Please Help - Company's Coming!

[ellen6242]

Good Morning!

A couple moved in next door to me and I invited them over for wine and appetizers on Saturday. I'd love to make Hot Brie Kisses, but I've never made them and have never worked with phyllo before and I'm not sure if the time to start is the day I need to serve them. I am definitely making roasted red pepper hummus. I'm debating about Buffalo Chicken Dip and a Spinach Artichoke Dip I make that is to die for - I'll post the recipe for it. I'm also considering Creamy Cilantro Dip and also maybe Barefoot Contessa's Buffalo Chicken Wings. I'm starting to get very stressed out about this, which I know is ridiculous. If any of you have any thoughts, suggestions, etc., please let me know. Thanks!!

Ellen

Spicy Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 10-oz boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 8-oz container sour cream
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 tbsp tabasco
salt to taste

Melt butter and add onion. Cook until soft - about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, 3/4 cup jack cheese, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, tabasco and salt. Stir till heated through. Pour into casserole dish and top with remaining cheeses. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes. Serve with sliced baguette.

[zackaboo]

It is a common misconception that Hot Brie Kisses use phyllo dough, but it is actually puff pastry which is very easy to use. I highly recommend these.

[Gilgamesh37]

Hi Ellen! First off, try not to stress--this is supposed to be a relaxed pleasant get together, right? I think any of the things you've mentioned would be lovely--my only hesitation would be the Buffalo Chicken Dip--it's great, but it's pretty heavy, and I'm guessing that it's still very warm where you live? So that might be a consideration.

Also, the brie kisses use puff pastry, not phyllo--it's a much more forgiving beast. They really are quite simple, so I wouldn't let the fact that you haven't made them before put you off--you could do them in the morning as well and either put them covered in the fridge or pop them in the freezer, so it wouldn't be cluttering up your immediate pre-company time.

Good luck! Let us know what you decide on--and thanks for the spinach artichoke recipe, which looks great!

[cinnamon_queen]

Here is the link to the thread I posted giving a review of a few appetizers and a dip that I made for my birthday party last month:

Birthday Food Reviews (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62296&highlight=birthday)

Hopefully some ideas will come from there too!

My only hesitation with the chicken wings is the mess. They can be a mess to eat (depending upon how "wet" the sauce is) and for me at least there isn't really any polite way to eat them! :o Also, in my mind chicken wings don't go so well with wine. I want a beer with my chicken wings.

[Kathy B]

Why not just pick two dishes to make, and supplement that with a great fruit/cheese tray and maybe some good quality crackers? That way you can focus on a couple of great appetizers, and not get too stressed out about the whole thing. I think your spicnach dip looks great! Have fun!

[Terrytx]

Originally posted by Kathy B
Why not just pick two dishes to make, and supplement that with a great fruit/cheese tray and maybe some good quality crackers? That way you can focus on a couple of great appetizers, and not get too stressed out about the whole thing. I think your spicnach dip looks great! Have fun!

sounds like good advice to me:D

[ellen6242]

Thanks for all of the tips!! Here's what I've decided to do:

Roasted red pepper hummus with pita triangles
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Hot brie kisses
Fruit and cheese tray

Now I must come up with something for my boyfriend who is like Mikey from the old Life cereal commercials - he hates everything :)

Ellen

[lindrusso]

I agree about the spicy buffalo sauce maybe not going so well with wine - more of a beer appetizer.

I also agree that you can do one or two great appetizers and one or two easier things. Another thing you can do instead of a cheese tray is an antipasto tray with things like marinated artichokes, tortellinis, black olives, salami, etc. - this would go nicely with wine.

And if it's only two people coming over, you won't need tons of food. :) The most important thing is to relax and enjoy yourself. After a couple of glasses of wine, they will LOVE anything you make. :D ;)

Alysha

[RebeccaT]

Ellen, I think that's a great menu! One question, though... will it just be the four of you? I can TOTALLY relate to wanting to make a variety, make sure your guests have lots to choose from, etc.... but that seems like a lot of food for 4 people! I don't know... if it were me, I might just do two appy's and drinks. Otherwise, I have a feeling that you will be left with lots of leftovers (not always a bad thing!)

At any rate, it so sweet of you to make this effort to get to know your new neighbors. Have fun!

[Luvs2Cook]

Ellen,

This is a great recipe from Paula Deen I brought to our neighborhood game night and it was gone within minutes! I served this with her sauce recipe, and also BBQ sauce. You can make them ahead, morning of or night before, and just reheat them in the oven until warm.

CHICKEN NUGGETS WITH HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE

2 cups crushed sour-cream-and-onion-flavored potato chips
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
6 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup butter, melted
Honey Mustard, recipe follows


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spread the crushed potato chips in a shallow dish. Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken cubes into the egg mixture and then dredge them in the chips. Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. The chicken nuggets can be frozen after baking. Serve with your favorite sauce, such as honey mustard or ranch dressing.


Honey Mustard:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice or juice from 1/2 lemon
Horseradish, to taste
2 tablespoons orange juice (more or less as needed)
Combine all ingredients except orange juice; stir well. Thin to pouring consistency for dressing or dipping consistency for dips with orange juice. Cover and chill for 2 or 3 hours.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: None
Ease of preparation: Easy

[Wendy w]

The menu looks great Ellen. Thanks for the dip recipe. :)