I need some ideas for appetizers?

Question

Having a progressive dinner and our house will serve appetizers. This is a Christmas party/dinner. People will only be at our house for 30 minutes. Main course will be Prime Rib so I figure I probably will need some things lite...both hot & cold. Any favorites?

Thanks to everyone that is responding!!!
This is going to be a casual affair.
Keep them coming we are definitely going to use a few of the ideas you have suggested!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

How fancy is this shindig? Here's an idea for an impressive and delicious course:

Vichyssoise to start, followed by crab-stuffed mushrooms.

Start your course with a Vichyssoise, a cold potato and leek soup.
This old-fashioned soup hardly gets noticed anymore, but it it
delicious and elegant. Serve it in cups with a swirled dollop of fresh cream and a splinkling of freshly chopped chives. I also serve mine with a flaky, buttery, mini croissant on the side as a fancy 'cracker'. This recipe makes 4 good-sized servings. Adjust accordingly.


Vichyssoise:

3 large leeks, white parts only, washed well and sliced thinly
2 Tablespoons butter
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (use Idaho or Russet)
3 cups chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup whipping cream
extra fresh cream (optional)
freshly chopped chives

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat, then stir in the leeks and saute at a very low temperature, stirring occasionally, until they are golden. Add the stock, potatoes, and salt--bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Puree, then press through a sieve to get a very fine texture.

Return to the saucepan, add the milk and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, stir in the cream, adjust for seasoning (cold soups should be slightly overseasoned), and chill overnight.

When ready to serve, ladle into chilled cups, top with a swirl of fresh cream and chopped chives. (If soup is thicker than you'd like, add extra milk to thin)

Crab-stuffed Mushrooms:

Large, fresh mushrooms, as many as you need.
Wash & stem the mushrooms. If you like, you can chop the stems and add them to the stuffing mix or discard them.

Stuffing:

6 tbs. butter
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 med. red or green bell pepper,
finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup white wine or water
3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
12 oz. crabmeat
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg (slightly beaten)

Saute onion,celery, pepper, garlic and mushroom stems if using them, in melted butter until tender. Add wine and lemon juice & heat. Remove from heat.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Stuff mushroom caps generously and firmly with stuffing. Place in a shallow buttered buttered baking dish & bake at 375 for 8-10 mins--broil an additional 3 mins, if you like.

Serve each guest one hot mushroom with a fesh lemon wedge.

I realize this menu is a bit demanding, but the soup will be made a day ahead of time, and the mushrooms can be made ahead the same day and ready to pop in the oven. Since they will only take about 10-15 mins, your guests should be finishing their soup when they come out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Polly

Answer 2

Some friends and I did that last year and the Appetizer stop was my apartment. LOL! This year our motorcycle group is doing it, so the stops are more spread out so we can get some riding in, in between courses.

One big hit at most party's I've gone too, has been a cheese ball.

Take 2 pkgs of cream cheese and soften them...mix in a package of dry hidden valley ranch salad dressing mix...form into a ball shape, then roll the ball in bacon bits (get the real ones, not the freeze dried looking ones).

Put on a plate and arrange crackers around it, and you're done. You can make it well ahead of time and refrigerate.

Have a great time...and enjoy!

Answer 3

Shrimp salad in wonton cups - looks more difficult than it is - light and refreshing. The recipe is on www.epicurious.com

Puff pastry - covered with mustard of choice, pepperoni, asiago cheese, pepper and thyme. Roll it up, refrigerate 30 min. - cut into 1/4 inch slices and cook at 350 until lightly browned.

Answer 4

Lit'l Smokie Wraps
1 package Lit'l Smokies®
1 can Crescent dinner rolls dough

Heat oven to 375°F.
Cut each individual dinner roll in quarters.
Wrap each Lit'l Smokie in one quarter roll.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 375°F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with warm spicy mustard, if desired


Cheese-Filled Mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Crumbled cooked bacon, to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet; set aside. (If desired, line cookie sheet with aluminum foil to save on cleanup.) Wash mushrooms thoroughly; dry and remove stems, hollowing out a hole where the stem was attached to the mushroom. Set aside. Mix together cheeses, mayonnaise and bacon (if using). Pack the center of each mushroom with a mound of the cheese mixture. Arrange mushrooms on cookie sheet. Bake until cheese is browned and mushrooms are shiny, about 20 minutes. Mushrooms may be stuffed and refrigerated ahead of time, then baked as needed.


