Recipes for EASY Christmas Eve appetizers?

Question

I just bought my first house and the family want to do drinks and appetizers at my new place. We're going to church before hand, so I need easy but great tasting recipe ideas. Please help.

When i say easy, I mean things that I do have do something with. I understand that I can buy crackers and cheese. I'm interested in the recipes that require a minimal amount of ingredients and that I can prepare with a relative aount of ease. Dn't tell me ot buy dip. I'm trying to impress!!!

Answer 1

Olive Penguins-- http://www.recipezaar.com/40463
*Very fun and cute picture on the link!*

Cranberry Sauce Meatballs
Meatballs:
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup challah bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon fresh basil, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sauce:
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 1/2 cups chili sauce or catsup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
--In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, garlic, onion powder, basil and pepper. Mix well but do not overwork or meat will become tough when cooked. Form into small balls the size of a walnut or smaller. Place meatballs in a slow oven of 300 degrees F and bake for 25 minutes. In the meantime, in a crock pot set at 325 degrees F, mix together the cranberry sauce (if you so desire, you can use jellied. I prefer the whole berry.) Add remaining sauce ingredients. When meatballs are baked, transfer them to the crock pot and stir into the sauce. Cook in crock pot for 1 hour. Lower heat to keep warm for serving.

Spinach Balls
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
1 (6 ounce) package chicken Stove Top stuffing mix
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
6 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup butter, melted
salt & pepper, to taste
--Cook spinach according to instructions, drain in a sieve, use back of a wooden spoon to press the spinach against the sieve to get as much moisture as possible out In a bowl combine the spinach, stuffing mix,cheese, eggs, butter, salt& pepper Mix thoroughly& roll into small balls 3/4 to 1" size. Place on a cookie sheet& freeze. When frozen place in a plastic zip lock bag. To serve place frozen balls on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned If you are doing them fresh or thawed only bake for 7-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Bacon and Lettuce Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
20 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or green onions
10 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup lettuce, very finely chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt and pepper, to taste
--Cut the top off the tomatoes, scoop out the seeds& pulp.
Salt the inside of the tomatoe and put them upside down on a paper towel to drain for about15 minutes Meanwhile combine the bacon, chives, lettuce& Mayo, season with salt& pepper (remember that you have already salted the inside of the tomatoes) Fill the tomatoes just before serving.

Cinnamon Cereal Snack
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups Corn Chex or Rice Chex
--Combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Melt butter over low heat. Add selected Chex cereal. Heat until all pieces are coated. Continue for 5 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle half of mixture (cinnamon and sugar) over Chex cereal evenly. Continue to sprinkle sugar mixture over Chex until all is covered. Heat one minute longer. Spread on paper towel to cool.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
3/4 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts or pecans
Combine butter, brown sugar, and honey. Beat well; add egg and vanilla, mix. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and oats. Stir in dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and nuts. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350°F about 12-15 minutes.

Butterscotch and White Chip Nut Cookies
1/3 cup margarine, melted and cooled until warm
½ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
¼ cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg white
¼ tsp baking soda
1 ¼ cups flour
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup butterscotch chips and white chips
¼ cup chopped nuts
Combine margarine, brown sugar, honey, and sugar. Beat well; add egg white and vanilla, mix. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in butterscotch, white chips, and nuts. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375°F for 8-10 minutes.

Merry Christmas! Enjoy!

Answer 2

I was making the grape jelly meatballs tonight, to freeze for later, they are always delicious. But as I was doing so, I looked up Betty Crocker's web site and I looked at their appetizers. They have some cute easy recipes. Like, for example, they have a xmas tree shaped cheeseball and a snowman shaped cheeseball. They also have some really delicious looking recipes. People on the site have tried, at least some of them, and rated them on ease and taste.
There is also a recipe called gone in 60 seconds that is very good. The "Red Hot Lover" jam is what makes it so good. I can usually find it at gourmet shops or specialty shops, and don't have to order it online. It has pecans, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green onions and the jam.

Answer 3

These were a big hit at a thanksgiving party. you can substitute frozen meatballs if you want.

Cocktail Meatballs

INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons minced onion

1 (8 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, and minced onion. Roll into small meatballs.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.
In a slow cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Add meatballs, and simmer for 1 hour before serving.

Answer 4

Go to Trader Joe's.
Get 2 cans artichoke hearts packed in water.
one can water chestnuts, sliced
one jar mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Toasted pita chips or crispy crackers.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Oil a 8X8 inch over proof pan.
Chop the artichoke heats.
Mix with water chestnuts, one cup mayonnaise, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Hot sauce if desired, or a can of chopped green chilis. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with pita bread crisps or crispy crackers.

