Appetizers for Christmas Eve?

[jacksmom]

I am thinking about doing a buffet of different types of appetizers for Christmas Eve! Anyone have any good recipes? I would like to do a couple of fancier things for the adults and also some that are kid friendly. I think this will be easier than a sit down dinner and people can visit and eat as they want to. Anyone else tried this? Any help appreciated!

 

[Tinkertude]

This is my new party recipe. It has gotten good reviews at my potluck dinners this year. I did cut down the cayanne since I wanted everyone to enjoy it, including the kiddos. Notes are my friend that gave me the recipe and I didn't cut down the sour cream or mayonaise.

2 cans of Mexi-corn (drained)

1 pint of sour cream (when you and I made it we used 1/2 pint, I think that was enough)

1 cup of mayonaise (we used 1/2 cup, again I think that was plenty)

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon of cayanne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 bunch green onions chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all together. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve with "scoop" fritoes or red peppers

 

[mommytotwo]

2 (10oz.) pkgs. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonaise
1/2 (3oz.) bottle bacon bits
1 (10oz.) pkg. Ranch-style salad dressing
6 green onions, chopped
1/4 c. water chestnuts, chopped
10 (8-in.) flour tortillas

Squeeze all moisture from spinach. In a bowl, combine spinach, sour cream, mayonaise, bacon bits, dressing mix, onions, and water chestnuts; mix well. Spread evenly over tortillas and roll. Chill overnight. Slice into 1-inch pieces and serve. Makes about 5 dozen pieces.

 

[denisem]

I regularly do appetizers for Christmas Eve, as people are in & out all day long.

This one was INHALED by the kids last year:

TACO DIP

1 (2 pound) loaf processed cheese, cubed
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup water
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) jar picante sauce (I used chunky mild salsa instead


Melt processed cheese in a slow cooker set for high heat. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.

Place ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain beef, and mix in water and taco seasoning mix. Cook and stir 2 to 4 minutes.

Stir seasoned beef into the melted processed cheese. Mix in salsa. Cook and stir until well blended. Serve warm with corn chips.

***
Also did some commercial chicken tenders in the oven, served with ranch & BBQ sauce for dipping - kids liked that also.

For adults, I usually rely on the same old, same old: shrimp/cocktail sauce, meatballs (either in a swedish sauce or the infamous grape jelly sauce )crudites, cheese, spinach dip...you get the idea.

 

[jacksmom]

Thanks so much! These are great recipes!! I can't wait to try them!

 

[Alice28]

A little labor intensive, but my dad used to make these for New Year's Eve every year and OMG---they are so GOOD! Not your average Chinese food WONTONS~~

I cup ground pork
1 cup shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3 finely chopped green onions
a can of chopped (minced) water chesnuts
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Mix all ingredients together. Place a dab (maybe a teaspoon) of filling inside wonton skin and fold either like a diaper or just pull edges up like a dumpling- see wontons package insert for folding directions. Stick wonton skin edges together by dipping your finger in a beaten egg and seal edges.

Fry wontons in 350 degree vegetable oil (test an edge of wonton skin in oil first to make sure it is hot enough) fry on both sides until golden brown. Lay on paper towels to drain off excess oil.

Serve with sweet and sour sauce or hot mustard. This is a good sweet and sour sauce recipe if you want to make something yourself:
1 t. soy sauce
1 T. cornstarch
4 T. sugar
3 T. vinegar
2 T. ketchup
1/2 cup pineapple juice.

Mix all ingredients in pan and cook to thicken...increase cornstarch to 1.5 T if you want a thicker dipping sauce.

The best part of wontons for Christmas Eve--- they are like little packages!


OR- go the easy way and buy a bunch of appetizers at Costco!!!!!!

 

[Epcotgal8]

Sausage Won Ton Cups


1 lb. ground pork sausage

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup Ranch dressing

1/3 cup chopped black olives

1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

Finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)

1 16 oz. package of won ton wrappers (usually found in produce section)



Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain on paper towels. Combine sausage and next 6 ingredients.

Coat 4 miniature (1 1'3/4") muffin pans with cooking spray. Place wonton wrappers in pans, using fingers to create fluted shape. Lightly spray wonton wrappers with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, turning pans after 4 minutes.

Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon filling into each won ton cup. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes or until browned and thoroughly heated. Remove from pans and serve hot.

These go fast at holiday parties!

 

[Epcotgal8]

Mexican Layered Dip

2 cans bean dip

1 envelope taco seasoning

16 oz. sour cream

guacamole (optional)

grated cheddar (amount is optional - we like a lot of cheese ;-)

tomatoes (diced)

1 can sliced black olives

chopped green onion


Directions:

1. Spread 2 cans of bean dip on the bottom of 13" x 9" dish

2. Mix taco seasoning and sour cream thoroughly and layer over bean dip.

3. Layer shredded cheddar on top of sour cream mixture.

4. In no particular order layer chopped tomatoes, green onions, and black
olives.

5. Chill.

6. Serve with tortilla/Tostito kind of chips.

 

[boucheresq]

I have three easy easy ones:

Shrimp Ball

one block cream cheese
one jar cocktail sauce
one jar small shrimp

let the block stand our about 30 minutes to get soft. then drain the can of shrimp. put two in bowl together and mold into a ball - put in fridge for hour to harden. pour cocktail sauce over it and serve with crackers - yum!

