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| DH and I are having our almost-annual Holiday Open House party in a few weeks. We usually have 50-60 people that come for minutes or hours during the afternoon, and I love offering a generous spread of fun and interesting appetizers, mostly finger foods. I have some T&T things I make every time, but want to bring in some new items. I've always done phyllo triangles with roquefort/walnuts and spinach/feta before, but want to try some new things. I am especially looking for things that can be made ahead (as in weeks or at least days) and frozen or otherwise stored, then either just need reheating or baking during the party. I also have 2 additional crockpots that can be used to rewarm/cook/keep warm.
Things already on the menu:
The key is I don't want to be stressed with too many things I need to do the day of the party other than plating/presenting or popping things in and out of the oven. I'd be especially delighted to get suggestions for recipes of things I can prepare one or more days ahead in these general categories:
While I don't need to do this really cheaply, I also can't afford to offer a large platter of shrimp or lobster. :) TIA,
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| These can be made the day before the party. Use toothpicks for serving & a little dish nearby for used picks. Marinated Cheese Cubes Whisk the spices/herbs into the olive oil & pour over the cheese cubes. Toss until the cheese cubes are all coated. Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve. Mini-meatballs in sauce (Swedish, BBQ + raspberry preserves, mixture ketchup & chili sauce, etc.) again served with toothpicks are always well received, can be made a couple weeks in advance, & freeze/reheat very well. If there will be a lot of little ones...there's a mess potential. Here's a way to use crab inexpensively since a little goes a long ways & it looks holiday festive. You could make the filling early in the day & then just pop them in the oven when needed. Crab & Cranberry Mini-Cups 1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce - homemade is best (or purchased) Preheat oven to 375�F. Place cranberry sauce in a small mixing bowl; beat with a fork or wire whisk until smooth. Combine cream cheese, crab meat and green onion in a small mixing bowl. Fill each shell with about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 teaspoon cranberry sauce. Bake for 10 minutes or until heated through. Makes 15 individual servings. /tricia |
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| Well I am all about cheese.....and would love to see you offer a big board, set nicely on grape leaves perhaps of an assortment of cheeses. Another do ahead thing I have offered is a3 or 4 pound beef filet, cooked medium rare and refrigerated, day of thinly slice and serve along side some nice tiny breads ior rolls with an assortment of sauces...horseradish comes to mind aas well as an aoli. Or you could roll slices onto tooth pick....but that's labor.\ Also see the savory cookie thread here....lots of good make aheads there. Linda c |
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| Recipes...posted while waiting for the bread to rise... Pomegranate-Walnut dip These can be baked, frozen and thawed/reheated just before serving. And I think these can be frozen too....maybe ruthanna will chime in |
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| When elery and I did the "appetizer reception for 600" for his son Ben's wedding, I made dozens of little quiches and froze them. i found they freeze best irf you just make the quiche in little mini muffin cups without crust, bake first and then freeze. I liked the spinach and cheese option but the italian sausage and Asiago combo proved the most popular. I really like the savory cheesecake topped with Habanero Gold Jelly but any hot pepper jely will do and the cheesecake can be made ahead and refrigerated, then topped with the jelly just before serving. The cheesecake recipe is, I think, KatieC's. JALAPENO CHEESECAKE (MY FAVORITE) Mix first four ingredients with half of the jelly. Pour mixture into greased 6 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 335 minutes. Cool completely and remove from pan, heat remaining jelly and pour over top of cheesecake. Serve with crackers. Note: I made a double batch and baked it in a round cake pan with a "releaser" bar that spins around the bottom to prevent sticking. I just dumped it out and spread the jelly on the bottom, no one notices because it�s covered with jelly. I used my homemade Habanero Gold instead of the jalapeno jelly. I think this could be topped with something else if you like, maybe a bruschetta or an olive tapenade. Cheese thumbprints are a favorite here too, and can be made a couple of days in advance. The recipe is actually from Rick Rodgers, via Readinglady: Savory Cheddar and Jalape�o Jelly Cookies from Rick Rodgers Makes about 4 1/2 dozen 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups) Place cheese and butter in a food processor (could be creamed by hand or mixer); add flour and process until the mixture forms a soft dough. Gather up the dough and divide into two flat disks. Wrap in wax paper and freeze until chilled, about 45 minutes. Position two racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 400�. Line two baking sheets with parchment or use nonstick sheets. Using 1 teaspoon dough for each, roll the dough into small balls and place 1 inch apart on the sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or 1/2-inch-thick dowel, poke an indentation in each cookie. Place the jelly in a small plastic bag and force it down into one corner. Snip off the corner of the bag to make a small hole. Pipe the jelly into the indentations. Return to the oven and bake, switching the