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guitarnan
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| Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 10:29am | IP Logged
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I'm soooo tired of all my tried-and-true recipes. My guests are used to having the same menu every year (and kind of like things that way), so I am stuck between wanting to make new foods and wanting to please them. And I won't have much time to cook because I have to play/sing two Christmas Eve Masses (so do dh and dd, so they can't help).
Please share your easy appetizer ideas!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 12:31pm | IP Logged
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Well what do you normally serve?
I do a cheese ball because we all love it and it's the only time of year I do that.
you can do easy stuffed mushrooms by placing mushroom caps open side up on a cookie sheet.. filling with mozzarella cheese and sprinkling with garlic pwd. Then broil until the cheese melts and they're lightly brown.
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KC in TX
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| Posted: Dec 09 2010 at 12:53pm | IP Logged
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I always make an artichoke dip. It's very easy.
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KC,
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hylabrook1
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This is a recipe I found in a magazine. Served it at Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit.
Take one sheet of frozen puff pastry; thaw it for 40 minutes; roll it out into a square, 14 x 14
In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup of softened dried cherries, 1/4 cup of chopped, toasted pecans, 1/4 cup of honey, and 1/2 teaspoon of chopped, fresh rosemary leaves.
Spread the mixture onto the center of the puff pastry, out to 2 inches from the edge of the pastry. Place a 13.2 oz. brie cheese on top of that.
Brush the edges of the pastry with 1 egg beaten together with 1 tablespoon of water.
Fold opposite sides of the pastry over the cheese; seal them shut. You might have to trim the pastry a bit.
Place seam side down on a baking sheet. If you want, you can cut pastry shapes from the scraps and arrange them on top. Brush the whole thing over with the egg mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve with crackers or small bread rounds.
Peace,
Nancy
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CrunchyMom
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My family tradition was a cheese ball, sausage balls (Southern bisquick recipe, easy to mix and shape the day before and bake later), cheese straws (are actually even better make ahead of time), and veggies and dip.
My dh's family favorites included bagels with cream cheese and a slice of hard salami baked in the oven and served warm (yum!), and mini ruebens made on those little toasts from the cracker aisle, also heated in the oven.
Something I like but dh thinks is so-so is bacon wrapped dried dates or pecans.
Personally, I LOVE just fancy cheese and crackers. Boursin, brie, havarti, red leicester, wensleydale, etc... served with salami or pepperoni and olives or pickled onions.
The local pub serves the British cheeses with pickled onions and Branston Pickle (though, I imagine any favorite chutney would be a nice addition).
Really nice olives are a treat my husband and boys are especially fond of and, well, are super easy to put out, lol.
Cornichons were another treat we didn't normally have but would appear at Christmas.
We also often had a big bowl of mixed nuts in the shell. They are nice for socializing because they take a long time to eat 
Cheese fondue and the trimmings (we like crusty bread and tart apples best) are not hard to put together if you have a fondue pot.
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Lindsay
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stacykay
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Our appetizers include the usual veggies and dip, bread and spinach dip, and the two I'll share, meatballs and crab dip. I like the meatballs, because you can make them up to a week in advance, freeze them, and then throw them into the crockpot with the sauce and heat them up the day of the event (usually a couple hours before I need them). The sauce I make the day before and refrigerate.
Meatballs and Sauce:
preheat broiler for 5 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons worcester sauce
1 can (5 1/2 ounces) of evaporated milk
2/3 cup dry onion soup mix (I usually use a rolling pin to smash it up more, but that isn't neccesary.)
Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
Place meatballs (about a bouncy-ball size, so less than a pingpong ball, but bigger than a marble) on broiling pan 4" below broiler, and broil without turning, for 10 minutes. (I usually broil them 6" away, and I do turn them.)
Sauce:
Mix 2 cups of ketchup, 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 Tablespoon of worcester sauce in saucepan, cooking for 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, heat sauce and meatballs.
Hot Crab Dip
Use one pound frozen crab (I will also used the canned crab!)
2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
Mix and cook on stovetop for 15-20". Serve warm with crackers.
These are my sister's (Ginger,) recipes. I think she got the meatball recipe from a family member in Wisconsin from their Lutheran church ladies' cookbook.
In Christ,
Stacy in MI
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DominaCaeli
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I sometimes make hot artichoke and spinach dip.
Ina Garten's herb dip with veggies is always a big hit too.
