Quick & Easy Appetizers

My friend, Jen, needs to make appetizers for a party of 80. These recipes make about 15 to 30 servings each. As a general rule of thumb, I look to have 4 or 5 servings per person. It isn’t necessary to scale the recipes, so long as you have a reasonable total amount of food. However, some recipes go faster than others; for these I recommend at least a serving for every 2 or 3 total expected guests—for Jen this means that she might consider at least doubling things like the Fruit Cups or Pizza Margherita, but should be fine with meatballs, chicken, and rollups.

I’ve listed the items in order of relative effort required.

Meatballs

16oz jar of sauce
38oz bag of frozen meatballs
5-quart (full-size) crock pot

Use any sauce you like. Dump the sauce & meatballs into the crockpot several hours before serving. Plug it in, and turn to ‘auto’ (this will allow the crock pot to heat everything up nicely, then drop to a simmer).

Some variations:

• Sweet & Sour: use two 12oz jars of sweet & sour sauce, add pineapple chunks, chopped onion, diced bell pepper


• Thai peanut: use two 12oz jars of Thai Peanut sauce, add chopped onion, bell pepper


• BBQ: use one 16oz jar of BBQ sauce


• Italian: use one 16oz jar of your favorite red pasta sauce


• Swedish: use one 12oz jar of Alfredo sauce, one 10oz jar of cream of mushroom soup, 1/4c ketchup (really), 1/3c Worcestershire sauce, 1Tbsp dry mustard, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, salt & pepper to taste. If it seems too thick after a few hours, add milk to reach desired consistency. Can also add one box of pre-sliced mushrooms.

Makes about 15-18 servings

Caesar Tortellini

1 ‘Family Size’ pkg (20 oz) refrigerated filled tortellini
1c bottled Caesar dressing
1/4c fresh grated Parmesan
1 pkg fresh cherry tomatoes
1 can (6 oz) pitted, large ripe olives, drained
salad greens

Cook and drain tortellini as directed.Toss with dressing and cheese. Cover and refrigerate about 4 hours but no longer than 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

When ready to serve, toss tortellini with tomatoes and olives. Line a large bowl with salad greens and place tortellini mix in bowl.

Serve with toothpicks.

Makes approximately 20 servings

Nuts

Seriously. Just make some small bowls of spicy nuts. People love ‘em!

2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic granuals
1 tsp salt
2c cashews
2c pecans

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Add butter to an 11- x 7- x 1-1/2-inch baking pan and melt in the oven. When melted, stir in seasonings and mix. Add cashews and pecans and toss to coat. Spread nuts evenly in the baking pan.Bake at 300ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice. Sprinkle the nuts with additional salt, if desired.

Remove nuts to brown paper bag to cool. Shake occasionally while cooling. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Makes approximately …well… 4c of nuts. Some people can eat this in a single sitting. WAY better than chex mix any day.

Sesame Chicken with Honey Dip

32oz bag frozen chicken nuggets, breaded & cooked
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp onion powder
1/4c sesame seeds
1/4c honey
1/4c Dijon mustard
1/4c mayonnaise
1 gallon-size ziplock bag

Defrost chicken in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 425°F degrees. Combine dry mustard, onion powder, and sesame seeds in ziplock bag. Place defrosted nuggets in ziplock, and shake to coat (defrosted nuggets will be moist enough to coat nicely).

Lightly grease baking sheet, and place nuggets in single layer. Sprinkle on any leftover seasoning. Spray lightly with oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden & crispy.

While nuggets are baking, combine honey, mayonnaise, and mustard. Serve as a dipping sauce with the chicken.

Makes approximately 25 servings

Piggy Wraps

Oh c’mon. You know everyone LOVES these…

1 pkg. Hillshire Farm sausage (48ct)
3 pkgs. refrigerated crescent dough

Cut each crescent roll triangle in half. Starting at wide end, roll sausages in dough. Arrange on cooking sheet.

Bake at 400º for 5 minutes or until golden brown. May be froze until ready to cook.

Makes approximately 24 servings

Pastry Cups

You can use the basic method to fill these with just about anything. Recipe uses mushrooms & cheese, and some variations follow.

1 pkg mushrooms (anything from basic button to wild, roughly 8oz fresh), chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic
1/4c chopped green onion
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3oz brie cheese
1 pkg refrigerated crescent dough
24-cup minature muffin tray

Heat oven to 350° F. Spray muffin cups with oil. Unroll dough and separate into rectangles. Press diagonal perforation to seal, then cut crosswise to create 4 squares from each rectangle. Press one square into each muffin cup, leaving corners to overhang.

Cut brie into 24 pieces. Saute mushrooms with butter, and garlic until soft. Remove from heat, and add onions and mustard. Spoon mixture into cups, and top with a piece of brie.

