Thread: Appetizers -- The Beginning of the Meal

Having a party? Need some good ideas? Look here for mouthwatering morsels and tender tidbits.

(Hopefully you can find these things in US!)

You Need :
'Wafer thin' ham, i guess you can use any sort of ham as long as it 'rolls' well!
Spreadable Cheese (Primula is lovely- also any kind of spreading cheese with herbs and garlic!)
Cocktail sticks (optional)

Cut the ham into 12 cm strips, about 2/3 cm wide
Spread the cheese on
Roll 'em up!!
Spear them through with a cocktail stick

Really nice as party food, but make lots as people eat them REALLY quick!!

Ingredients
1 tub (8 oz.) Cream Cheese Spread

1/2 cup milk

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup chopped red and green pepper

Wheat Thins Snack Crackers (or whatever kind you like!)


Preparation
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually blend in milk until smooth. Stir in cheddar cheese and peppers; cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Serve with crackers.

Hot Broccoli Dip

Ingredients:
1 loaf (1-1/2 lb.) round sourdough bread

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 lb. (16 oz.) Velveeta Cheese, cut up

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed

Few drops hot pepper sauce

Cut lengthwise slice from top of bread loaf; remove center, leaving 1-inch-thick shell. Cut removed bread into bite-size pieces. Cover shell with top of bread; place on cookie sheet with bread pieces. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Cool slightly.

Cook and stir celery, red pepper and onion in butter in medium saucepan on medium heat until tender. Reduce heat to low. Add prepared cheese product; stir until melted. Stir in broccoli, rosemary and hot pepper sauce; heat thoroughly, stirring constantly.

Spoon into bread loaf. Serve hot with toasted bread pieces and assorted cut-up vegetables.

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 envelope onion soup mix
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 container (6 oz) sour cream
1 cup shredded swiss or mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. In 1-qt casserole, combine all ingredients. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with your favorite dippers.

Variation for cold artichoke dip: Omit cheese, stir in 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Do not bake.

Peanut Butter Dip

1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons grated green pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped scallions (optional)

In a heavy saucepan, mix all the ingredients except the scallions. Cook over low heat until the sauce thickens. Stir often for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions, serve hot. Dippers include grilled meat, raw vegetables or use as a sauce for rice or noodles. Makes 1 cup.

Sausage Balls

10 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb ground sausage
3 1/2 cups bisquick

Mix all ingredients by hand and form into pecan-sized balls. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes - balls will be firm, not squishy.

** You can freeze the balls (freeze individually on a cookie sheet and then dump into container or freezer bag) and then only take out as many as you need at a time if you like. **

Stuffed Celery

Wash and drain celery stalks. Cut into 2 or 3 inch lengths.

Fill with:

Cheese-Olive Spread: Blend 1/2 cup grated soft sharp cheese with 1/2 cup softened butter; add 1/3 cup finely chopped olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a dash of tobasco.

Chili-Cheese Spread: Blend 1/2 cup grated American cheese or a 3 ounce pkg of soft sharp cheese with 1/3 cup drained chili sauce.

Cream-Cheese Spread: To cream cheese add cream or milk to moisten; season to taste with salt pepper and a vew drops onion juice. To make it fluffy, force it through a potato ricer or seive.

Cream Cheese-Chutney Spread: Blend a 3 ounce pkg of cream cheese with 1/3 cup chutney.

Rosy Cottage-Cheese Spread: Blen Together 3/4 cup drained cottage cheese and 2 tbs drained chili sauce; season to taste with salt, pepper and a few drops lemon or onion juice.

Roquefort Spread: Blen together 1/3 cup softened Roquefort or blue cheese, 1/4 cup softened cream cheese, and 2 tbs mayonaise; add 1/2 to 1 tsp Worchestershire or A-1 sauce.

Chicken Quesadillas

Serving Size : 8

-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 fat-free flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound chicken, skinless light meat -- cooked and shredded
1 green onion -- sliced
salsa -- to taste
Place one tortilla in fry pan. Layer 1/2 each of the cheese, chicken strips
and green onion. Place another tortilla on top. Heat until golden brown, then turn
over and brown other side. Repeat with remaining tortillas and ingredients.
Slice in pie wedges. Serve with salsa

Cheesy Potato Skins

Ingredients:
4 Large potatoes
2 tablespoons butter -- melted
1 medium tomato -- chopped
1/2 cup cheese -- colby-jack
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
5 medium green onion -- sliced


Instructions:
Heat oven to 375º. Scrub potatoes; pierce potatoes to allow steam to escape. Bake about 45 minutes or until tender. Let stand until cool enough to handle.

Cut potatoes lengthwise into fourths; carefully scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4 inch
shells. Save potato pulp for another use.

Set oven control to broil. Place potato shells, skin sides down, on rack in broiler
pan. Brush with butter.

Broil with tops 4 to 5 inches from heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp and brown.

Sprinkle tomato and cheese over potatoes. Broil about 30 seconds or until cheese is melted.

Top with fat-free sour cream; sprinkle with green onions

Yield: 8 serving

Nutrition information:
Per serving: 89 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 9mg Cholesterol; 47mg Sodium