Easy, but Nice, Hors D'oeurves
I went to a party at a hotel a few weeks ago and I had this antipasta on a stick thing. It had fresh mozzarella, a sundried tomato, some kind of leafy herb and something else (non-meat). It seemed to have been marinated in the something and looked easy enough. ANyone ever make something like that? Anyway, shoot some ideas at me. I'm willing to try making some stuff.  |
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| All-time fave. Party rye (the little ones). 8 ounces of cream cheese with a packet of Good Season Italian dressing mixed into. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the rye, top with a thinly sliced cucumber (I use the English/hothouse variety). Sprinkle with dill. Or don't sprinkle with dill.
Delicious and easy and non-meat. The leafy herb thing on your stick was most likely basil. The marinade was probably olive oil with herbs. You can recreate it using bottled Italian dressing instead of the olive oil. |
Paula O. wrote: All-time fave. Party rye (the little ones). 8 ounces of cream cheese with a packet of Good Season Italian dressing mixed into. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the rye, top with a thinly sliced cucumber (I use the English/hothouse variety). Sprinkle with dill. Or don't sprinkle with dill.
Delicious and easy and non-meat. The leafy herb thing on your stick was most likely basil. The marinade was probably olive oil with herbs. You can recreate it using bottled Italian dressing instead of the olive oil. That does sound good and very doable. I feel like I've had a variety of that with a tomato stabbed on, too. Thanks for the idea! Yes! Basil, of course! |
| I love stuffed tomatoes and stuffed mushrooms. |
| There are several brands of frozen quiche and other appetizer items that are quite good. Easy to heat up a bunch at a time.
Veggie's/chips/crackers and a dip is always good. Many dips can be made a day ahead so you can get the prep out of the way. These are good, but take a little bit of work, but can be mixed in advance. Everyone always raves about them. Hot Spinach Balls Recipe 2 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained 2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix 1 cup chopped onion 4 eggs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2/3 cup butter, melted 1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed 1 clove garlic, minced In a large bowl, combine spinach, herb-seasoned stuffing mix, onion, eggs, Parmesan cheese, butter, thyme, and garlic. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on shallow baking pans. Cover and chill in the refrigerator about 2 hours or until firm. Bake in a 300° F. oven about 30 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Let stand on the baking pans for 1 minute. Serve warm. Makes about 5 dozen. |
Me too, Valerie, and those are both super easy to make. Another simple favorite of mine is Baked Brie or Brie en Cruete if you like the French name better.  Also super simple and so very scrumptious!! |
| My favorite: Brie, green apple slice, and brown sugar on a little crispy french bread. So good and very easy! Plus it looks fancy...
I was at a friends this weekend and she had out cheese tortellini's, sundried tomato and green pepper on a toothpick. All three things were really flavorful so there was no need for oil or anything else. Also- spinach dip in a hawaiian bread bowl is always good! |
| Different take on Heather's
Ball of Gouda ( in the red wax) Pillbury Grans Croissants - 1 package brown sugar -1/4 to 1/2 cup unroll the pack of croissants place 1/2 brown sugar put gouda on top of brown sugar put resst of brown suguar on tops of the ball fold croissants around/ over the gouda bake-35-45 mintuts until cheese is melted...about 350 serve warm alone or with crackers.... This is a fav at our house ..... |
| An easy cheese spread that is delicious - just 4 ingredients!
8 oz cream cheese 1/3 to 1/2 of an onion, finely chopped 2-3 cloves of garlic - pressed 1 bag of grated cheese of choice - cheddar or whatever. The orange cheeses look best. Warm the cream cheese and mix with all ingredients. If you want to make it a cheese ball, save some of the grated cheese to roll it in after mixing. Best served with those little dried garlic bread crisps, but any cracker you like will do. |
Beaureguard's Mom wrote: Me too, Valerie, and those are both super easy to make. Another simple favorite of mine is Baked Brie or Brie en Cruete if you like the French name better.
Also super simple and so very scrumptious!!I am not a huge Brie fan but I am very interested in the stuffed mushrooms or tomatoes. I see lots of stuff on the internet but does anyone have any recommendations for how they make them? |
| I have made these a few times...they are really good.
