Easy recipes to make for my sister’s birthday?
My sister is turning 17 next week, so this weekend we’re having a surprise, small get-together with our closest family members. My dad is cooking the meals, but I want to help by making appetizers/finger foods, and maybe a side dish or two. Do you know of any EASY recipes? Something that doesn’t require many ingredients and doesn’t require much time.
Cookies don’t make for good before the actual meal, but thanks anyways:)
October 4th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Cookies would be a great one! 🙂 I do them all the time with my friends. It doesn’t take very long, nor much ingredients either. To get some delicious looking recipes, try googling for cookie recipes!
If you think that cookies are too basic and simple, you could probably try a website like this
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/quickneasy/sweets/index.htm
Hope i helped!
October 4th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, butter and condensed milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Form into small balls, cover them with chocolate sprinkles, chill until serving.
October 4th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
When I’m running out of time I usually make the typical everyday Catalan snack known as “pa amb tomaquet”. Simply “bread with tomato”.
Just cut diagonal slices out of a long french bread. Toast them lightly, salt them and rub a tiny bit of garlic on them. Then pour some olive oil on top and crush a tomato half with your hand and rub it on the bread slices. Roma tomatoes work best.
It’s delicious, über easy and comes with mediterranean cachet.
October 4th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
For easy apps just put a package of cream cheese in a serving bowl about 20 minutes before party time. Once your ready to serve poor a jar of salsa over it and cut the cream cheese a few times ( cutting makes it easier to scoop with chips or tortilla).
Baby carrots, black olives, grapes, strawberries, pre-sliced cheeses and crackers are good for a snack tray and don’t require any peeling, slicing or chopping. Of course you can get the pre-made trays but they cost a lot more, and doing it yourself you can put the things you know your sister (and family) will like so nothing goes to waste should their be left overs.
Side dishes would depend on what Dad’s making but I’d think slow cook so you can do all the prep work in advance and maybe cook it a day or two before and refrigerate it until the day of the party then just heat it back up.
October 4th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Here are some great finger foods:
Apple Fritters
Yields: 24 Servings
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1 egg, just add
2 cups apples (chopped small)
Powdered sugar to sprinkle on apple fritters
Mix Bisquick, milk and egg until well blended. Stir in apples. Drop by small teaspoonfuls into deep hot fat (360-375 degrees).
Turn and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with syrup or powdered sugar.
To use a minimum of fat for frying, melt fat in a deep 2 or 3 quart kettle which is only 7 or 8 inch wide across the top. Two cups of fat will give a depth of about 1 inch, sufficient for frying.
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Corn Fritters with Sweet Chili Sauce
Yields: 24 Fritters
If you like savory potato pancakes, latkes, etc. you’ll love this one! Goes well as a lunch, casual dinner or even appetizer. We ate the leftovers for breakfast 🙂 This recipe comes from my new favorite cookbook “Bill’s Food” by Bill Granger – an Aussie chef.
Corn Fritters
½ Cup rice flour (throw it in your coffee grinder or buy it this way)
½ Cup plain all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups corn kernels
4 spring onions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup oil
Sweet Chili Sauce
3 large fresh red chilies, finely chopped
1 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
¾ cup sugar
1 clove garlic, chopped
Corn Fritters
Sift the ground rice, flour, baking powder, salt, coriander and cumin into a bowl. Add the egg, lemon juice and 1/2 cupwater and beat to a smooth batter. Add the corn, spring onion and chopped cilantro and stir to combine. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over med to hi heat.
When oil is hot, add 2 tablespoon of mixture for each fritter and flatten with the back of a spoon. Cook about 2 to 3 min, or until golden brown, then flip.
Sweet Chili Sauce
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens to a slightly syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and serve with the fritters.
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Mini Mexican Corn Bread
Use the mini muffin pans
Take your favorite cornbread mix and mix in Pepper jack cheese and sharp cheddar cheese, diced mild green chilies and top with a few shreds of cheese on top.
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Mini Wonton Quiches
4 eggs
1 ounce finely chopped cooked ham–use cooked hamburger
2 tablespoons chopped green onions with tops
2 tablespoons chopped sweet red bell pepper
1 tablespoon flour
cooking spray
24 3 1/4 x 3 inch wonton wrappers
sweet and sour sauce, optional
hot mustard, optional
In medium bowl, beat together eggs, ham, onions, pepper and flour until well blended. Set aside. Evenly coat 24 miniature muffin cups with spray. Gently press 1 wrapper into each cup, allowing ends to extend above edges of cup.
Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon egg mixture into each wrapper-lined cup. Bake in preheated 350ºF oven until knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 12 – 15 minutes. Serve with sweet & sour sauce and/or mustard, if desired.
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Sourdough Bread with Marina
On a sourdough bread I like to spread the next mixture and also toast
Add finely chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, and then melt a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese across the top. Top with a leaf of fresh basil.
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Sweet and Sassy Meatballs
64 meatballs
1 16-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
1 18-ounce bottle barbecue sauce
2 1-pound packages frozen cooked meatballs, thawed (32 per pound)
Directions 1. For sauce, in a large skillet stir together cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce. Cook over medium heat until cranberry sauce is melted, stirring occasionally.
Add meatballs to sauce. Cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately or keep meatballs warm in a slow cooker on low setting to serve. Makes 16 servings.
Make-ahead directions: Prepare as directed in Step 1. Stir in frozen or thawed meatballs. Place in an airtight container. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. To serve, heat meatballs and sauce in a large skillet over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Chipotle-Sauced Meatballs: Prepare as above, except substitute one 12-ounce bottle chili sauce for the barbecue sauce and stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.
Hawaiian-Sauced Meatballs: Prepare sauce as above, except substitute one 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained, for the cranberry sauce.
October 4th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
MINI PIGS IN A BLANKET
Lil Smokie Sausages
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Cut each crescent roll square into 4 pieces, wrap around sausage, cook according to crescent roll package directions. Serve with dipping sauces
PIZZA BAGELS
Slice bagels in half (6). Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
1 med. green pepper
1 med. onion
1 (27 oz.) can spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese
On ungreased cookie sheet sliced sides up, place bagels. It doesn’t matter if you crowd them. Spoon spaghetti sauce over each half. Now spread green peppers and onion (be creative – add your own favorites). Cook until pizza cheese is nice and gooey.
October 4th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
celery stalks with cream cheese on them, or deviled eggs, boil eggs, take shells off, cut in half, take out yolks mix w/mayo, then spoon it back in, sprinkle w/ paprika,
veg soup, especialy this time of year,
simmer about 4 c. water with 2 containers of soup broth, add all chopped veg you like, onion, celery carrots, one can white beans, one can peeled tomatos, till all is soft, then last 20 min add 2 c. [cooked] small pasta,
any seasonings you like, black pepper salt,
October 4th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Dried Beef Cheese Ball
INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) package cream
cheese, softened
3 ounces dried beef
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garllic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce
***Dried beef and Worcestershire are high in sodium, so you might want to adjust the salty ingredients to taste.
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Form the mixture into a ball and refrigerate before serving.
Serve with crackers.
Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
2. Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Roll the cheese ball in finely chopped pecans before serving.
4. Serve with vanilla wafers and graham crackers. (I like to use those graham sticks.)
***I usually mix the pecans in with everything else and then roll the cheese ball in more mini chocolate chips
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Sesame Chicken Wings
1½ lbs. chicken wings, cut in half and tips removed
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt, optional
2 Tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 clove garlic, minced
1 scallion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
½ cup peanut oil, for frying
Wash chicken wings and pat dry. Mix remaining ingredients, except oil in a bowl. Add chicken, turn to coat, cover and marinate wings in refrigerator 3 hours or overnight. Remove wings, pat dry and discard marinade. Deep fry about 4 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
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Seven Layer Fiesta Dip
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix
1 cup prepared guacamole
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped green onions
1 (2-oz) can sliced black olives
Mix cream cheese and seasoning mix. Spread on bottom of 9 inch pie plate or quiche dish. Layer guacamole, salsa, lettuce, cheese, onions and olives over cream cheese mixture. Serve immediately with sturdy corn chips. Refrigerate any remaining dip.
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Bacon Rollups
1 can whole water chestnuts
1 pound bacon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
Cut each bacon strip into thirds, wrap chestnut and secure with toothpick. Mix mayonnaise, chili sauce and brown sugar and pour over bacon rollups. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Serves 6.
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Armadillo Eggs
Mix together:
½ lb. Owens Hot Sausage
½ lb. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1½ cups Bisquick
And enough water to be able to pat these into little pancakes.
Seed a whole pickled jalapeno pepper and place a small piece of monterey jack cheese inside the pepper. Place stuffed jalapeno on top of a little pancake and close pancake to seal, forming into the shape of an egg.
