Looking For (Cold) Appetizer Recipes

[Corinne]

I'm doing the food for a Bridal Shower this coming Thursday. It will be held in the board room at the bank where I work so I won't have access to an oven or a microwave. I already have several hot dips that I will serve from small crockpots. I'm looking for some appetizers that don't need to be heated - they need to have the "Wow" factor!

I was trying to concentrate on just things that the bride-to-be would like but it's extremely difficult. She is the pickiest eater I have ever met. She likes the following: all bread related things, cheese, bacon, ham, pasta, alfredo sauce. Not much more than that!

Thank you!
Corinne

 

[QSis]

Hmmm, let's see.....

Well, shrimp cocktail is always easy and impressive, even if the bride won't like it.

For her, you could make roll-ups of lavash or tortillas, spread with cream cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped ham, and parsley, rolled and then cut on the bias.

A cheese board with a selection of cheeses, fruits, and breads is nice.

Recently, I copied and saved the recipe below, maybe from this forum, but I haven't tried it yet. I bought mini muffin tins last week, specifically to try this recipe (and Creamy Brie Kisses, too). You could substitute some of the ingredients with cooked bacon and ham. More impressive than roll-ups.

Lee

Mini muffin cheesecakes

This is really a crowd pleaser. I have even made it in miniature muffin tins so they were individual rather than having to cut it, and NO BAKE

Appetizer Cheesecake

1 6-ounce box cheese crackers, finely chopped
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (I use neftachel), at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup minced stuffed green olives
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced bell pepper (I used orange or yellow for color)
1/4 cup minced onion
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
few drops of red hot sauce, to taste
Stuffed olives for garnish

Oil a 7 or 9 inch springform pan. Cover bottom with half of the crushed cheese crackers. Beat cheese until smooth and creamy. Blend in sour cream, olives, celery, diced bell pepper, onion, lemon juice and salt, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Mix well and pour over cracker base. Smooth and sprinkle remaining cheese cracker crumbs over top. Cover and refrigerate over night. Garnish with stuffed green olives.

To serve, remove from spring pan and place on plate, cut into wedges. I prefer the miniature ones as they are easier to serve. The recipe (from an old, brown and weathered newspaper ad, says to serve with pear wedges, which I have not tried, usually crunchy bread or crackers. Makes 16-20 appetizer servings.

 

[amber]

I'm doing the food for a Bridal Shower this coming Thursday. It will be held in the board room at the bank where I work so I won't have access to an oven or a microwave. I already have several hot dips that I will serve from small crockpots. I'm looking for some appetizers that don't need to be heated - they need to have the "Wow" factor!

I was trying to concentrate on just things that the bride-to-be would like but it's extremely difficult. She is the pickiest eater I have ever met. She likes the following: all bread related things, cheese, bacon, ham, pasta, alfredo sauce. Not much more than that!

Thank you!
Corinne

Going with her theme:

bread...try pita triangles dipped in olive oil and hummus (ground chickpeas)
or try a stuffed bread, buy some frozen dough, thaw and stuff and bake it.

cheese...how about fondue with some crunchy bread cubes?

bacon...french bread with melted cheese and bacon? or if it's in your budget, scallops wrapped in bacon with a slice of pickled watermelon

ham... proschuitto wrapped around cantelope? Or deli ham to make various sandwiches

pasta...well the sky is the limit there, as well as alfredo....how about just fettucine al fredo? I hate it but many people like it.

A cube of sharp cheddar cheese and a chunk of pineapple are very good! Serve on tooth pick ( pretty ones lol).

 

[SierraCook]

Basil-Marinated Mozzarella & Cherry Tomato Brochettes

1 red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 20 1-inch pieces
1 bunch basil, finely chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
20 basil leaves



Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub the red bell pepper with a little vegetable oil and roast on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes, until the skin is browned. Place in a container with a tight fitting lid and let sit for 20 minutes. Remove from container and reserve until cool enough to handle. Peel the skin and cut in half. Scrape away the seeds and cut into a very fine dice.

Combine pepper, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a stainless steel mixing bowl. Add the mozzarella pieces and toss to coat well. Cover and marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle basil over mozzarella and toss to coat. Thread one cherry tomato half and 1 pieces mozzarella onto each skewer. Wrap each remaining cherry tomato half in 1 basil leaf and add to each skewer. Serve chilled or at room temperature.


This recipe was original posted by crewsk.

Blue Cheese Crisps


2 (4 oz.) pkgs. crumbled blue cheese
¼ C butter or margarine, softened
1 1/3 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C poppy seeds
¼ tsp. ground red pepper

Beat cheese & butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add flour, poppy seeds, & pepper; beat until blended.
Divide dough in half; shape each portion into 9 inch logs. Cover & chill 2 hours.
Cut each log of dough into 1/4 inch slices, & place on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 deg for 13-15 min. or until golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 6 dozen.

 

[shannon in KS]

Just a few suggestions I thought of, maybe more later, how about toasted cheese ravioli with alfredo sauce to dip in or an alfredo pizza with your choice of toppings.... except now that I think of it, both are warm... hmmm, I will think some more. Good luck!

 

[mish]

Corinne, have you checked out the recipes in the Appetizer section here? There are so many excellent ideas from the members here.

Off the top of my head:

Smoked salmon roses (i've posted a recipe there)
Antipasti platter
Cold shrimp platter on ice with cocktail sauce
Deli meat and cheese tray
Stuffed mushrooms
paper wrapped chicken
egg rolls
Rumaki
Prosciutto wrapped melon slices
Mini quiches
rumaki
caviar and sour cream on a Ritz
Mushroom pate
Shrimp wrapped in Proscuitto
Oysters
Clams Rockefeller
Anthing wrapped in puff pastry, i.e. asparagus, etc.
wontons/dumplings/potstickers - any filling of choice - rangoon, etc. & a dipping sauce

I'm sure there are dozens I've forgotten, but hopefully, it's a start.

 

[mish]

Another thought...

After a friend got married, a big bash was held at a local nightspot - that was reserved for the event. The food was mostly huge trays of chinese food from a mix and match take out place. Dishes were served like fried rice (could be chicken/beef/shrimp), cold noodle combos, egg foo yung, egg rolls, etc. Mu Shu is another way to go - chinese pancakes or tortillas and guests can wrap up the filling themselves. Dumplings are another dish, that doesn't necessarily have to be served hot -- or you can get those heating things that go under the trays/dishes. If you have a fav Chinese restaurant, check w the establishment re how much a big tray of fried rice etc., would cost and tell them how many you are plannning on feeding. Do it several days in advance.

Pasta was an inexpensive main event at another soiree, but it was served as an inexpensive main dish - i.e. alfredo or a red sauce.

 

[texasgirl]

My Grandmother makes tortilla rolls.
Flour tortillas
2-3 green onions, finely chopped, to taste.
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. worstershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Mix all ingredients and spread onto tortillas, roll up and refrigerate over night. Cut into 1 inch disks.

SIL makes some like it but only uses tortillas and pineapple cream cheese with crushed pineapple added or strawberry cream cheese and adds strawberries to them.
They are really good.

For best results on all of them, keep them refrigerated until the party.