Your favorite oldie but goodie appetizer

[Kari]

Looking at some of the food posts for trailer trash and quick and dirty foods, I want to know what kind of appetizers you like.

Veggie plate
Deviled eggs
Green and black olives
Cheese and canned squirt cheese.

[Tonka]

Ritz cracker, Cheez Whiz or spray cheese, topped with a green olive.

[jfood]

Went to a cooking class in SF in the 80's and we made the following. Bear with me and trust me that when i make these, there are never any left over.

1 - trim the crusts off wonder bread
2 - push a slice into a muffin tin
3 - fill with diced tomatoes and gruyere cheese
4 - top with some chopped basil
5 - bake til golden on the edges and melted in the middle.

[check2]

This is a family favorite - fast and trashy, and addictive. Mix together mayo, horseradish, shredded chedder cheese, and bacon bits to make a spread. Spread over slices of sandwich bread and broil until the cheese gets melty and the bread toasts.

[Sarah P]

By far my favorite appetizer is the veggie pizza. Everytime I make this for my guests at a party it is the first to go. And it is so simple to make- just go to the grocery store or market and buy a pre-made cooked pizza bread (in the shape of a pizza) and get a container of ranch or french oinion dip. Spread out the dip all over the pizza like it was the sauce. Then for the fun part- add sliced cherry tomatoes, scallions, broc, califlower, red, green and yellow pepper or whatever fresh veggies you want and top with shreaded cheddar cheese. Then cut into small squares. Enjoy!

[Kari]

We do something similar, I take two cans of crescent rolls and put them to fit a Jelly roll pan. Bake till done. Cool. Mix 2 8oz of softened cream cheese with some mayo until it spreads well. Add any veggies you like. We also sprinkle with some fresh chopped dill.

[Meg]

wow, how could i have forgotten the veggie pizza! Though our family's is slight twist on yours....I line a cookie sheet with crescent rolls and bake them for the "crust". Then mix cream cheese with the dry powdered Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, spread it on the cooled crescent dough, then top with veggies and shredded cheddar. The crescent roll bottom makes it rich buttery and flaky.

[blueberrygirl]

It would be wrong to let this conversation go without a mention of deviled ham: deviled ham mixed with mustard, mayo and finely diced jalapenos on saltine crackers. wow. i haven't thought about that in ages. I can still remember the little red devil on the white can.

[Non Cognomina]

Grilled spam and pineapple on a toothpick.

[Davwud]

Too bad we can't all meet in Nebraska or somewhere right in the middle and bring out c.1973 appetizers. I'm gonna save this thread. There's some great stuff here.

DT

[lconnor]

My Mom's Shrimp Dip, which is, as I recall, cream cheese, mayo, celery, worcestershire sauce and bay shrimp.
Blue Cheese Ball: blue cheese and mayo mixed and rolled into a ball, then rolled in chopped toasted nuts
Chex Party Mix: All the un-sugar-coated Chex cereals, tiny pretzels, cashews and almonds tossed w/melted butter and worcestershire sauce, then baked.
All of these on the coffee table, along w/a box of See's Candy said New Years Eve in our house!

[KeriT]

brie slathered in honey mustard then wrapped in crescent roll dough and baked
pigs in blankets - no matter how fancy the party they are the first to go (I've been to many a fancy wedding with them)

[mimilulu]

Here are a few I remember my mom making when I was a kid in the 60s:

genoa salami wrapped around sweet gherkin pickles
multi layers of american cheese and deviled ham spread - cut into cubes
multi layers of bologna and american cheese - cut into wedges
celery stuffed with kraft blue cheese spread (do they still make this stuff?)
deviled eggs
cherry tomatoes stuffed with cream cheese and chives'
anchovies (the ones rolled around a caper) sitting atop a smear of cream cheese on a saltine cracker

oh, the yumminess!!!

[danna]

Cheese ball (ring actually): Grated cheddar, chopped pecans, minced onions, sugar, hot sauce, and enough mayo to glue it together. Form it into a ring, fill the interior w/ raspberry jam. Serve w/ crackers.

Delicious, but kind of retro and low-brow. I wish I could think of some way to tart it up to look respectable but still have those flavors.

[operagirl]

Grated sharp cheddar, chopped pecans, minced scallions, smoked paprika, and mascarpone? Served with mango chutney and slices of baguette? Perhaps a trendy overhaul could elevate your app to serve-to-people status!

[danna]

Hmmm. Those are good ideas. How would you suggest serving it? Do you think it would look nicer individually portioned on the baguettes already? Ring presentation too passe? I'm comtemplating this for part of the cheese display at a HD buffet for 75 middle class mostly old people. I want to wow them with presentation but not frighten their palates. Thanks.

[thegolferbitch]

Stuffed celery. My aunt Dora was actually a whiz at this. All of us at the kids table would LOVE and devour this relatively cheap app (celery stuffed mostly with various sweet and savory cream cheese-based mixes)....we were kids and voracious at family gatherings. This way here, the adults could eat the expensive apps (jumbo cocktail shrimp, scallops in bacon, marinated artichoke hearts, prosciutto and melon) in peace. Also for the kids of course, Ruffles and Lipton onion soup dip.

