Appetizer for Book Club

Bring a tray of simple deli stuff: pepperoni laid out on a try with crackers. Also some cheese squares with toothpicks in them, you could add some olives, small sweet pickles, and perhaps some celery filled with cream cheese.

A brick of cream cheese topped with red pepper jelly served with crackers is good and easy. Bruschetta can be made a day ahead, and put onto baquette when you get there.

You could do a cheese/fruit tray. Pick 3/4 cheeses and some grapes, melon, crackers and your all set.

The buffalo chicken dip someone else suggested is very good and very easy to make in advance. It keeps well. You can serve it with carrots and celery sticks, crackers and/or corn chips. You need to like a bit of spice though. Chips, salsa and guacomole are often favorites and easy too.

My fav sweet appy is sliced apples with sweet cream cheese and caramel sauce - to die for! Basically all I do is whip some icing sugar with a brick of softened cream cheese and spread it on a plate. Then I generously swirl some caramel sauce on top and ring the plate with sliced apples. Then you dip the apples in the cream cheese/caramel.

I also love spinache dip, mini quiches and mushroom caps - all of which I prep ahead of time and just assemble/plate/heat the day of.

I have a couple easy and yummy ones:

Baguette, sliced & rubbed w/garlic
Topped w/pesto (pre-made)
Topped w/mozzarella cheese
Topped w/sliced tomato
Sprinkled w/EVOO and Sea Salt
Lightly browned under the broiler. Takes 5 mins when you have all the stuff cut and sliced.

OR

A brick or 2 of Goat Cheese smothered in honey w/sliced baguette and apple slices...WAY YUMMY and no cooking necessary!

Look up "buffalo chicken dip" -- my book club gals call it "crackitizer," it's that addictive!

Well if alcohol is involved, I vote for Espinaca Dip!! You can prepare this the day before, but don't heat it up in the crock pot until a few hours before you will eat it. If you dump all the ingredients together the day before, it tastes even better!!

16 oz cream cheese
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream (most of the time I use milk)
1 can drained rotel
1/4 cup chopped jalapenos (from the jar)
8 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
4 chicken bouillion cubes
8 oz. Velveeta
1/2 cup onion

I just dump it all in a small crock pot and heat on low, stirring frequently until it is smooth. It also works to melt it on the stove in a pan then put in in the crock pot on warm. Serve with tortilla chips. It's always a hit and everyone wants the recipe when I take it anywhere.

First decide if you want a savory or sweet appetizer. I always make something that I would eat, or my kids will eat if there are leftovers.

Do you have a small crockpot? I love warm appetizers too.

For savory and hot dips, I would serve

Spinach or Artichoke Dip, throw it all in, let it heat, serve with any kind of cracker or bread.

Baby Sh*t Dip is cream cheese and canned chili in the crockpot with chips.

And you can never go wrong with a great plate of fresh cut veggies, not the horribly old pre-cut stuff. And whip up your own Buttermilk Ranch Dressing....that is always a huge favorite.

Fruit Kabobs are fun and pretty.

hummus- buy some, or make your own as follows.
two cans of chick peas (also known as garbonzo beans).
2 cloves garlic
juice of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon each of cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.

run all of the above through a food processor or blender until the desired consistency. (reserve the water from the cans of chick peas, and add a little at a time at the end if it is too chunky/ dry).

for variety, you can add or top with any or all of the following - olives, roasted red pepper, carmelized onion, roasted garlic, parsley, roasted tomato, jalapeno. Serve with crudite, or sturdy chips.

Enjoy.
F. B.

Check on Pinterest. I get really cute stuff there all the time.