Bake until pastry is golden and cheese is bubbly, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve warm or cold

Makes approximately a dozen servings

Filling Variations:

• Crab & cream cheese: Bake pastry cups, then fill with a mixture of 3oz cream cheese, 1/2c (total) finely chopped onion, chives, carrots and roasted peppers, a good dash of Worcestershire sauce, a splash of Tabasco, and a 6oz package of crab meat. Chill and serve cold.


• Shrimp & cheese: mix 1/2c salad shrimp (peeled, cleaned, no tails—you know what I mean) with shredded cheese, then bake as above.

Crab Dip

1 cup Ranch dressing
6 oz. crabmeat or imitation crabmeat
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve with fresh vegetables or crackers for dipping.

Makes approximately a dozen servings, this stuff goes fast.

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip

The world’s easiest—just mix it up and bake in an interesting ramekin or clay pot and serve with crackers or sliced bread.

2 cups cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1-1/4 cups frozen chopped spinach, (about 10 oz.) thawed
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsps. lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Drain the spinach and squeeze it dry.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Mix in the artichoke hearts, spinach and Parmesan cheese. Season with garlic and lemon juice.

Spread evenly into a baking dish that will hold 6 to 8 cups (roughly 9x9). Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the cover, and let the dish bake uncovered for 5 more minutes, or until the surface is lightly browned.

Makes approximately 24 servings.

Cheddar Spinach Appetizer Squares

1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
3 eggs, well beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

Heat oven to 350° F.

Unroll crescent rolls; place in 13x9-inch baking pan. Press over bottom and 1/2-inch up sides of pan; seal perforations.

In medium bowl combine all remaining ingredients; mix until well blended. Pour into crust. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until filling is set.

Let cool, then cut into 24 squares.

Makes approximately a dozen servings.

Pizza Margherita

2 teaspoons cornmeal
1 (13.8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Pizza Crust
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
20 (1/4-inch-thick) slices Italian plum tomato (about 6 medium)
1/3 cup thin fresh basil strips

Place oven rack in lowest rack position; heat oven to 425°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with cornmeal.

Unroll dough; place in cornmeal-coated pan. Starting at center, press out dough with hands to edge of pan. Brush dough with oil; sprinkle evenly with garlic.

Place crust in oven on lowest oven rack; bake at 425°F. for 6 to 8 minutes or until set and dry.

Remove crust from oven. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over partially baked crust. Arrange tomato slices over cheese. Sprinkle with half of the basil. You can prepare up to this point a day in advance, then refridgerate.

Return pizza to lowest oven rack; bake an additional 12 to 17 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Sprinkle remaining half of basil over pizza.

Cut into 20 squares.

Serve warm.

Makes approximately 20 servings

Beef Roll-ups

5 10-inch burrito tortillas
1c sour cream
2 Tbsp horseradish
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
6oz package of fresh baby spinach
10 thin slices deli roast beef
1c shredded cheddar cheese

Combine sour cream, horseradish, and mustard. Spread on tortillas. Cover spread with single layer of spinach leaves. Place 2 slices of roast beef in center of tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese.

Roll each tortilla up tightly, and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hrs.

Remove rolls from wrap and slice into 1-inch pieces.

Makes approximately 40 servings

Pizza Roll-ups

1 can Pillsbury Refrigerated Pizza Crust
1 pouch pre-measured Boboli pizza sauce
1 pack sliced pepperoni
8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp cornmeal

Unroll pizza crust and spread into rectangle approximately 15” x 10”. Spread sauce over surface, top with a complete layer of pepperoni, then cover with layer of shredded cheese.

Roll dough along the long edge, then press to seal—you should end up with a 15” long roll. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate at least 4 hrs.

Preheat oven to 425°F degrees. Lightly dust a cooking sheet with cornmeal. Remove rolls from wrap and slice into ½” pieces. Place rolls on cooking sheet and bake until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes approximately 15 servings.

Vegetable Bars
2 pkgs crescent rolls
1 (8-oz) cream cheese
1 cup mayo
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch original salad dressing mix
1 cup cauliflower flowerets
3/4 cup fresh broccoli flowerets
3/4 cup grated carrots
bacon bits

Press crescent rolls to cover bottom of a 15 x 11 x 1 inch pan.

Blend cream cheese, mayo, and dressing mix until smooth. Spread on crust. Sprinkle vegetables on filling. Press vegetables into filling slightly. Top with bacon bits (omit if you have vegetarians).

Bake in a 375° F. oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely, then cut into bars.

Makes approximately a dozen servings

Spinach Bars

1/2 stick butter
2 pkgs. frozen spinach, chopped, thawed and squeezed dry
3 large eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
6 medium mushrooms, chopped
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. Cheddar cheese, finely grated

Heat oven to 350° F.

