Calling all cooks
 

This year for Xmas each family has to bring an appetizer for a chance to win some money. I need some ideas. I'm sure most of you are more creative than me. Please help me or PM me if you have any secrets. No, gold fishes arent an appetizer.



I'm was thinking about pot stickers. Thoughts?

Do you have an aebleskiver pan? If not, then I wouldn't suggest making those. I have one and like making Danish donuts around Christmas.

No I do not have that particular pan. I never made them, so I don't want what I'm getting into.

Semen filled Taquitos ! I already know you love them.

Childish

Is 'appetizer-ness' a criterion, or just deliciousness?

Are the crowd sweet tooths? Savory-philes? Spicy fiends?

Help us narrow down the field.

My initial thought is Chicago Beef and Giardiniera on dinner rolls.

No help cooking, but, wondering...how much $ is at stake?

If you're going the pot sticker route, here was something creative I tried. Very simple. http://pleaseyourmaninthekitchen.blo...urses.html?m=1

Not sure, but a family can bring two appetizers. $5 per entry. If every family brings two I would say about $80.

Those look difficult

Filet Mignon Pastry Cups or Pastry Shells

Take filet mignon, cut into bit sized cubes, stir fry with chopped onions, red and yellow peppers and garlic and some spices you think your fellow guests will like. Then set aside.

Buy some Pepperidge Farms pastry shells you cook in the oven. Bake them to brown.

Add the filet mignion mix into the cups, add some type of dressing like blue cheese cream, or tex mex chipotle, or gruyere cheese and garlic, then bake for about 10 minutes to finish.

They will win!

http://www.groceries-express.com/ima...00007508CF.GIF

http://www.recipegirl.com/wp-content...sse-Cups-1.jpg

Stuff mushroom caps with provolone, panko and walnuts.

I have no idea how to wrap it like they did. Wrap it like a normal pot sticker. If you do that, not much harder than a pot sticker.

Two [three?] words

Baby Z-Man

Hot wings and St. Ides!

Two words.

Crab. Rangoon.

You can thank me later...

Caesar bites

Take leaves of Romaine heart
line them with chopped heirloom tomato, crouton [or better yet toasted garlic bread crumbs], hard boiled egg, cucumber, fresh ground pepper, and a bit of Caesar dressing.
roll up leaf and pin with toothpick.

Jalapeno & sriracha deviled eggs.

Take greek puff pastry
top it with herbed cream, or havarti
then a slice of smoked salmon
then a small sprig of rosemary
bake

Simple, but a real winner

Take a cracked black pepper triscuit
schmear on cream cheese
top with candied jalapenos

Idea #1: Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Pit the dates
Wrap the dates in raw bacon
Deep fry for 2-3 minutes or until bacon is cooked.
Serve with warm goat cheese as a dipping sauce

Idea #2: Warm Brie and Jam on Boule
Slice Boule bread into pieces about 1" thick
Put Brie cheese on top
Put your favorite jam on top of the Brie (I really like Orange/Fig jam, which is available at the local grocery store)
Warm in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Cook down candied jalapenos, brown mustard, salt, fresh ground pepper and a fresh peach into a jelly/compote.

Pour it over a brie wheel and bake.

Form pizza dough into coaster sized rounds
Top with a tossed mix of EVOO, balsamic, blackberries, walnuts, basil and fennel
cover with a dab of brie
bake
top with chopped field greens right before serving.

I went to a restaurant last night for Mrs. FMB!'s birthday, and we had one of the best things I've ever eaten. Housemade pork jowl bacon on sweet cornbread with onion jam. I'd attempt that.

Take croissant dough, fill with diced apple, cinnamon, sugar, butter and cheddar cheese.
Bake.

Totino's or Bagel Bites?

I'd make my own dough if $$ was on the line, but Pillsbury would work in a pinch.

If you like, feel free to top with crushed goldfish crackers, though.

Pot stickers are a great idea.


Other ideas are:

Mini Greek Spinach Pies
The sell already in large quantity frozen at Costco.

Bacon wrapped broiled or grilled scallops

Mini-Quiches
Mini Pizzas

Small shrimp on skewers
Season anyway you want, even spicy and Asian

Mini Caprese Bites on a skewer
These are a big hit, but you have to make them.

