Make Ahead Appetizers - Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Cheese Appetizers

Make ahead appetizers are absolute life savers for busy party planners - great tasting and easy party appetizers that can be prepared ahead of time and cooked or assembled at the last minute are essential for a well organized party.


This delicious Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Appetizers recipe scores high marks on all points - these great tasting make ahead appetizers have a unique flavor that will have your guests scrambling for more, and are easy to prepare in advance to free up valuable time on party day.


Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Cheese Appetizers


Ingredients
Crust:
1 ¼ (300 ml) cups all purpose flour
6 tbsp (90 ml) chilled butter, cut into pieces
1 egg

Filling
½ cup (125 ml) drained, oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, reserving 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil
4 cloves garlic
½ tsp (2 ml) dried oregano
3 eggs
1 pkg (250 g) Canadian cream cheese, regular or light, cut into pieces
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream, regular or light
½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped green onions
Salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:
To make crust: In a food processor container, blend flour with butter using on/off pulse until mixture becomes granular. Add egg and blend just until dough begins to form a ball. Press dough onto bottom of a 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23 cm) baking pan. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden.

To make filling: Meanwhile, in a food processor container, finely chop sun-dried tomatoes with reserved oil, garlic and oregano. Stir in eggs. Add cream cheese and mix until smooth. Transfer mixture into a bowl; stir in sour cream and green onions until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble: Pour filling over crust and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool to room temperature. Cut into small squares to serve. Makes 24 appetizers.

Tip A day or two before the party, you can prepare and refrigerate the crust and the filling separately. The day of the party, you can bake the crust then pour the filling and bake.


Enjoy!!


For more great make ahead appetizers visit http://www.appetizersunlimited.com/
For more great recipes, chef's tips and tools visit http://www.amateur-chef.net/