Snacks/appetizers for Christmas family gatherings?

Question

The main meal stuff is covered and I have the SWEET stuff I'm taking figured out. I just need ideas for snacks/appetizers other than the norm sausage balls, cheeseball, chex mix, cheese/crackers, etc. You get the idea. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I really appreciate it and you've given me some really good options. I wish I could give the best answer points to 5 people!

Answer 1

I recommend stuffed peppers... just get some fresh green or orange peppers roast them either on a grill or a propane stove top... cut out the centers and fill them full of cheese or ham or anything you want... get creative... they are easy to make a lot of.. cut them in pieces if time is short.

Answer 2

How about dips.
Salsa ie Tortilla scoop chips.
Frito Lay Bean dip heated with Green Chilies ie Frito's scoop chips
Can of Chile heated and swirled with Nacho Cheese dip ie Frito's. The scoop kind.

I have a shrimp dip recipe to die for that I will share with you.
Shrimp Dip
1 - 8 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese mixed with
1/2 cup of Best Foods Mayonnaise.
Mix with fork. You want it to be slightly lumpy. Do not blend in blender.
Chop 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions.
Chop about 3/4 cup celery.
1 Tbs. Lemon juice.
Fold together. Then add
1 can of medium size shrimp (drain juices)
Fold the shrimp in last so it doesn't break up to fine.

Better if it is chilled in the fridge for several hours. Even better over night.

Serve on cracker of you choice or dip with crackers and rippled chips. I like the new oval Ritz crackers. They are thicker and don't break up so easy.

I have people who I don't even know calling me for my famous Shrimp Dip Recipe. Try it, you will love it. Put all these dips to gather and you will be the hit of the party.

Answer 3

WATERCRESS DIP

Take 2 batches of watercress and about a pint of sour cream. Chop up the watercress with some red onion and mix in the sour cream little by little to you achieve the desired consistency. Add horseradish, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers and/or raw vegetable sticks.
BLACK OLIVE & SUN DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE

Place an equal amount of black olives and sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor. Add a bunch of parsley, a squirt of lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Pulse the mixture a few times. Then slowly add a stream of extra virgin olive oil with the processor on until a smooth paste is achieved. Check for additional salt or pepper. Place dollops of the tapenade on Belgium endive leaves.

SPINACH AND MOZZARELLA PUFFS

You can use frozen chopped spinach but if you have the time I'd recommend sautéing fresh spinach in some garlic and oil and chopping it yourself. If you choose sautéed spinach, remember that spinach reduces a great deal so start with a lot. Take the thawed frozen spinach or the sautéed spinach and squeeze as much of the fluid out of it as possible. Add the spinach to a food processor along with an equal amount of mozzarella cheese. Add some parsley and salt and pepper. If you used the frozen spinach add a few cloves of garlic. Briefly whiz it in the food processor until you have a homogenized mixture.

Take two sheets of phyllo dough and brush them with melted butter. Then cut lengthwise into three-inch strips. Take a spoonful of the spinach mixture and place at the beginning of a strip. Fold it over to make a triangle and continue to fold the strip end over end, maintaining the triangular pattern. Brush the finished puff with melted butter. Continue with the rest of the dough until you've used up the spinach mixture. Line the puffs on parchment paper on a sheet tray and place them into a preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown. Keep an eye on them for the filling can sometimes burst out while baking. You can also fill them with the goat cheese mixture from above.

Answer 4

1) Canapee: Smoked Salmon X-mas-Stars:
thin butter toast bread slices
put a slice of salmon, a dash of lemon juice, fresh ground pepper, finely chopped dill. Cut out stars a star-shape-cookies-form.
of course instead of salmon you can take thin cheese-slices, salami etc.

2) Small cheese pies: roll out puff pastry and cut out with a cup or glass rounds. mash feta-cheese with an egg+ black pepper.
Put some filling at the one end of the pastry rounds, fold it , and press with your fingers to close. With the baking brush apply a mixture of one raw-egg + 3 SoupSpoons of milk, for colour
Bake in preheated oven 220 C, 20 minutes.
Impotant: Before put in the oven, re-press the edges of the pies with cold water. Do not open the oven the first 15 Minutes.

Answer 5

Spiced Nuts

Assorted shelled nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc.)

For sweet and spicy nuts:
Peanut oil, for drizzling
Sugar, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Chinese five-spice powder, to taste

For savory nuts:
Peanut oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt, to taste
Chili powder, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

For a sweet and spicy nut, toss your choice of nuts with oil, sugar, salt and a few dashes of Chinese five-spice powder.

For a savory and spicy nut, toss your choice of nuts with oil, salt and a few dashes of chili powder.

Lay out the nuts in an even layer on a baking dish. Bake, redistributing the nuts every 7 minutes or so to make sure they cook evenly, until the nuts are lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.


Tiny Pizzas

2 large store-bought pre-baked pizza shells
Your favorite jarred tomato sauce
1 pound grated mozzarella cheese
Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, as needed
Leaves from 1 large sprig fresh basil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut rounds from pizza dough using a 2-inch round cutter to make tiny individual crusts. Place pizza rounds on a baking sheet, top with sauce, and cover with mozzarella. Sprinkle a light dusting of grated Pecorino or Parmigiano on top. Bake until cheese is perfectly melted, approximately 10 minutes.

Cut basil leaves into thin strips and sprinkle on top of pizzas with some more grated cheese before serving.

Answer 6

classic at our living house is Cheese and sausage and crackers, Chex celebration blend (moms recipe no longer like the bagged stuff) Cookies and fudge, greens and dip Yum. Christmas day we do not go everywhere we stay in our PJ's as long as we want and that i cook all our common ingredients. We watch Christmas videos like Its a Wonderfull life and The Muppet Christmas Carol. After dinner we nap. this is the finest day of the 365 days. We invite friends and relatives for dinner yet commonly this is only us.

Answer 7

What about celery filled with that sour cream stuff. Seedless grapes. deviled eggs, peeled and sliced fresh apples, Oranges slices, and tangerine slices, Nut Trail Mix. Fruit Trail Mix, bite sized Oreo cookie snacks, Hersey's Candy Kisses, Strawberries with bowl of whip cream mix to them to dip them in.

Answer 8

mix 1 -8 oz. package of cream cheese & 1 small container of sour cream & 1 envelope of ranch chopped green onion spread on large burrito shells ( 1 package) i use the back of a large spoon to spread roll up cover put in fridge chill then cut in 3 piece,s make,s 30! also good with spinach in it!

Answer 9

Chocolate Pizza

12 oz semi sweet choc. Chips
1 lb white almond bark
2 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup rice krispies
1 cup peanuts
1 tsp vegetable oil
1-6 oz jar red maraschino cherries
3 tbs. green maraschino cherries
Coconut

Melt 14 oz white almond bark with 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips. Mix in marshmallows, rice krispies, and peanuts. Spread mixture on pizza pan. Drain and ½ red maraschino cherries. Drain and quarter green maraschino cherries. Top pizza with cherries then coconut. Melt remaining 2 oz white almond bark with twp oil drizzle over pizza. Chill till hardened, eat, enjoy!

Answer 10

I love these things....

Get a loaf of the little bread - usually rye and each bread slice is only like 2"x2"...then mix a little mayo, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions and then put those on the bread slices and then put in the oven at a low heat....heat up and it's ready in like 5-10 minutes. :)