Last year we really didnt prepare anything. It was mostly a 'bring your own booze & snacks' situation. But since this will be our last year, we wanna do it up. Last year people started getting here around 10am and most didnt leave until well after midnight. We are all in our mid-twenties, so nothing has to be fancy. Just good party food to graze on all day.

What are good party recipes? Favorite recipes to bring to a party?

Stuff I can have prepared well beforehand. Because the day of, I will be too tipsy to deal with food.... Its Mardi Gras, its socially acceptable here to be drunk before noon on a parade day!

HAM CHEESE BALL (serves 12-15)
Two 8 oz pkg crema cheese, softened
1 cup ground smoked ham
1 TBL grated onion
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp seasoned pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Combine first 5 ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Cover & chill 30-60 minutes. Shape mixture into a large ball & coat w/chopped nuts. Wrap w/plastic wrap & refrigerate. Serve chilled w/assorted crackers.~~Food for Thought

GREEK-STYLE CHEESE BALL
4 oz dry packed feta cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup ripe olives, chopped & divided
2 TBL thinly sliced green onions, divided
1 TBL chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried

Cut both cheeses into chunks. Process in a processor until smooth. Reserve 1 TBL olives & 1 TBL th9inly sliced green onions. Stir in remaining olives & green onions & shape mixture into a ball. Cover & chill. Sprinkle w/basil & reserved olives & green onions. Serve w/toasted pita bread wedges, mild crackers or thinly sliced French bread.~~Food for Thought

2 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1 cup cocktail sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked baby shrimp
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup sliced ripe olives
1/3 cup diced fresh tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

On a pizza pan or large, flat round tray, spread the cream cheese evenly. Spread the cocktail sauce on top. Sprinkle the shrimp, green onions, green pepper, olives and tomatoes onto the cocktail sauce. Distribute the Parmesan cheese evenly over all the other ingredients so it looks like a pizza. Cover and chill until serving time. Serve as a spread with crackers.

ZESTY BEEF ROLL-UPS

1 cup sour cream
2 Tbs. horseradish
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
5 (8 inch) flour tortillas
30 spinach leaves
10 thin slices roast beef
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, horseradish and mustard. Spread 3 Tbs. of mixture on each tortilla. Arrange 5 or 6 spinach leaves over sour cream mixture. Place 2 slices roast beef over spinach. Sprinkle with 3 Tbs. cheddar cheese. Roll each tortilla up tightly; wrap with Saran Wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours. Cut into 1 inch pieces before serving.

Cool Pasta Primavera

1 lb tricolor rotelle pasta, cooked al dente and drained
1 small bunch broccoli, cut into bite size pieces and lightly blanched
1/2 lb cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces and lightly blanched
3/4 cup red bell peppers, cut into 2" julienne strips (yellow or green bell pepper optional for additional color)
3/4 cup zucchini cut into quarters lengthwise, then into 1/4" slices
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
Combine the pasta and vegetables in a large bowl.

Garlic Cream Sauce:
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream

To Make the Cream Sauce: mix the garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the oil until the mixture is thick. Blend in the heavy cream and pour over the pasta and vegetables. Chill for at least 1 hour. Serves 8-10.

Source: Picnic by Dee Stovall

CLAMS CASINO

Posted by tobygirl (My Page) on
Sun, Dec 23, 07 at 6:31
Here's a very good one, which I have made many times.

2 cans minced claims with their liquid
2 Tbls. lemon juice
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbls. fresh parsley chopped or 1 tsp. dried
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. oregano
3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs
2 drops hot sauce or to taste
1/2 c. cheddar or parmesan cheese grated
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Simmer clams with their liquid and lemon juice in a covered saucepan for 5 minutes. Set aside. Saute onion, garlic and parsley in butter for about 5 minutes; then add the oregano, bread crumbs, hot sauce and clams/lemon juice mixture. Spoon into a greased pie plate and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and paprika and return to oven just until cheese melts. Serve warm with crackers.

Robust Onion Cheese Toast
(posted by Caliloo)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package cream cheese, softened
4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons minced onion
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 loaf sliced cocktail rye bread
Combine mayo, cream cheese, blue cheese, parsley, onion, garlic, pepper sauce and white pepper. Cover and chill for 2 hours to let flavors blend. Can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Spread 2 teaspoons mixture on each slice of bread and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with plastic and chill until ready to serve.
To Serve: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover baking sheet and bake 10 – 15 minutes until toasts are puffy and slightly brown.

Dlynn's Ham & Asparagus Roll-ups
24 fresh asparagus spears
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (4 ounce) package crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
12 slices bread, crusts trimmed off
12 slices thinly sliced deli ham
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
paprika
Garnishes
green onions, curl
red bell peppers
Snap off tough ends of asparagus, and remove scales from stalks with a vegetable peeler, if desired.
Arrange asparagus in a steamer basket over boiling water.
Cover and steam 4 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Remove from steamer, and cool on paper towels.
Stir together cream cheese and next 3 ingredients.
Roll each bread slice with a rolling pin to flatten.
Spread 1 side of each slice with 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture; top each with 1 ham slice.
Place 2 asparagus spears, tips pointed toward opposite ends, on one end of each bread slice; roll up, and place, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet.
Brush with butter; sprinkle with paprika.
Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
Serve immediately.
Garnish, if desired.
Note: Freeze unbaked rollups up to 1 month in an airtight container.
Thaw in refrigerator, and bake as directed.
Yield: 12 appetizer servings.

Hot Beef Dip

4 oz dried beef, shredded
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz sour cream
small can of chopped chilis

Bake at 350* until hot and bubbly.....about 20-25 minutes

SUZIE'S PESTO CHEESECAKE

CRUST
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
1/2 cup melted butter Mix all together and press into 9" springform pan. Bake 10 minutes.

FILLING
4 (8 oz packages) cream cheese
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups pesto (from the refrigerator section of your grocer)

Beat with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350* for 1 hour. Chill several hours or overnight. Remove from pan and decorate with a little chopped tomato or chopped sundried tomatoes. Slice into very thin slices and serve on small individual plates - or - cut into thirds and place 1/3 on serving plate and use to spread on crackers or baguettes. Be sure to decorate with a little chopped "red" tomato accent and maybe some green basil too. Looks beautiful! (If you cut into thirds, you can serve 1/3 and freeze the remaining for another time.)

NEW MEXICAN CHILE DIP
from the kitchen of Jim Myers
Makes about 3 quarts

2-3 pounds ground beef
2 pounds Velveeta cheese cubed
2 large onions, chopped
1 - 28 ounce ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 cloves garlic chopped
2 - 4 ounce cans chopped green chiles
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin

Brown ground beef with the onions and drain. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 20-30 minutes. Transfer to crock pot to keep warm. Use large corn chips for dippers.