El Hubbo’s birthday celebration is coming up in two weeks. We’re having a few of his friends over to break in his new keg fridge.
I have promised appetizers… Any easy appetizer ideas?
I have a facial and hair appointment the same day (Day o’ Pampering, doncha know) so, the easiness is key.
Definitely going to do a veggie/dip platter, but that’s all I got for now.
It doesn’t get easier than curry shrimp.
If you get some that’s already peeled and de-veined, all you have to do is throw it in a pan with olive oil (I use a little butter, too), salt, pepper, and curry powder.
Cook until done.
YAY!
Jalapeño wraps:
Ingredients:
One block of cream cheese.
*Three medium or two large jalapeño peppers.
Tortilla shells (8" works best)
Garlic powder
Directions:
Chop up the jalapeños rather finely.
Mix in with a block of cream cheese.
Spread over about 3/4 of the tortilla.
Add garlic powder (or any other seasoning) to taste.
Roll up (some of the spread will start oozing out the front).
I usually stop about an inch form the other end. Cut that off the tortilla off and save.
Cut the rolled tortilla in slices of about a half-inch.
Repeat the procedure until you’ve used up your mix.
Store the wraps.
Clean-up:
Take the tortilla “ends” that you’ve been cutting off, and use those to wipe the mix bowl clean.
Eat. (Sorta like licking the bowl, but you don’t get stuff all over your face.)
*I’ve noticed that sometimes the jalapeños are a little on the mild side, so I always buy one habañero for insurance.
Oooh! And why not just do something simple like slice up a baguette, some fresh mozzarella, some tomatoes for stacks-o-snacks? You could drizzle them with olive oil and balsamic vin . . . or is that not a beer-friendly appetizer?
mini-quiche:
cut pieces from a pie crust (I like the foldin kind) to fit the pockets in a muffin pan, fill with a mixture of eggs, milk, veggies, ham, cheese, shrimp, the spices you like - whatever. Bake 15 min. Depending on your choice of ingredients, you can make it as elegant, un-quichelike, or exotic as you want. If you decide not to use raw eggs, you can crank the oven to 425F and bake for only 5-10 min
Roll-up pastries:
Take a few “poppin’ fresh” type buscuits, roll or mash them flat (I’ve done it with a coffee can, when the roling pin was hiding) and roll them around the fillings of your choice, from chocolate to… anything … and bake. Choose the right fillings, and they can actually be impressive. If you mess any up, wait until they cool, then slice them into disks as a second appetizer.
Deviled eggs:
Some people hate them, some have a lingering fondness for them from the days when they were de rigeur
Slice boiled eggs in half, mash the yolks with onion, pepper, spices, whatever (a bit if relish is always nice) and . Add a spoon of mayo or sour cream or yogurt, and a squirt of mustard (according to taste). Scoop back into the half-egg whites
I better stop now. Too many options…
I suggest that this party needs to have the manliest man munchies to properly celebrate the acquisition of the keg fridge, right?
Meat.
More meat, some barbecued.
Hot wings, shrimp cocktail tray, jerky, summer sausage on crackers, etc. Can’t beat the easiness factor if you pick up most of it instead of making it yourself.
It might be cool to throw out bowls of beery bar snacks, pretzels, peanuts, chips and dip maybe?
My favorite chicken wings:
4-5 lbs. chicken wings, tips removed (or just use ‘drumettes’)
1 bottle red wine
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
Olive oil
Salt to taste
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, cover tightly and marinate overnight. Remove chicken from marinade, toss in some olive oil and place onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Roast in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.
KP - Love the Deviled Egg. God loves the Deviled Egg. Eggs and beer, though, makes me think of pickled eggs in a bar.
Gazelle How can we fix it so you avoid making hot apps after the facial and hair?
Fresh asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto - you could add that to the cold veggies and dip section of your menu.
Have you thought about buying some primo jerky? Jerky and beer are two great tastes that taste great together. Exotic jerky can be a conversation piece, too.
A sausage and cheese board? Honey baked ham with teeny breads and condiments? Brisket with teeny breads and etc?
You before your pampering, you could fix up some trays of chicken satay or other meats on a stick, (frozen if you don’t have time to prepare) samosas and puff (crab, spinach, whatever) and have them ready to be popped into the oven for heating right before guests arrive?