Tomato-Mozarella Bites
20 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
20 fresh basil leaves
20 small balls fresh mozzarella cheese (often labeled bocconcini)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
20 toothpicks

Using a toothpick, spear a half of a tomato, a piece of basil, a mozzarella ball, and another half of a tomato. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place on a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the vinegar and oil together in a small bowl to serve as a dipping sauce.


Cocktail Meatballs
1 bag cooked, frozen meatballs
1 16 oz. can Jellied Cranberry sauce
1 12 oz. bottle chili sauce
2 TBLSP dark brown sugar
1 TBLSP lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in crockpot, cook 2-3 hours until cooked through and serve.


SO SIMPLE APPETIZER
1 loaf Italian or French bread, sliced diagonally
Italian dressing

Spread each piece of bread with Italian dressing. Broil until toasted. Serve immediately.


Appetizer Kabobs
Kabob skewers
40 cocktail smokies
20 cubes mozarella cheese
20 cubes cheddar cheese
40 jumbo black olives

Warm cocktail smokies. Cut kabob skewers in half. Thread each half-skewer in this order 1 black olive, 1 cube mozarella, 1 cocktail smokie, 1 cube cheddar cheese, 1 cocktail smokie, 1 black olive. Makes 20 kabobs.

Answer 5

Here are a couple of my favorites that I make ahead and have on hand in the freezer all through the holidays:

HOt CANAPES

1 pound of ground beef, cooked and drained, crumbled
1 pound groung turkey, cooked and drained, crumbled (opt. could use pork)
1 t. oregano
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 -2 loaves party rye (I like to use one light one dark)

Cook meats and drain well, crumble. Add everything else, except bread. Stir until cheese in well melted. (I do this in large pot in microwave - but could be done stovetop). I then cover a cookie sheet with sheet of waxed paper. I spread mixture on slices of party rye and place on cookie sheet. Once layer is full I place another sheet on top and continue. Repear as necessary. Cover with one last sheet of waxed paper and tightly cover all with foil and place in freezer until frozen solid. I then pop slices off the layers into zip loc bags and when needed remove as many as needed and place on cookie sheet and broil 4-inches from heat until hot and bubbly. Watch carefully - easy to burn! You can also make day of party - place in fridge and broil when needed.



BACON CRESCENT BITES - from kraftfoods.com
pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Center Cut Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1-1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix cream cheese, bacon, onions and Worcestershire sauce.
SEPARATE each can of crescent roll dough into 8 triangles each. Cut each triangle in half lengthwise. Spread each dough triangle with 1 generous tsp. cream cheese mixture. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point. Place, point sides down, on ungreased baking sheet.
BAKE 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

I make these ahead and slightly under bake and freeze in zip locs. When ready to use I simply pop in hot oven until warmed thoroughly. Don't over bake since baked already

Both of these freeze well, go over well, and can be kept in freezer for a month or so.

Enjoy and relax and have fun at the party - sounds like a great way to do the holidays!.

Answer 6

This is so easy and so good, you'll die.
Take whole whole water chestnuts (canned is best). Drain and rinse. Wrap each whole chestnut in a strip of bacon. Bake at 350 until the bacon is crisp. That's it. Try it yourself first if you don't believe, but these are good!

Answer 7

For a cold appetizer I would suggest an over-the-top apple snack, recipe can be found on the following website http://kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&u1=bytype&u2=6*24&u3=**15*49&wf=9&recipe_id=66274

and for a hot appetizer I would suggest Potsticke dumplings, recipe can be found on the following website http://kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&u1=bytype&u2=6*23&u3=**12*108&wf=9&recipe_id=92007

Have fun and enjoy your dinner! :)

Answer 8

Stuffed mushrooms, baked brie, cheeses and fruit, chips and dips like french onion dip and hot artichoke dip are always a hit. Good luck and enjoy your meal.

Answer 9

Crusty bread with Taramasalta or Hummus dips

Answer 10

At a gathering I went to at my sisters home, she servred these, real delicious and hot, stuffed mushrooms so, why don't you, try that?

Put some sour cream and dill plus backon bits in them or, com up with your own concotion to do it with.

i don't know,what were in my sises, I just know they, were super-delicious.