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i need app ideas (and also, vent about tacky invite)
My aunt calls me yesterday and says "Hi! Christmas eve will be starting at 6:30 pm this year, but you're assigned to bring an appetizer, so you need to get there at 6."
uhm.... 1) wth is Christmas Eve being held? (not at aunt's house) 2) I'm required to bring somethign? Since when? 3) I have a 13 month who eats dinner at 5:30... I can't get there at 6 pm . I will def be late. 4) Uhm, yeah, tacky to call me up and say that I'm required to bring something. This is not something that's ever been done. I understand if I called and said "hey! do you guys need help, want me to bring anything?" Or if I was invited and they said "hey, I was wondering if it would be ok if you could bring something? maybe an app or a salad?" but REQUIRED?? errggg..
anyway, i'm not fighting my family on this, i'm picking my battles and it's christmas, so i'm not going to bring it up to them (but i had to vent lol)
so onto the question: i need an appetizer for this shindig. I don't have the time or the $$ to go and make a huge thing (btw, there will be about 50 family members there, but a few of us are bringing apps, so it can feed abotu 20 people). My aunt makes a baked brie every year, so that's out of the question. Any other ideas? I want to avoid the spinach in a breadbowl, too... do you think a crudite platter or cheese and fruit might be a good idea? Any cold apps anyone has recipes for?
tia! i'm going a little nuts, what iwth the baking for the holidays, presents, christmas day, now this... uugggh i want january 2nd already!
Re: i need app ideas (and also, vent about tacky invite)
http://lechevre.wordpress.com/category/appetizers/
Here's my appetizers tag. I'm not sure how far you have to travel or what your definition of expensive is, so I'm not sure what would work for you. But, most of the ones that I have can be made, to some degree, in advance and served at room temperature.
This one will cost about $20 but it gets demolished every time and everyone asks for the recipe. It's only 3 ingredients and the crackers. But it's so good.
Crab dip
1 container of fresh lump crabmeat Usually 16 oz. drain it and pick thru it to make sure their are now shells.
1- 8 oz. package of cream cheese softenend
1 bottle cocktail sauce
Ritz crackers
break up crabmeat checking for shells. Then mix with cream cheese. Put in bowl and put cocktail sauce on top. Serve with crackers.
I made a yummy layer dip for happy hour with my girlfriends yesterday - it was a big hit, and it's not usually my kind of thing...
In a 9x13 inch dish, smooth out 2 cans of fat free refried beans
Top that with a layer of low fat sour cream
Top that with a jar of salsa
Top that with a bag of shreaded mexican cheese blend (I used the 2%)
Serve with Frito scoops or Tostidos.
Super yummy and semi-healthy (doesn't taste like it's made with low fat ingredients).
You can make a day or 2 in advance... it's best served about an half hour or more after you've taken it out of the fridge.
This isn't very "Christmas Eve dinner-ish" but it's easy and can be made ahead.
Seven layer Tex-Mex dip:
1 can of refried beans
1 container of sour cream mixed with 1 package of taco seasoning
1 package of pre-made guacamole spread
1 can of chopped or sliced black olives, drained
tomatoes, diced
green onions, diced
shredded cheese
Layer in that order, in an 8x8 casserole dish. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Take a bag of tortilla chips to the dinner with you.
This may be more along the lines of what you're looking for? The little pinwheels that are the header picture of this blog post look good & easy. The recipe is in the post. http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-i-throw-christmas-party.html
Or, buy some pre-made spinach artichoke dip and put in a pretty bowl of yours. Put the bowl in the center of a platter. Then slice or tear a baguette and spread the pieces around the bowl.
You have a 13 month old. No one says you have to go to great lengths to make this required app!
Or you bring a couple of tubes of ritz crackers and a can of cheez whiz. That will teach them.....
hahahhhaha that was really funny and I agree hehehe... Hmm what about meatballs? mini capresse salad on stick but that might be more than 10, hmmm making some little empanadas with the rolled pie crust and cut them with a round cookie cutter to make the small discs,you can fill them with pretty much anything like ground beef adn it wont be expensive. Just buy the meat for $6 and maybe 2 boxes of pie crust, You can make the day before and just bake them the day of. Hope this helps and try not to stress yourself and enjoy!
LOL
this is a great idea!! (btw, are you from miami? is stb where you work?)
I think if you're a little late, it's not a big deal. Besides, it's sometimes nice to have the apps a little staggered. Keeps things interesting.
This recipe has a nice, fresh holiday flair.
Caramel Toffee Apple Dip:
we do something similar to this that everyone in our family LOVES. plus it's easy to make more of depending on your group. i'll write it out for one plate which feeds 8-10.
1 pkg cream cheese - softened
1 bottle cocktail sauce (we add a little more horseradish to it but it's fine without)
1 can minced crab meat, drained and broken apart
1 box of wheat thins/triscuits or other stiff cracker
spread the softened cream cheese on a plate. cover with a layer of cocktail sauce the top with the crab meat. serve with the crackers to "scoop" up the dip.
impossibly easy and GOOD. you can make an entire day ahead of time and just cover it with saran wrap and it takes only minutes to make.