"Southern" appetizer ideas/recipes

[punkin]

Sandwich. I was just too lazy to type it out. LOL!

Now I'm embarrassed. Sorry.

 

[Piglet843]

Here's a few things we make a lot in my family:

Deviled Eggs

8 large Eggs - boiled and peeled
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons pickle relish
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
House Seasoning
Paprika

Halve eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl. Mash yolks with a fork and then stir in the mayo, pickle relish, and mustard. Add house seasoning to taste. Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish each egg with a sprinkle of paprika. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Makes 16 deviled eggs.


Stuffed Biscuit Appetizers

1 Package biscuits
Filling of choice:
Ham, Turkey, Bacon, Sausage, Beef, Chicken, seafood
Cheese, Veggies, Sauces or Condiments…

Place biscuits inside greased muffin pan. Press biscuit on the bottom and up the sides to form a bowl. Fill with fillings and condiments or sauce of choice. Bake according to biscuit package until biscuits are golden brown.


Stuffed Crescent Appetizers

1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated Crescent Rolls
2 cups cheese of choice
1 lb meat (bacon, ham, turkey, pepperoni…)
Mustard, or Pizza Sauce
House Seasoning or Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350˚. Roll out crescent rolls and separate triangles. (make more bite size by cutting each triangle in half). Lay a piece of cheese on each one - followed by a piece of meat and a condiment of choice. Season with House seasoning or Italian seasoning. Roll up crescent rolls and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with pam. Bake for 15 minutes - or until golden brown. *note - an egg wash makes a pretty golden brown crescent roll.


Rotel Dip

2 lb package Velveeta Cheese
1 lb package Breakfast Sausage
1/2 large onion
1 can Rotel
Optional: 1 7-oz can diced green chilies - or diced jalapenos

Finely chop the onion and brown with the breakfast sausage. Drain excess fat. Cut Velveeta into cubes. Add to a crockpot. Add sausage mixture, Rotel and green chilies. Stir together over low heat until mixture is melted. Serve warm with tortilla chips or scoops or bread. During serving, dip needs to be kept warm in Crock Pot.

Ham Pinwheels

Spread some flavored cream cheese on a piece of ham.
Lay a scallion down the center. Roll up into a tight roll.
Freeze for 30 minutes to harden. Cut into 1/4" - 1/2" rounds.


Sausage Ranch Cups

3 packs phyllo mini shells
1 pound sausage - cooked and drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or any cheese of choice)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or any cheese of choice)
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
House seasoning

In a medium bowl, mix the sausage, cheeses, Ranch dressing, and seasoning. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place
phyllo shells on a cookie sheet and fill with sausage mixture. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Makes about 45. Save leftovers for a breakfast.

 

[Crystal0608]

These are some absolute staples at most southern parties I've ever been too.

Deviled Eggs
Little ham sammies made on heat and serve rolls
Sausage cheese balls made with bisquik
Pimento Cheese
Sugar Glazed Pecans
Homemade butter mints
Spicy Cheese Straws
Ritz w/peanut butter dipped in chocolate
Cocktail sausages in jelly or BBQ sauce
Pigs in a blanket
Cake squares
Mini PB and banana sammies

^^
Right on target here.
I've been to very few events without deviled eggs (yuck)- I mix mayo, mustard, s&p, dash of vinegar, and sprinkle paprika on mine. Also, macaroni or potato salad is a popular Southern side dish that be made ahead.

 

[java]

I make these chicken bites all the time for parties. They disappear.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/sweet-chicken-bacon-wraps-recipe/index.html

These are a favorite around here too. And they are super easy. I have changed the recipe and use chicken thighs instead of breasts because I thought they got a little dry waiting for the bacon to crisp up.

 

[DizBelle]

Sausage Balls:

1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage (or similar brand pork sausage)
2 cups bisquick (some recipes say 3 cups)
10 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese (I think the sharper the better)

Mix all ingredients (you'll need to use your hands and this takes some effort). Roll into 1-inch balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

I second this one. EASY and YUMMY.

 

[DVCLiz]

Cheese straws are easy - drive to the grocery store and buy a package of them.

And stop it, you sammie and yummo peoeple. Stop it right now.

