Last minute Christmas cocktail party!! (white wine, appetizers, substitute, mushrooms)

[HighlandsGal]

Okay, Sunday night we are hosting an impromptu cocktail party and I am looking for quick, easy appetizers. Here is what we know we are already making:

shrimp and cocktail sauce
bacon wrapped artichokes
stuffed mushrooms
crab wontons

any other ideas?

[JnR]

Make the yummy spinach dip on the back of the Knorr's onion dip mix (I think thats the one). Substitute low fat mayo and fat free sour cream if you want to kill all the fat in it. Serve with veggies and/or baguette. Yum Yum

[poconoproud]

Do you like cheese? Marinated cheese looks upscale and tastes great. Cut into cubes your cheese(s) of choice. I like to use Swiss, Jarlsberg, Gruyere.

Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
little bit of crushed red pepper flakes
chopped fresh chives

add cheese to mixture & pop in fridge

Another great easy appetizer I had at a candle party:
Mix a tub of cream cheese with knorr veg dip mix
spread mixture thinly on genoa and hard salami and roll up.
yummy.

[gentlearts]

Sounds as though you are already making a whole bunch of little things that will be time consuming to make. Now I'd go for some larger things that make a lot. How about a baked brie (Martha Stewart has a recipe), or a big chafing dish of little meatballs? A variety of cheeses is good and easy, too. I'd also check out Sam's Club, GFS Foods or Costco, etc. for their very good frozen hors d'oeuvres.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Easy recipes:

Riffing on gentlearts' Brie, you could gently warm it, and pour Bronco Bob's Raspberry Chipotle (or something comparable) over it for a Christmasy look. Serve with mild crackers.


This Christmas Goat Cheese Appetizer is festive and tastes good.

I usually make this one for New Year's Eve, and I use red and black caviar with chopped chives, but I thought I'd throw it in:

Here is the recipe for caviar pie:
between 6-12 eggs -- hard-boiled
mayo
salt and freshly ground pepper
One medium red onion, chopped
8 ounce block of softened cream cheese
16 ounces sour cream
1 large jars -- black caviar
1 large jar -- red caviar

"Grease" a 10" spring-form pan with a little mayo.Mash the eggs, mayo (enough to hold eggs together), salt, and pepper together. Spread into bottom of pan.
Spread onions on top of egg salad. Mix cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Spread over onions. You can be prepared up to this point the day before (recommended). Put the spring-form on a paper towel on a plate (the sour
cream tends to separate, I just never go to the trouble of draining it). Spread the caviar into a cute design. Serve with plain crackers

[Paula Lynn]

Block of cream cheese
Pour a jar of chili sauce over it
Serve with crackers

[HighlandsGal]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! Keep them coming. I will definitely do something with cheese because I LOVE CHEESE!

A question about the sausage ball recipe that has been floating around. (the bisquick, cheese, and sausage one). Do you just mix everything together dry, or do you prepare the bisquick mix for making biscuits??

[poconoproud]

Originally Posted by Paula Lynn

Block of cream cheese
Pour a jar of chili sauce over it
Serve with crackers

I do something similar, instead of chili sauce, I cover the block of cream cheese with chi-chi's brand mild salsa, and bagged taco cheese, then I microwave till the bagged cheese melts. I'm getting hungry.

[poconoproud]

Originally Posted by HighlandsGal

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! Keep them coming. I will definitely do something with cheese because I LOVE CHEESE!

A question about the sausage ball recipe that has been floating around. (the bisquick, cheese, and sausage one). Do you just mix everything together dry, or do you prepare the bisquick mix for making biscuits??

mix everything together, I found that waiting to cook them and served fresh works best for this appetizer. You can prepare the mixture, and form the balls ahead of time, but serve them up freshly cooked.

[gardener34]

I like the cocktail weenies (white trash?). Serve with honey mustard and/or barbecue sauce for dipping. Also sam's club or costco has the big sized bags that are less $$

And get a smoked salmon, serve alongside cream cheese and crackers, water crackers are good or those rye crackers.