Recipes

[gofigure]

I am not the primary cook in my house. However, I am having a surprise birthday party for my husband and need help with some appetizers that are simple and easy. There will be 8 adults in attendance.

I am going to keep things simple. There is a recipe here for an upside down pizza. I am preparing that with a salad.

Can you suggest appetizers to complement the meal? TIA

[Suzeecat]

Here's an easy one:

SPINACH BITES

1 16 oz bag – frozen chopped spinach, drained

1 medium onion - chopped

4 beaten eggs

1 – 1 ½ C. Progresso Italian bread crumbs

¾ C. melted margarine

½ Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

***************

Mix onion, garlic, eggs, margarine and cheeses. Then mix in spinach and bread crumbs. Refrigerate 2 hours. Shape into one-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet, or use Pam. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.

[Suzeecat]

Another one:

Sausage Cheese Bites

1# roll sausage

¾ cup Bisquick

2 cups shredded cheddar

¼ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup finely chopped celery

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

***************

Preheat oven to 375°. Mix dry ingredients together and sausage and cheese separately, then mix everything together. Roll into 1” balls. Bake 15 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet until golden brown. Can be frozen uncooked.

Makes 3 dozen.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

*Cold Shrimp & Cocktail Sauce (homemade is best - ketchup, horseradish, and fresh lemon juice)
*Brie Wedge or Cream Cheese Block (softened) w/Hot Pepper Jelly poured over it - serve with good crackers
*Sweet Bacon Dogs (cocktail weiners or cut pieces of hot dog, wrapped in bacon, sprinkled with brown sugar, and baked)
*Roasted Asparagus Spears wrapped with Proscuitto
*Mexican Pinwheels (softened block of cream cheese, a little salsa, a little chopped black olive - mix into a spread. Spread on flour tortillas. Roll up and slice into pinwheels. Serve with more salsa for dipping)
*Bruschetta on Homemade Crostini

Let me know if you need any recipes or directions.

If you live near a Costco, I've seen frozen appetizers there that you just heat up. Maybe something like that would be less stressful for you.

[gofigure]

Thank you both. I will try the Spinach Bites and shrimp cocktail. JeanLouiseFinch, could you please provide the recipe for the Roasted Asparagus Spears.

Also, this may be a silly question, but when you say pour the hot pepper jelly over the cheese, is the jelly runny or do I heat it?

I do so wish I lived near a Costco...lol

[kittyloo]

what about just a platter of antipasto to go with the Italian theme.

sliced salami, or rolled up with cream cheese, olives, cubes of cheese, pepperchinis (sp) baby gherkins, you get the idea.

[gofigure]

On 11/6/2014 suzeecat said:

Here's an easy one:

SPINACH BITES

1 16 oz bag – frozen chopped spinach, drained

1 medium onion - chopped

4 beaten eggs

1 – 1 ½ C. Progresso Italian bread crumbs

¾ C. melted margarine

½ Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

***************

Mix onion, garlic, eggs, margarine and cheeses. Then mix in spinach and bread crumbs. Refrigerate 2 hours. Shape into one-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet, or use Pam. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.

Am I to cook the spinach or just let it thaw?

[Suzeecat]

On 11/6/2014 gofigure said:

On 11/6/2014 suzeecat said:

Here's an easy one:

Am I to cook the spinach or just let it thaw?

No need to cook the spinach, just thaw.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

On 11/6/2014 gofigure said:

Thank you both. I will try the Spinach Bites and shrimp cocktail. JeanLouiseFinch, could you please provide the recipe for the Roasted Asparagus Spears.

Also, this may be a silly question, but when you say pour the hot pepper jelly over the cheese, is the jelly runny or do I heat it?

I do so wish I lived near a Costco...lol

Preheat oven to 400°

1 lb. fresh asparagus (about 18 pieces) - wash and trim/snap off the woody end. Arrange on a baking sheet.
Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the asparagus and sprinkle with a little S & P
Roast until tender - about 15 mins. Remove from oven and cool to be able to handle them.
Thinly sliced prosciutto (1/2 slice per asparagus spear so calculate accordingly). Take a half slice and wrap around the asparagus spear. At this point you can decide if you want to stick them under the broiler for a minute or two or you can just arrange them on a serving platter.
Serve at room temperature.

Re: Hot Pepper Jelly. Hot Pepper Jelly is a kind of jelly, not pepper jelly that's warmed up. It's not super jelled up like grape jelly per se. Just pour it over the brie wedge or block of softened cream cheese.

[gofigure]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. How many different types of appetizers do you think is sufficient?