positions of the sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking, until the tops are very lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (Cookies will continue to crisp as they cool.) Transfer to racks and cool completely. Can be baked up to two days ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight container and separate layers with wax paper. finally, one of my favorite appetizers is chous pastry, filled with chicken salad or whatever suits me. My family likes the "Reuben" combination with rye puffs: Rye Party Puffs Dough Corned Beef Filling In a saucepan over medium heat, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flours, parsley, garlic powder and salt all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at time. Beat until smooth. Drop batter by rounded teaspoons 2-in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with caraway. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks. Immediately cut a slit in each puff to allow steam to escape; cool. In a mixing bowl, combine the first eight filling ingredients; mix well. Stir in olives. Split puffs; add filling. Refrigerate. NOTE:The corned beef filling makes enough to fill two batches of the dough. have fun, your food sounds really good! Annie
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- Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Wed, Nov 16, 11 at 17:03
| Toasted Crab Appetizers * l stick butter or margarine * 1/2 t garlic powder * 1 5-6 oz. jar Old English Cheese Spread * 6-8 oz crabmeat * 1 tablespoon mayonnaise * 6 English muffins Soften the butter to room temperature while preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cheese spread into the butter and stir in the mayonnaise. Add garlic powder and stir until all is completely blended - no lumps. Gently stir in crabmeat. Slice the muffins in half and divide the crab mixture on the 12 halves. Cut each half into quarters and place them on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are brown. Serve at once. The spread can be made in advance and refrigerated for a couple of days. These may also be frozen before cooking for later use. Make the muffins up and cut into quarters. Freeze them on cookie sheets, and then place them in the freezer in zip-loc bags for storage. They will keep a month or two without losing much flavor. Sausage Crescent Nuggets Preheat oven to 350. In skillet, brown sausage, drain well. While sausage is still warm, add cream cheese and stir until melted and creamy. Cool. Bake 20 minutes at 350 until golden brown. Cool. Slice into 1/2" slices. |
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| I make these all the time. The recipe doubles, triples, whatever. In the interests of a lower-fat, lower cholesterol version I use a reduced amount of cheese (original called for 2 cups of cheese). It freezes nicely and I don't bother reheating, as it's fine at room temp. Basically a crustless quiche - I've also made a spicy version with pepper jack, which got great reviews, but only from those who like their chiles, LOL! Artichoke Nibbles 2 jars (about 6 oz. each) marinated artichoke hearts Drain marinade from 1 jar of artichokes into a small frying pan. Drain remaining jar; reserve marinade for other uses. Chop all artichokes; set aside. Over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in pan, stirring often, until onion is soft when pressed, about 5 minutes. In a bowl, beat eggs to blend. Stir in crumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, hot pepper seasoning, cheese, parsley, artichokes, and onion mixture. Pour into a greased 7- by 11-inch baking pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven until custard feels set when lightly touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, then cut into 1-inch squares. Serve warm or at room temperature; or cover and refrigerate to serve cold. To reheat, bake, uncovered, in a 325 degree oven until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 30 nice-sized squares. |
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| lindac ~ your Italian Pepperoni Cheese Puff calls for *shortening* ~ silly question, but does that mean margarine? |
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| Shortening means butter, margerine, lard, crisco, or coconut butter....I use either butter or crisco in that recipe. Linda C |
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| I see you have a fleet of crock pots.....might be fun to do an assortment of meatballs.....your bam halls in cherry sauce and Swedish meatballs in a cream sauce and Mamma's Italian meatballs in a marinara sauce. |
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| Here's my heritage showing through. :-) This not a heart healthy dish but it's not meant to be eaten by the pound! Savory Creton 2 lbs. fresh ground pork In stock pot, slowly brown salt pork until crisp. Remove from pot, cool and mince fine. Add onions, garlic, and shallot to pot and saute slowly until just cooked. Add sage and herb de provence and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground pork to pot, breaking up with your hands as you add it to the pot. Add vermouth, water, bay leaf and chicken stock, stirring to gently break up pork. Bring to a boil reduce heat to a simmer add crisp salt pork. Simmer about 45 minute then remove bay leaf, continue simmering until all the water is gone. Pack the meat mixture tightly in a loaf pan (I use a spatual to press it down). Do not drain off the fat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. To unmold on to platter, dip the loaf pan in hot water for 2 minutes, do not submerged. Remove plastic wrap, place a platter upside down on top of loaf plan. Holding the platter and loaf pan together, flip over so the Creton falls on to the platter. Serve with French bread slices, Dijon-naise (mix Dijon mustard with a little mayonnaise) and sweet gherkins and cornichons. May be prepared 1-2 days ahead or frozen for later use. I usually freeze it in the loaf pan. |
