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.

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Easy Appetizers - Brie Crab Appetizers Recipe

This time of year is a continuous whirlwind of parties, and trying to throw together some quick easy appetizers for unexpected get togethers can throw most people into a a tizzy but with a few easy appetizer recipes on hand, you can pull off that impromptu soiree like a pro.

Easy appetizers don't need to be frozen appetizers or a bag of chips with dip. Instead keep a variety of cheeses on hand for some easy to make appetizers that will compete with even the gourmet appetizers offered by catering companies. Brie cheese recipes such as an easy baked brie appetizer or this delicious Brie Crab Appetizers Recipe, courtesy Alouette Cheese, will have your guests raving about your gourmet appetizers!!

Baby Brie Crab Appetizers Recipe

Ingredients

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Alouette Baby Brie Cheese
1 can (6 oz.) crab meat with leg meat, well drained
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. diced pimiento (from 2 oz. jar), drained
1 tbsp. minced shallot
2 pkg. (2.1 oz. each) frozen phyllo tartlet shells
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F.

Trim rind from outside edge of cheese.
Cut crosswise into 6 strips. Trim rind from each strip.

To form 30 pieces, cut the 4 longest strips each into 6 cubes.
Cut the 2 shortest strips each into 3 cubes.

In small bowl, combine crab meat, mayonnaise, pimiento and shallot.

Arrange tartlet shells on large cookie sheet. Spoon crab mixture evenly into tartlet shells, about 1 tsp. each. Top with cheese cube.

Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is soft and melted.
Sprinkle with chives.

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Make Ahead Appetizers - Crispy Coconut Shrimp Appetizers

Make Ahead Appetizers help save the day when trying to juggle a full work and busy family schedule during the hectic entertaining season, and these delicious crispy coconut shrimp appetizers do double duty as valuable time saving make ahead appetizers, and exceptionally easy to make appetizers.

Shrimp appetizers are always the highlight of any party appetizers tray, and these delicious offerings from the Kraft Appetizer recipes collection are certain not to disappoint!

Crispy Coconut Shrimp Appetizers

Ingredients:
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1 pouch Extra Crispy Chicken Coating Mix
1/4 tsp. each curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
24 uncooked large shrimp (1 lb./450 g), peeled, deveined
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
HEAT oven to 400°F. Combine coconut, coating mix and seasonings in shallow bowl.
DIP shrimp in egg, then roll in coconut mixture until evenly coated. Place on baking sheet.
BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until shrimp are tender.

Make Ahead
These appetizers can be assembled ahead of time. Refrigerate up to 3 hours before baking as directed.

Curry Dip
Mix 1/2 cup Ranch Dressing, 1/4 cup Pure Orange Marmalade, 1 tsp. curry powder and 2 to 3 drops hot pepper sauce until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to serve as a dip with the shrimp.

Enjoy!

Crispy Coconut Shrimp Recipe courtesy Kraft Kitchens.

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Gourmet Appetizers - Fig, Onion & Le Migneron Tarts

Tis the season for entertaining, and when choosing the perfect gourmet appetizers to impress your guests, look no further than these Fig, Onion & Le Migneron Tarts gourmet appetizers.

These delicious gourmet appetizers are perfect for the hostess who wants to please, look and taste great, yet are amazingly easy to make appetizers. And better yet, these gourmet appetizers are also perfect make ahead appetizers to save time on party day.

Fig, Onion & Le Migneron Tarts

Ingredients:
1 tblsp (15 ml) grape seed oil (or other type of oil)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 oz (25 g) butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 sheets puff pastry
12 fresh Mission figs
1/2 lb (200 g) Le Migneron de Charlevoix cheese, Swiss cheese or Blue Cheese
Fresh sage leaves

Directions:
1) In a thick-bottomed saucepan, add oil and sliced onions. Slowly cook down over medium heat until soft. Add butter and seasoning and cook until caramelized. Refrigerate. Make Ahead Appetizers note: this step can be done in advance and stored for up to 1 week.
2) Purchase a high-quality puff pastry from a specialty store. Cut out 3-4 inch rounds and score with a fork. Return to refrigerator.
3) Slice figs and cut cheese into 20-30 g pieces. Spread onion mixture on puff pastry bases, arrange figs on top and finish with cheese. At this point the tarts may be baked or put back in fridge and saved for 12 hours.
4) Bake at 400F (200C) until pastry is brown. Finish with sage leaves and cracked pepper.

Note: To save time the caramelized onion can also be replaced with a store-bought one, or a savoury chutney or compote.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy All You Need Is Cheese Magazine.

For more great gourmet appetizers visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
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Thanksgiving Appetizers - Corn and Chorizo Fritters with Cranberry Chutney

Thanksgiving is a hectic time of the year, heralding the start of the holiday entertaining season, so make it easy for yourself and your family by pre-planning your Thanksgiving appetizers with some easy to make appetizers.

These crisp and golden Corn and Chorizo Fritters with Cranberry Chutney are fun and easy to make Thanksgiving appetizers that will help get even the most holiday-weary entertainer into the festive mood.

