Easy please-y appetizers?

[skatemommy]

My husband has invited who knows how many people over for the Super Bowl. I will be at the ice rink for most of the evening. Looking for easy appetizers that I can make ahead with minimal effort (as I probably won't get to enjoy them ). Drinks too if you have a fave. Many thanks!

[Wyliefan]

Got a Trader Joe's nearby? They have the best frozen appetizers around -- mini egg rolls, little pigs in blankets, all that sort of thing. A co-worker had a party once where the food was all Trader Joe's appetizers, and they were SO good. I could not stop eating.

[emason]

Put out a block of cream cheese, cover it with your favorite salsa, surround it with chips and let your company have at it. The hardest thing about this is unwrapping the cream cheese and getting the salsa jar open.

[Artemis@BC]

I was surprised by how good this one was, given that I generally don't like to use prepared "foods" as ingredients. If I'd just seen the recipe without tasting it, I wouldn't have tried it, but it really is very yummy. Also dead easy, it seems very "SuperBowlish" IYKWIM.

Warm Corn and Chive Dip

250 g. jar corn relish
300 g. carton sour cream
few drops of Tabasco sauce
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives (or very finely chopped green onion)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in pan, stir over heat until heated through; do not boil. (Can also microwave to heat through.) Serve with corn chips.
Makes 2 cups.

Dip can be prepared 1 day ahead, stored covered in refrigerator.

[skamper23]

Take a bag of frozen meatballs put them in a crock pot with a jar of salsa and a can of cranberry sauce....very easy! Also cocktail franks with bbq sauce. Salsa and chips, cheese crackers & pepperoni ect... you could also buy deli meats and cheese and rolls for sandwiches.

[Artemis@BC]

Here's another easy & delicious one -- we usually reserve this for Christmas because of the red & green colours, but no reason you can't make it any other time. (You can say the green is for Green Bay and, um, there's a bit of red in the Steelers logo, isn't there?)

Cranberry Pinwheels

1 pkg (170 g) dried cranberries
1 tub (250 g) spreadable cream cheese, room temp.
1 cup (250 g) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 large flour tortillas (pref. spinach/green)

Mix all ingredients except the tortillas. Spread 1/4 of the mix on a tortilla; wrap tightly jelly-roll style. Repeat with other 3. Wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 2 days (can also freeze). Slice into 1/2 inch rounds to serve. They're very rich so don't make them too big.

[Jenny]

Here's a bunch - http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/H...r-Bowl-Recipes

[Impromptu]

Roast Chickpeas

Basically you just drain two cans of chickpeas (drain them), toss them in your favorite spices (garlic salt; or cinnamon & honey are two possibilities) w/a little olive oil, spread them out on a cookie sheet, and roast them in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes (you'll want to open and stir them around every 15 minutes or so, so that they don't burn). Serve them cool .. so you can do this the night before.

Because you're picking your favorite spices, you can say this is your own recipe. It's like putting out a bowl of salted peanuts, but will seem fancier.

[millyskate]

mini croissants... super easy.
You buy circular pre-made pastry, put cheese and ham into the mixer, spread the resulting crumbs all over the pastry, cut into 16 (pizza slice style), and roll each piece starting from the outside.
Paint with milk, 10 minutes in oven. Done.

[altai_rose]

Bruschetta: Slice some French or country bread. Add store-bought bruschetta toppings (or chunky tomato/pasta sauce if you're cheap). Add cheese. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or so until crust is golden and cheese is sizzling.

[skatemommy]

Thanks, keep them coming! For the record I do NOT have a Trader Joe's or Just Good Foods within driving distance. It's like a field trip for me

[jp1andonly]

one of my favs... can of salmon, green onions and cream cheese. Basically let the cream cheese sit at room temp until soft. Mix in a can of salmon (easier with the already deboned kind) and some green onion. Form into a ball on a plate. Serve with whatever crackers. It is really good!!!

[BittyBug]

Do you have a Costco? They also have great frozen appetizers.

Some other super easy options:

- Broiled kielbasa - slice up a few kielbasas on a diagonal into bite-sized pieces, roast in 375 degree oven until browned, and serve with toothpicks and mustard for dipping (sausage also works)

- Shrimp cocktail - fill large bowl with crushed ice, place small bowl in center, defrost frozen pre-cooked shrimp and put around bowl in center, squeeze fresh lemon juice over shrimp, fill bowl with cocktail sauce (you can make your own - ketchup, horseradish, tabasco, salt and pepper - or buy)

- Cheese and pate plate, or cheese and pepperoni plate - buy several different types of cheese - soft goat, maybe a brie, a blue, and perhaps some type of sharp hard cheese - and put on a platter with some pate or hand-slice pepperoni - serve with crackers or sliced french bread

- Pasta salad - cook up 2 pounds of farfalle, toss with 8 oz of pesto sauce + a bit of extra olive oil if necessary, add 8 oz crumbled feta cheese and sliced sun dried tomatoes, finish with the juice of one lemon and salt & pepper (this you can make ahead)

[skaternum]

Roast Chickpeas <snip>

OMG, this sounds so good!

[luenatic]

Whatever happened to pop corns, potato chips, corn chips, salsa?

[Auntie]

Roast Chickpeas

I'm an okay cook and I've tried to make these three times. The results have been mealy or hard as rocks.

[skatemommy]

Whatever happened to pop corns, potato chips, corn chips, salsa?

^That would be my husband's menu of choice! However, these are my neighbors and I want to offer some things a little more substantial as with the half time show and commercials it makes for a loooong football game.

No Costco either...sadly only Sam's Club.

[Aceon6]

Shrimp Cocktail Dip

1/2 cup Cocktail Sauce (ketchup, horseradish, lemon, and hot sauce to taste)
8 oz shrimp
1 block cream cheese

Puree together till smooth.
Serve with celery sticks, green and/or red pepper sticks, and your choice of pretzel, pumpernickel (really good) or multigrain sticks.

It goes REALLY fast at our house and might be a nice compliment to the salmon.

One other thing I've served successfully at a superbowl party is hot chili and Tostito's scoops. It's no messier than serving chips and salsa.

[BigB08822]

Put out a block of cream cheese, cover it with your favorite salsa, surround it with chips and let your company have at it. The hardest thing about this is unwrapping the cream cheese and getting the salsa jar open.

I've never had it with salsa but we always do this was pepper jelly. Delicious!! I think the salsa would be good but the jelly is sweeter but still has the kick from the peppers. Yummy!

[emason]

I've never had it with salsa but we always do this was pepper jelly. Delicious!! I think the salsa would be good but the jelly is sweeter but still has the kick from the peppers. Yummy!

There we go; we just doubled skatemommy's options with no effort.