New ideas for a little bite?

December 4, 2009 9:18 AM

Hors d'oeuvre! I've got a few tried and true recipes but for the upcoming holidays need more. Can you help?

We'll be hosting our inlaws from Nederlands for Christmas. I do all the cooking and as this is the third year I'd like to surprise everyone with new hors d'oeuvre.

I like total prep time per recipe to be under thirty minutes, and preferably nothing that requires lengthy or overnight storage / rising / soaking / etc. I don't own specialised cookery, so even though things like blinis are trivial to make I'd rather purchase if they are called for.

Fast single task dishes are preferred as everything can made in the AM before the main cooking task of the day is undertaken. Examples of things they like that I already make include Spinach Dip (15 min prep), Beet infused deviled eggs (30 min prep), Vodka spiked cherry tomatoes (15 min prep), Bacon wrapped prawns (30 min prep) and Hummus (10 min prep).

And wide ranging in terms of taste please - I love an excuse to purchase new and different spices.

posted by Mutant to Food & Drink (35 answers total)

Best answer: Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps. Fast prep time, about 30 min. cook time, and they are excellent.
posted by doh ray mii at 9:26 AM on December 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Idea 1: Make a mixture of goat cheese, honey, black pepper, minced fresh rosemary, and garlic, and place dollops of it into Belgian endive spears.

Idea 2: (again with the goat cheese!) make balls of goat cheese and place in freezer. When frozen, dip them into an egg wash, then into flour, then into the egg wash again, and then roll in bread crumbs or panko. Deep fry. Serve with caramelized onions and crostini, and drizzle the cheese balls with honey.
posted by kaseijin at 9:28 AM on December 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Cheese straws
posted by scarykarrey at 9:29 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: These spinach balls are always a huge hit at my parties.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 9:32 AM on December 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Some Southern classics:
Cheese ball Artichoke dip goes over well in my experience. I add tabasco or cayenne too.
Sausage Balls
and seconding cheese straws!
posted by pointystick at 9:37 AM on December 4, 2009

I fail at links. Artichoke dip: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/quick_and_easy_artichoke_dip/
posted by pointystick at 9:37 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: Place a 1.5 inch square of smoked sockeye salmon on a tasty cracker, then a slice of black, pitted olive with a caper in the hole on that. Maybe a curl of sweet, mild onion and a leaf of tarragon or parsley to garnish. Rave reviews.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:39 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: Check out the canonical thread about appetizers.
posted by shothotbot at 9:39 AM on December 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Also, I make a cottage cheese dip that doesn't sound appetizing, but which people go crazy over after they try it. It's basically a vehicle for ranch flavor to get into your mouth, and it was found by my mother on the back of a dressing packet in the 70s:

1 large container small curd cottage cheese
1 8oz. container sour cream
1 small jar Hellmans mayo
2 packets Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk recipe dressing packets

Mix, enjoy!

Definitely not lactose intolerance friendly, and when you think about the ingredients, it's wholly unhealthy, but very scrumptious. Can be enjoyed on veggies or chips, and it's better if you mix it up and let it rest overnight.
posted by scarykarrey at 9:42 AM on December 4, 2009

take a good baguette, cut diagonally. Slightly toast the slices. Top each slice with cheap brie, honey and cracked pepper. The cracked pepper is key, dont skip this! Put in the toaster oven or under the broiler until the brie is melted. Serve hot.
posted by shothotbot at 9:44 AM on December 4, 2009 [2 favorites]

Best answer: roast red peppers over gas flame or broiler, stick in a bag for 15 minutes to steam, peel, cut into handy pieces and throw in a bowl with olive oil and lots of smashed garlic cloves. Put on good bread w/goat cheese. yum. If you make this in advance and you should so the flavors infuse keep it at room temp.
posted by leslies at 9:44 AM on December 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Family traditional that looks nasty but tastes good:

Put cream cheese on a plate.
Pour Pickapeppa over it.
Serve with Wheat Thins.
posted by small_ruminant at 9:50 AM on December 4, 2009

We do a lot of devilled eggs, too, but until you've done about 2000 over your life, they take longer than 30 minutes.

Always good: Stilton cheese (with bread or pears or even apples as your vector.)
posted by small_ruminant at 9:52 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: Chuck a wheel of Brie in a microwave safe dish. Cover with brown sugar, pecans, and cranberries. Microwave until gooey. Serve with water crackers.

Brie wrapped in puff pastry, with a layer of apricot jam inside, and baked until golden is also really nice, but more labor intensive than the first one.
posted by elsietheeel at 9:57 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: 1. Place an olive inside a pitted date
2. Wrap with bacon
3. Skewer with toothpick
4. Bake on a pan at 350 until bacon looks tasty
5. Eat.
posted by craven_morhead at 9:58 AM on December 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Slice an English cucumber into thinnish rounds
Top with smoked salmon, a tiny dollop of mustard, and a tiny sprig of dill.