Savory Herb-Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee Show: Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee Episode: 24 medium mushrooms, about 1 pound 6 tablespoons reduced-fat stick margarine 1 small onion, chopped 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (3-ounce) package low-fat cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes 1 cup packaged herb-seasoned stuffing croutons Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove stems from mushrooms. Chop enough stems to make 1 cup. Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in saucepan. Brush mushroom cap tops with margarine, place top side down in shallow baking pan and brush undersides of caps. Heat remaining margarine in same saucepan. Add chopped mushroom stems, onion and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in cream cheese, combining with fork if necessary. Add Parmesan cheese, parsley and herb seasoned stuffing. Mix thoroughly. Spoon about 1 tablespoon stuffing mixture into each mushroom cap. Bake until heated through. Tip: To make ahead, prepare as directed but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake as directed. |
| The spinach balls sound great!
Here's a good recipe for sausage-stuffed mushrooms. It is always fun to read the reviewer comments. Some are hilarious and some actually have good ideas. According to Epicurious, when I first made them in 2004, I commented: "Yum!! These are easy and delicious!" http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/107246 |
| Had this on Friday, Yum, but not very healthful
1 block cream cheese add 1tsp curry 1/2 tsp hot sauce 1/2 tsp worchester sauce mix till creamy spread on plate 1/2 inch thick top with mango chutney sprinkle bacon pieces over chutney Serve with crackers |
| You can use Stouffers spinach souffle to stuff mushrooms or as a filling for tarts. How about small crab cakes or blini with caviar and sour cream?
The ever popular ants on a log 
BTW, I have an electric warming tray and stuff if you need it. |
| Very simple stuffed tomatoes
1. Take a small slice off the bottom of tomatoes so the will stand nicely. 2. Cut small x in top and squeeze out seeds and extra juice 3. Fill pastry bag with Aloutte cheese ( we like all flavors) and stuff the tomatoes. I also use this to stuff celery and also to top cucumber slices. I cut an English cucumber in med/ thick slices - scoop out a small "hole" and fill with cheese mixture. Another quick idea is to skewer pineapple chunks, chunks of red and green pepper, and cubes of ham, turkey etc. I dip them in a sweet and sour sauce and broil just until bubbly - then put them in a chafing dish to keep warm. Easy! Hard salami spread with plain cream cheese and rolled is always a hit- so simple. Green onions wrapped with ham slices spread with a dill dip are pretty good. Bacon wrapped water-chestnuts with a sweet/ savory sauce ( rumaki minus the liver !) marinated olives / carrots / cherry tomatoes in a garlic dressing - stick with picks- a nice alternative to a veggie tray pita chips and homemade hummus -- yumm I could go on.... We love finger foods for the holidays, and I always want something quick and VERY simple that I can put on a "dressed up" platter!! Hopefully some of these sound good-- I know I am going to try Paula's idea! |
| These are all sounding so good and doable! I have a lot of people coming that eat like little kids so I can do a couple of fun things and a couple of simple things for the people who refuse to eat any cheese other than American! |
| You can always do a ham roll:
Take a slice of ham, spread cream cheese (use flavored if you like) on the ham like you would a sandwich. Place a dill pickle spear and roll them like jelly rolls. Put in fridge and let set. Put toothpicks in them and slice into bite size pieces. It is always a hit at our parties. Might just be a "Southern thing" though.  |
 My sister makes that but I thought she used scallion instead of pickle, so maybe there are regional variations. |
| Jill, that antipasta on a stick thing is one of my favorites. The way I make it is to just alternate the grape/cherry tomato with a piece of basil and a piece of mozzarella cheese. My mom finds tiny little individual round mozzarellas, but you can just cut them to bite size and stick it on.
I know they have marinated sundried tomatoes that come in a sort of oil/herb mixture, and that would be really good to add or substitute the fresh tomato part. You can drizzle the whole thing with a little black pepper and olive oil and balsmic vinegar too. YUM! And the red and white and green of it is VERY Christmas-y! |
| Jill - I'll have to get my recipe book when I go home at lunch to give you the recipes I use. I don't do it often enough to have it memorized. But, I'm fairly sure they came from Paula Deen since I am such a huge fan.
We need to make this thread a sticky. I'm sure we could all use it at some point for a cocktail party or Girls Night In sometime. |
| Cheese straws are good with drinks, or cheese puffs. Cheese puffs are just a simple cream puff dough with grueyere(sp) added.
I think we are missing the most important part: DESSERT 
I would suggest miniature everything: cupcakes, pecan tarts, cream puffs or eclairs, an assortment of cookies, you get the idea |
| Pepperidge Farm has their cookies in a mini-variety. Sam's Club (and I'm assuming Costco) has mini eclairs and cream puffs. And there is always the standby of Hershey Kisses in green and red foil. And Reese Peanutbutter Cups in red and green foil.