Do you do fondue? Maybe you should have rumaki, deviled eggs, and fondue! And have your hair done in a bouffant style!!!
You are the coolest wife, ever - this party should be terrific.
Learned this one from an international cooking class, it’s a German appetizer. Don’t let the sauerkraut put you off, they’re really good and some people mistake them for crab canapes.
Sauerkraut-Onion Canapes
1 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1/2 cup well drained sauerkraut, minced
1 tbsp milk
1 loaf cocktail size rye bread
Lightly toast rye bread. Mix mayonaise, parmesan cheese. onion, sauerkraut and milk together and spread on toast. Place canapes on baking sheet and broil 4 inches from heat source for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are golden and bubbly.
Note: You may substitute an additional 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese instead of the sauerkraut if you wish.
Yields 36 servings
Tzatziki is good as a dip.
Empty 16 oz. yoghurt into plastic collander and let drain for four hours in fridge.
Mix up result with garlic cloves, oregano and olive oil to taste. Serve on toast.
Here’s another one that’s really good:
Cocktail Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp snipped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening
1 12oz bottle Heinz Chili Sauce
1 10oz jar Smuckers Grape Jelly
Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, parsley, salt worcestershire sauce, pepper and egg; shape into 1 inch balls.
Cook meatballs in shortening in 12 inch skillet until brown. Remove meatballs from skillet; drain fat. Heat chili sauce and jelly in skillet, stirring constantly, until jelly is melted. Add meatballs, stir until coated. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Yields 5 dozen meatballs
Cocktail Sausages: Substitute 3 cans (5 ounces each) Vienna sausages, cut crosswise into halves, for meatballs. Decrease simmering time to 20 minutes. (Haven’t tried the Vienna sausages. Have had it with Hillshire Farms-type of cocktail weenies, which was good, but not as good as meatballs. Unfortunately, I don’t have amount information for that type of sausage.)
It’s a keg party, so break out them pickled eggs!
My contribution to the recipes is Jezebel:
Take apple jelly and aprocot jam, equal amounts, and mix them together with prepared horseradish to taste. The concoction should be pleasantly sweet-hot.
Spoon over a block of cream cheese. Grind some black pepper over the top and serve with crackers.
Oh, man! These all sound soooo delicious.
I could probably swing one or two hot apps. Or ask my best friend to help out. Otherwise, all of the make-aheads are on my short list.
j.c. and Queen Tonya, you guys reminded me of something that would be perfect. We have a small butcher in our neighborhood who makes the most divine jerky, pepperoni and beef sticks. My fave: Spicy HOT Jalapeno Cheese and Beef Sticks.
:::droooooooooooool:::
I loves me some Dopers. Thank you, auntie em, Earl Snake-Hips Tucker (With whom I want to dance some day - if you have snake-hips, you know you can dance!), KP, Queen Tonya, JavaMaven1, j.c., International Playboy, Amethyst Autumn and Mr. Moto!
Bourbon dogs! The recipe in on the wrapper of the little hot dogs you need. Wait… lemme look…
While I’m looking,
Velveeta dip:
You take a brick (loaf?) of Velveelta and nuke it til molten. Stir in a jar of salsa. Serve with tortilla chips or just something to dunk in the cheese-ish goodness.
Ah, here we are…
Bourbon dogs:
2 cups ketchup
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups bourbon (the cheapest you can find!)
1 T. onion, grated
1/2 cup water.
Toss it all in a pot and make it hot. Throw in the dogs until they get hot too. Serve and enjoy.
Here’s a manly appetizer 
Buy pillsbury croissant dough, pepperoni slices and provolone cheese.
Unroll the croissants into rectangles (each tube makes 2 rectangles) layer on some pepperoni and then some provolone. Roll up and pinch the ends. Slice into circles and bake on a cookie sheet at 375 for 11 minutes.
Serve warm or room temp
It also helps to smear some pesto in the roll-ups tanook’. It makes 'em extra yummy.
I was originally going to tell you Cheez WHiz on crackers <g> but I thought you would appreciate a REAL response.
How about Spinich Dip and cubed bread?
You cut out bread in cubes from a round loaf
Fill the inside of the loaf with SPinich Dip
Serve with cubed bread
Just about to order the food I’ll need for the appetizers.
We’re expecting approximately 20 people. How many appetizers do you guys think I’ll need? Party starts at 6:00 PM.