Holiday appetizers?

[VF21]

A few years ago, I think we had a recipe column. I'm revisiting it for purely selfish reasons.

I'm attending a Christmas party next weekend and I've been asked to bring some appetizers. I'd like to make something a little different for my friends to enjoy BUT (and this is an important proviso) I don't have tons of time.

So, here's my question. What are your favorite home-made appetizers? Fairly simple but not just CheeseWhiz or a Ritz?

Anybody have any suggestions?

 

[Prophetess]

this pizza is delicious!! and easy. (had to edit it to remove tools- )

A-Pizza-Teaser​

Ingredients:
1 package (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk flaky biscuits
Olive oil
1garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 ounce (1/4 cup) fresh Parmesan cheese, grated​

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Separate biscuits horizontally in half to form 20 biscuits. On lg round baking sheet, arrange 6 biscuits, with edges touching, in circle. Arrange remaining biscuits, edges touching, in another circle around center ring of biscuits. Gently press biscuits together with fingers to seal, leaving outside edges scalloped for petal effect.
2. lightly spray biscuits with oil. Using a garlic press, press garlic over biscuits (or buy garlic in a jar); spread evenly. chop tomato, bell pepper and onion; sprinkle evenly over biscuits along with oregano and basil.
3. Bake 15-17 minutes or until edges are golden brown; remove from oven. Immediately grate cheese over warm biscuits. To serve, pull biscuits apart.
Yield: 20 biscuits ​

 

[Warhawk]

Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts are good.

I'll have to see if I can dig up the recipe for you at home.

 

[Kingzrool]

I always like 7 layer dip, you do not need a recipe for that. Feliz Navidad! (sp?)

 

[Warhawk]

Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts are good.

I'll have to see if I can dig up the recipe for you at home.

OK, here goes:

1 lb sliced bacon (cut in thirds)
2 cans water chestnuts
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar

Wrap a strip of bacon around 2 chestnut slices and secure with a toothpick. Continue with rest of bacon and water chestnuts. Place in ungreased baking pan at 375 for 25 minutes or until bacon is crisp. In a small saucepan, combine ketchup and brown sugar and cook on low heat until sugar dissolves. Remove chestnuts to paper towel to drain. Place them back in the pan and drizzle sauce over them. Return to oven for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

I also had been told that a variation on this recipe is to try a marinade of soy sauce and brown sugar in equal parts but have not tried that yet.

 

[Jerryaki]

stuffed mushrooms?

not really a recipe, but a quick put together.

1) saute some mushrooms (with their stems removed to create a little bowl) in a little oil and garlic.

2) buy pre-cooked crabcake(s) [usually sold at supermarket deli counters], and spoon some of it into each cap (after they've cooled a little).

3) heat up in an oven/toaster oven at approx. 350 degrees, for about 5-7 minutes until everything is hot. in the last 30 seconds or so sprinkle with italian bread crumbs.

sorry, the recipe is a little ghetto, but they come out pretty tasty.

 

[VF21]

You folks rock! I think I might actually make all three!!!

 

[Evenstar]

i have so many possible recipes, but one of my favorites is a simple one my best friend's dad always puts out for parties.

1 block of cream cheese at room temp
1 jar of cocktail sauce
1/2 pound of the timy bay shrimp
crackers

chop the shrimp up slighty, and mix them with the cocktail sauce. on a big plate, put the cream cheese. top with the shrimp/cocktail sauce mix. simply serve that with crackers. it's best to keep it cold, so a cold plate would be perfect underneath the plate. it's so simple and soooo good! i love it with wheat thins!