Budget and easy yet elegant?

[lukenick1]

can u help me with elegant easy budget appetizers for New Years?

 

[CTdiznymom]

The Foodnetwork site is showing some appitizers for New Years. Check it out:
www.foodnetwork.com

 

[DisMN]

One of our favorites is mini cream puffs filled with various fillings. Some cold fillings, some warm.......savory fillings and sweet fillings. The creampuffs are incredibly cheap to make yet they always seem more dressy than your usual dips and chips. LOL

 

[LoriABil]

My mom made the best appetizers for Christmas, and they were super easy! Not sure about cost, but I'm sure you could scope that out. She took baby portabella caps and stuffed them with a blue cheese, bacon and I think green onion mixture. I can get the exact recipe if you want, but they were delicious! She baked them for about 10-15 minutes, I think.

 

[MSSANDRA]

those Oreo truffles are so easy and look so fancy. Crush a pack of the cookies and mix with 1 pack cream cheese. Form into one inch balls. Chill and dip in melted white or milk chocolate. Drizzle with opposite chocolate or tint white chocolate to drizzle.

 

[Gigi22]

I make small cornmeal and corn appetizer-sized pancakes and serve them topped with a tiny bit of smoked salmon, sour cream, and a sprig of dill. It stretches a small amount of smoked salmon a long way!

 

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

Try making your own bacon wrap and shrimp, filet, etc. The type you insert a toothpick through (Sam's also sell's these). Sam's also has mini creampuffs, mini cheese cakes and other frozen desert items. I purchase a lot from Sam's (we do not have a Costco). Keep in freezer. We use what we need and save the rest for another time. How about making your own wings, spring rolls ( have never made myself)? Finger sandwiches loaf of bread and sandwich meat, if you want to try this I can give you the type of condiments I put with each. Someone mentioned (I think it was Mexican appetizer thread) mini taco's where they used scoop chips. Not sure if these are elegant enough, just a suggestion.

 

[Magic Mom]

I can't claim the recipe, but it's SO elegent!

Sorry. I agree with the PP check Food Network. I think Sandra Lee has some good appetizer recipes.

 

[Topper]

Antipasto Platter Recipe
14-16 Servings
Prep: 10 min. + chilling

Ingredients
1 jar (24 ounces) pepperoncinis, drained
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups halved fresh mushrooms
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 pound provolone cheese, cubed
1 can (6 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni
1 bottle (8 ounces) Italian vinaigrette dressing
Lettuce leaves
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the peppers, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, olives and pepperoni. Pour vinaigrette over mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Arrange on a lettuce-lined platter. Serve with toothpicks.*Yield:*14-16 servings.


Another easy one is to take a log of slightly softened goat cheese and roll it in sunflower kernels. Place on a platter and drizzle with honey. Garnish with fresh berries (blackberries and raspberries are best), and serve with crackers or toasted baguette.

 

[Marionnette]

can u help me with elegant easy budget appetizers for New Years?

Cant help you with all three. You can get easy and elegant if you spend some cash for the convenience. Or you can go elegant and budget if you want to spend some time making the food. But you will be hard pressed to find something that is easy and cheap but still comes across as elegant.

BTW, MagicMom, I love the "pik-shur". Can you find the "ressepee" for me?

 

[alexedan]

Bourbon-Pecan Brie Tartlets
Mini Phyllo Cups:
Mix butter, brown sugar, bourbon, pecan pieces (only 1/4 cup) and spoon on top of small wedge piece of brie in each tartlet. Bake for under 10 min and voila! (Fresh Market recipe available online).

I also made homemade sweet potato biscuits with country ham and honey butter and they were a lig hit. Biscuits only took about 30 min to make and with 1/2 lb ham served about 18 biscuits.

 

[Local_Girl]

I can't claim the recipe, but it's SO elegent!

Sorry. I agree with the PP check Food Network. I think Sandra Lee has some good appetizer recipes.

Oh. My. This really does break all the rules, doesn't it?

OP, we enjoy stuffed cherry tomatoes. I cut one end off of each cherry tomato (not grape tomatoes, they are too small), carefully scoop out the seeds, etc., and fill it with chicken salad. You do need to use a not-so-chunky chicken salad so it's easier to fill the little tomatoes. Sprinkle a bit of dried dill weed on top to garnish.

 

[Magic Mom]

Oh. My. This really does break all the rules, doesn't it?

It's edgy isn't it? Did you notice the artful detail of bacon woven in and out of the sideline toothpicks? You won't see anything that klassy on Top Chef.

Really, my uncle is having a trailer trash cook-off this Fourth of July, and I'm going to enter that monstrosity for my "horseysdovers." The "entray's" sill in the works, but I'm working on a Spam Velveeta Chowder with Tater Tot garnish.

 

[santa's surpriz]

My mom makes bacon wrapped around water chestnuts, super easy...secure bacon with a toothpick and broil until bacon is done. I cannot enough of these! She also gets a dark heavy grain, nut and raisin bread, spread cream cheese and sandwiches them, then slices them elegantly.

Bruschetta is easy and elegant. cheap too.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

Just a note on bacon wrapped anything. Do yourself a favor and partially cook the bacon, it will save you time and trouble later. Just cook long enough to get the rawness off of it. Then layer between sheets of papertowels or newspaper and let cool. Because it is only partially cooked you can still manipulate it and most of the fat is drained away.

Personally I have not tried water chestnuts, but that sounds good. Additional ideas for wrapping: scallops (sea), pineapple chunks, small pieces of steak, figs. For some reason, bacon wrapped around something always tastes yummy.

 

[Mickeyflower]

Get the refrigerated crescent rolls and fill them with a soft cream cheese spread and bacon bits, bake for 15 minutes.

Blue cheese & honey crostini's. Get a baguette loaf, cut on the diagonal, drizzle (or brush with a pastry brush) olive oil and toast up until golden, remove and add blue cheese crumbles then drizzzle with honey. SOOOOOOOO YUMMMMMY! Make sure to put cheese on immediately after removing from oven so it will melt a little.

 

[redlawyer]

I can't claim the recipe, but it's SO elegent!

Sorry. I agree with the PP check Food Network. I think Sandra Lee has some good appetizer recipes.

This is the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life!!!!

 

[hmdavid]

Wrap a circle of Brie in crescent roll dough (make sure edges are sealed to prevent the cheese from leaking out once it melts) and bake until golden. Serve with crackers and apple slices.

 

[lukenick1]

Great ideas

 

[Disney Doll]

Goat cheese mixed with dill, spread on toasted cocktail bread and garnished with a few sprinkles of roasted red peppers.

Chop bacon into small pieces. Cut sweet potato into 1/4" cubes. Cook the bacon. Throw the sweet potato cubes in near the end of the cooking of the bacon so they get cooked. Mix in a little parsley, salt & pepper to taste. Lay out endive leaves on your serving platter and drop the mixture into the little "boat" of the endive leaf. Put a plop of sour cream on each one...I recommend using a pastry bag because it makes it easier.

Twice baked mini potatoes. Take baby potatoes, bake them slightly. Cut the top off and then scoop out the middle (I used a small measuring spoon to do this). Mix the potatoe innards with sour cream, bacon bits and chives. Put this mixture into a pastry bg and squirt it back into the hollwoed out mini potato. Finish baking the potatoes, which should take too long because they are small. About 5 minutes before they are done, sprinle cheddar cheese over the top so it melts onto the top of the potatoes. Yum!