Easiest Finger Appetizers - Red Grape Cups with Goat Cheese and Pistachio

Even the best culinary schools purport that easy appetizer recipes usually make the best appetizer party recipes, and if they can also be prepared in advance you have the makings of some wonderful time saving and delicous make ahead appetizers suitable for even the most sophisticated of soirees - all it takes is a few key ingredients and a little bit of imagination.

This simple recipe for make ahead appetizers uses only 3 key ingredients that compliment each other well both visually and in flavor, yet this easy appetizer recipe is by far one of the easiest finger appetizers that we have in our extensive library of party food appetizers.

Choose large, fresh red grapes and be certain to double or triple up the appetizer recipe for large crowds - these make ahead appetizers are sure to be the hit of your next party!!

Recipe courtesy Home Made Simple.


Red Grape Cups with Goat Cheese and Pistachio

INGREDIENTS
12 large red globe grapes
1 log (115 grams/4 ounces) goat cheese
125 mL (1/2 cup) shelled pistachios, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut each grape in half. Cut a small slice off the end of each half to prevent it from tipping.
Using a small melon baller or a tiny spoon, scoop out any seeds and enough flesh to create a slight indentation.
Cut the goat cheese log into 24 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball.
Press one side of each ball of goat cheese into the chopped pistachios.
Place the cheese in each grape half, pistachio-side up. Press gently to adhere. Serve on a small dish or a small decorative cake stand for an elegant effect.
Make Ahead Tip: Grape Cups can be prepared several hours in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight container, until ready to serve. Let them come to room temperature before serving.

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

Easiest Finger Appetizers for Super Bowl - No-Fuss Mexican Layered Dip

Super Bowl parties are the perfect venue for some of the easiest finger appetizers in our collection, and this easy appetizer recipe for No-Fuss Mexican Layered Dip is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

The key to making great appetizers for a crowd is to keep it simple - fancy appetizer recipes have no place at our Super Bowl Parties!! Mexican appetizers are alway a hit and are some of the easiest finger appetizers to serve for large and small groups. As an added bonus, Mexican appetizers are generally cheap easy appetizers to make and won't take a chunk out of your budget!!

Kick off your 2010 Super Bowl party appetizers with this quick easy Mexican appetizers recipe from the Kraft Appetizer Recipes Collection, courtesy Kraft Kitchens.

No-Fuss Mexican Layered Dip

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (250 g) brick cream cheese spread, softened
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1 cup rinsed canned black beans
4 green onions, chopped 1 cup cheddar shredded cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
2 Tbsp. sliced black olives
Baked tortilla chips

Make It!
BEAT cream cheese spread with mixer until creamy. Add seasoning mix; beat until well blended. Spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate.

LAYER all remaining ingredients except tortilla chips over cream cheese mixture.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Serve with chips.

Enjoy!

For more great recipe Mexican appetizers visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
For more great recipes, Chef's tips and tools visit www.amateur-chef.net

Easiest Finger Appetizers - Almond Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Prunes

The holiday entertaining season is here and many of us are struggling to cope with hectic work and home schedules as well as an endless number of holiday parties, so keep your party appetizers simple for the key to stress-free entertaining with some of the easiest finger appetizers recipes available.

This recipe for Almond Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Prunes is one of the easiest finger appetizers to prepare and makes for easy cutlery-free entertaining, yet tastes absolutely delicious! With only 3 ingredients, these easy to make appetizers can be quickly assembled for impromptu gatherings as well!

These easy to make appetizers are proof that delicious party appetizers don't need to be complicated!

Almond Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Prunes

Ingredients
24 pitted prunes
24 almonds, toasted
12 slices bacon

Directions
Heat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Stuff the prunes with the almonds. Cut the bacon in half and wrap a piece around each date. Set on a baking sheet and broil about 10 minutes, turning once, until the bacon is crisp. Serve hot with cocktail picks for spearing.

Recipe courtesy The Food Network.