I know this from experience. |
| i like my favorite
room temp cream cheese 1 cup mayo 1 1/2 cup chedar cheese 1 can drained artichokes (chopped) 1 or 2 cans drained shrimp or crab meat half of a red onion finely chopped dash of worstishire sauce tablespoon of horseradish mix well together...put in a heat proof bowl (or a bread bowl) and warm in oven till bubbly...... |
| Or proscuitto wrapped asparagus and prosciutto wrapped breadsticks...
Oh, and my brother just made these for me for Thanksgiving: Fried Ravioli Buy the fresh ravioli that you can find in the cold section of the store and buy the smallest ones you can find. Dip them in buttermilk. Roll them in breadcrumbs. Shallow fry them in olive oil until they are golden brown. Stick a toothpick in them and serve with a marinara sauce in a bowl on the side... |
| To make the ravioli more heart friendly, coat them in italian dressing, lightly coat in breadcrumbs and bake. |
Maxmm wrote: To make the ravioli more heart friendly, coat them in italian dressing, lightly coat in breadcrumbs and bake.
Aside from the baking instead of frying part, how does this make them more heart friendly? I thought buttermilk was naturally lowfat (or even comes fatfree)? And, the good thing about baking them, is that you don't have to worry about them. When you fry them, you have to sit there and babysit them, but with baking you can just pop them in the oven and forget about them! |
I can't remember how off hand, I'll have to look it up in the book. My answer until then is, the American Heart Association says so!!!  |
Maxmm wrote: I can't remember how off hand, I'll have to look it up in the book. My answer until then is, the American Heart Association says so!!!
Maybe it IS just the frying part and the rest is just a slight variation on the recipe. I thought I knew ALL the ways to make things healthier! |
| Just the other night I saw frozen fried cheese ravioli at Super Target. Put on a baking sheet and bake. I think Jill can handle that! |
| Does anyone have any vegan ideas? I have a few vegan friends coming to a christmas party on the 21st and I'd like to have a few things for them, but I can't think of anything interesting |
| Heather, try this site: http://www.vegsource.com/recipe/
Marinated veggies, foccacia with marninara for dipping, spring rolls, onion and olive tart, marinated tofu skewers, spiced nuts. Holly, kicked off again  |
| Something like this is always a hit around here. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spicy-Tort ... etail.aspx I usually add garlic too, and don't put any hot sauce in. They are really easy and oh so addicting |
Darcy wrote: i like my favorite
room temp cream cheese 1 cup mayo 1 1/2 cup chedar cheese 1 can drained artichokes (chopped) 1 or 2 cans drained shrimp or crab meat half of a red onion finely chopped dash of worstishire sauce tablespoon of horseradish mix well together...put in a heat proof bowl (or a bread bowl) and warm in oven till bubbly...... oh my that sounds yummy~ |
| Heather, i was watching Emeril last night and this looks fantastic...one i am planning on making....if you cant eat the goat cheese, you probably could substitute it with some type of creamy soy cheese.....(if they make any...)
Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Terrine Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's Potluck, HarperCollins Publishers, 2004 Show: Emeril Live Episode: Christmas Holiday Party 1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for oiling pans 1 (1-pound) globe eggplant, stem and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices 1 pound zucchini, stem and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices 1 1/2 pounds yellow squash, stem and bottom ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices Salt and freshly ground black pepper 10 ounces soft, mild goat cheese 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 large red bell peppers (about 1 pound), roasted, cored, seeds and skins removed, cut into 3 or 4 large pieces 16 ounces fresh spinach, washed, stems removed, then blanched, squeezed dry, and coarsely chopped 2 large yellow bell peppers (about 1 pound), roasted, cored, seeds and skins removed, cut into 3 or 4 large pieces 1 recipe Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce, recipe follows Toasted croutons, for serving Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease with olive oil. Arrange some of the eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash slices in a single layer on the sheets, slightly overlapping them. Brush with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake until soft and just golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining vegetable slices. In a large bowl, combine the goat cheese with the basil, parsley, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and mix well. In a 6-cup terrine (12 by 3 by 3 inches), arrange the eggplant slices crosswise over the bottom and up the sides, overlapping the slices to completely cover the terrine. The ends of the slices should overhang the sides of the terrine. Top the eggplant with thin layers of red bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, spinach, and yellow bell pepper. Crumble a layer of the goat cheese mixture on top of the yellow bell pepper, and repeat the layering with the remaining vegetable slices. Bring the overhanging eggplant slices up over the terrine. Wrap the terrine loosely in plastic wrap. Top with an equal-size terrine or a piece of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil. Place a brick or heavy pot on top of the terrine and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or for up to 24 hours. Remove the terrine from the refrigerator. Remove the weight and unwrap. Slice with a very sharp knife and serve 1 thick or 2 thin slices per person with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and toasted croutons. Sun Dried Tomato Sauce: 1 cup tightly packed sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed), reconstituted in hot water and drained 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper and puree on high speed. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil through the feed tube and process until well combined. Pour into a container until ready to serve. Yield: about 2 cups |
| Do you have sweet chile salsa on your grocery shelves? Cannon is one brand. Pour this over cream cheese. Or get a high quality raspberry jam...like from Whole Foods, not Smuckers and pour that over cream cheese.
