Savory appetizer recipes that are easy to prepare!

Appetizer Recipes

These simple to prepare appetizer recipes can be served either at the start of a meal or at a reception or open house. For a cocktail party, with no food to follow, it is all right to have a dozen or more kinds of tidbits, but never before dinner.

There are any number of ready-to-serve appetizers available now. The packaged dips are devine, requiring only sour cream or cottage cheese added. Potato chips, crackers or vegetable sticks make excellent dippers.

Sausage Balls Appetizer

• 1 lb. hot or mild sausage
• 10 oz. sharp cheese, grated
• 2 c. Bisquick

Combine all ingredients. Roll into small balls. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

Smoked Beef Ball Appetizer

• 2 pkg. smoked beef
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. Accent
• 2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cut beef in small pieces and reserve 1/4 cup. Mix all ingredients, except reserved beef, and form into a ball. Roll in the reserved beef and serve with crackers.

Excellent for any gathering.

Cheese Ball Appetizer

• 1 (8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
• 1/3 minced stuffed olives
• 1 c. parsley flakes
• 1/4 c. minced black olives
• 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Combine cheese, olives and Tabasco sauce. Form into ball. Roll in parsley flakes.

Beer Cheese Appetizer

A delicious cheese spread for snacks, parties or for Christmas gifts.

• 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 pound Swiss cheese
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, minced, or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup beer
• Crackers, rye bread, or celery

Shred cheeses and blend with remaining ingredients. Pack into 6-ounce containers. Age 4 or 5 days in refrigerator. Alow mixture to reach room temperature before serving with crackers or rye bread.

Beer cheese also makes a tangy spread to stuff 2-3 inch strips of celery at a cocktail party. Makes 5 (6 ounce) containers.

Hot Cheese Straw Appetizer

Marvelous at a cocktail party.

• 1/2 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Tabsaco

Blend cheese and butter in a bowl. Sift flour, salt, and cayenne pepper into cheese mixture; add Tabasco and blend thoroughly with pastry blender or forks.

Squeeze through cookie press or shape into balls and chill 2 hours. Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into strips 3x1/4 inches. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 8 minutes. Makes 6 dozen.

Crunchy Cheese Round Appetizer

Crisp and zesty-ideal toserve at a cocktail party; delicious as a snack with colas or with coffee.

• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal

Blend cheese and margarine in large bowl. Sift flour, sugar, cayenne pepper, and salt into mixture; add remaining ingredients.

Work dough with pastry blender or hands. Pinch dough into small balls, 1 inch diameter. Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet and press down with palm of hand into small circle.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire rack and store in sealed container. Handle gently; they are very crisp. Make 11 dozen.

Cheese Roll Appetizer

• 1 lb. American cheese
• 3 crushed garlic pods
• 1 c. chopped pecans
• 1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
• 1 lg. pkg. cream cheese
• 1 c. pimento cheese
• 2 T. Tabasco

Blend well and shape in size of small round cracker. Roll in paprika and wrap in foil. Chill. Makes 2-3 rolls.

Spinach Ball Appetizer

• 3 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained.
• 3 c. Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing Mix
• 2 chopped onions
• 1 1/4 c. melted butter
• 1 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Accent
• 9 eggs
• 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 tablespoon black pepper

Mix into drained spinach all other ingredients. Refrigerate 30 minutes to faciliatate handling. Shape into bite size balls. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. May be frozen on sheet or bagged. If frozen, thaw 1 hr. before cooking. Makes 70 balls.

Pigs in Blanket Appetizer

• 1 lb. cocktail sausage
• canned biscuits
• 1 lb. cheese
• 3 tbs. melted margarine

Make lengthwise slits in sausages. Cut cheese into strips small enough to put into slits in sausage. Quarter each biscuit and shape into a spiral around each cheese stuffed sausage. Brush biscuit with melted margarine.

Bake in preheated 375° oven until biscuit is browned.

Bacon Sausage Roll-Up Appetizer

• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 lb. bacon
• 16 sausage links

Cut bacon in halves. Cut sausage in halves. Wrap bacon around each sausage link and fasten with a toothpick.Place roll-ups in greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.