Mix some Boursin with sour cream, stuff in a pastry bag and pipe on a cucumber disc and top with smoked salmon slice and a slice of fresh dill. Doesn't have to be smoke salmon either.
Als you have to prepare this yourself.

Baked Brie in a pastry shell topped with either apricot or raspberry preserves.
Can buy and heat there.

Figs with Goat cheese and a honey balsamic dressing on top
Have to prepare



Just don't make stinky deviled eggs.

I must be mistaken, I didn't know this was a contest for who could cook most like the free sample lady at Sam's Club. ;)

O.M.G. That sounds so awesome! Have to do this. * screen saving *

Sometimes you're an ass. ;)

And sometimes I'm asleep. o:-)

You should donate money to each member of your family who has to hangout with you.

These went over well this Thanksgiving and are easy to fix.

Buffalo Chicken Won Ton Cups

time
prep:20 min
total:40 min
servings
total:12 servings

what you need
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup FRANK’S® RedHot® Buffalo Wings Sauce
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breasts
2 green onions, thinly sliced
12 won ton wrappers make it

HEAT oven to 350°F.

MIX cream cheese and wings sauce in medium bowl until blended. Add chicken and onions; mix well.

SPRAY 12 muffin pan cups with cooking spray. Line each cup with won ton wrapper, with edges extending over top of cup. Fill with chicken mixture.

BAKE 18 to 20 min. or until edges of cups are golden brown and filling is heated through.

I'm tellin ya dude, go crab rangoon or go home.

Get some...

Eggroll wraps
Real or fake crab, whatever you can afford works just fine
Sesame oil
FRESH minced ginger, McCormick dried and powdered crap will NOT work
Scallions use all including and especially green stems
Cream cheese
an egg or two
Sweet and sour sauce

Go online for exact directions or just eyeball it like I always do, just remember that ginger and sesame are very strong... so dont use too much, but too little isnt as good either. You want to turn that cream cheese from pure white to off white with the sesame and two heaping tablespoons of ginger is just fine for a huge batch for a party.

Hear me now, believe me later... I make them for the Super Bowl every year and I ALWAYS get laid.

mini country ham biscuits
-Make buttermilk biscuit dough. Cut into small pieces, bake.
-Fry country ham and save drippings.
-Cut biscuits in half and place a piece of country ham between them.
-Add brewed coffee to country ham drippings to make red eye gravy if people with to dip.

Boulettes
-soften finely chopped onions in a pan with butter
-Take ground beef and ground pork and mix in a 2:1 ratio.
-Add salt, pepper, cinnamon, onions, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg to meat mixture and mix well.
- Form meat into meatballs of the size of your choice.
-Add garlic cloves and a quartered onion to a pan with water that will cover meatballs.
-bring to a boil.
- add meatballs to pan and cook until white. Add more water as needed. Meatballs should be 3/4s the way covered at all times.
- When meatballs are done remove garlic and quartered onion. Take some water from pan and mix with flour. Pour mixture back into pan and stir to thicken.
-Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

That's AWESOME!!!! So far I think this might be the route (after I ask a question)...

Will you be able to make it there, or does it need to survive transportation?

IOW, how time-sensitive does this need to be in terms of serving?

Chorizo and cream cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon. Always good.

In a crockpot.
1 block of Velveeta
1 Can of chili with or without beans
1 can of Rotel
1 package of spicy sausage (Jimmy Dean)
Serve with chips or both Tortillas
I have done this several times for potlucks and rarely have anything left.
And it sounds like you are not a cook...

See I'm very picky when serving food. I want it to be hot. Unfortunately, I thinknill have to transport it. It'll only be about 3 miles lol

I'm still down with el borracho's suggestions, but I'll throw-in grilled shrimp.

Leave the tails on, marinate them in Italian dressing (add a little white wine, and more olive oil) for about two hours. Soak a cedar plank and wooden skewers for about 30 minutes, put the shrimp on skewers leaving a little space between them.

Start the car, put the family in the car and put the plank and shrimp onto the grill. For some off reason I put a very fine dusting of a powdery pork rub on them when on the plank. Once done wrap the shrimp in plastic wrap, then wrap them in foil, then wrap them in a towel. Keeps everything warm AND moist.

