Your best easy appetizer?

[Anonymous]

OP here, here's a sampling of what I've made:

Pepperoni pinwheels (similar to previous post, make ahead, slice and bake)
Goat cheese and lemon spread (cold)
Crab Dip (cold)
Potato croquettas (hot)
Chimichurri steak on baquettes (hot)
Sonoma loaf (goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, pesto) (cold)
Meatballs- sometimes swedish or italian (hot)
Baked brie (hot)
Assorted cheese and spreads, hummus (cold)
mozz/tomato/basil on toothpicks (cold)
basil tomato tart (warm)
puff pastry with goat cheese,dates and honey (warm)
baquettes with goat cheese, honey and walnuts (warm)
shrimp coctail or something similar
antipasta tray
sugared pecans
cookies
And others items that I rotate...

I generally start a week ahead and freeze what I can. I honestly love to do this once a year, and most people come pretty hungry! Any good cold shrimp dishes or something else hearty to have?

[Anonymous]

OP again, there will be between 50-65 people.

[Anonymous]

For cocktail parties I always like to have:
stuffed mushroom (either with crab or bread/cheese)
chicken liver pate (Julia Child's version is wonderfully decadent)
cheese and herb gougeres
deviled eggs (you could make it really elegant with quail eggs and caviar)
open-faced smoked salmon sandwiches with lemon and dill creme cheese
chicken wings (with soy and balsamic glaze)
some sort of a sliced sausage with mustard for dipping
tiny goat cheese balls (I roll them either in smoked paprika, chopped thyme and rosemary, or cracked pepper)

Many of these can be made a day ahead.

[Anonymous]

cheese and herb gougeres

Yumm - I made and froze these one year and it worked out great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For cocktail parties I always like to have:
stuffed mushroom (either with crab or bread/cheese)
chicken liver pate (Julia Child's version is wonderfully decadent)
cheese and herb gougeres
deviled eggs (you could make it really elegant with quail eggs and caviar)
open-faced smoked salmon sandwiches with lemon and dill creme cheese
chicken wings (with soy and balsamic glaze)
some sort of a sliced sausage with mustard for dipping
tiny goat cheese balls (I roll them either in smoked paprika, chopped thyme and rosemary, or cracked pepper)

Many of these can be made a day ahead.

Do you make all this yourself? How long does it take?

[Anonymous]

I am a nanny who always has helped her employer with her annual Christmas party for 100 people. I do all the cooking and planning. I normally start at noon. But will say I am a little bit of a perfectionist and usually have 3 kids underfoot. I always have a dessert bar too. Most the desserts I will make while the kids nap(thankfully).


I hope this gives you all an idea of how long it takes.

[Anonymous]

Another take on the fig & goat cheese spreads:

Pumpkin butter and goat cheese. Usually I buy the Trader Joe's pumpkin butter. My favorite kind of goat cheese to pair it with is "four pepper" goat cheese, or some other peppered kind. The sweet and peppery tastes go very well together. I find it is best on thinly sliced and toasted french baguette, OR, you can buy little toasts at Trader Joe's that are very good.

[Anonymous]

OP here, do you think I can make those chicken bites ahead and re-heat? I would assume so, but dont' want them to be too dry. Also thinking of a dipping sauce.

PP, where can I get fig spread- trader joes, HT, whole foods?

thanks everyone for the ideas.. looks like closer to 65 people so I have to make a lot of everything!

[Anonymous]

I've replicated Jaleo's apple manchego salad and it has been a hit at potlucks. Just thinly slice fennel bulb, green apple and manchego cheese. Make them a little thicker than matchstick size. Add chopped walnuts and a chopped chives. Drizzle with olive oil and sherry vinegar, a little salt & pepper. Just delicious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For cocktail parties I always like to have:
stuffed mushroom (either with crab or bread/cheese)
chicken liver pate (Julia Child's version is wonderfully decadent)
cheese and herb gougeres
deviled eggs (you could make it really elegant with quail eggs and caviar)
open-faced smoked salmon sandwiches with lemon and dill creme cheese
chicken wings (with soy and balsamic glaze)
some sort of a sliced sausage with mustard for dipping
tiny goat cheese balls (I roll them either in smoked paprika, chopped thyme and rosemary, or cracked pepper)

Many of these can be made a day ahead.

Do you make all this yourself? How long does it take?

Yes, I make it all myself. Like I said, much can be made ahead - the pate and gougeres only take about 30 minutes each of prep time. The cheese balls about 15 minutes. These can be made a day or two in advance. Stuffed mushrooms are very quick - 30 minutes total. Deviled eggs are likewise quick - 30 minutes tops. Chicken wings get tossed in sauce and thrown in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Slicing and cooking the sausage takes only about 15-20 minutes. The salmon sandwich assembly probably takes me 20-minutes. I would say that my total active time for this is no more than 2.5 hours. I usually have a toddler underfoot, but try to enlist the spouse to entertain him while I am in the kitchen. Totally worth it for a lovely (and affordable!) spread.