I do small ruminant's cream cheese thing, but use hot pepper jelly instead of Pickapeppa. It's amazing how tasty this is - creamy/spicy/sweet/crunchy.

Pack goat cheese around red grapes, roll in crushed spiced pecans.
posted by Miko at 10:19 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: The other night I had the best thing ever, and it might have taken the cook 2 minutes:

- get nice Medjool dates from Trader Joe's
- slice each down the middle
- insert bleu cheese

Seriously, I thoguht I was going to collapse, these were so good.
posted by tristeza at 10:25 AM on December 4, 2009 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Veggie pizza squares. I'm too lazy to chop all those veggies, so I usually run a carrot and broccoli crown through a cheese grater.
posted by hoppytoad at 10:26 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: I like tapenade, both classic and variants. 2 minutes prep in the food processor; can be done a few days ahead of time if you like. I like them with plenty of texture but they can be as smooth as you like.

Classic: A handful of pitted kalamatas, a tablespoon of capers, a rinsed anchovy fillet, a handful of parsley, a clove of garlic, a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Scrape into a bowl; add plenty of lemon juice.

Variant one: A handful of brined green olives (I like the picholines), water-packed or steamed artichoke hearts, olive oil, capers, an anchovy fillet, garlic, parsley, preserved lemon.

Variant two: oil-cured black olives, pickled fennel, capers, an anchovy fillet, parsley, olive oil, garlic, orange zest and juice.

Variant three: roasted red peppers, capers, parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar.

Two or three little bowls of different tapenades, plus maybe a bowl of good chevre, with good bread is a nice spread.
posted by peachfuzz at 10:30 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: My favorite relatively quick appetizer is Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Pizza:

1 pizza crust (I use boboli - 12 inch)
Chive and onion cream cheese (1/2 of a small 8 oz. container)
3 - 4 Vidalia onions
Brown sugar (about 1 Tbs)
Goat cheese

Spread cream cheese on pizza crust. Thinly slice onions and caramalize them with a bit of sugar. Put caramalized onions on pizza, stud with goat cheese. Heat in oven at 400 until the goat cheese starts to melt/gets a little brown (about 10 - 15 min). Slice into very small appetizer slices (1 - 2 inches) and enjoy!

It takes about 30 minutes total and is always a big hit! As far as preparing in advance, you could always caramelize the onions beforehand, saving ten or fifteen minutes of prep time.
posted by koselig at 10:31 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: These Chile Pea Puffs were pretty easy to make, and tasted fancy without actually having too many fancy ingredients.
posted by sa3z at 11:12 AM on December 4, 2009

Vietnamese thit nuong skewers:

Start some bamboo skewers soaking in water.

Take some thin-cut pork chops and pound them flat. Really flat. Like 1/8" flat. Then, cut them into strips, about 1" wide, and place them in a large bowl.

In a saucepan, take a cup or so of sugar and heat it dry over medium heat. It will make a caramel. As *soon* as it makes this caramel, add in a chopped shallot, the juice from one lime, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (nam pla -- available in Asian markets, or the Asian section in most supermarkets), and a good pinch of salt.

With the addition of the liquid, your caramel will harden up. Keep it on the heat, and stir everything together until the caramel re-liquifies.

Empty the pan into the bowl with your pork, and toss to coat along with some freshly ground black pepper.

Take each strip of pork, and work it onto a skewer. Put these under the broiler until brown, and serve with peanut sauce or sriracha chili sauce.
posted by kaseijin at 11:18 AM on December 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Cheese plates are traditionally served for or after dessert, but our family and friends prefer it before the meal. I get a camembert wheel, an aged gouda (preferably five-year with sea salt), another hard cheese (manchego is a favorite), and another soft or semi-soft (I'm really liking P'tit Basque right now) selection. Serve with a fig preserve/jam and sliced, toasted baguette (drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt before putting it under the broiler).

Seriously, it's just so good and easy.
posted by cooker girl at 11:35 AM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: Yum, my favorite app is prosciutto wrapped around asparagus. Just lay out a piece of prosciutto, spread some herb soft cheese like Boursin on it, place the asparagus on one side and wrap. Then just put them all on a baking sheet and cook at 450 for 15 mins. Delish!
posted by boulder20something at 12:07 PM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: Mix one can of crabmeat, one jar of Kraft Old English cheese, and a half a stick of butter, melted. Split six English muffins in half and spread with the crab mixture. Pop under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and starts to brown.
posted by c lion at 12:09 PM on December 4, 2009

seconding small-ruminant's recommendation for pickapeppa sauce! it's delicious and super easy!
posted by vespabelle at 12:13 PM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: -Get a bread boule
-cut out the center and hollow it out
-crush a few cloves of garlic (7 or 8), mix with olive oil or butter to make a paste and spread all over the interior of the bread
- fill bread with any old brie
- tear the bread you took out of the center into ~2in cubes
- place bread boule and new bread hunks on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven until the bread pieces are a little toasty and the brie is melted

your guests will dip the new crouton you made into the bread. Then they will tear apart the bread boule and eat that. Then they will ask you to make another one.
posted by muscat at 12:36 PM on December 4, 2009 [6 favorites]

Best answer: Seconding shothotbot's baguette cheese toastie thingie. It's also excellent with goat cheese, and the honey and cracked pepper are absolutely key. I've made something similar for Flemish in-laws (maybe a bit of an analogy there with the Cheeseheads) and they absolutely loved it.

