More Ideas For Appetizers
Rollups:
Traditional Delicious snacks as well as great appetizer ideas, tortilla wraps filled with cream cheese, ham and onion are a wonderful accompaniment to other appetizers. And simple; spread tortillas with softened cream cheese, lay a thin slice of deli ham over and place a green onion at one edge; now roll tightly. Placing seam side down, chill and slice so that neat, bite sized pinwheels form.
Dressed up The same principle of tortilla wraps is used for making Smoked Salmon Pinwheels, a fancier version of the old standard. Delicate smoked salmon is mixed with softened chive cream cheese and chopped roasted red peppers. Using spinach flavored tortilla wraps, spread the salmon mixture, roll and chill. Slice in thin pinwheels to serve.
Bacon Wrapped Scallops:
Casual Instead of using the pricier scallops for these appetizers, use whole water chestnuts. Wrap them in bacon and secure with toothpicks. Bake until bacon is fully cooked, then immerse in sauce of equal parts of ketchup and brown sugar before baking again for another 15 minutes.
Dressed up The original version of this appetizer is to use sea scallops around which savory bacon has been wrapped, sometimes along with a fresh baby spinach leaf, doused with a squeeze of lemon and broiled until the bacon and the scallop are cooked through.
Cheese Straws:
Casual A delicious dough of flour, butter, sharp Cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper becomes a favorite snack in the South when cut into strips, twisted and baked golden brown. This popular treat is not reserved for companies, but rather made often in homes for snacks.
Dressed up While it’s hard to beat the flavor of the original Southern cheese straws, a more delicate and equally as flavorful version can be made using frozen puff pastry purchased at any grocery store. Thawed sheets of puff pastry are topped with freshly grated parmesan reggiano cheese and fresh ground pepper, cut into strips, twisted and baked on parchment paper. The result is a tender, flaky straw that pops with flavor.
Fondue:
Fondue can be done in a variety of ways with a variety of foods that will satisfy the tastes of a casual get together or a dressy occasion. Some equipment will be required; a fondue pot and fondue forks are necessary. Fondue is one of the most popular appetizer ideas because of its fun nature and versatility. Hot oil into which is dipped raw meat and veggie skewers can almost be a meal that each person prepares for themselves. Cheese fondues using breads or meatballs and even dessert fondues with cake pieces, marshmallows and fruit that is dipped into chocolate or caramel are the most common types.
Bruschetta:
Casual A traditional type of bruschetta uses toasted bread rounds onto which diced fresh tomatoes mixed with basil, olive oil and garlic are mounded. Delicious and fresh tasting, bruschetta is used as either a snack or an appetizer in Italy.
Dressed up Building on the popular traditional form of bruschetta, a dressed up version can be used for a more sophisticated gathering. Grilled Portabella Bruschetta uses an Italian peasant bread sliced thinly, rubbed with olive oil and toasted. Portabella mushrooms are first marinated, then wrapped in foil and grilled until tender with olive oil and spices. The grilled mushrooms are sliced, mixed with peppery arugula and then heaped upon the toasted bread slices before being sprinkled with crumbled goat cheese for an extravagant treat.
Fruit and Cheese Plate: Few appetizer ideas can be easier and more delicious than a cheese plate. A variety of cheese, varying from firm to semi-firm, are sliced and presented on a plate with fruit such as apple slices, pear slices and grapes. This type of appetizer will appeal to any type of gathering, casual or elegant.
Deciding on an appetizer menu for any planned event can be an easy task. Any appetizer will fit the theme of your party, even if it means tweaking the ingredients to either dress it up or dress it down, and will likely become the hit of the party.