Cocktail Meatballs and sauce

1-1,1/2 pounds hamburger
1 T horseradish
1/3 c. bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 jar rasberry jam
1 jar Hunt's chili sauce.

mix hamburger, breadcrumbs, eggs and horseradish. Mold into bite size balls and place on cookie sheet - cook for 1/2 hour - 45 minutes at 350 degrees. after cooked, place meatballs, jam and chili sauce in crockpot and simmer all day - another yum!

And I don't know the name of this one but I love it!

1 package pillsbury crescent roll
dill
1 block cream cheese
apples

unroll package pillsbury cresent roll and roll them until lines/indents are gone. Take block of cream cheese and spred dillweed over entire block. Place block in center of flat roll and wrap roll around cream cheese block. Place on cookie sheet and cook for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees in oven. When done, place on place with apple slices and crackers.

Enjoy!

 

[Tiger Fan]

These are the two things I am taking to this year's Christmas Eve ornament swap with our extended family. We do this every year and it's always a huge buffet of finger foods. Here's what I'm taking.

Meatballs - buy the large frozen bag at Sams/Costco, put in the crockpot then dump a large can of grape jelly and large bottle of ketchup and cook for several hours on low. It's wonderful and always a huge hit.

Ham/Cheese finger sandwiches - buy the rolls that come together in a metal tin tray - slice open the entire lot without separating. Put fancy brown mustard on one half and your favorite mayo on the other side. Next place ham and swiss cheese and replace the bread together. You can then cut along the lines to make tiny rolls. The kids always love these.

Have fun.
Lisa
Tiger Fan

 

[pumba]

2 cans of crabmeat drained.....does not have to be the expensive
stuff....
1 can of cream of mushroom soup.....
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup of mayo.....
2 1/2 tbsps or two and a half envelopes of Knox unflavored geletin
dissolved in 1/2 cup water

combine everything but gelatine mixture....heat .do not boil....while
still
warm stir in gelatine mixture ....remove from heat....pour in a 5 1/2
cup mold.....
and refrigerate......serve on a platter with good choice
crackers......this is a must at most
of our families parties....also gone first.

 

[CamColt]

Meatballs - buy the large frozen bag at Sams/Costco, put in the crockpot then dump a large can of grape jelly and large bottle of ketchup and cook for several hours on low. It's wonderful and always a huge hit.

I was going to suggest that too, however I use jelly and chili sauce. Yummy!

How about a vegetable platter with dip or a tray of cheese, crackers & pepperoni? Deviled eggs? Mozzarella sticks or potato skins(frozen kind, heat and serve, very easy)? Not really an "appetizer", but you could make up a batch of American Chop Suey or baked ziti(lazy mans lasagna) ahead of time, and just heat that up.

 

[mrp4352]

What about a block of cream cheese with jalepeno jelly (slightly melted in the microwave) poured over the top.

Or tortilla rollups - cream together cream cheese, salsa and black olives to your taste, spread on a tortilla and roll up (using toothpicks to secure the roll). Cover and cool in the fridge for a couple of hours. Slice into bite-sized pieces for serving.

 

[Tinkertude]

You inspired my family to do this, so far my corn dip in first post, chicken tenders for grandkids, wings, ribs, queso and I think I will suggest dd bring meatballs in sause(I have also had party size weiners in the grape/bq sauce). relish tray now what sweets? Any suggestions??

 

[WDWDad]

These are very festive.

Take cherry tomatoes and slice the tops off. Spoon out the inside and add tuna or chicken salad inside. A bit labor intensive but different from the usual and yummy.

 

[scrappnmom]

This dip vanishes (after people get over how it looks)
there are not measurements, it's however much you want of each item. we have left out the bacon for someone who didn't eat pork and he said it was DELICIOUS...

Gone in 60 seconds:

Mix:
finely shredded cheddar cheese, green onion, real bacon bits (fry and crumble or buy the "fresh" bacon bits), mayo and pecans (I pan "roast" mine to bring out the flavor)
spread in dish then top with 1 jar of jalapeno jelly/jam

serve w/totilla chips or cornbread crackers.

 

[rcyannacci]

These are very festive.

Take cherry tomatoes and slice the tops off. Spoon out the inside and add tuna or chicken salad inside. A bit labor intensive but different from the usual and yummy.

Wow- that sounds excellent.

 

[Spinning]

I second the pepper jelly and cream cheese! It is so pretty and taste great. I use a fancey glass bowl and do a layering of the cream cheese and jelly. Serve with crackers.

Also the meat balls with the jelly and cocktail sauce is to die for! I couldn't believe it the first time I tried it! UM!

 

[CamColt]

I thought of another one of our favorites....chicken wings. Marinate the wings over night in a mixture of 2 large bottles of soy sauce(I get 1 lite, 1 regular), 2 cups sugar, 1 Tablespoon garlic salt, 1 Tablespoon garlic powder.
Bake for about 1 hour at 350 (I usually turn them over once halfway through).

 

[vjc715]

I always get requests to make this.....it disappears pretty quick.


2 pkgs. crescent rolls
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (dry)
1 c. mayonnaise

Lay out cresent roll dough on cookie sheet for crust, bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. Mix cream cheese, dressing and mayonnaise and spread on crust (spread like you are frosting a cake).

Sprinkle on top of veggies chopped VERY fine: broccoli, red peppers, cauliflower, green onion, shredded chedder cheese

It's really yummy