Very quick, very easy: make your own pita chips. Get a pack of pita rounds (10 pockets will make plenty), cut in wedges, toss with sea salt, spices like cumin, paprika, garlic, cayenne pepper, assorted herbs (the fresher the better) and a generous amount of olive oil. Toast in the oven. Serve with a spicy yoghurt dip like Tzatziki or Raita.
posted by rudster at 1:19 PM on December 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Take some jalapenos, slice one side open and take out the seeds and veins. Stick whatever you want in there. Some cheesy substance is required, either cream cheese or cheese, but beyond that really any food item I can think of. Wrap it in bacon and skewer it. Bake at 350 til bacon is good, or the same on a grill.

Sauerkraut, sausage and cheddar is a good standby. I've been wanting to do pineapple and cream cheese. I've had cream cheese, olives, and pimento. Seriously, just fucking anything at all. Salmon, swiss cheese, and carrots? Sounds good to me. Cheerios, pickles, and vegan cheese? I'd certainly try it. It's got bacon!
posted by cmoj at 3:36 PM on December 4, 2009

Yum, my favorite app is prosciutto wrapped around asparagus.

My favorite, too, but please don't cook prosciutto. Cook the asparagus (just barely) and insert a narrow, parallel stick of Reggiano parmesan before wrapping each spear with prosciutto. Italian prosciutto. </food snob>
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 6:18 PM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: A couple ideas, from pretty different ends of the flavor spectrum:

Stuffed mushrooms. You'll need decent size button mushrooms (between 1 and 2 inches across). Rinse/brush and remove the stems. Make sure to get the whole stem out, so you can pack more goodness inside. Snip off the ends of the stems, and set them aside. Cook some bulk sausage (if you can get a flavored, herby kind, even better). Drain the sausage, and put it in a food processor along with the reserved mushroom stems, bread crumbs (or croutons, since they've been pre-flavored), parmesan cheese and thyme. Blend it into little bits. Taste it, then have another bite, because it tastes really good. Remember that you have to feed other people, and put the spoon down. Take the mushrooms, dump them in a large bowl with a lid (or just put a plate on top) and add olive oil. Shake it around, and voila, the mushrooms are oiled. Pack each mushroom as full as you can with the stuffing, then cover with a slice of cheese. I use, depending on what I've got, cheddar or parmesan. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Happiness.

Westernized spring rolls. Mandoline some carrots and cucumbers. Stack a bunch of washed spinach leaves and slice into strips. Slice a smoked duck breast into strips. With the spring roll wrappers, the prep takes a little time, but is worth it. Dip one wrapper into a flat pan filled with warm/hot water for about a minute, 30 seconds on a side. Lift up, let drip, place on paper towel. Add new wrapper to the water. Place the ingredients, and roll them up, starting by rolling until the ingredients are wrapped, folding in the long sides, then continuing to roll. Because of the stickiness of rice paper, you don't have to worry about them coming unstuck. Serve with peanut sauce or sweet Thai chili sauce.
posted by Ghidorah at 9:57 PM on December 4, 2009

Best answer: A good cracker + goat cheese + honey + pepper
posted by mmascolino at 1:21 PM on December 5, 2009

Best answer: New Zealand favourite - streaky bacon wrapped around pickled mussels fastened with a toothpick skewer. Cook quickly on a hot bbq.

Dutch people love pickled musssels as much as kiwis; although the seasonal variation with Christmas may make this less attractive for you.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 5:19 PM on December 6, 2009

Best answer: Another variation on the "bacon-wrapped" theme:

Wrap a half-strip of bacon around 1-2 scallops (depending on size). Skewer them with toothpicks if you have them. Put them in a pan (no oil needed) and cook them till the bacon is crispy. Sprinkle brown sugar over them, and bake at 350 for 5 minues (10 minutes if scallops were frozen). Delicious and easy.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 5:53 PM on December 6, 2009

My fave is olive-bacon wraps: Take a green olive, wrap in 1" slice of bread (cutting a standard de-crusted slice of bread into thirds seems to work), wrap in bacon (half length is enough to cover), skewer. Broil on each side until done.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:15 AM on December 7, 2009