Archive for the ‘APPETIZERS / SNACKS’ Category
Avocado Deviled Eggs
These are excellent deviled eggs, great flavor. This recipe assumes you have hard boiled eggs on hand - feel free to prepare those your preferred way. Link to the Shortcut is in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled, Shortcut
- 1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, reserve 1 teaspoon for garnish as well
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional, as desired
- salt and pepper, to taste, as desired
- smoked paprika, for garnish
- red radish, sliced thin, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, remove yolks to a small mixing bowl and place whites on a serving tray. Mash the yolks with a fork.
- To the mixing bowl, add the chopped avocado, cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder, pinch of cayenne if desired. Mix together with a fork. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Spoon or pipe the filling into the egg whites, lightly sprinkle with reserved cilantro and smoked paprika. Insert a half slice of radish into the filling for garnish if desired.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Shortcut: Perfect Hard Boiled Chicken Eggs.
Sausage Balls
This recipe is from an extensive cookbook titled Favorite Recipes, compiled by the active and retired employees of Michigan Bell in 1981. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Foil
- Oven
Ingredients
- 500 grams pork sausage, (1 lb), Shortcut
- 500 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded, (1 lb)
- 3½ cups Bisquick Mix, Shortcut
- pinch fresh parsley, chopped fine
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a baking, line with foil with the edges turned up, to make cleanup easier.
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl, mix together.
- Form into even sized balls. Arrange on baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through.
- Serve as appetizers with dipping sauces of your choice. Enjoy.
Notes
Shortcuts: Pork Sausage, Bisquick Mix.
Hot Crab Dip
This is an excellent hot crab dip, easy to put together and common ingredients. I made this on 20 Jul 2022 and it is very well liked by the family. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Casserole (2 quart)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 500 grams lump crab meat, four 6 oz cans drained is 4 oz each, perfect, (1 lb)
- 250 grams cream cheese, softened, (8 oz)
- ½ cup mayo
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons spring onion, sliced, green and white parts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, Shortcut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160° C (325° F), get out a 2 quart casserole.
- To a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except the crab.
- Mix together well.
- Gently fold in the drained crab meat.
- Add mixture to the casserole and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Serve hot as an appetizer with crackers or even as a side dish. Enjoy.
Notes
Shortcut: Old Bay Seasoning.
Imitation Crab Dip
This is from the Just a Pinch Recipe Club website, it is easy to make and tastes delicious. To be honest, I do not know what a good crab dip is supposed to taste like, but I will say, this is an excellent tasting dip! This is a cold dip, not a hot dip.
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
Ingredients
- 250 grams cream cheese, room temperature, (8 oz)
- 150 grams sour cream, this is the small container, (about ⅔ cup)
- 1 packet dry ranch dressing, Shortcut
- 500 grams imitation crab sticks, (1 lb)
- 2 tablespoons spring onion tops, sliced
- butter crackers, for serving
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and dry ranch dressing to a mixing bowl.
- Use an electric mixer to thoroughly mix together.
- Cut the crab sticks into ¼ inch slices and place in another mixing bowl. Then use your hands to break the pieces up a little.
- Add the crab sticks to the cheese mixture and use a spoon to mix together. Sprinkle in the spring onion tops and mix in. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for a 2-3 hours.
- Serve with butter crackers, enjoy.
Elegant Eggs
This recipe comes from a recipe club and sounds delicious. On my to make and taste list soon. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 8 hard boiled eggs, chicken or duck, peeled, Shortcut
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup Ranch dressing, Shortcut
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, Shortcut
Instructions
- Slice eggs in half lengthwise, put yolks in a mixing bowl and the whites on a plate or egg serving tray.
- Mash the yolks with a fork, then add all ingredients except the shrimp and Old Bay seasoning. Mix together.
- Fill whites with yolk mixture using two spoons or pipe in.
- Place the shrimp in a bowl, sprinkle with a little Old Bay seasoning and mix them to coat the shrimp.
- Place 1 shrimp on 1 egg, sprinkle with remaining OId Bay seasoning. Cover and place in the fridge until serving.
- Serve and enjoy as a an appetizer or side dish, enjoy.
Ham & Cheese Pinwheels
Easy to assemble and delicious pinwheels. Use any cheese you prefer and as much or as little ham as you like. I made these on 7 Mar 2022 to test out with other pinwheels I made, these are approved and well liked by the family. I served these as a light main dish but these can also be appetizers.
Ingredients
- 250 grams cream cheese, softened, (8 oz)
- ¼ cup mayo
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- flour tortillas, (I used three 8 inch size)
- sliced ham
- sliced cheese, (I used cheddar)
Instructions
- Mix together the first 5 ingredients until fairly smooth consistency.
