March's Appetizer Recipes

Cucumber Sandwiches 1
Cucumber Sandwiches 2
Guacamole
Kegan’ Smokin’ Good Chicken Dip
Meatloaf Balls
Mediterranean Salsa
Mini Ham Puffs
Pepperoni Dip
Quiche Lorraine Tartlets
Samantha’s Blue Cheese Appetizer
Shrimp Spread
Spinach Ball and Dipping Sauce
Stuffed Mushrooms
Veggie Tortillas
Vidalia Onion Dip


Cucumber Sandwiches 1

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 ½ teaspoons Good Season’s Italian dressing mix (½ packet)
½ cup miracle whip salad dressing or mayonnaise
1 cucumber, sliced into ¼ “slices
Cocktail rye bread
Fresh dill

Mix cream cheese, Italian dressing mix, and miracle whip together in a bowl.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight.
To assemble, place a cucumber slice onto a piece of rye bread. Top with a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture.
Garnish with fresh dill. Enjoy!

Cucumber Sandwiches 2

Pare and slice a large cucumber.
Dry cucumber slices on paper towel.
Spread party rye with mayonnaise.
Top with cucumber slices.
Sprinkle with lemon/pepper seasoning.

Guacamole

2 large or 3 medium-small ripe avocados, peeled and mashed
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small finely chopped onion
¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce (add more gradually if you like it “spicy” hot)
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro (use 1 ½ tsp. dry)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
¼-½ cup sour cream (to taste)

Mix above ingredients and serve.

Kegan’ Smokin’ Good Chicken Dip

4 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
12 ounces bottle hot sauce
16 ounces Ranch dressing
1 ½ cups chopped celery
16 ounces blocks cream cheese

Heat oven to 350 degree.
In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken with hot sauce. Coat well.
In skillet over low heat, combine the rest of the ingredients.
When cream cheese is melted, add the mixture to the chicken. Stir to combine.
Transfer mixture to a 9”x 13” pan and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: The recipe can be halved and canned chicken breast (substitute a 12.5 ounce can per required chicken breast) can be substituted.  It tastes just as good and is less time consuming.

Meatloaf Balls

2 lbs. ground beef
¼ lb. ground pork
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely copped parsley
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons milk
1 cup breadcrumbs

Mix all above ingredients, and shape into bite-sized balls.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Sauce:
2 cps ketchup
1 cup mustard
1 cup brown sugar

Mix ingredients and simmer meatballs in sauce in crockpot, to blend flavors.

Mediterranean Salsa

16 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup capers
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup minced fresh Italian parsley
Fresh lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor.  Process with several quick on and off motions, so as not to destroy all the texture, or combine in a bowl.
Serve with crackers or thinly sliced baguettes.

This can be prepared up to 5 days in advance, and refrigerate or freeze for up to 6 months.

Mini Ham Puffs

2.5 ounce package of mini ham cubes
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounce package of crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.
Finely chop onion.
Add all ingredients and mix well.
Unroll crescent dough, pressing seams together and cut into 24 squares. Place one square in each muffin cup.
Fill each muffin cup with a scant scoop of ham mixture.
Bake 12-14 minutes or until puffs are light golden brown. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

Yield: 24 appetizers.

Pepperoni Dip

1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ lb. sandwich pepperoni, chopped fine

Put mushroom soup and cream cheese in pan on strove and heat until hot. Add pepperoni.
Pour in pie pan and bake approximately 30 minutes, until bubbly.
Serve with bagel chips.

Quiche Lorraine Tartlets

1 package mini phyllo shells
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ medium red bell pepper
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
½ cup half and half
1 cup cubed ham (or bacon)
2 Tablespoons finely chopped green onion
12 grape tomatoes (drained)
Coarsely ground black pepper

Whisk eggs, half and half, and salt in a bowl.
Combine ham, bell pepper, green onion, and cheese in another bowl.
Pour egg mixture evenly into shells; sprinkle with cheese mixture.
Cut grape tomatoes in half; push cut side up into shells, and then sprinkle with black pepper.
Bake 10-14 minutes until egg mixture is set.

Serves: 24

Samantha’s Blue Cheese Appetizer

Baby spinach leaves (from bag)
6 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 Tablespoon parsley (fresh, or not)
Large pinch of pepper
1 green onion (Garnish with green onion.)

Mix all ingredients, and put a dollop on each leaf.



Shrimp Spread

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 finely chopped onion
1 can shrimp (Use 1 cup fresh, chopped cooked)

Mix together cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
Chop shrimp (or drain in cold water).
Mix together and add onion.
Refrigerate until firm.

Spinach Ball and Dipping Sauce

Spinach Balls:
1 (10 ounce) package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
½ cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon minced onion
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dash Tabasco sauce

Mix all spinach ball ingredients together in a large bowl. Roll into 1” – 1 ½” balls.
Arrange on a baking sheet, and place in freezer for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
In a small serving bowl, combine sauce ingredients; blend well. Use as a dip for spinach balls.

Variation: Substitute thyme for nutmeg.
Yield: 2 dozen

Stuffed Mushrooms

Filling:
4 ounces goat cheese, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Topping:
1 slice white sandwich bread, quartered
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Mushrooms:
24 large mushrooms, stems removed
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper

For the filling, process all the ingredients, including ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, in a food processor until smooth .Transfer the mixture to a zipper-locked plastic bag, and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the topping, pulse the breads in a food processor until crumbs are coarse. Mix the parsley, garlic, and oil in a bowl. Stir the crumbs into the oil mixture to coat.

For the mushrooms, adjust an oven rack to the middle position, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and set a wire rack inside the baking sheet. Toss the mushrooms with the oil, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and
1/8 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Arrange the mushrooms gill side up on the rack, and roast until the juices are released, about 20 minutes. Turn the caps over and roast until the mushrooms are well browned, about 10 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Flip the roasted mushrooms gill side up and cool slightly. Snip off one corner from the bag with the filling; then fill the mushrooms. Press each cap (stuffing side down) into the bread crumb topping to coat and arrange (topping side up) on he rack. Bake until the filling is hot and the topping is golden brown, about 10minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Veggie Tortillas
          Plan ahead – this recipe needs to chill

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 Tablespoons Ranch dressing
½ cup minced broccoli
½ cup minced cauliflower
¼ cup minced onion (You may use less.)
¼ cup minced green olives (You may use less.)
5 – 8” tortillas
2 ¼ ounces dried beef, chopped
Salsa (optional)

Mix cream cheese and ranch dressing; add veggies, olives, and beef.
Spread onto tortillas; roll and wrap in plastic wrap.
Chill at least 2 hours. This is best made the day before.
Cut into wheels and serve with salsa.

Yield: 50

Vidalia Onion Dip

2 cups mayonnaise
8 ounces Kraft Natural Italian Cheese Crumbles (You may use shredded)
1 large Vidalia or Walla Walla onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients until well blended.
Spread into 8” square baking dish.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly.
Serve with Triscuit crackers.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Yield: 3-1/2 cups or 28 servings, 2 Tablespoons each