Ham Roll-Up Appetizer

• thin ham slices
• 8 oz. cream cheese. softened
• green onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Combine softened cream cheese and garlic powder. Spread evenly on ham slices. Place finely chopped green onion at the edge of the slice. Roll up, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces.You may substitute other thin sliced meats in place of ham

Baked Ham and Cheese Quesadillas Appetizer

• 4 large flour tortillas
• 8 oz thinly sliced ham, or smoked turkey
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion(optional)
• pepper to taste
• vegetable oil for brushing tops

Lightly spray a cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Arrange 2 tortillas on the cookie sheet, top evenly with 1/4 cup of cheese. Top the cheese with sliced ham or turkey, green onion, diced tomatoes, next add the other 1/4 cup of cheese.

Sprinkle each with a little pepper, then cover each with another tortilla. Brush tops with vegetable oil and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until browned. Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with mustard or mayonnaise. Serves 4.

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes Appetizer

• 1 Pint small cherry tomatoes (about 24)

Filling:

• 1 pkg (3 oz) cream cheese
• 1/4 c. Ranch-Style dressing
• 2 tbs. finely chopped green pepper
• 2 tbs. finely chopped water chestnuts
• 2 tbs. finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Slice off tops of tomatoes. Scoop out pulp, reserving to use as necessary to thin filling. Drain tomatoes upside-down on paper towel. Combine filling ingredients. Stuff tomatoes. Refrigerate.

Tuna Tomato Bites Appetizer

• 1 can (7 ounces) tuna
• 1 small package (3 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 ripe mashed avocado
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco or similar pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes

Drain and flake tuna. Cream together mashed avocado and cheese. Add chili powder, lemon juice, salt, Worcestershire, pepper sauce, and tuna. Refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Wash cherry tomatoes and hollow out centers.

Turn upside-down and drain well on paper towels. Fill each tomato center with a heaping teaspoonful of tuna and cream cheese mixture. Makes about 40 to 48 appetizers. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Hot Wieners Appetizer

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can beer
• 1 bottle tabasco sauce
• 1 package wieners

Boil beer, sugar, and tabasco sauce until it makes a syrup. Cut wieners in 1/2 inch pieces. Drop wieners in syrup and allow to simmer for about 1 hour.

Hot Bacon Appetizers

• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons caraway seed
• 3/4 cup [3 ounces] shredded American processed cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons caraway seed
• Melba toast rounds

Crumble bacon. Mix well with cheese, butter, and caraway seed. Spread on melba toast rounds. Place on cookie sheet and broil about 4 inches from source of heat until cheese is melted and bubbling hot. Remove from broiler and serve immediately.

Sausage Balls Appetizer

• 1 lb. sausage
• 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 -1/2 cup Bisquick

Mix all ingredients well. Roll into small balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pizza-Like Appetizer

1 pound sausage 1 pound ground beef 1 pound velveeta cheese 1 tsp basil 1 tsp oregano 1/4 tsp garlic powder 2 tbs parsley flakes Brown and drain sausage and beef. Shred and add 1 pound velveeta cheese. Add remaining ingredients.

Mix well and spread on small French bread (sliced thin) or party rye. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min.

Onion Blossoms Appetizer

• 4 large sweet onions
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 teaspoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pecans
• fresh parsley, chopped
• freshly ground pepper
• salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel the onion, leaving the roots trimmed but intact. Cut in 1/4-inch slices from stem to root, but don't cut through the root end. Turn each onion at right angles and cut again so that when you stand it on its root end, it will form a flower design.

Oil a baking dish lightly. Salt the onions and place them on their root ends in baking dish. Sprinkle vinegar over each onion and dribble butter over them until well coated. Cover lightly with foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting several times. Add afew chopped pecans to the center of each onion and continue baking together 1/2 hour.

Remove from oven; season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Potato Bites Appetizer

• 1 pound round red new potatoes
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

Rinse potatoes. Take a small slice off each end of potato; cut potatoes in half. In 2-quart saucepan, boil potatoes until fork tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove potato halves and arrange, end side down, on a platter. Top each potato half with a small dollop of sour cream, and add your favorite garnish. 14 Bites.

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