For more easiest finger appetizers recipes visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
For more great recipes, Chef's tips and tools visit www.amateur-chef.net

Easiest Finger Appetizers from the Kraft Appetizer Recipes Collection - Mini Florentine Cups

With the holiday entertaining season fast approaching, and everyone looking for the easiest finger appetizers to make, this delicious recipe for Mini Florentine Cups from Kraft Appetizer Recipes will be a valuable time-saving additon to your appetizers collection.

The Mini Florentine Cups are not only one of the easiest finger appetizers to serve, since the 'cup' makes for spill-free nibbling, they are also great make-ahead appetizers to save time on party day, and they are great-tasting appetizers as well!!

Easiest Finger Appetizers - Mini Florentine Cups

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (300g) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, well drained
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese Spread
1 Tbsp. Parmesan Grated Cheese
1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
24 thin slices deli style turkey breast (about 250g)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients except turkey until well blended.
FLATTEN turkey slices; place 1 slice in each of 24 miniature muffin pan cups. Fill each with 1-1/2 tsp. of the spinach mixture.
BAKE 15 min. or until heated through. Serve warm.

Make Ahead Appetizers:
Assemble appetizers several hours in advance; cover and refrigerate. Uncover and bake as directed.

Variations:
Add 1 to 2 Tbsp. chopped water chestnuts to the spinach mixture. (This is not recommended for those watching their carbohydrate intake.)

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy Kraft Foods

For more of our easiest finger appetizers visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
For more great recipes, Chef's tips and tools visit www.amateur-chef.net

Halloween Appetizers - Mummy Fingers for the Easiest Finger Appetizers

When we say that these Mummy Fingers are the easiest finger appetizers in our library of Halloween appetizers recipes, we really mean that - not only are Mummy Fingers frighteningly easy to make appetizers, but they give the term 'finger foods' a whole new meaning.

These fun and easy to make appetizers that make your food look like fingers are the perfect kid-friendly appetizers for all your little ghosts and ghouls for their fright-night festivities, or for the older 'kids' for a Halloween masquarede ball.

Mummy Fingers

Ingredients:
Cocktail wieners
Ketchup
Flour tortillas or refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a wedge into the end of each cocktail wiener to make a fingernail.
2. Cut the tortillas or crescent rolls into strips about 3/4 inch wide and about 4 inches long for tortillas or 2 inches long for crescent rolls. If using tortillas, soften the strips in the microwave between damp paper towels for 15 seconds.
3. Roll each wiener in a tortilla or roll strip to look like mummy bandages and place seam-side down on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and fill the fingernail with ketchup.

Recipe compliments Viva Diva Cafe.

Enjoy!

For more great Halloween appetizers visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
For more great recipes, Chef's tips and tools visit www.amateur-chef.net

Thanksgiving Appetizers

For the easiest finger appetizers for your Thanksgiving celebrations, make sure you have plenty of pre-made gourmet appetizers on hand as a solution for late-night arrivals or a turkey that just won't cook!

Stocking up on a few good pre-made Thanksgiving appetizers helps to keep the party going and also takes the heat off the cook.

Duck Foie Gras, fried dried red peppers, small artichokes in extra-virgin olive oil, Sanko Japanese rice crackers, black pepper and oat crackers or medium hot peppers stuffed with anchovies are just a few suggestions to serve as Thanksgiving appetizers at your own party, or as handy hostess gifts if the celebrations are being held elsewhere.

There are many choices for pre-made Thanksgiving appetizers from the online merchants highlighted on this page, just take a few minutes to browse and check out all the gourmet appetizers options available to you.

Pork and Peanut Wontons with Plum Sauce

There are alot of wonderful recipes using wonton wrappers that make some of the easiest finger appetizers for any gathering, but one of our favorites picks is this recipe for Pork and Peanut Wontons with Plum Sauce.

These crispy appetizers with a delicious pork and peanut wonton filling can be made up to 8 hours before they are cooked to free up valuable time when your guests arrive.

Try these delicious fried wontons with your own homemade plum sauce or with a a bottled sauce from the grocery store.