Of course you have to have something Greek! One is flaming cheese: Saganaki: Kasseri Cheese, about 8 ounces, 1/4 cup brandy, 1 lemon and crackers Melt the cheese in the oven or in a double boiler until it is like melted Mozarrella cheese . In another pot warm the brandy, warm, not hot. To serve, pour the melted cheese in a warm dish, it will be thick. Pour the warm brandy over the top and with your guest waiting in anticipation, light the cheese. Keep the fire boing only frienfly, just enough to sear the brandy. Cover until the flame is out and then squeeze the lemon over the cheese. Since the cheese begins to set up fairly quickly, guests are encourage to scoup onto bread hunks. |
| bring on the saganki...ooopa!!! |
| Oh yeah, with Saganaki, don't set the house on fire!
Here's a recipe from WAAAAY back....1968 at least... Blue Cheese Mousse 1/4 cup cold milk 1 pkg plain gelatin 1/2 cup hot milk 2 cups sour cream 1 Tablespoon Italian dressing mix 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped 2 cups cottage cheese 1/2 cup blue cheese (oh you know I always add a smidge more* )
Pour cold milk, gelatin together and swish to moisten. Pour into a food processor or blender, add hot milk and process until gelatin dissolves. Add cheeses, blend. Add sour cream, seasoning, parsley. Pour into a 4 cup mold and chill at least 4 hours until set. Unmold and serve with veggies as well as crackers * I've doubled the blue cheese or added an equal amount of feta with no real change in texture, just a jazzed up taste. |
| Though I love the idea of saganaki, fire in the house= bad idea! |
Coward  , would you like an orange? |
bestdogsx4 wrote: Coward
, would you like an orange?Lol. Yeah, I think I'm just going to serve oranges. I'm not even gonna peel them. |
| Oh, be a gracious host, make them clementines, easier to peel. Jack has decided I have to split my clemmies with him.......is there nothing this sheepdog doesn't eat?
Cucumber, cream cheese, piece of smoked salmon on top with dill "feather" Or just call Domino's! |
Paula O. wrote: All-time fave. Party rye (the little ones). 8 ounces of cream cheese with a packet of Good Season Italian dressing mixed into. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the rye, top with a thinly sliced cucumber (I use the English/hothouse variety). Sprinkle with dill. Or don't sprinkle with dill.
Delicious and easy and non-meat. I'm going to make these for the "grazefest" Monday at my office! Thanks! |
| Thesse always are a hit & so easy;
Sprinkle bottom of baking pan w/ crumbled blue cheese & a few dots of butter, place refrigerated (tube) biscuits on top. Bake until brown. I also buy pepperoni bread (bakery, or Italian grocery). Heat & slice. |
| So I can't believe no one has mentioned the all time gourmet combination of......
CHEESE WHIZ AND RITZ |
My very discriminating husband  cheez whiz and ritz!!!! |
| No, Cheez Whiz on Chicken in a Biscuit! |
| hmmmm, Chicken in a Biskit
mmmmm I can taste the MSG already! |
| I LOFF Chicken in a Biskit! Plain. But Cheeze Whiz would be good. |
Darcy wrote: Heather, i was watching Emeril last night and this looks fantastic...one i am planning on making....if you cant eat the goat cheese, you probably could substitute it with some type of creamy soy cheese.....(if they make any...)
The vegans aren't goign to make it, so we are going to have cheese galore. That recipe sounds really really good (if someone else were to make it and bring it... thats one too many steps for me!) |
Lil Walty wrote: Darcy wrote: Heather, i was watching Emeril last night and this looks fantastic...one i am planning on making....if you cant eat the goat cheese, you probably could substitute it with some type of creamy soy cheese.....(if they make any...) The vegans aren't goign to make it, so we are going to have cheese galore. That recipe sounds really really good (if someone else were to make it and bring it... thats one too many steps for me!) if i were there id make it!! i think im going to make it anyway....it really is easy.....well, at least emeril made it look easy....lol |
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