Hello friends. I am sorry I haven’t posted in a while. I got caught up in the busyness of the holiday preparations and then indulged in rest and relaxation with my family. Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did. We celebrated with a huge group of family and friends at our home on Christmas Eve. It was very nice. Nice too, to have the new generation of young ones surrounding us. We always start the evening with a ton of appetizers, before the main meal. So many appetizers, that I am considering cutting back on the main meal for next year.
Appetizers are fun. They are bite size, and they come in so many varieties. It’s fun to get to try so many different foods. I thought I would share my list of appetizers with you, in case you might like to serve these for your New Year’s Eve Party or some of the upcoming football games. I am going to divide my list into homemade items and store bought items. Here it is:
Store bought:
A Large tray of shrimp with cocktail sauce – our favorite shrimp sauce is Hoffman House. My mother-in-law is required (by tradition) to bring this dish. She always serves the shrimp in the same beautiful white serving plate every year. The shrimp go fast.
Smoked salmon rolled with herbed cream cheese – this was purchased from COSTCO. My sister put in on a platter and sprinkled a little dill on top. You can serve these with garlic toasts, pita chips, crackers, or atop a slice of cucumber.
Mini quiches – a variety pack purchased from COSTCO.
Egg rolls – also purchased from COSTCO. In December, COSTCO had a really good coupon for egg rolls. They were the large ones and were individually wrapped. For the party, I cooked them whole and then cut them in half to serve for the party. These were a huge hit and went very fast. They will definitely be on the menu next year.
Jalapeno and Artichoke Dip – from COSTCO. Served with crackers (my favorite cracker is Town House Crackers).
Mini Hot Dogs in pastry dough – purchased from SAM’S CLUB. Be sure to put out some mustard when serving these.
Homemade:
Olive Dip – I have already posted the recipe for this dip. It is one of our favorites. My sister made it this year and she served it in this cute little Christmas tree dish. Then, she sliced some olives to make them look like ornaments and some red pepper for a star on top. She is very creative. Serve with crackers.
Spinach Dip – another party favorite. I use the recipe on the Knorr’s Vegetable Soup Mix package. I always use Hellman’s mayonnaise, and omit the water chestnuts. I serve it with rye bread (plain – no seeds).
Deviled Eggs – Again, I always use Hellman’s mayonnaise and a squirt or two of yellow mustard.
Chili Cheese Dip – A quick and easy dip using Velveeta Cheese and Hormel Chili without beans. I serve it with Tostitos Scoops.
Fig Dip – My cousin Gina is required to bring this to the party every year. I have already posted this recipe for you. It is one of my favorite foods. If there are any leftovers, I sometimes put it on a bagel for breakfast. You must try this!
Jalapeno Stuffed Peppers – This is a new item this year. My sister-in-law Janet made these and they were a hit. I will share the recipe with you tomorrow. She definitely will be required to bring this to the party next year.
Grape Salad – This is another recipe I have already posted for you. My friend Tammy is required to bring this every year – another favorite.
Well, there you have it. Our list of appetizers served this Christmas Eve. Great food, great family, great friends, great music, great party! Enjoy!