Answer 5

How easy are we talking?

The easiest thing to do is to hit the deli area of your local supermarket. They usually have a bar where there are all kinds of olives (black/green/stuffed) and mushrooms and that sort of thing. Fill up a container with whatever looks good to you.

Then, stroll over to the deli counter and order 1/2 lb. each of some Boars Head turkey, ham and roast beef (or whatever you like). Ask that it be sliced thin.

Turn around and grab some good cheese out of the cheese section. Now, roam over to the fresh produce area and grab a bunch of fresh parsley.

Oh, and grab some good crackers....like Carrs. Perhaps a nice mustard....again, Boars Head makes some good ones.

When you get home, put out a couple of platters and arrange it all artfully. Take out the cold cuts and roll them up into little logs and lay them in between the different kinds of olives and cheeses.

Stick the parsely anywhere you see empty spaces on the platter. Put the crackers in a bowl or on a platter next to the cold cuts.

Grab a shot glass and fill it with tooth picks for people to use to pick up the olives and such.

Don't forget to put an empty bowl out for people to put their olive pits and used tooth picks in.

Good luck!

Answer 6

How about mini quiches. so easy to make.
Buy pie crust you can roll out. You need a muffin pan, 3-4 eggs, heavy cream, crispy cook bacon, or a vegee like frozen spinach.
1. cut out the dough into circles, and place on the back, greased the bottom. (yes the back) and bake until it is shape.(not too brown) Take off and place it in the inside of greased pan. (trust me, ok)
2. mix eggs and 1/3-1/4 cup of cream (its got to look like a custard) and a pinch of salt, pepper, and add the bacon in little bits.
3. add the mix to the dough shell and bake until center is done. about 13mins. Have with a salad and your good to go! Everything is done in 1/2 hour. Really the prep is less than 15 mins!

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Hummus, olive tapenade, bruschetta, or baba ghanouj with sliced baguette, rye crisps or crackers. A cheese tray is also a nice alternative.

Miniature sandwiches - smoked salmon and cream cheese, brie and cranberry or apricot preserves. cucumber and cream cheese, ham and swiss, or plain old chicken and egg salad. Cut off the crusts for a fancified look.

Good quality cornchips - red/blue ones are nice - with guacamole (premade, or mix garlic/lime juice/salsa/avocado), salsa, and if you want to get really crazy, mango salsa.
- diced mango
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- cilantro, salt, garlic, pepper, jalapeno, lime juice to taste

Pizza sliced into squares, homemade is really good. Sliced up quiche into small pieces also works well.

Large cooked shrimp with cocktail sauce and lemon.

Fruit skewers - cubes of pineapple, melon, whole strawberries or large blackberries - with chocolate dip if you like.

Dishes of olives or nuts.

Make sure you have some coffee, hot chocolate, tea and pop for non-drinkers, and some alcohol if you want it.

Answer 9

Hows this? take button mushrooms and remove the stem. Use some sweet Italian sausage, bulk, if links remove casings, roll sausage into small balls and use to stuff mushrooms. bake untill done. I can't say how long because I don't know the size of your shrooms.
Take small sausages, Hillside Farms Lil Link, or mini meatballs from the freezer case. Mix equal parts grape jelly and chili sauce add the meat and warm through. Serve hot with toothpicks.

Answer 10

Shrimp cocktail is always easy, so is cheese and crackers. Also, my family makes this pizza/bread thing, where you take Boboli pizza crust and you mix together mayonnaise, garlic, onions, and I think some kind of chesse and spread it on the pizza crust, then you bake it for 15 minutes. It's SO good.

Answer 11

HOT STEAK CANAPES

Select beef strip sirloin steak, 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. Broil 2-4 inches from heat to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper. Slice thin and serve hot on thin slices of salty rye bread

BAKED BRIE AND ROASTED GARLIC

4 lg. heads garlic (at least 2 1/2 inches in diameter)
1/3 c. olive oil
1 tsp. coarse salt
4 (4 oz.) wheels brie, toasted baguette slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove all but one layer of skin from garlic; do not expose flesh. Arrange garlic tightly in small baking dish. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with foil. Bake until garlic is very tender, 75 to 90 minutes.
Preheat broiler. Score large X in top of each wheel of cheese. Set each in small baking dish. Broil until browned and bubbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve immediately with garlic and toasted baguette slices.