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Celeste
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JennGM
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We're so basic, but I always love to have protein and veggies for appetizers.
The traditions started by my paternal grandmother,
My sister makes a cheese ball.
Oysters with crackers
Marinated Artichoke hearts
Meatballs
Shrimp cocktail
I also love devilled eggs and veggies and ranch dip. Boring and plain, but it's usually eaten!
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folklaur
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Crockpot meatballs or mini-smoked sausages in sauce (there are so many variations...)
My family likes it when I make "pinwheels" - tortillas, spread with a savory flavored cream cheese (like chives, NOT like strawberry  ) and then with ham or turkey or roast beef coldcuts and cheese, and then roll them up and slice into spirals. (sometimes lettuce and/or very thinly sliced tomato, too...)
Jello Fluff. My kids don't consider it really a holiday unless there is jello fluff included.
Cheese/cheeseball and crackers
Bisquits with spread and veggie topping, done in a wreath or a tree shape (similar to this.)
Baby pickles (sweet and dill), olives (green & black), hummus and veggies (heavy on the red and green...), ranch dip and veggies (always a favorite, no matter how common, kwim?)
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Nique
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Veggie Squares:
* 2 pkg. Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
* 2 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup mayonaise
* 1 pkg (or other Hidden Valley) Ranch Dressing (this is the dry, envelope type)
* 3/4 cup each - finely chopped * broccoli * cauliflower * green pepper * tomato * purple onion * cheddar cheese
Spread crescent rolls on cookie sheet - pinching together to form crust.
Bake 5 minutes at 350 degrees 'til light golden brown.
Let cool.
Blend together cream cheese, mayo & dressing. Spread on cooled crust.
Combine chopped vegetables and cheese and press into cream cheese.
Refridgerate. Then cut into small bite-sized pieces.
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I had always thought that once you grew up you could do anything you wanted - stay up all night or eat ice cream straight out of the container. ~Bill Bryson
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JennGM
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folklaur wrote:
Crockpot meatballs or mini-smoked sausages in sauce (there are so many variations...)
My family likes it when I make "pinwheels" - tortillas, spread with a savory flavored cream cheese (like chives, NOT like strawberry ) and then with ham or turkey or roast beef coldcuts and cheese, and then roll them up and slice into spirals. (sometimes lettuce and/or very thinly sliced tomato, too...)
Jello Fluff. My kids don't consider it really a holiday unless there is jello fluff included.
Cheese/cheeseball and crackers
Bisquits with spread and veggie topping, done in a wreath or a tree shape (similar to this.)
Baby pickles (sweet and dill), olives (green & black), hummus and veggies (heavy on the red and green...), ranch dip and veggies (always a favorite, no matter how common, kwim?)
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My sister makes those pinwheels sometimes, and they are a big hit. I forgot about the pickles -- I love having (but only dill, NEVER sweet!).
Yes, I agree on the veggies!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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guitarnan
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folklaur, you're so funny! I have this vision of strawberry cream cheese and veggie pinwheels...it's not pretty...
I love veggies and so does dh...and none of my other guests do. (We invite the same military friends every year.) Maybe I'll slice up a red bell pepper just for myself and dh!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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JodieLyn
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guitarnan wrote:
folklaur, you're so funny! I have this vision of strawberry cream cheese and veggie pinwheels...it's not pretty...
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You need to let your imagination go just a bit further.. strawberry cream cheese and chopped up berries and fruit (maybe pineapple and kiwi) and rolled into a pinwheel 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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stacykay
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JennGM wrote:
folklaur wrote:
Crockpot meatballs....
Baby pickles (sweet and dill)...
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My sister makes those pinwheels sometimes, and they are a big hit. I forgot about the pickles -- I love having (but only dill, NEVER sweet!).
Yes, I agree on the veggies! |
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Oh, I forgot to mention that I put the meatballs into a crockpot.
And pickles!!!  Yes!!! Always a staple for parties, and yes, always dill. My mum, sisters, nieces and I would devour the pickles before anything else. 
In Christ,
Stacy in MI
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kingvozzo
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We usually have something pretty simple, like cheese and crackers, some olives. Maybe a platter of shrimp. No one has a huge appetite, especially the kiddos since they can eat however much of their candy they want all day.
I'm liking the idea of the deviled eggs, though. I  them, so they might make an appearance this year!
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Noreen
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Topic: Easy appetizers for Christmas Day?
