dry ranch dressing mix

1 tube of cressant rolls, unrolled and the seams pressed together.

completely cover the cheese ball and seal edges with the cressant roll dough and remove any excess. You can use scraps to make leaves, etc. to decorate top.

Gently brush on a wash made of an egg with a teaspoon of water whisked in.

Bake at 350 till the outside is nice and golden brown and shiny. Serve warm with crackers.

Rumaki

1 lb chicken livers

small can of water chestnuts

1/2 to 1 lb bacon

marinade:

1/2 c soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)

1 tsp ground ginger

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

Slightly cook chicken livers so that they can be easily handled. Wrap chicken livers around water chestnut, and wrap with 1/2 strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Continue until all liver is used up and place in shallow dish in a single layer. Mix marinade and pour over Rumaki. Marinate NO MORE than 1/2 hour (livers tend to break down after that) in refrigerator. Broil until bacon is crisp and serve hot.

Be very careful when using liver that everything, including hands, is very clean before handling and especially after handling. If you have any leftovers, it is probably not a good idea to keep them too long.

CHICKEN QUESADILLA

2 tortillas

1-2 precooked sliced chicken breasts

shredded cheese (mexican blend) to taste

black olives (about 15 sliced)

1 diced red pepper

1 diced green pepper

Adobo season to taste

Heat oven to 350 or heat a large skillet and drizzle with about 2 teaspoons olive oil. Place one tortilla as base, add a layer of cheese. Then add in the remaining ingredients-topped with another layer of cheese. If baking - about 15 to 20 minutes. If skillet until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and let set a few minutes on cutting board (about 5 minutes). Then cut like a pizza. Serve with gaucamolie, salsa, salsa con queso, and cilantro. ALways a crowd pleaser.

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1 can favorite chili (with or whithout beans

Heat together until cream cheese is melted and well mixed. Serve hot with tortilla chips

Tortilla pinwheels (they go FAST)

1 pack flour tortialls

8 0z cream cheese

1/3 cup of salsa your favorite kind we use\

Herdez Salsa Casera mild and good

shredded cheddar cheese

mix all and spread on tortialls then wrap each one

tight overnight in cling wrap then the morning of

unwrap and slice and easy and people always

want MORE I usually double recipe

Pick up a package of Knorr Vegetable Soup mix and follow the recipe on the back for Spinach Dip. It's awesome, easy and people always love it.

Spicy Deviled Eggs

INGREDIENTS:

6 hard boiled eggs

1 tsp. favorite mustard

French's GourMayo Washabi Horseradish as desired

DIRECTIONS:

Simmer eggs for 10 minutes after bring to a boil.

Peel. Cut lengthwise and put yokes in small bowl saving whites halved. Add mustard and as much GourMayo Washabi Horseradish as desired to yokes. Spoon yoke mixture back into white halves. Sprinkle slightly with paprika. Chill before serving.

Celery stuffed with crabmeat/shrimp.

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh celery hearts

2 sm. cans shrimp or crabment

Hellmans Mayonaise to suit you

DIRECTIONS:

Wash Celery. Mix shrimp or crabmeat with Hellman's mayo to taste. Stuff shrimp/crabmeat mixture into celery and cut to suit you.

Chili-cheese dip with corn chips

INGREDIENTS:

1 8oz pkg cream cheese softened

1 can Hormel chili without beans

1 8oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In a 10"-12" tart pan or glass pie plate, spread evenly the cream cheese. Pour Hormel chili without beans evenly on top. Spread mozzarella evenly.

Microwave on high 1-2 minutes, making sure the cheese on top is all melted. Serve corn chips in a bowl on the side. Dip and mange.