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| Hmm, I THOUGHT I posted a follow up message yesterday, but I don't seen it here in the thread. I apologize if this is a duplicate.... Yummm, so many wonderful sounding options; how will I choose? I've also been going through all my cookbooks and have a pile set aside with little slips of paper bookmarks sticking out of them. I've been non-stop hungry the last few days. :) LindaC - you made me giggle with the "fleet" of crock pots comment. :) I had thought more meatballs might be too repetitive, but maybe if I make them really different as you suggested..... Has anyone made mini quiches (I have some of those mini muffin tins) and frozen them successfully? Then just pop 'em in the oven like the frozen ones you can buy in the store? I like the idea of little quiches, but I'm trying to make everything "from scratch" so don't want to buy them. Kathy |
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- Posted by julier1234 (My Page) on Thu, Nov 17, 11 at 14:12
| Annie - couple of questions. Jalapeno Cheesecake - when you double that, what size cake pan are you using? And are you serving this cold? How far ahead can you make this? The Rye Party Puffs - Again - how far ahead can those be made? |
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| This Parmesan Walnut Salad in Endive Leaves went over very well at a recent party, and the reviewers offer some excellent suggestions. I made it a day ahead and did chop the cheese into tiny bits, but next time I'll pulse it in the food processor for faster prep. It's still excellent 3 days later, and leftovers can be tossed on salads. I served it with endive leaves and crackers. |
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| HAM APPETILLAS 1 pkg. Azteca Super Size Flour Tortillas Remove tortillas from refrigerator. Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, onions and olives. Spread thin layer of mixture on tortilla. Arrange four slices of ham over cheese. Tightly roll up tortilla. Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight. To serve, cut into 3/4 inch slices. Makes about 64 appetillas. |
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| I've made mini quiches (with pastry) in the shallow cupcake tins (so they're at most two bites) and frozen them many many times. I just line the tins with a circle of short pastry (cut with the right size cookie cutter) then make an egg mixture with three eggs to a cup of cream or half and half. Place whatever flavouring ingredients you want in the raw shell (cooked mushrooms, diced ham, cooked or canned asparagus, sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese etc) then pour in egg mixture to fill. Bake until set and pastry is golden. Another one which is popular and also freezes well is a mini tart lined with short pastry, then filled with a mixture of pepperoni, cabanossi or krakowurst, cheddar cheese, all in very small dice about 1/4" or so, and more or less equal proportions, and some chopped up canned champignons. Overfill the tart shells and bake until the pastry is golden. Serve warm. May be frozen and reheated. If you're interested in making curry puffs I'll dig out my recipe, also popular. They are made with pre-rolled puff pastry and if you have one of those little hinged turnover makers so much the better, you can churn them out. The filling has diced potaotes, onions, peas and curry spices (not hot) and these also freeze well. Mini vol-au-vents are fairly easy as well, I make a filling with bechamel sauce and some flavouring ingredient (chicken and mushrooms, ham, cheese and asparagus etc) which can be frozen until I want to use it. Fill the (bought) vol-au-vent cases with a spoonful of the filling and heat in the oven until warmed through. |
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- Posted by suzyqtexas (My Page) on Fri, Nov 18, 11 at 11:33
| This is wonderful, throw it together and let it cook! Marinated Mushrooms 1 pound butter 4 pounds extra large whole fresh mushrooms 1 quart burgundy or other red wine 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon dill weed 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon flavor enhancer (Accent) can leave out 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 cups boiling water 4 beef bouillon cubes 4 chicken bouillon cubes �Combine all ingredients in large pot �Bring to a slow boil on medium heat �Reduce to simmer and cook 5-6 hours with the pot covered �Remove top and cook another 3-5 hours until liquid reduces to barely cover mushrooms �Serve hot |
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| Thank you, everybody, for so many wonderful ideas! I think I'm going to try a few small batches of some things, just to see how they go (plus I just can't wait to try some of these ideas!) before making a ton for the party. I'm also thinking this is a great time for me to try doing some innovating, using a recipe as a base and making my own tweaks. I've never really done that much before as I've always pretty much just followed recipes. I think I will let my creativity out just a bit.... I'm also realizing I need to make sure I don't put too many things on the menu; I don't want it to be overwhelming, either for me or for our guests. I'm going to have an interesting challenge coming up with a balance of things; some hot, some cold; some sweet, some savory; some for non-dairy, some for vegetarians, etc. I have to say, I do enjoy the planning as well as the execution. Kathy |
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- Posted by bob_cville (My Page) on Fri, Nov 18, 11 at 14:14
