So, I’m having a little housewarming party, and my roomate wants to make some nice little snacks for the guests, but I’m pretty much out of ideas besides a basic meat and cheese platter and crackers kind of deal. Well, I’ve got a few other ideas, but mainly we’re looking for foods that can be served cold. Any suggestions for good treats that are easy to make and don’t need to be kept warm?
Cheeseball—squish together
2 cream cheeses
1 package super thin beef, finely chopped
Tsp. Lemon juice
Tsp. Worstershire sauce
1-2 very Finely diced green onions (optional)—form into a ball and roll in chopped walnuts. Serve with crackers, yummy!
What about a veggie/dip platter?
Or a Fruit salad?
Or simple deserts like rice crispy treats or brownies?
How swanky are you wanting this to be? Is it a paper plates on the patio kind of deal or are you going for something a bit more elegant?
Cheeseburger Dip. Easy. Take a pound of hamburger meat, brown it. Take a big stick of velvetta, melt it. Mix together. Dip out with Tostitos. mmmm…
Chips and salsa from Chuy’s and lots of Shiner Bock.
Eh, we’re trying to be a little classy. In fact, the only real decree given by my roomate is “No chips and Salsa”, so as much as I appreciate the help Rug Burn, I’m going to have to look for more suggestions. Thanks though, that cheeseburger dip sounds pretty good.
Cheese and ring bologna. How about those little pizza pocket things? And beer. Lots o’beer.
How about Shrimp Cocktail or smoked salmon? You can usually find cooked shrimp at your grocers or at Costco or Sam’s Club they sell two pound bags of cooked frozen shrimp for about $12.00. Make or buy cocktail sauce. The smoked salmon can be served with crackers. Leave it whole or make a salmon dip.
Buy some croissant dough, provolone cheese and pepperoni.
Unroll the croissant dough so it is in rectangles. Cover that with a layer of pepperoni slices. Cover that with a layer of provolone.
Roll carefully and pinch the seam together.
Slice into ‘wheels’ with a sharp knife. Lay the slices out like cookies and bake according to dough directions until nicely browned.
Yummy 
Also a nice fruit salad is easy, cold and pretty. I make mine with some melon, strawberries, blueberries, mandarin orange slices, grapes and whatever else strikes my fruit fancy. Then have some whipped cream and biscuits on the side for people to make funky fruit shortcakes.
Here’s an easy one that is popular at our get togethers.
You will need:
a baguette
cream cheese
a jar of sundreid tomatoes
fresh basil
Cut the baguette into disks. I cut them on the diagnol.
Spread with cream cheese
add a bit of sundried tomatoes.
top with a basil leaf.
My friend makes these, which are also popular:
You will need
Ham
Cream Cheese
spear pickles
spead cream cheese on a slice of ham.
add the pickle.
roll the ham up, burrito style.
cut them into pieces and spear with a toothpick.
Also, we had a last minute get together and I purchased frozen hor’doerves at Target. They have mini quiches and stuff that was pretty good! I know you said you prefer cold stuff, but once these are cooked, you can serve them cold.
Stuffed Strawberries–delicious and very pretty.
Two Pounds Berries—core them, removing the stems and hollowing out a pyramid shaped hole in the middle. Slice off just enough of the butt so they’ll sit upright on a flat surface.
Filling:
Two packages cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Just enough water to moisten (2-3 tablespoons)
Beat together just until creamy–don’t overdo it or it’ll get runny.
Fill a plastic food bag (or a pastry bag with a large star tip if you have one–this makes them extra pretty) with the filling and clip off a small corner. Squeeze into hollowed out berries.
Salami Roll Ups—different but very easy.
Clean and Dry Green onions. Cut off all but 3-4" of the greens.
Take hard salami sliced medium-thin and smear with a bit of cream cheese. Wrap salami around the onion and roll into a tight tube. Arrange in a circular pattern around a small dish filled with salt if desired.
Celery with cream cheese? That’s always my favorite.
Here’s one I use for a sweet and sour appetizer. It sounds weird, but people love it. Just take equal parts Chili Sauce (the stuff that looks like Ketchup) and Welch’s Concord grape jelly. I normally use three bottles of the chili sauce.
Heat the two together on a low heat until the jelly melts. Add little cocktail wieners, or pre made meatball and let them cook on low for about 20 minutes.
Chex Mix
Pinwheel Cookies
Ritz crackers with tuna/mayo topping
Chocolate candy
Puffy Taco, I love those meatballs! I have a recipe around here somewhere for those.
I know they aren’t a cold item but if you have a crock pot or something they can sit about and simmer in they are fairly easy and yummy!!!
I’ll never forget one New Year’s party when all the meatballs were gone. People were eating the sauce by itself. I think you could throw Dog Chow in this stuff and people would eat it!
Most large grocery stores will sell a variety of party platters.
Very easy on the prep those are.
Talking like Yoda, I am but why I do not know.
This is a hot dip that is easy to make, bound to be bad for you, but is sooooo good. It’s always gone in 15 minutes at my parties.
2 cans artichoke hearts (6.5 oz ea), drained
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded mozarella
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
opt:
1 can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 clove garlic - crushed
To put this together, quarter the artichoke hearts and mix them with the mayonnaise and the shredded cheese. Put in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Spring Rolls
Wonton wrappers
Lettuce
Carrots
Cilantro
Rice Noodles
Cooked Shrimp
Some sort of dipping sauce – Hoisin mixed with soy sauce in equal parts will do (add hot sauce if you want it, well, hot)
Another high class option is a Brie Bar. Get some brie. (Remember to let it come to room temperature before serving it, if you do this.) Get a baguette & slice it and get some crackers. Get some nuts (pecans or walnuts are nice for this), grapes, sliced apples & a jar of basil pesto. Arrange them all together and you’ve got a billion choices for eating brie. Ok. Not really a billion, but a lot.
Slice the carrots into long, thin strips (1/4 inch wide & 2-3 inches long)
Unshell shrimp
Cook rice noodles according to package instructions; drain, then cool in fridge
Chop cilantro
Then all you have to do is make an assembly line. Wonton wrappers go first, then add each of the other ingredients. About 1/4 Cup of lettuce, 1/8 Cup of carrots, 1 Tablespoon of Cilatro, 1/4 Cup of the noodles and 1-3 shrimps each. Then roll the wrappers as instructed on the package or just like a burrito. You can do them the morning of the party, cover them with saran wrap and then haul out this big platter of yummy, fresh goodness.
That whole thing about the Brie Bar was at the end of my message when I submitted it. I don’t know how it changed places on me!
Get some pitta bread. You know, flat bread that you can split half?? I don’t know what it’s called in America. Anyway, split it.
Two recipes:
Mix some garlic and butter (or marg) together and spread it over the bread halves. Then sprinkle grated parmesan over. Cut them into chip sized pieces and bake in the oven til brown.
2nd:
Spread a generous amount of sweet chilli sauce over the bread halves. Cut them into chip sized pieces and bake in the oven til brown.
Both of these are really yummy and easy to make. They are good on their own or as dippers.
Also, a quick, easy, yum, cheap dip is sour cream mixed with french onion soup mix. Keep adding the mix til it tastes right. (Be careful, it can get too salty!)