Need Inexpensive Appetizer Recipes/ideas

Updated on October 09, 2008
R.S. asks from Lewisville, TX
11 answers

I am having some friends over. Everyone will bring something but I still need to have 3 or 4 appetizers to serve. We aren't having dinner just munching. There will be about 18 people. Can anyone think of some really inexpensive appetizers that are homemade and yummy for a family on a grocery budget?? TIA

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T.T.

answers from Dallas on

Here's an easy variation of the tortilla roll up.

Mix softened cream cheese and salsa together to desired consistancy. Spread onto to tortillas and roll up tortillas. Refridgerate. Slice into bit size pieces to serve.

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C.R.

answers from Dallas on

Here's one that my sister-in-law made at Christmas 2006

Taco Dip - 8oz cream cheese (soften to room temp), 8oz sour cream, one Old El Paso Taco Mix, blend all that together and smear in a pie plate or any plate (we use paper plates all the time) then top with shredded lettuce, onion, grated cheese, diced tomato - anything you'd put on a taco. Serve with tortilla chips - YUMMY!

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K.S.

answers from Dallas on

This is my favorite dip and everyone always loves it.

- Soften a package (or two - depending on how much you want to make) of cream cheese
- Mix in a jar of chunky salsa to taste
- Just be sure to warm/mix it enough so there aren't any chunks

That's it! Serve warm with veggie sticks or chips

T.T.

answers from Dallas on

I do tortilla roll ups.

Cream cheese...sour cream...green chilis...mix...spread on tortilla, roll them...slice them into nice angled slices...and voila...

Arrange on a plate...serve with your favorite pecante sauce.

you can take out the green chilis...you can add pomento...

some people use thin slices of smoked salmon (little goes a LONG WAY).

It's a good standbye in a pinch.

Good luck to you.

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H.S.

answers from Dallas on

Mix 1 6oz block of cream cheese with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Spread in a pie dish. Cover with caramel dip and sprinkle with broken Heath/Skor bars (or you can buy them already made this way on the bakery aisle). Serve with sliced apples.

Or
2 cans artichoke hearts, drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Cups mozzarella cheese, grated
1 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
4 - 6 dashes tabasco
1 Cup mayonnaise

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Bake in a large casserole for 30 minutes (@ 350) or until golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips or crusty bread

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L.D.

answers from Dallas on

Try this....it is GREAT! Sounds strange, but tastes wonderful and is awesome and everyone loves it!

Buy one Pillsbury Crecent rolls tube, unroll and press out the perforation marks. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray. Coat an 8 oz block of cream cheese with cut up fresh dill (must be fresh). Coat is ALL OVER in a thick layer....it will look like way too much, but it has to be a lot!). Put the dill-covered cream cheese block in the center of the dough, and wrap up the cream cheese block like a gift. Put it seam side down on the cookie sheet and bake it at 350 degrees until the pastry puffs and is golden brown. Serve with crackers such as ritz....you can eat the whole thing. If you feel really fancy you can use a little dough to make a design for the top of it like the initial of your last name. Good luck!

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R.E.

answers from Dallas on

I was going to suggest the rotel and velveeta, but someone beat me to it. :) You could also do cocktail smokies in barbecue sauce in the crock pot or use them with crescent rolls to make pigs in a blanket. This is always a huge hit. I went to a party last month and the lady had melted chocolate in a fondue pot with cut up bananas, strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels. That was a big hit and very yummy! She didn't even have an actual fondue pot. Just a corning wear dish on a stand over a tea light to keep it melted.

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S.S.

answers from Dallas on

R. get a bag of dried apricots or peaches, a jar of japalenos, and back cut in half. Put the apricots and the japs together and wrap the bacon around them. Heat in the oven until bacon is done. One of my girlfriends gave me this recipe and I make them all of the time. Also you could go to foodnetwork.com and put "zucchini roll" in the search engine, they're awesome too. Good Luck and have a fun party!

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J.B.

answers from Dallas on

This is also a cheap and easy appetizer. I used to always have this in college and it has carried over- I still like to serve because it has a nice savory flavor.

Soften two 8 oz. boxes of cream cheese
Put on a plate and put together where they look like a larger square rather than a rectangle. I kind of smoosh together.
Pour a bottle of Pick-A-Pepper sauce over the cream cheese
Serve with Wheat Thins around the dip but don't let them get soggy in the Pick-A-Pepper sauce.

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S.K.

answers from Dallas on

R., This is a recipe that my sister-in-law used to make that everyone in our family loved. She put a 16 oz. package of Little Smokies sausages and a can or two of cherry pie filling in a crock pot on low. I'm not sure whether it was one can or two of the pie filling, so have an extra one available! Once they're warmed up, just let people dip them right out of the crock pot. She usually made a double or triple batch because everyone REALLY liked them! Another take on the pinwheels someone else mentioned is to take a flour tortilla, spread a good layer of softened cream cheese on it and then top it with either slices of ham (such as Carl Buddig) and chopped green onions or with chopped black olives and salsa, then roll them up and slice them in about 1/2" slices. Also, this isn't really "inexpensive", but I make a cheeseball every Christmas that people have offered to buy from me. Fair warning - it's kind of messy to make, but it should be a big hit at your party. These are the amounts I use - you can divide them in half for a smaller ball. Take 2 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, an 8 oz. bag of shredded sharp cheddar and an 8 oz. bag of shredded mozarella and let them come to room temperature - it makes them easier to mix. Add 1 package of Carl Buddig honey ham and 1 package of Carl Buddig beef, both chopped in small pieces. Also, add 1 medium jar chopped pimientos, 1 bunch of green onions trimmed and chopped in small pieces, about 2 tablespoons worcestshire sauce and garlic powder to taste (sorry, I never actually measured the worcestshire sauce or the garlic powder - I just shake it in!). Now, here's the fun part - mix it all together with your hands, unless you can think of a less messy way to get it all thoroughly mixed together. Once it's mixed, roll it into a ball and roll the cheeseball in chopped pecans that are scattered out on a dinner plate. I use one of those small bags you can get in the store - I think they're about 2 ounces. Wash your hands and wrap the cheeseball in plastic wrap, then chill it overnight. Serve it with Ritz crackers. I never have ANY left! Oh, by the way, a friend of mine made this recipe and used garlic salt instead of powder and it ruined the taste because the cheese is already salty. I hope one or more of these recipes comes in handy! Have a great time! God Bless! S.

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T.T.

answers from Dallas on

Here are a few of our favs...

velveeta and hot sauce in crock pot with chips (you can vary it by adding taco meat, rotel, refried beans)

tortilla roll-ups: start with a tortilla, warm up cream cheese and spread on tortilla, sprinkle with cut up scallions or bacon and roll up and slice. Dip with hot sauce.

Hollow out a cucumber, put a carrot inside and then slice - it looks pretty and you have 2 veggies

get a bag of frozen meatballs and put in a crock pot with extra sauce

Hope these help...have a great time!!!

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