If you like your Thanksgiving appetizers on the mild side, choose a mild chorizo, otherwise spice up your appetizers with a hot chorizo.

Corn and Chorizo Fritters with Cranberry Chutney

1/2 cup (125 ml) yellow cornmeal
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 ml) kosher salt
1 1/2 tblsp (22 ml) finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) 2% milk
2/3 cup (150 ml) peeled, diced chorizo sausage
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Garnish:
Coarse salt (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add shallots and milk and, using a whisk, mix into a smooth pancake-like batter.
2. Peel the outer casing off the chorizo sausage using a paring knife, then dice - pieces should be about the size of frozen peas. Add diced chorizo to the batter, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Add vegetable oil to a deep saucepan making sure not to fill the pot more than halfway. Place on stovetop over medium heat, and using a thermometer, bring the oil to 325F (160C).
4. Using a tablespoon, measure and drop fritter batter into hot oil, only a few at a time, so as not to crowd the pot and cool the oil. Flip fritters over and cook until golden-brown on all sides, about 3 minutes each. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out fritters and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Serve immediately with Cranberry Chutney (recipe below).

Cranberry Chutney
This simple and sweet-tart chutney can be made days ahead.

2/3 cup (150 ml) frozen whole cranberries
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
2 tblsp (25 ml) franulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1 ml) whole fennel seeds

1. Put all ingredients into a saucepan and place on stovetop over medium heat. ring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes or until cranberries begin to soften and break down. Remove saucepan from heat. Using a potato masher, coarsely mash the cranberry mixture. Return saucepan to the stovetop on low for 5 more minutes or until thickened. Place cranberry chutney in a serving bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. If making ahead, once cooled, refrigerate until ready to use.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy Food & Drink Magazine.

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Thanksgiving Appetizers - Mini Shrimp Tacos

These attractive shrimp appetizers are not only easy to make appetizers, they are also a great way to 'dress up' that bag of frozen shrimp in your freezer to create some show-stopping Thanksgiving appetizers for the upcoming holiday season.

When buying the shrimp for your Thanksgiving appetizers, pay attention to the 'count'. A count refers to the number of shrimp per pound, therefore the lower the number on the package, the larger the shrimp, and the higher the count (51 to 60), the smaller the shrimp. For these shrimp appetizers, you will need small shrimp, therefore the higher count number.

Mini Shrimp Tacos

18 frozen, cooked, peeled small shrimp
1 cup (250 ml) packed coleslaw mix (in bag)
2 tblsp (25 ml) mayonnaise
2 tblsp (25 ml) chopped coriander
1/2 to 3/4 tsp (2 to 4 ml) or to taste hot sauce, preferably chipotle
Pinch of salt
1/2 small firm but ripe avocado
1/2 lime
18 mini tortilla scoop chips

1. Thaw shrimp, peel and pat dry. In a medium bowl, stir coleslaw with mayonnaise, coriander, hot pepper sauce to taste, and salt.
2. Just before serving, cut a 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) wedge from avocado then peel. Slice lengthwise, then thinly slice each wedge crosswise. Place in a bowl and gently toss with a squeeze of lime juice. Scoop a spoonful of coleslaw mixture into tortilla scoop chip. Stand an avocado sedge and shrimp inside.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Food & Drink Magazine.

For more great Thanksgiving appetizers visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
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Wonton Appetizers - Dim Sims Shrimp Appetizers

When planning the menu for your party food appetizers, always choose the easiest finger appetizers recipes to avoid making your guests juggle utensils, appetizers and cocktails.

These delicious Dim Sims Shrimp Appetizers from our wonton appetizers collection is the perfect choice for finger food appetizers. These wonton appetizers are a departure from the usual appetizers fare, yet are surprisingly easy to make appetizers that compliment any appetizers theme.

Dim Sims Shrimp Appetizers

8 oz (225 g) uncooked medium shrimp
1 lb (450 g) uncooked boneless lean pork
1/4 head small cabbage (about 4 oz or 115 g)
6 green onions
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 tblsp (45 ml) cornstarch
4 tsp (20 ml) soy sauce
1 tblsp (15 ml) sesame oil
2 tsp (10 ml) oyster sauce
48 wonton wrappers (about 1 lb or 45o g)
3 cups (750 ml) vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Remove shells and back veins from shrimp. Finely chop shrimp, pork, cabbage and onions with sharp knife or food processor. Transfer chopped foods to large bowl. Add eggs, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil and oyster sauce. Mix well.
2) Place rounded teaspoon of mixture onto center of each wonton wrapper.
3) Gently press wrappers around filling, tucking edges together, but leaving tops flared open, flower style. To avoid excessive drying, work with about 12 wrappers at a time.
4) Heat vegetable oil in wok over high heat until it reaches 375F (190C). Fry 8 to 10 dim sims at a time in hot oil until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper towel.
Makes 4 dozen.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy Chinese Cooking Class Cookbook.

