If you watch show The Big Bang Theory, you will understand… “Apateezers.” For those of you who have not seen the show… you need to watch season three to get the joke.
The holidays are“party season" and I thought I would share with you today a few ideas for appetizers.
Hot Macadamia Dip
This is a nice creamy dip that really brings out the flavor of the macadamia nuts. This is served warm with crackers.
11 ounces cream chesse, softened
2 Tablespoons milk
1 – 2 ½ ounce jar of dried chipped beef, shredded
1/3 cup onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ cup chopped green pepper
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ cup sour cream
½ coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Blend cream cheese and milk until smooth
Stir in beef, pepper, garlic , ginger, onion, green pepper. Fold in sour cream, pour into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish.
In small skillet, sauté the nuts in butter until thoroughly glazed. Sprinkle glazed nuts over mixture and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. This should make 12 to 15 servings
This next recipe comes from Light & Tasty magazine Dec. 2008. If you saw these across a room, you would think they were a version of deviled eggs. The cucumbers are peeled, sliced in half then stuffed. This recipe makes 44 servings.
Nutritionally, this would be a great choice for healthy low fat appetizers. The breakdown is as follows: 1 canape equals 6 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 27 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: Free food.
Smoked Salmon Cucumber Canapes Recipe
Ingredients
2 medium cucumbers, peeled
4 ounces smoked salmon, flaked
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
Spoon into cucumber halves.
Wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until filling is firm. Cut into 1/2-in. slices. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.
I found this next recipe on Disney.com and even though it is more geared for children, I know a few adults and teens would go bonkers over these cute little Taco Cups. The recipe only makes about a dozen cups. I would suggest you double it if you are having a good size get together. I think the kids and I will make these for dinner!
Taco Cups
Taco Cups
Ingredients:
1 can of refried beans
½ pound cooked and seasoned ground beef
1 cup shredded cheese, you can use cheddar, I prefer a Mexican blend
1 cup of salsa
½ sour cream
½ sliced black olives
1 bag of Tostitos Scoops
Optional if making for adults - ¼ cup sliced jalapenos
Directions:
Set chips on a large platter and layer each chip with beans, meat, cheese, salsa, sour cream and olives
This next recipe was sent to from my Dad, he found it on cooking.com It is a nice spin on stuffed mushrooms, using Brie and crabmeat. The recipe calls for jumbo lump crabmeat, if the cost is too much you can try using the imitation crab meat.
Brie and Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
18 large mushrooms, stems removed & chopped
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2 tablespoons melted butter
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1 teaspoon garlic salt
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2 tablespoons minced onion
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1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
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4 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
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1 tablespoon mayonnaise
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3 ounces Brie, cut in 18 pieces
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Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F
Wash and dry mushrooms, remove stems.
Place mushroom caps on a cookie sheet. Brush caps with some of the butter and sprinkle with garlic salt.
In a skillet, sauté the mushroom stems, onion and Worcestershire sauce using the remaining butter.
In a bowl, mix crabmeat and mayonnaise.
Fill caps with mushroom and onion mixture.
Top with crabmeat and Brie. Bake for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and cheese is melted.
The last recipe is from Sandra Lee of Semi-Homemade. This would great if you need to transport a dish for either work or family gathering, since it is made in a 4 quart crock-pot. I picked this recipe for my sister, husband and daughter, who if given the chance would live on bacon!
16 ounce box of Velveeta cheese
½ pound pepper Jack cheese, shredded. If you can find it, try using Sonoma Jack Cheese
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
10 ounce can of diced tomatoes with habanero peppers
¾ cup cooked crispy, crumbled bacon
¼ cup diced green chiles
½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Tortilla chips
Directions:
Coat a 4 quart crock-pot with cooking spray, before adding cheeses, tomatoes, bacon, chiles, and pepper sauce. Stir well
Cover and cook on low setting for 3 to 4 hours. Stir once halfway through cooking time.
Serve warm with tortillas