Makes 40-50 wontons.

6 oz/1 1/2 cups (175 g) ground pork
2 scallions, chopped
2 tblsp (30 ml) peanut butter
2 tsp (10 ml) oyster sauce (optional)
40-50 wonton wrappers
2 tblsp (30 ml) flour paste (see below)
vegetable oil for deep frying
salt and ground pepper
Lettuces and radishes to garnish

For the plum sauce:
8 oz (225 g) dark plum jam
1 tblsp (15 ml) rice or white wine vinegar
1 tblsp (15 ml) dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) chili sauce

Flour Paste:
Mix 4 parts cornstarch with 5 parts cold water in a small bowl, stirring well to make a smooth paste.

1. Combine the ground pork, scallions, peanut butter and oyster sauce in a bowl and season with salt and pepper then set aside.
2. Combine all plum sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
3. To fill the wonton wrappers, place eight wrappers at a time on a work surface, moisten the edges with the flour paste and place 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) of filling on each one. Fold them in half, corner to corner, and twist.
4. Fill a large wok or deep frying pan one-third full with vegetable oil and heat to 375F (190C) or until a cube of bread, added to the oil, browns in 30 seconds. Have ready a wire strainer or frying basket and a tray lined with kitchen paper. Drop the wontons, eight at a time, into the hot oil and deep-fry for 1-2 minutes, until golden all over. Lift the wontons out on to the paper-lined tray and sprinkle with fine salt. Serve hot with the plum sauce, and garnished with lettuce and radishes.

Enjoy!

For more great appetizer recipes visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
For more great recipes, Chef's tips and tools visit www.amateur-chef.net

Stuffed Mushroom Appetizers

One of the easiest finger appetizers in our repertoire is this sinfully easy appetizer recipe for Stuffed Mushroom Caps.

When choosing your mushrooms look for ones that are uniform in size and free of blemishes. We use either white or crimini mushrooms in our mushroom appetizer recipe, but brown or portobello mushrooms work equally as well.


Mom's Stuffed Mushrooms

15-20 large white or crimini mushrooms
1 large onion,chopped
butter
flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/2 cup cream
Parmesan cheese

Remove stems from mushrooms and scoop out the insides. Chop stems and combine with onion. Saute in butter and bind with flour. Add enough cream and garlic powder to make a thick paste. Stuff caps with mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Put under broiler for a minute or two, or bake at 350 F for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

For more great appetizer ideas visit http://www.appetizersunlimited.com/

Halloween Appetizers - Spooky Scallops

We all know that Halloween is one of the highlights of the year for little kids, but big kids can enjoy it too with adult costume parties, themed drinks and Halloween appetizers.

And appetizers are our specialty! These Spooky Scallops are sophisticated and fun, playing up the orange and black theme of Halloween, yet are one of the easiest finger appetizers to make, using pre-made dip and bottled bread dippers to save on time and effort. But even after the ghosts and goblins have been laid to rest for another year, these Halloween appetizers can be resurrected for any social occasion.

Spooky Scallops

1 baguette, sliced
3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
1 8 oz tub (227 g) fresh spicy black bean dip (purchased from your local grocery store)
1 tsp grated lime rind
1 tblsp lime juice
1 lb bag (454 g) frozen large sea scallops, thawed
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 carrot, grated
2 tblsp roasted garlic & parmesan bread dipper sauce (purchased from your local grocery or gourmet food store)

1) Brush baguete with oil, place on baking sheet and toast in 400F oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden; set aside.
2) In bowl, stir together bean dip, half of the lime rind and lime juice; set aside.
3) Place scallops in bowl and toss with remaining oil, remaining lime rind and chili powder. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown scallops on both sides for about 5 minutes or until opaque and firm. Set aside.
4) Spread bean dip mixture onto baguette slices. Slice scallops in half horizontally and place on top of spread. Toss carrot with bread dipper sauce and place a small amount on top of each scallop before serving.

Makes about 32 pieces.

Recipe courtesy Longo's Experience.

Enjoy!

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