Brush eggs with an egg wash (1 egg beat with 1 Tbsp. water). Bake in a slow oven (about 325ºF) for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Creamy Shrimp & Dill Puffs
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
1/2 tsp Dill Weed, divided
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tbsp. chopped green onions
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup chopped precooked shrimp
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix cream cheese, 1/4 teaspoon dill, and ginger in a small bowl. Stir in green onions. Set aside.
2. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle in half to make 16 triangles. Stretch dough slightly and place crescent triangles into standard-size muffin pans so that the bottom of the muffin cup is covered and crescent corners are lying outside the cup.
3. Divide shrimp evenly into cups (about 1 heaping teaspoon per cup). Top each cup with 1/2 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. Loosely fold dough corners into center; pinch corners together and twist to seal tightly. Lightly sprinkle tops with remaining 1/4 teaspoon dill. Bake, uncovered, 15-17 minutes or until crisp and golden-brown.
Make-Ahead Tip: We recommend baking the day of serving, but if you prefer to make ahead, cover well and freeze unbaked puffs up to 1 week. Bake as directed above (do not thaw before baking).
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VEGGIE GARDEN SQUARES
2 (8 oz) cans crescent roll dough
2 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayo
1 (1 oz) package dry ranch dressing mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup sliced black olives
½ cup each of: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green bell pepper, red or green onions, crumbled bacon (this is
October 4th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Make pickle and ham rolls with cream cheese. You buy thin sliced ham, a jar of large dill pickle wedges and an 8 ounce package of cream cheese or a plastic tub of spreadable cream cheese is faster. You spread the cream cheese on the thin sliced ham and roll a dill pickle wedge up in it and then, slice them into bite size servings and place a toothpick in each one of them. This will make a large tray full and will be a big hit. Refrigerate them until it is time to serve. These can be made a day ahead too. My families favorite . 🙂
October 4th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Here are some ideas you might find easy to make:
1. Hot Artichoke and Crab Dip with Blue Corn Tortilla chips (you can leave out the crab if you want and substitute chopped spinach)
2. Bread bowl filled with Spinach Dip (use the one on the Knorr Vegetable Mix)
3. Cheese platter: pick a couple of cheeses, such as Brie and Cheddar or Spanish Manchego, or even a block of Farm cheese. Serve with fresh green grapes and crackers.
4. Salami rollups: spread slices of salami with cream cheese and wrap around a cornichon, skewer with toothpick.
5. Vege platter with ranch dressing in a hollowed out red bell pepper.
If you”d like the recipes, let me know! Good luck!
October 4th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Spread 2 pks cream cheese in a shallow, cake sized pan. Top with two cans of chili. I add really habanero hot sauce into the chilli. Grated cheddar on top. Bake in oven at 350 for 20 min, serve hot with tortilla chips.
October 4th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
How about a small assortment of mexican bite size appetizers? Not too expensive or time consuming. Here’s some ideas. http://www.cooksrecipes.com/appetizers/quesadilla_appetizer_recipes.html
Don’t know what your dad has planned but perhaps one or two of these would be a good fit. The number of servings can be changed on each recipe.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Roasted-Garlic-Zucchini-and-Tomatoes/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mushrooms-with-a-Soy-Sauce-Glaze/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesy-Creamed-Spinach/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Baby-Carrots/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Roast-Potatoes/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-and-Wild-Rice-Pilaf/Detail.aspx
Happy B-Day to sis.
October 4th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Order party trays at your local supermarket. They are very pretty and delicious. They have a booklet showing all their trays. Here are just a few:
Pinwheels;
Shrimp;
All types of lunch meats;
Finger sandwiches;
Wings;
Cheeses of all types;
Desserts;
The list goes on and on.
October 4th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
If you want to try something a little different here are some tasty Hawaiian appetizer recipes. Most are pretty quick and easy to make.
http://www.kapotrading.com/Hawaiian_Appetizers.html
October 4th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
There are several good and easy side dishes on homerecipies.com
October 4th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Appetizer_Recipes try using this.
October 4th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
make a cheese ball and serve it with crackers,
make some homemade mac and cheese
maybe some chicken or tuna salad to have with crackers
maybe buy a variety pack of lunch meat and a few diff kinds of cheese put it on a platter with slices of french bread or mini sub rolls
have out condiments like pickles onion lettuce tomato etc
Go to http://www.cooks.com and search thier site for many tastey recipes