My Favorite Appetizers
On this page:
Spinach Dip in Bread Bowl, Hot Beef Dip, Classic CHEX Party Mix, Shrimp Dip in Bread Boat, Guacamole, Easy Bean Dip, Hot Crab Dip, Italian Salsa, Chicken Taquitos, Bloomin' Onion, Hot Artichoke Dip, Almond Stuffed dates with Bacon, Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Pineapple Cheese Ball



The best SALSA in the world!
(Get out your food processor)

2 pounds fresh tomatoes from the garden, mixed variety
As much chopped garlic as you can stand
A few good squeezes of citrus; lemon or lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
ground sea salt, to your pleasure
large handful fresh parsley, washed, drained, large stems removed
large handful fresh cilantro, washed, drained, large stems removed

optional: Hot sauce of your choice

Spinach Dip in Bread Bowl
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed,
rinsed and drained
Knors Vegetable Soup/Dip Mix
1 can water chestnuts, drained, chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 Cup mayonnaise
chopped green onions
Mix, chill, and then add mixture into a bread bowl of either
french or pumpernickel. Display pulled bread pieces around bowl for scooping...Delish!



Hot Beef Dip
2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
6oz dried beef, rinsed and finely chopped
4 tablespoons chopped green pepper
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 tsp garlic powder
Top with sliced almonds

Combine all ingredients in a 1 quart baking dish. Bake 375
degrees, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Serve with french bread slices, crackers or vegetables.

Classic CHEX Party Mix
1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/4 tsp Seasoned Salt
4 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Cups Rice Chex cereal
2 Cups Corn Chex cereal
2 Cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 Cup Salted mixed nuts
1 Cup Pretzels

Preheated 350º oven. In 15 x 10 x 2 inch baking pan
melt butter in oven. Remove. Stir in seasoned salt
and Worcestershire. Gradually add cereal and nuts,
stirring until all pieces are evenly coated. Bake 20
to 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Spread on
absorbent paper to cool. Store in air tight container.
Makes 9 cups.

Shrimp Dip in Bread Boat
1 sm. can drained shrimp
1 cup mayonnaise
1 stick butter, melted
Green onions
Mix ingredients, very fattening and very good! Scoop out bread from a round loaf of french or pumpernickel. Place pulled out bread around loaf, stuff and serve!



Guacamole
2 ripe avocados
1 heaping tbls onion that you grated
salt and pepper to taste

Other items that can be added: garlic powder, salsa, chopped tomatoes



Easy Bean Dip
1 can Hormel Chili w/ beans
1 8 oz cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar

Place in a microwaveable bowl.
Heat, mix, heat again until very hot. Serve with chips.

Simple and tasty. Serves a group of hungry teenagers in a pinch and economical, too!




Hot Crab Dip
1/2 pound (8 ounces) Maryland backfin and claw crabmeat
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons salad dressing or mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
pinch garlic salt
paprika, for garnish

Remove cartilage from crabmeat. In a large bowl,
mix cream cheese, sour cream, salad dressing, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic salt until smooth. Add enough milk to make mixture creamy. Sir in 2 tablespoons of grated cheese.
Fold crabmeat into cream cheese mixture.

Pour into greased 1-quart casserole. Top with
remaining cheese. Bake at 325 degrees
Farenheit until mixture is bubbly and browned
on top, about 30 minutes. Serve with crackers. Makes about 4 cups dip.



Italian Salsa
Chop: Black Olives, Green Olives with pimentos,
Add: Virgin Olive Oil, Red Vinegar, Fresh Basil.
Eat and enjoy over pasta, hot or cold, dip into freshly cut french bread!


Chicken Taquitos
3 Chicken breasts
10 large corn tortillas
small onion
garlic
cumin

Sautee chicken breasts in onions, garlic, salt, pepper to taste. Add a hit or two of cumin. After it cools, chop chicken into tiny pieces. (I like to use my cuisinart for this dish. Three pulses and it's done.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture in middle of tortillas. Roll tight.  Pack them tightly together in baking dish or use tooth picks to hold them together. Place on baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes.

Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.



Bloomin' Onion
Water; ice
Water; boiling
4 beaten eggs
2 tbls. flour
1 c cracker crumbs

Select a well-rounded onion. Peel outer skin off. Leave root intact and cut off any hanging roots. Using a small, sharp knife, divide onion into four sections by making 2 cuts crosswise, beginning at the top and cutting toward root, stopping about 1/2" away. Cut each section twice. Place onion in bowl of enough boiling water to cover it and leave for 5 minutes. The sections, or petals, will begin to open. Remove onion from water and immerse into ice water, which will further the opening. Drain well by turning upside down on paper towel. Put flour into paper bag, add onion and shake gently to coat with flour. Roll floured onion in beaten egg to cover. Put cracker crumbs or coating in bag, add onion, and shake gently to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour before deep frying in oil to golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Cooked onion can be kept for a time in warm oven.



Hot Artichoke Dip
1 c Parmesan Cheese
1 c Mayonnaise
1 1/2 c Artichoke Hearts
Garlic Powder

Combine equal amounts Parmesan cheese and mayonnaise. Add garlic powder.
Add artichoke hearts and combine with cheese mixture.
May be served cold or heated 10 to 20 minutes in 350F oven or until cheese is melted (do not heat in microwave).
Serve with chips or as a spread on french bread.

You can add crab to this dish, use about 1 cup=8 oz.



Almond Stuffed dates with Bacon
1 package 4 oz pitted blanched almonds
1 lb pitted dates
1 1/2 lb lean thinly sliced bacon, cut into thirds

Put an almond in each date.Wrap a piece of bacon
around each stuffed date and secure with a toothpick.
Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.Place dates on
foil and bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until bacon is crisp.Remove to rack or paper towel; drain.Serve warm.



Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip
1 box chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 16oz cans Artichoke Hearts
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Garlic Powder, chopped fresh garlic to your taste
Salt and White pepper to taste

Chop artichokes. Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized sauce pan. Sir and combine until cheese is melted.  Transfer to a crockpot or chafing dish. It's a great dish for parties, everyone loves it, there's never any left. Serve with pita chips, french bread. Double everything for a large crowd.



Pineapple Cheeseball (my mother in law's recipe)
Perfect for the holidays!
2 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese
1 Can 8 oz Crushed Pineapple, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 tbs finely chopped onion
1 tbs seasoned salt
1 Cup crushed Pecans

Garnish:
Canned Pineapple Slices
Cherries
Parsley Sprigs
Assorted Crackers

In medium bowl, with fork, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually stir in pineapple, 1/2 cup pecans, the green pepper, onion and salt. Shape into ball, roll in remaining nuts, wrap in plastic film, refrigerate overnight.