Entertaining Ideas
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Appetizer
This Saturday there's a Christmas cocktail party at my husband's work. Everyone's been asked to bring an appetizer or dessert. I'm not a dessert person so I told him to sign up for an appetizer. But here's the thing. I'm kind of a prideful person and want to impress. Any recommendations on what to make for a 50 person cocktail party? My husband says I should just make my salsa and guac because he says they're the best, but.. I want something more interesting and need some ideas.
Re: Appetizer
I've got a few ideas floating around...
Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese
Gruyere Palmiers
I picked appetizers that could easily be prepared en masse and didn't require much last minute detailing. They can also be served at room temperature, if need be.
I've done these stuffed mushrooms before! People are impressed because it looks like it took a lot of work - when it's actually really easy. You can just pop them into the oven while you're getting ready then take them out and head to the party!
A lot of times I'll do Brie in puffed pastry. You can buy a large wheel at the store. Sometimes I'll bring a duo of sweet and savory. In one I put homemade candied pecans, and raspberries. In the other I do roasted garlic, pine nuts, prosciutto, basil, sundried tomatoes marinated in chardonnay, in some combination. They are always a crowd pleaser! You can bake them up at home and pull them out right before you leave and they can be served hot and at room temp. I sometimes use cookie cutter to make christmas shapes and put them on the top of the puff pastry. Make sure to brush the puff pastry with an egg white so it gets brown and crisp on top! And don't buy a wedge of cheese- you need the whole wheel so the cheese won't ooze out in the oven!
I've done mushrooms too - similar and just as easy and delicious!!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cheese-stuffed-mushrooms-recipe/index.html
One quick thing that I do is use the premade filo dough cups that you can often find in the frozen food section of the grocery store. I then add a bit of brie, top half of them with raspberry jelly and the other half with apricot preserves. Pop them in the oven for 8 mins and they are delicious! It's individual baked brie.
The other fun thing to make for an app. to impress people is homemade ricotta cheese, which I serve with fig and raspberry preserves and scalli bread. It's easy and yummy!!!
A super easy but elegant appetizer is proscuitto wrapped asparagus.
Clean and trim the asparagus
Roast in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper until tender but with a bit of a bite. (Don't overcook)
Lay a slice of proscuitto down on a cutting board. Put one large asparagus spear or two/three small spears on the end. Put a small slice of cream cheese on the asparagus. Wrap the proscuitto around the asparagus. The bundle should have the ends of the asparagus showing.
My husband always requests these fun treats.