easy appetizer ideas please!

[anna]

Hello - I am hosting my family for Xmas eve and I'd love some suggestions for appetizers that could be sitting around before dinner that arent heavy food, but a gesture -- munchies like. The kicker is that I need to be using the oven for the meal so I don't want anything that needs heating. Suggestions of make ahead things (the day before) would be great! THanks very much!

[Jessica]

How about some hummus with pita chips and/or veggies? I like to make it colorful and use red pepper strips, baby carrots, raw zucchini and baby corn (canned, drained).

[marys]

I just made the sundried tomato tompanade from the December issue. It was good and easy. I just put all of the ingredients in a bowl and used my stick blender to mix it all up. The crostini was good at the time, but it tasted stale the next day, even though I kept it in a tupperware container, so you could probably serve it with crackers instead.

[LenaS]

I made the Savory Cheesecake the other day and it was delish! You can make ahead and it is served at room temp anyway - really great.

[mightyh]

The easiest thing to do is to get a good cranberry chutney and pour it over a block of softened cream cheese and serve with crackers.

[Leanne]

Black Bean Dips are easy & you can make them ahead. I also have an olive dip that's easy & tasty if you're interested.

[LGBurns]

I have a crab dip that can be made light using fat-free sour cream and light mayo. It's very easy, must be made ahead in order for the flavors to meld, and is delicious. Best of all, in my experience, kids love it! My nieces and nephews always head straight for it at my mom's at Christmas and I have loved it since I was a kid. Let me know if you want me to post it and I will when I get home tonight.

[Kristi]

Another suggestion-- Mix one block of fat-free cream cheese, about 4 oz. cream cheese and some chopped, roasted red bell peppers. Form into a ball on a platter and sprinkle with Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning. Serve with crackers/veggies. Delicious and the cheese mixture can easily be made the evening before.

[Susan]

Here's an easy favorite of mine:

Greek Feta Spread

1/2- 3/4 lb. Feta cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2-1 Tbs. dried oregano
juice of one small lemon
1 Tbs. olive oil
black pepper to taste

Mash feta cheese. Add other ingredients and mix until combined. Serve with warm Italian or French bread.

[Kristi]

I just realized that I typed "4 oz. cream cheese" in the recipe above. It should have read "4 oz. FETA cheese (crumbled)"...

[SusieO]

Originally posted by mightyh:
The easiest thing to do is to get a good cranberry chutney and pour it over a block of softened cream cheese and serve with crackers.

This also works with pepper jelly or Pickapeppa (sp?) sauce.

[Leanne]

I had another one that looks fancy, but is easy & make ahead & festive for the holidays.

1 8os block cream cheese
1 tub low-fat pesto
chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

(not the lightest of appetizers)

take a bowl or other tupperware dish (maybe a cool shape) & line with saran wrap.
Soften the cream cheese so it spreads easily.
Put about 1/2 in the lined bowl. Let it harden, then layer with sundried tomato (about 1/4" thick) & then about 1/4"thick of the pesto. Then take the remainderof the softened cheese & put on top. Refridgerate until serving. To serve - flip it over & peel off the saran wrap.

I have seen this done another way where
the pesto is mixed with the cream cheese. The tomatoes are put in the bowl first & then the pesto/cheese mixture layered on top of that. It is really good.

[Linda in MO]

My family gobbled this up at Thanksgiving...

* Exported from MasterCook *

Crab Spread

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Appetizer/Snack , Dip


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 oz. light cream cheese -- softened
1/4 cup seafood cocktail sauce -- or more to taste
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon dillweed
1 chopped green onion
1 (6 oz.) can flaked crabmeat -- drained
sqeeze of fresh lemon juice
assorted crackers

Combine first five ingredients together and beat till smooth.

Rinse crabmeat, if desired. Squeeze some lemon juice over the crabmeat.

Fold the crab meat into the cream cheese mixture. Chill to let flavors blend.

Serve with assorted crackers. Good with Keebler Harvest Bakery Multigrain crackers.

NOTES : I'm sure this could also be made with a can of tiny shrimp, too.

[kwormann]

CHex mix could be made in the micro....

always a family holiday fav!

Kim http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif HOHOHO

[almiter]

I got this recipe from a box of fresh herbs. I have not tried this recipe but it sounds great (not light though):

Nutty Sage Pate

1 cup shelled hazelnuts
1/4 cup sesame seeds
8 oz cream cheese
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/3 tsp salt
1/3 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fresh sage chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp milk

Toast hazelnuts and sesame seeds in 350 oven for 5-10 min. Remove, cool and rub to remove skins. Grind together until resemble fine crumbs. Beat cream cheese, salt, pepper, sage and oil together in a bowl. Add nut mixture combining well. Add milk to give moist consistency. Mixture should be faily web as nuts will absorb some liquid. Serve chilled with bread or crackers.

One of my favorite appetizers is to take a block of light cream cheese and pour about 1/2 a bottle of major grey chutney over it. I like it as is, but you can also sprinkly toasted cashews on top. Serve with crackers.

Good Luck!

[cjm]

PLEASE POST YOUR CRAB DIP!!!! I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR "VERY EASY" ITEMS...ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR.

THANK YOU LGBURNS!

Originally posted by LGBurns:
I have a crab dip that can be made light using fat-free sour cream and light mayo. It's very easy, must be made ahead in order for the flavors to meld, and is delicious. Best of all, in my experience, kids love it! My nieces and nephews always head straight for it at my mom's at Christmas and I have loved it since I was a kid. Let me know if you want me to post it and I will when I get home tonight.

[dncomom]

Here's a good one that we DEVOUR. SO very easy and yummy...

"Rather Bee" dip (so named after a quilting bee)
1 lb. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 green onions, chopped
2 tomatos, chopped
1 small can diced black olives
1 small can diced green olives
2 T. minced cilantro
1 package Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing, prepared according to package directions

Combine all ingredients and chill for 24 hours. Serve with crackers, pita chips, tortilla chipsp, ect. It really is so good.

[Mitchdoggy]

Here's a quick & easy dip a friend gave me.

1 1/3 c mayo
1 1/3 c sour cream
8 oz chipped beef
2 T minced onion
1 t dill

Mix up and chill. Serve with crackers.

[Laura]

I had this at a party last night. Tomato basil tortilla spread with cream cheese, then smoked salmon, rolled, sliced and topped with fresh dill. Very yummy and my friend said very easy. She wanted to use spinach tortillas to make it more festive but couldn't find any.

[This message has been edited by Laura (edited 12-16-2000).]

[Natasha]

Hi Laura,

Here is a CL recipe very similar to what you described. I made this recently and it was a popular item! I like the idea of using festive-colored tortillas for the holidays.

Smoked-Salmon Quesadillas

3/4 cup tub-style light cream cheese with chives and onions (about 6 ounces)
8 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
8 ounces smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Spread cream cheese evenly over 4 tortillas. Divide the salmon among tortillas. Sprinkle with pepper. Top each portion with 1 tortilla, pressing gently. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook each quesadilla 2 minutes on each side. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 wedges).

CALORIES 182 (21% from fat); FAT 4.2g (sat 2.5g, mono 1.3g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 9.4g; CARB 25.8g; FIBER 1.80g; CHOL 22mg; IRON .30mg; SODIUM 660mg; CALC 33mg