Turn off the grill and haul ass!

I actually do the plastic wrap/foil/towel for ribs for tailgates. It's the best thing I've found to date.

Good idea

Mac n cheese with sliced hot dogs. All class and a sure winner.

A good appetizer should be something that people don't usually make easily at home, and which isn't commonly available in restaurants. They'll flock to things that they can't normally get.

This is why you should go with some sort of stuffed mushroom dish.

:evil:What? No one suggested that CP favorite "Bag of Dicks"?:evil:

Sex - at a family gathering!!!! You slut!

Sonny Corleone does not approve of this post.

I always bring my "Unstoppable" cheese ball. Never fails.

Ingredients"

1 block Philadelphia cream cheese.
Chopped scallions (green onions)
Chopped walnuts

Put the cream cheese is a shallow bowl. Add the chopped scallions (a 1/4 cup at a time, until there is scallion about every 1/4 inch throughout the cream cheese)

Using a fork, mix it up, mashing the scallions into the cream cheese. When the scallions are thoroughly mixed in evenly, get a sheet of waxed paper and scoop up all the mixture onto it and form into a ball.

Fill another shallow wide bowl with the chopped walnuts. Roll the cheese ball into the nuts, coating the ball in nuts (stop giggling) pat them in, embedding hem into the cheese.

Wrap in foil and put in the fridge until ready to serve.

Serve on a tray with triscuits and wheat thins.

WIN

I'm going to give the bacon wrapped dates and crab rangoon a test run next week.


Thanks fellas, please keep the options coming. I need MOAR!!!!

And ketchup

Could also dry roast. But totally agree, roasting the nuts will improve both flavor and texture.

That recipe would also work great with toasted pecans.

For another spin, add a small can of diced pineapple (drained, juice reserved) to the cheese and onion. If it's too stiff, mix in a little of the juice to loosen the consistency.

Trust me, it sounds weird, but it's very tasty.

TinyE, just try it sometime.

My aunt makes this. It's awesome.

I always roast nuts when I cook or bake—really, really brings out their flavor.

Different strokes, but I'm thinking if anyone brought a plate full of dates to our family gatherings, at the end of the party they would be going home with a plate full of dates. Bacon wrapped or not.

Bacon wrapped dates are a great idea. If looking for unique, small recipes that are simple, there are lots of tapas ideas out there. I don't have any specific recipes but I'd bet Cp does. And then I'll mooch.

I apologize for making fun of your thread.

I would think about what kind of foods most all in the group likes.

A few of the dishes on here are primarily mushroom dishes, would that go over to everyone? It would be about 50/50 in my family.

They're already being made by my mother and they are AMAZING

Mushrooms are a no go in my family. The only one who likes them is my mom. Everybody else doesn't including grandparents.

If you want something lighter and refreshing Salad Shriaz is a good option. I love it in the summer.

-Chop one cucumber, one tomato, and one onion finely.
-Mix with lemon juice, parsley, and olive oil.
-Salt to taste. Add mint if so desired.
-Chill until ready to serve.

I agree it would bomb in my family overall.

That recipe looks very good and light, excellent appetizer dish and not filling.

Send some to my address, Fairplay 6767 Johnson Dr, Mission, KS

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...34c883c5a9.jpg

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...7694d9c2f8.jpg

Trying some dates with garlic goat cheese wrapped with bacon. Doing some fried and some baked. Trial run.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...6fa52357de.jpg

Fried batch is done. Letting them cool

That looks hideous!

http://www.coolawesome.com/images/20...lacksapote.jpg

Your mom looks hideous

Definitely doing the fried version.

Chicken breast pounded thin (less than 1/4 inch if you can) cut into small pieces, maybe 1.5" x 2". Spread lightly with cream cheese, add finely chopped jalapeños (remove seeds and membrane to tame the heat) then roll up. Roll bacon around the chicken roll and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 375 on a cookie sheet or on a roasting rack.

I can't stand goat cheese in or on anything. It tastes like I imagine a yeast infection would.

Calling all cooks
 

Here's what I made yesterday

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...e58620be85.jpg