Melt butter in 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a bowl combine spinach, eggs, baking powder, mushrooms, onion, salt and Cheddar. Pour over butter in dish and bake for 35 minutes (eggs should cook through, but dish will not really solidify until it cools and the cheese firms).

Cool a bit before cutting into 1 inch cubes.

Makes approximately 30 servings

Fruit Cups

I don’t do enough sweet to balance the savory. Here’s one that even I might attempt…

1 box frozen Belgian mini cream puffs (30ct)
1 can Bing Cherries in Heavy Syrup (not Maraschino, this would be the real fruit)

Cut each cream puff in half. Spoon a single cherry into the cup.

Makes approximately 30 servings

Echiladas Veracruz

Even the wannabe gourmand occassionally needs to whip up something fast & easy. In this case, we were staying at a lodge up in Tahoe and I had to make a yummy dinner for hungry skiers with a minimum of ingredients, no seasonings, and no leftovers in the tiny little lodge suite kitchen. They don't even stock salt & pepper in these places. So I grabbed a few instant food items from Safeway and whipped up some pretty delicious Crab & Shrimp Enchiladas Veracruz.


10oz Safeway Select Verdi Alfredo Sauce
12oz Wild Wife! Mild Chile Verde
8oz salad shrimp
8oz crab
Small package fresh pico de gallo
Small package fresh sliced peppers & onions
16oz shredded jack cheese
10 white corn torillas

Fry tortillas in oil until just slightly crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Mix together the alfredo sauce and the chile verde. Pour enough into a 9 x 12 baking dish to cover the bottom.

Discard all but 2 tbsp oil. Add pepper & onions and fry until onions begin to turn translucent. Add shrimp meat and crab. Add enough sauce cover the seafood, and then bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.

To assemble:

• lay a tortilla in the baking dish


• fill with a spoonful of the seafood


• sprinkle with cheese


• add a spoonful of pico de gallo

Roll and finish seam side down. Repeat until all tortillas are used.

Spoon sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese and pico de gallo.

Bake in 350f degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and bubbly.

Really Quick, Totally Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup

I love making soup. Soup is yummy and healthy and a good way to use up leftovers (don't tell Giles). It doesn't even take long, and although there are some soups I like to leave cooking in a crockpot all day, most only take about an hour.

I get in trouble a lot when I cook too much and there are leftovers. I'm really trying to amend my evil ways, and come up with strategies to make 'JUST enough' food. Keeping that in mind, I try to measure about a cup of veggies per person, plus a bit for seconds. Since I prepared this for the four of us, I used a 4 quart pan, and just planned to fill it about 1/4 full of veggies before adding the broth.

I make a lot of different variations on my vegetable soup. Tonight, I decided to use fresh pico de gallo as a base, so I also got some 'southwest' veggies to add to it in keeping with the theme.

Ingredients:

• fresh pico de gallo from Safeway (I love cooking with this stuff, so convenient!)
• frozen peas & carrots
• frozen chopped spinach
• frozen green beans (the normal kind, NOT the french-cut kind)
• frozen 'southwest mix' (corn, red & green bell peppers, and black beans)
• diced leftover beef from last Thursday's italian smothered steak dinner
• brown rice (works with the southwest theme, and rory's allergies) Note: I used precooked rice! Use half my quantity for uncooked, and simmer soup for at least an hour. If using uncooked rice, you shouldn't have to thicken the broth at the end.
  
• Beef broth

Method:

• Heated up the 4-quart saucepan, then added some vegetable oil. Once hot, I added in the entirety of the smallest package of pico de gallo that they had at Safeway. Onions and tomatoes both cook down a lot, so I don't count them in the 1c/person vegetable count.
• Once the onions were clear and the tomatoes started to get mushy and caramelize, I added in the veggies in equal proportions until the pot was about 1/4 full. I let those saute for a few minutes, then added in the diced beef. I added rice until the pan was about 1/2 full, then finally added the beef broth to within an inch of the top of the pan.
• After adding the broth, it was just a matter of letting it simmer for a while. While it was simmering, I got a wild hair to make some biscuits. You know, like the ones at KFC. I googled for 'best biscuits' and used a recipe that seemed pretty plausible, but I still ended up making hockey pucks. Ok, so my biscuits suck, but my soup rocks.
• I didn't even have to add any additional seasonings or salt--between the pico de gallo and the leftover beef, there was already plenty of seasoning, and the broth was salted. A few turns of the pepper grinder were all that was needed. I did, however, need to add just a wee bit of cornstarch to thicken the soup. After it's been simmering for about 30 minutes, I make a thin cornstarch paste with 1/2c water and a good spoonful of cornstarch. I add it to the soup just a bit at a time, stirring constantly, until the broth is about as thick as milk.
  
• After about 60 minutes, the soup was ready and it rocked.