[jdub1371]

Roll thinly sliced salami around fingers of cream cheese. Back in the early 90s I went over to help a friend get ready for a party and found him rolling cream cheese up in slices of salami. I was aghast, until I tasted one! Mmmmmm. I think he pulled that gem from a Playboy cookbook from the 50s. That may also be where he got the idea for curried deviled eggs-- which was just the yolks mashed up with mayo and curry powder and spooned back into the whites. Also startlingly delicious!

[Meann]

baked brie!

a small (5 inch diameter??) brie in a dish with a rim, topped with chopped scallions and brown sugar baked at 350 for a little while, until it's all hot and unctious

[xnyorkr]

Anything with crab dip

[gnosh]

My mom's baked artichoke dip: 1 cup grated parmesan cheese (kind from the green can), 1 cup mayo, one teaspoon (?) garlic powder, one can water-packed artichoke hearts cut into small but not tiny pieces. Bake in a glass loaf pan until bubbly and brown. Serve with triscuits.

[HillJ]

When my parents "discovered" toaster oven pizzas made from English muffins, jarred sauce and grated American cheese, they became a part of our weekly routine.

I can't look at an English muffin w/out reliving that recipe!

[jfood]

We used slices of american cheese (individually wrapped of course, blah) and ragu (double blah) on an english. Here's the question we argued about, Did the sauce go on and then the cheese or the cheese first topped with sauce?

[HillJ]

Answer: either way it's NOT pizza!
memory lane, tho gotta love it!

[operagirl]

My mom used to make a "Chutney Cheese Pate" that was straight out of the 70s. I know it involved layers of cream cheese mixed with sharp cheddar and a splash of sherry, mango chutney, and thinly green onions. Delicious on melba toast!

[Davwud]

Speaking of "Straight out of the 70's" I don't think a party went by at our place without olives skewered on squares of cheddar cheese.
Another thing that's so good yet so easy.

DT

[Terrie H.]

Our family favorite is a shrimp dip from the 60's that my mother always made with cream cheese and those jars of shrimp cocktail from the refrigerator section of the grocery store. If you aren't old enough to remember them, believe me - -you didn't miss much. But, we make it from scratch now and it's the first thing eaten no matter where it is taken.

~8 oz. cream cheese
~1/2 cup of cocktail sauce (or 1/2 cup of ketchup and a TBL or two of horseradish, to taste)
~Chopped cooked shrimp (4 - 8 oz., depending on your pocketbook -- I usually use 6 oz.)

Just combine all these ingredients together and chill for 8 hours or more. Let soften at room temp for a little while before serving or it will break the chips. We think Fritos are perfect with these, but potato chips are a close second. It can be adapted with a squirt of lemon or a dash of cayenne.

[coll]

Now that you mention it, when did those little jars disappear? Obviously I didn't miss them!

[danna]

I make a similar shrimp dip with leftover boiled shrimp. Except I use dijon and worchestershire instead of cocktail sauce. Oh, yeah the squirt of lemon and hot sauce gets added too.

[pemma]

Rotel and Velveeta melted together and served with Nachos.

[Oh Robin]

Try browning some spicy roll sausage and throw that in. My godmother makes it that way and trust me you'll never get to your main course.

[Meg]

Wow, what a great idea! I grew up on Rotel and Velveeta and always have it on hand for company, I didn't know it could get any better!

[ajs228]

A slight variation on this that I use is a pound of browned ground beef, a pound of Velveeta and a jar of chunky pace salsa. Throw it all in a crock pot and serve. Great for the Super Bowl with tortilla chips.

[fryrose]

Hot snacks--Italian sausage and velveetemelted together with some garlic, place on small rye rounsds and heat in the oven. As many have said: "These look like dog food but boy they taste good"

[JCap]

YES! My friend's mom made this, it's exactly what I was thinking of as I was reading this post- sausage and cheese on rye. Man that stuff was good!

[revsharkie]

My grandma makes this. She calls it "hanky pankies."

[CathleenH]

These are so oldie they're retro:

Hot Ryes
4 oz. grated swiss cheese
1/4 c. crumbled cooked bacon
1/4 c. chopped green onion
1 tsp. worcestershire
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. Hellman's mayo
1 8 oz. loaf cocktail rye

Mix first six ingredients and spread 1 heaping teaspoon on each slice of bread. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

[amopdx]

I used to always make this when I was really young to "help" my mom. I still love to eat it as a snack once in a while
slice of ham, spread with cream cheese, sprinkle with green onion, roll up and slice into bite size peices, (put cute toothpicks in) YUM!

now i also do a grown up version with prosciutto, cream cheese and pickled asparagus tips

[Oh Robin]

Chili Cheese Fritos

Sour Cream

Done and Done

[Davwud]

Smoked salmon (my own of course) cream cheese with dill and capers on crackers.

I could eat that stuff all day.

I do see alot of good stuff up above though.

DT

[Alice Letseat]

Supermarket brie spread with brown sugar and toped with sliced almonds, run under a broiler til the sugar melts.

