We have created a more recent family tradition where we have an "Appetizers for Dinner" night on the same night as The Academy Awards. It's always fun to try out all of these fun appetizer recipes and be able to eat as much as we want to without "saving room for dinner" because, well, it IS dinner!
Some of these are appetizers from another night that I am grouping here just for the sake of convenience.
Fabulous Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo sauce
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
ground black pepper, to taste
Tortilla chips, for serving
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Thoroughly mix artichoke hearts, Alfredo sauce, spinach, Parmesan-Romano cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic, and black pepper in a bowl; spread into an 8-inch square baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven until cheeses are bubbling and melted, 25 to 30 minutes.
Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by canderson09. You can find it
here.
Notes: This is a copycat recipe of Applebee's spinach and artichoke dip. It is spot on and very delicious. It is fantastic paired with some of your favorite tortilla chips.
Antipasto Squares
Ingredients:
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 pound thinly sliced boiled ham
1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami
1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni sausage
1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into thin strips
3 eggs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Unroll one package of crescent roll dough, and cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Layer the ham, provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, salami, pepperoni, and red peppers on top of the dough.
In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly, and stir in the Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Pour 3/4 of this mixture over the peppers. Unroll the second package of dough, and place over the top of the peppers. Brush with the remaining egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until dough is fluffy and golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Lori G. You can find it
here.
Notes: These are not easy to dish out and serve, but they were very tasty.
Marinated Cheese
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 (2 ounce) bottle diced pimento, drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced green onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cold
Directions:
In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, pimento, parsley, green onion, garlic, sugar, basil, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to blend. Set aside.
Cut the block of Cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices to form squares. Repeat with cream cheese. Arrange cheese squares alternately in a shallow baking dish with slices standing on edge. You can arrange in a single long row, or 2 parallel rows depending on the size of your dish. Pour the marinade from the jar over the cheese slices. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
To serve, remove slices to a serving platter so they are still arranged in an alternating pattern. Spoon some of the extra marinade over the cheese, and serve with crackers.
Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by trish555. You can find it
here.
Notes: This was such a pretty appetizer. So delicious too! You could alternate between Cheddar and Mozzarella slices (instead of cream cheese) if you are worried about the cream cheese being too messy. This was delicious though. The only drawback is that it is messy and drippy and I got some oil from the marinade on my shirt and it took quite a few washes to get that mess out!
Pigs in a Blanket
Ingredients:
2 pkgs. (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent roll dough.
1 pkg. Lit'l Smokies
Ketchup and mustard, for serving
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Separate each package of crescent roll dough into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle into 3 smaller triangles.
Place 1 sausage on the wide end of the triangle and roll towards the point. Place wrapped sausage point side down on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sausages. Bake 9-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with ketchup and mustard, if desired.
Source: Hillshire Farm. You can find it
here.
Notes: Well, folks, it doesn't get any easier or more kid friendly than this!
Bavarian Style Meatballs
Ingredients:
12 fluid ounces tomato-based chili sauce
1 (16 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
27 ounces Bavarian-style sauerkraut, undrained
1 cup water
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (16 ounce) package frozen meatballs
Directions:
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine chili sauce, cranberry sauce, sauerkraut, water, and brown sugar. mix well. Pour sauce and meatballs in a slow cooker; stir.
Cook, covered, at a medium temperature for 4 hours. Stir occasionally to coat meatballs.
Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by teri denlinger. You can find it
here.
Notes: The sauerkraut was kind of what caught our eye. It was an interesting ingredient, but it totally worked! These were great meatballs. Also, Teri Denlinger must have a more awesome slow cooker than I do because mine only has a low and a high heat setting. We just cooked ours on low.
Outrageous Warm Chicken Nacho Dip
Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as Ro*Tel), drained
1 (1 pound) loaf processed cheese food (such as Velveeta, cubed
2 large cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup diced green onion
1 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper, or to taste (optional)
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
Directions:
Place the diced tomatoes, processed cheese, chicken meat, sour cream, green onion, taco seasoning, and jalapeno pepper into a slow cooker. Cook on high, stirring occasionally until the cheese has melted and the dip is hot, 1 to 2 hours. Stir in the black beans, and cook 15 more minutes to reheat.
Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by brightlightz. You can find it
here.
Notes: This isn't the prettiest, but it was very tasty. Serve it with tortilla chips and you're set!
Guacamole My Way
Ingredients:
5 avocados from Mexico, peeled, pitted, and diced
5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons finely diced onion
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 lime, juiced
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Directions:
Combine avocados, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and lime juice. Stir well, mashing avocado, but leaving a chunky texture. Season with salt; stir to combine.
Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes.
Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Paula. You can find it
here.
Notes: Tasty stuff!
Pico de Gallo
Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes, diced
3 onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
6 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, jalepeno pepper (to taste), cilantro, and green onion. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by grneyedmustang. You can find it
here.
Cheesy Bacon Corn Dip
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
3 cups corn
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped chives
Kosher salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to let drain, then chop.
In a large bowl, combine corn, cream cheese, Cheddar, sour cream, chives, and chopped bacon and season with salt. Stir until combined, then transfer to a baking dish.
Bake until warmed through and cheese is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.
Source: Delish.com. You can find it
here.