| One of my oldest T&T recipes is for stuffed-mushroom caps. The are relatively easy to make a day or so ahead, and then you merely pop them in the oven for 10 minutes or so and serve them. Bob's Magical Mushrooms Remove stem and cut away the lower half of the mushroom exposing the gills At this point you can refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 400 deg F |
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- Posted by bob_cville (My Page) on Fri, Nov 18, 11 at 14:20
| Speaking of innovating. I once made the above recipe but mixed crab meat in with the cream cheese mixture, and the result was wonderful. |
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| Give us a review on what you made and how it went over. :) |
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- Posted by booberry85 (becky@leadtesting.net) on Sat, Nov 19, 11 at 7:37
| These always get rave reviews Crab Stuffed Mushrooms This is a crowd pleaser. The crab filling works well as a dip all on its own. This is from www.allrecipe.com and was submitted by Wilma Scott. Serves 6 people. Ingredients 1 pound fresh mushrooms In a medium bowl, combine crabmeat, green onions, herbs, and pepper. Mix in mayonnaise and 1/4 cup parmesan until well combined. Refrigerate filling until ready to use. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Remove stems. Spoon out the gills and the base of the stem. Discard stems or save for another use. Fill the mushroom caps with rounded spoonfuls of filling and place in an ungreased shallow baking dish. Sprinkle tops with parmesan and paprika. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Serve immediately. |
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| Sui Mai is a nice change. They freeze beautifully and the dipping sauce can be made ahead. You may find steaming at the last minute annoying. I'm OK with it as it takes just a few minutes. Shu Mai (Opened-Faced Chinese Dumplings)-Sue (Cookingrv) (Makes about 60) For dipping sauce: For dumplings: Remove wrapper and cover wontons with a damp towel (this prevents In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine meat, green onions, Working one at a time, gently peel off a wonton wrapper, and Fill with 1.5 to 2 T of filling forming a tight cup with your Place on a jelly roll pan Remove from pan and store in plastic bags until ready to use, but NOTE: Wontons should be frozen before cooked, as they hold their When ready to cook, line a baboo steamer, or any other type of Bring water to boil and steam dumplings over high heat, covered, Serve with dipping sauce.
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| I will definitely let you all know the final menu. So far, I'm thinking something like this: Hot mulled cider Hamballs (in crockpot) Pecan tassies Does this seem balanced? Enough choices, too many? Anything in particular I'm missing? Should I, for example, add some spiced nuts for easy nibbling? Now I need to confess - I don't do mushrooms! Some of the thin gs you all have shared sound like they'd be fabulous if I weren't anti-fungus! But, for something like this, if I don't like it, I don't cook it. :) chase - the dumplings sound great, whether I will use them for the party or not, I'm not sure, but that's the kind of thing DH and I sometimes have as an easy dinner. It would be great to have our own vs. store bought. Can they be fried instead of steamed like pot stickers? Kathy |
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- Posted by julier1234 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 20, 11 at 12:09
| jkom51 - I made the artichoke nibblers yesterday. They are great except I should have taken your advice and cut the cheese in half. I went with the two cups because I love cheese, but can definitely get away with a cup versus two cups. Thanks! |
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| Okay, the artichoke nibblers just got added to the probably/test drive list. :) Kathy |
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| These are really good and can be made ahead and frozen. Onion Puffs 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese Blend cream cheese, chopped onion, tabasco. mayo, and parm cheese until thoroughly mixed. I also have a great recipe for make ahead mini crabcakes in case you're interested.... |
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- Posted by chickadee2 (My Page) on Mon, Nov 21, 11 at 1:16
| This is an old recipe that's been around, but it's very tasty, simple to make and freezes well. English Muffin Appetizers 1 1/2 c. white cheddar cheese grated ( gold foil Kraft ) Just mix everything together and spread on the open muffin halves. Cut the muffins into serving pieces. Broil 'til bubbly. It's a shame you don't do mushrooms. I have a wonderful one for that. |
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| Please post your cherry sauce for hamballs. Sounds wonderful Lindac - how much olive oil in the Pomegranate-Walnut dip? Eager to try. Here are a couple of make-aheads. For us chicken-livered challenged souls this is the pate. A make-ahead. Liver Olive Pate Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup cold beef broth. A surprisingly sophisticated flavor. Great make-ahead. 32 - 6" celery lengths (when removing 'strings' also take a narrow lengthwise Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and butter until smooth. And this one from a few years back sounds like a tasty addition. * Posted by: Ginger_St_Thomas (My Page) on Thu, Dec 15, 05 at 17:39 ROQUEFORT GRAPES (makes 50) Wash grapes & pat dry. |
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| 1/2 cup olive oil in the pomegranate dip... Don't know what those strange little symbols are....??? |
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| Thank you Linda! |
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