 

[heatherwillmom]

Sausage balls are one of the easiest & most popular. Cheese balls are another good option. I agree it's hard to think of things that aren't deep-fried. The cocktail sausages in BBQ sauce are easy as well.

 

[NotUrsula]

Cheese straws are easy - drive to the grocery store and buy a package of them.

Yeah, if you LIVE in the South. We ex-pats have to make our own. (I have to chop my own Holy Trinity, too. Stores here don't carry the frozen version.)

I'll never forget the weekend I spent making 26 dozen cheese straws for a family wedding. That was a LOT of grated cheddar, let me tell you.

 

[Green Tea]

Cheese straws and ham biscuits are the classic nibbles in my part of the South. And iced tea.

And the tea is SWEET, OP, in case you're not from 'round these parts.

 

[mikki'smom]

There's nothing more Southern than "tea cakes" and this is the best recipe in the world....
Ingredients: 1 stick Butter Crisco 2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Cream together Butter Crisco, sugar, and flavoring. Add egg and cream again. Beat until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients. Stir all together. Blend in buttermilk. Form into small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the balls with a glass bottom that has been dipped in sugar. Cook at 400 degrees for 11 minutes.

 

[arminnie]

Just curious, is it for health reasons, clean-up, the smell, other?????

I don't ever fry anything because I don't particularly like fried foods. But I lived with my elderly father for the past 10 years. He fried daily. There was a thin mist of grease everywhere no matter how much cleaning went on. I first noticed how sticky my kitchen got when he came to visit me about 20 years ago. When Dad was alive I bought butter 4 lbs at a time plus gallons of oil. He lived to be almost 89 in pretty decent health so I guess it didn't hurt him!!

I'll eat fried food if someone serves it to me, but it's just too much trouble. I learned how to cook in the South, but in Louisiana where fried food is more for seafood in a poorboy. I do like fried okra, but I would never fix it.

Cheese straws have come up a few times, but they seem kind of tricky.

I haven't made them in years. I have no trouble buying them here, but have been known to order them online when I lived in California.

J&M cheese straws and Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory are two of the biggest producers.

 

[Stargazer]

Here are a few I like to make:

PECAN PIE TARTS
Ingredients
6 oz cream cheese
1 c. butter, softened
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. chopped pecans

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
(2) Grease 30 tart tins or muffin cups and set aside.
(3) To Make Crust: In a medium mixing bowl cream together cream cheese and 1 cup butter until light and fluffy. Blend in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, forming a smooth dough. Roll into 30 equal balls and press one into each greased tin so it lines the bottom and sides, like a pie crust.
(4) To Make Filling: In a medium mixing bowl cream together 1/4 cup butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until thoroughly blended. Stir in pecans. Fill each lined tin half full. Mixture will rise as it bakes.
(5) Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool in tins, then use the end of a table knife to flip each tart out of its tin.


HUMMINGBIRD CUPCAKES - makes 24 or you could do mini-muffins if you really wanted to stretch it
Ingredients
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted & cooled
2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. sugar
3 large eggs
2 c. mashed ripe banana (roughly 3 large bananas)
8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. unsweetened coconut
Cream cheese frosting (my granny makes homemade, but I usually use store-bought and it's fine)

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
(2) With electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and sugar until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mix is pale and fluffy (about 3 min).
(3) In a medium bowl, stir together banana, pineapple, pecans and coconut. Add to the egg mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in flour mixture.
(4) Divide batter evenly amoung liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for about 14 minutes, then rotate pan. Bake about 14 additional minutes or until cupcakes are golden and baked through.
(5) Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, top with cream cheese frosting.


COFFEE PUNCH (served at almost every wedding shower or open house I've ever attended )
Ingredients
2 qts vanilla ice cream, softened OR 2 qts chocolate ice cream, softened (if you want more of a mocha taste)
2 qts strong brewed coffee, cooled
2 c. milk
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
2 c. whipping cream, whipped (if desired)

Directions
(1) Combine the coffee, milk, sugar and vanilla; stir thoroughly. Chill.
(2) Scoop the ice cream into a large punch bowl. Pour the coffee mixture over the ice cream, stirring gently.
(3) Top with whipped cream (if desired).


Also, I've never tried them, but you just couldn't get more Southern than these:

Cheesy shrimp on grits toast
http://www.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view2/cheesy_shrimp_on_grits_toast/