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Thanksgiving Appetizers - Sausage & Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms

With the holiday season fast approaching, we have been very busy at Appetizers Unlimited , making and taste-testing new appetizer recipe ideas for Thanksgiving appetizers. We believe we have found another easy to make appetizers hit from the latest Kraft appetizer recipes offerings.

These delicious Sausage & Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms will compliment all of your other Thanksgiving appetizers choices and have your guests raving about your culinary skills, yet they are such quick and easy to make appetizers, requiring only 4 ingredients, that you will spend almost no time in the kitchen preparing them.

Courtesy of Kraft Kitchens:

Sausage & Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms Thanksgiving Appetizers

Ingredients:

24 medium fresh mushrooms (1 lb./450 g), cleaned
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 cup cooked crumbled Italian sausage
1/2 cup KRAFT Part Skim Mozzarella Shredded Cheese

Directions:
Heat broiler.
Remove and discard stems from mushrooms. Brush mushroom caps with dressing; place on rack of broiler pan. Broil 5 min.
Press sausage into mushroom caps, adding about 1 tsp. sausage to each cap. Sprinkle with cheese.
Broil 3 to 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Kraft Kitchens Tips:

Substitute:
Substitute Kraft Tex Mex Shredded Cheese for the mozzarella.

How to Crumble Sausage
Cut off the end of the sausage casing, then squeeze the sausage into the skillet. Cook and stir until evenly browned. This will eliminate the need to cut or crumble the sausage after it is cooked.

Enjoy!

For more Thanksgiving appetizers visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
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Make Ahead Appetizers - Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe

From the Knorr Kitchens comes the ever-popular Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe, a delicious spinach dip ingeniously served up in an edible pumpernickel bread bowl.

This Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe rates as our favorite spinach dip not only because it tastes so darn good, it also looks incredible in it's own pumpernickel bread bowl, and as an added bonus with our hectic schedule, these great make ahead appetizers are also incredibly easy to make appetizers.

What more could you ask?

For great time-saving make ahead appetizers for your next party, make this delicous Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe your top pick!!


Ingredients
1 pkg (300 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup (250 ml) mayonnaise
500 ml (2 cups) sour cream
1 pkg Knorr vegetable soup mix
1 can (8 oz/227 g) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 large round pumpernickel bread loaf (optional)

Directions
Squeeze excess moisture from spinach. In bowl, combine spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, soup mix, water chestnuts and green onions. Stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours to blend flavours. Cut bread from centre of pumpernickel loaf. Fill with spinach dip. Serve with fresh vegetables, pumpernickel bread or chips.

Gourmet Appetizers - Crabapple Recipes

Fruits stuffed with fabulous fillings make elegant gourmet appetizers when you need a show-stopping appetizer recipe, and these Stuffed Crabapples with Cheddar are guaranteed to be a hit!!

These flavor-filled, vitamin-rich, gourmet appetizers morsels from our Crabapple recipes collection are a feast for the palate as well as for the eyes. If you cannot locate crabapples, you can also substitute Chinese apples (found in the specialty produce section of grocery stores or in Chinese grocery stories).

Oh, and did we mention that these tasty bites are also incredibly easy to make appetizers?


Stuffed Crabapples with Cheddar

Ingredients
12 Crabapples or 1 basket Chinese apples
1/2 cup (125 ml) cream cheese, softened
1 tblsp (15 ml) chopped chives
Italian pepper to taste
1/4 lb (125 g) cheddar cheese

Directions:
Delicately sice off the top part of the apples.
Scoop out the flesh, taking care not to damage the inside walls. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, chives and pepper. Fill a pastry bag equipped with a fluted tip with the seasoned cream cheese and carefully fill the apples.
Add a piece of cheddar cheese and put the apple tops back in place.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy I Can Cook.

For more great gourmet appetizers visit www.appetizersunlimited.com
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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!

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Thanksgiving Appetizers - Gruyere-Walnut Crisps

With Thanksgiving just around the corner as the official start to the holiday entertaining season, now is the time to dust off those cookbooks and get creative with some new ideas for Thanksgiving appetizers.

But with all the time and effort that goes into serving a big Thanksgiving dinner, who has time for appetizers? That is where make ahead appetizers can save the day, not to mention a whole lot of time!!

These delicious but easy to make appetizers using only 5 ingredients certainly do the trick. The dough for the Gruyere-Walnut Crisps can be made up to 2 days ahead and baked early on party day.

Gruyere-Walnut Crisps

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces finely grated Gruyere cheese
1 tsp salt
2 cups plus 2 tblsp all purpose flour
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in cheese and salt. Add flour and walnuts; beat just until dough comes together, adding water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Divide in half. Roll each half into 14-inch log. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 4 hours. At this point, dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut logs crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Arrange on prepared sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart.

Bake crisps until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely.

Variation: For attractive presentation, before slicing the dough, brush the logs with lightly beaten egg white then roll in poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or caraway seeds. Slice; bake as directed.

Recipe courtesy Bon Appetit magazine.

For more great appetizer ideas visit www.appetizersunlimited.com.
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