Block of cream cheese topped with red pepper or jalapeno jelly, served with wheat-thins.

Mimi-meatballs in that erstwhile bbq sauce that had grape jelly in it.

Five-layer dip, "Mexican style."

[katerina]

mix cream cheese with southwest seasoning, stuff inside a slit and de-seeded jalepeno, wrap with bacon,fasten with toothpick, sprinkle with more seasoning and grill...

[Meg]

WOW. What an amazing concept. I'm hooked and haven't even tried them yet.

[revsharkie]

My dad made some of those for a family dinner awhile back. Man, they're good!

[Aromatherapy]

Onion dip, made with drained low-fat yogurt and caramelized onions, and a little fresh garlic.

[PurpleTeeth]

My In Laws make this at every f amily gathering and I love it!
Brick of cream cheese
Can of crab over that
Jar of of Pace Salsa over that
Searve with chips

[Gio]

The ubiquitous Shrimp Cocktail. If it's not there, my family sulks till it is.
Tortilla chips and salsa.

[Diane in Bexley]

Not sure what these are called, but oh so simple and yummy - place 1lb. of thick sliced bacon on cookie sheet in one layer over draining rack. Sprinkle them with mixture of cayenne pepper (according to how hot you like it) and brown sugar. Bake at 400 deg for 20 min till done and carmelized.

[synergy]

pigs in a blanket
shrimp cocktail
chestnuts wrapped in bacon (slathered with bbq sauce & baked)

[JungMann]

I haven't seen a bloomin' onion in a long time. But whenever I do, you can bet I'll order it. And Easter is never complete without deviled eggs as far as I'm concerned. To this list I'll add:
spinach dip in a hawaiian bread bowl
crab rangoon
pinwheels
I ate a whole plate of pinwheels the first time I encountered them. Does that make me (Upper West Side)trailer trash?

[Andiereid]

Crab-meat Canapes - canned crab meat mixed with jarred cheese whiz and sour cream and Old Bay, spread on English muffins and toasted and cut up into wedges.

[Buddernut]

1. Hot Crabbies on engligh Muffins
2. Nachos or French fries smothered with Carmelized Onion and Massive
Gobs of Blue Cheese and thrown under the broiler.
3. A Bloomin Onion
4. Pepperoncini's stuffed with aged provlone...dip in egg, breadcrumbs and fry in evoo.
5. French bread spread with cream cheese, Parm Regianno, Ham and Lemon Olive Oil (Broil) ...Although that's getting a bit upper crust !

[mellycooks]

oohhh, #2 sounds great! Maybe with sweet potato fries!!

[Janet]

Drunken Puppies: little cocktail franks or sliced hot dogs, finely chopped onions, brown sugar, ketchup, a little yellow mustard, and a heaping jigger of Kentucky Bourbon. Heat until the onions are soft, add franks and heat.

[Amuse Bouches]

Onion Toasts. Chopped sweet onion, mixed with mayonnaise. spooned onto party toasts, topped with parmesan, and broiled.

[Meg]

A jar of red pepper/eggplant/garlic dip from trader joes ($1.69) and goat cheese with bread or crackers. Beautiful and delicious.

Samplings from the antipasti bar at Whole Foods (the freshest I've found near me), such as marinated roasted tomatoes, all difft. kinds of olives, artichokes, pepperoncinis, etc., with a block of gruyere and wine. Done!

Edit: I obviously missed the trailer trash part on the first read ; ) So in that vein, I'll add:

potato chips with french onion dip
fiddle-faddle (not really an app, but I often set it around in bowls)
black olives from a can (still my favorite, especially one on each finger tip)

[AnneInMpls]

>>> black olives from a can (still my favorite, especially one on each finger tip)

Oh, how this brings me back to my childhood!

Do they still make Bugles? Alternating a Bugle and a black olive on your fingertips makes a dramatic fashion statement AND a great appetizer!

Anne

[bryan]

Yep they still make bugles and they still taste best after having spent some time on your fingers.

[exotec]

A great alternative to the fingertip trick is to skewer the olives on a carrot stick. :)

I love Bugles, too.

Does anybody remember Screaming Yellow Zonkers?!? omg

[momjamin]

Y'know, it occurs to me that "carrot sticks" are retro now -- I can't remember the last time I saw "adult" carrots cut into sticks instead of the "baby" carrots on a crudite platter...

[coll]

Shrimp cocktail.
Franks in a blanket.
Spinach artichoke dip.

[mojoeater]

Shrimp and/or scallops wrapped in bacon. I like to stuff the shrimp with boursin and jalapenos first.

I LOVE mini pigs in blanket. Little weenies wrapped in biscuit dough.

[AnneInMpls]

Rumaki - chicken livers and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon. It's not traditional trailer-trash food and it's not particularly quick, but they're definitely retro. Man, these things are tasty!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumaki

Anne

[bryan]

I adore rumaki and make a variation in which I replace the water chestnut with a piece of pineapple. I make these when the bf goes out of town (he hates liver) and call it dinner.