- Lay out a tortilla and spread a thin layer of cheese mixture to cover to the edges. Place ham slices, amount is up to you, to cover the width of the tortilla. (I used 4 slices of ham on each of 2 tortillas and 2 slices of ham on 1 tortilla, wanted to taste the difference, both very acceptable.)
- Place a layer of cheese slices across the ham.
- Roll up the tortilla away from you, then stick a toothpick in it.
- Repeat with more tortillas to use up all the cheese mixture. I used three 8 inch tortillas, which was perfect. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
- When ready to serve, remove the toothpicks and using a very sharp knife, slice into ¾ to 1 inch slices. Serve as appetizers or as a light main dish. (I should have rolled these tighter.)
Notes
Fair cost per serving.
Andy's Devilish Ham Spread
This recipe comes from a good friend, and Chef. I made this on 29 Mar 2022, and this is an excellent ham salad! A food processor or good blender is needed for this, and since I do not have a food processor, I used my electric meat grinder with the coarse plate, worked perfectly.
Equipment
- Food Processor / Blender / Meat Grinder , S blade for a processor, coarse plate (¼ in / 6 mm)
Ingredients
- 750 grams ham, roughly chopped, (1½ lb)
- 4-5 green olives, pitted
Binding Ingredients
- ⅓ cup mayo
- 56 grams Parmesan cheese, finely grated, (2 oz)
- 56 grams crushed pineapple, drained, blotted dry with a paper towel, (2 oz)
- 1-2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, drained, blotted dry with a paper towel
- 1 tablespoon brown mustard
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce, I used Tabasco
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Instructions
- I went with the Variants, and cup up some Canadian Bacon steaks and chopped some capers.
- Add the ham and olives to your food processor, or good blender, pulse in 1 second intervals until finely chopped. Or use a meat grinder which is my preference.
- In a mixing bowl, add all the Binding Ingredients.
- Mix together until well blended.
- Add the mixture to the chopped ham and mix together. If mixture seems to dry, just mix in another tablespoon at a time. Cover and place in the fridge to chill and blend the flavors for at least an hour or even overnight.
- Serve with crackers, as a sandwich filling, in a salad, or as an ingredient in other recipes that call for deviled ham.
Notes
For sandwiches, this is right about $1.50 per serving, so Fair cost.
Variants: 1. For those in Thailand, use Canadian Bacon Steaks from Makro in place of ham (this was by mistake but the taste is the same). 2. Use 1½ tablespoons of capers, drained and chopped, in place of olives.
Cheese Ball VI
This recipe is from an extensive cookbook titled Favorite Recipes, compiled by the active and retired employees of Michigan Bell in 1981.
Ingredients
- 3 packages cream cheese, softened, (8 oz / 226 g each)
- 1 jar pimento, drained well, diced
- spring onion, finely chopped, as desired
- 1 jar dried beef, cut into squares, (2½ oz / 71 g)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, pimento, and spring onion. Mix together well.
- Form into a ball.
- Place squares of dried beef on entire ball, overlapping squares.
- Serve and enjoy.
Party Cheese Ball I
This recipe is from an extensive cookbook titled Favorite Recipes, compiled by the active and retired employees of Michigan Bell in 1981.
Ingredients
- 2 packages cream cheese, room temp, (8 oz / 226 g each)
- 226 grams sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded, (8 oz)
- 1 tablespoon pimento, chopped
- 1 tablespoon green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon onion, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- dash cayenne pepper
- dash salt
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
- assorted crackers, for serving
Instructions
- To a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and cheddar. Mix together until well blended.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the pecans and crackers. Mix together well. Cover and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm up.
- When ready to serve, form cheese mixture into a ball. Place pecans in a shallow dish, roll cheese ball in pecans, then place on a serving tray.
- Serve with assorted crackers, and enjoy.
Cheese Ball V
This recipe is from an extensive cookbook titled Favorite Recipes, compiled by the active and retired employees of Michigan Bell in 1981.
Ingredients
- 2 jars Kraft Old English Sharp Cheddar cheese, (5 oz / 140 g each)
- 1 jar pimento, diced, (4 oz / 113 g)
- 1 package cream cheese, room temp, (8 oz / 226 g)
- dash garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
- assorted crackers, for serving
Instructions
- To a mixing bowl, add all ingredients except the pecans and crackers.
- Mix together well.
- Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap or foil, place in a bowl, and place in the fridge overnight.
- When ready to serve, remove wrapping on cheese ball, roll in pecans and place on a serving tray.
- Serve with assorted crackers, enjoy.
