Appitizer Meals

*purchase or make some rye bread and dill dip.
*make a tuna dip; have some ritz or corn chips to go along with this.
Tuna dip recipe:
12 oz can of tuna
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
8 oz cream cheese--let it get soft
1 tbs mayonaise
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp horseradish

Combine all together.chill for a few hours. you can add Dijon mustard or other things to your taste. this is the basic recipe though

*Warm taco dip in a small crock pot

1 lb hamberger
1/2 package taco seosoning
2 tbs flour
2 cups cheese (any shredded)
Brown hamberger in skillet. add all ingredients together then pour into a crock. let this do majic for about 5 hours. the smell is delicious as aroma fills the air. before your party, add a dallop (spoonful) of sour cream in the center. garnish with some chopped green onlion and diced tomatoes. Any thing else you would like to add the the top also. We sometimes put shredded cheese(MORE to make it look pretty!) maybe green and black olives. just dont overload it, cuz just by itself it is WONDERFUL
Serve with crackers, corn or tortilla chips, use your imagination

Good luck. These are a few you can do ahead of time and just hang out while the magic is working

This is my favorite way to eat - can I come over too?? ;-) I love to make a meal of bunch of appies. I usually do cheese, meats, roasted peppers, tomatoes, articoke etc platter, at least one hot dip - either crab dip or old english and onion cheese dip - so easy and no one will leave the bowl until it's gone! just grate a half of an onion fine, mix with grated white cheddar (I just use a mid-size block I'm not much for measuring), 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, salt and white pepper to taste (can add some heat with hot pepper if you like) put in a oven save dish sprayed with pam, and bake in the oven until bubbly - set out with knife to spread on crostini or triskets - yummy! OH you can add a can of crab to this also since Christmas Eve is all about the fish - awesome! I always make hummus for every party we have, super easy, healthy and yummy can serve with veggies to dip: can of chick peas, tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice, salt/pepper in food processor. I really like to serve fondue if you do the cheese dip then a chocolate fondue would be fun for dessert - you can all sit around it and dip in fruit, poundcake, marshmellows etc. For a festive drink eggnog with rum is always good, or hot toddies. I really like to get a glass pitcher and pour over ice: Peach/mango V8 fusion, light rum about a cup, and some selters or 7 up to lighen it up, add fresh sliced peaches, and pomagranate "pearls" just pull them out with your hand and mix in - it looks so pretty and tastes great! Hope you try them/love them! Have fun!

I make the easiest dip I've ever found and everyone loves it. My kids ask for it for lunch now. It's Buffalo Chicken Dip. 1 large can chicken breast, drained; 8 oz cream cheese; 1/2 cup ranch dressing; 1/2 cup (more or less to taste) Frank's hot sauce; 2 cups shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar or mexican best). Mix it all together. You can heat it in the oven until it is bubbly or just throw it in the microwave for a few minutes. Serve with fresh sliced crusty bread (our favorite), crackers or celery (my father-in-law's favorite)

here are a couple that all of our family likes.

small jar of welches grape jelly (has to be jelly not jam)
bottle of heinz chili sauce
1 ring of ekrich smoked sausage
1 bag of mini meatballs (frozen section of the grocery)

heat up jelly and chili sauce together over low heat till you get a sauce consitancy of bbq sauce. slice smoked sausage into about half inch thick slices. mix into sauce mixture. add meatballs stir over low heat till warmed. I then put it into either a crockpot or in oven on low heat.

2 cans whole water chestnuts drained
1/2 lb bacon. cut into half slices
1 c brown sugar

wrap half slice bacon around water chesnut. use a toothpick to hold it on. sprinkle with brown sugar. bake in oven till bacon is done. very easy very yummy
good luck
S.

You could make BBQ meatballs (super easy!) Just put a bag of meatballs into a crockpot w/ about a bottle and a half of BBQ sauce. Add a little bit of grape jelly and put on high for 2 hours. Huge hit at all my parties.

You could also do the classic Pigs-in-a-blanket

Potato skins (not sure how to make them, but i'm sure you could google it...lol.

BBQ chicken wings.

Mozzarella sticks

I'd pretty much just think of my favorite restaurants and what I love having there.

As for the drink, I just saw an episode of Sandra Dee on HGTV. She had a really neat drink that I'm going to try for Christmas w/ my family this year (well, the adult members anyways...lol) It's White cranberry juice, vanilla vodka and triple sec. Mix it to your liking and embellish (spelling?) w/ red cranberries. It's a clear drink, so no stains on the carpet!

Good luck. This sounds like so much fun!

My husband and I do fondue sometimes and it works great. We have tried many different ones and like this the best. http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,191,146185-237198,00.html

The bread works better if you get unsliced bread, which can be a little hard to get if you do anything outside of french or Italian (Pumpernickle is our fav). If you contact the bakery at your grocery store a day or so in advance they can have a loaf unsliced and saved for you.
Have fun!

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 lb button mushroom (cleaned and stems removed)
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp
1/2 packet of onion soup mix

Mix all things (but mushrooms). Put enough of the mixture into the mushroom top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. YUM!!!

These are so good and obviously really easy! Happy Holidays!

You can make things really easy on yourself and head to your local frozen foods section in your supermarket. Pick up some heavier appetizers to serve warm (toss in the oven and onto a platter!) along with whatever else you decide.

I'm a huge fan of the appetizer party- we did an entire appetizer party for my mom's 60th party. Downside - with 50 people there, we spent the party cooking. We should have hired a kitchen assistant for $10 an hour to cook so we could enjoy the company. Live and learn.

But with your party, it's smaller and managable.

Have fun!

This one is so easy and delicious and good both hot or cold- cut up chicken breast into bite size pieces, wrap with bacon- I use a 1/3rd of a slice-, dredge in 3/4 cup brown sugar mixed with two TB of chili powder and broil until chicken is done and bacon is desired crispness- everytime I make these they literally fly of the plate-
also my neighbor makes a delicious stuffed mushroom- she stuffs it with boursin cheese mixed with alittle garlic powder and bakes until bubbly- so yummy too!!