Tag Archives: Appetizers

Mini Cheese Ball Bites

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Appetizing Appetizers and tagged with , , , , ,

Image 28This fun finger food will fit into any occasion, be it casual or formal.  I chose to dress mine up for a Christmas canapé buffet.

Mini Cheese Ball Bites

(adapted from tastesbetterfromscratch.com)

Makes 12-15

Ingredients:

1- 8 ounce package of room temperature cream cheese
2 tblsp butter at room temperature
2 tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp hot sauce
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese

Toppings:

Pick your favorites; I used:

1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
1/3 cup grated white cheddar
12-15 pretzel sticks

Other choices are chopped green onion, parsley, pecans, walnuts or almonds. Use your imagination!

Add first 6 ingredients to a medium mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth. Stir in white cheddar.

Divide into 12-15 tablespoon sized portions. Roll into small balls. Chill at least 30 minutes. Roll balls in desired toppings. Do not add pretzel sticks until you are ready to serve.

Olive and Cheese Wreath

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Appetizing Appetizers and tagged with , , , ,

Olive-Cheese wreath

Most of the better supermarkets have olive bars in their deli sections these days and fresh herbs are readily available. Olives are a finger food favorite, and creating this festive holiday appetizer couldn’t be any easier. You don’t even need a real silver tray; inexpensive, silver chargers are easy to find at craft stores.

Olive and Cheese Wreath

You will need:

Assortment of olives, preferably fresh from the deli; stay away from jarred olives if you can.

Fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes.

Parsley, dill or rosemary, for your wreath.

Arrange herbs into a circular wreath on your tray. Top with olives and cheese.  For an added touch, fill a pretty bowl with assorted fancy nuts and place in the center of the wreath.

Olive-Cheese wreath2

Crudités

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Appetizing Appetizers and tagged with , , ,

Crudite

With just a little extra effort, something as simple as a vegetable tray can still have an impressive presentation without a lot of prep time. Try using a classic white platter, garnished with the outer leaves of a pretty, lacy Savoy cabbage. Hollow out the center of the cabbage and fill it with your favorite vegetable dip. Choose bright, colorful peppers, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes for your tray, cut into bite size pieces. Arrange the vegetables around the dip in an attractive manner and you will have a beautiful appetizer that will be a show stopper on any buffet.

You will need:

Large white platter

Large bright green Savoy cabbage

Red, yellow and green peppers

Broccoli crown

Carrots

Seedless Cucumber

Cherry or Grape tomatoes

Garden Vegetable Dip