I need suggestions

I need to take an appetizer to a holiday party this weekend. I feel like I take the same things every time I go somewhere. I'd like to try something new. What dishes do you take when you go places?

 

I just made some cheese cookies, you can make them with or without pecans pressed onto the top. It's actually the recipe for cheese straws, but it's a lot easier to make them into cookies by just globbing them on the pan like you would chocolate chip or any other cookies. I copied this recipe, but it's basically the same way I make them. Also, you can just stir it, you don't need a food processor. If you want more, just double the ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a food processor, add the butter, cheese, flour, salt and cayenne and process until a smooth dough is formed. Scoop it into a cookie press, fitted with a flat ridged tip. Pipe the dough in 2-inch strips onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool.

 

My mother used to make them every year. They were awsome. I had forgotten about them until you posted this.

 

Try this:

CHRISTMAS CRACK

1 sleeve saltine crackers
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 package chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a 10" x 15" cookie sheet with foil (the kind of sheet that has raised edges!). Spray with Pam, or grease VERY lightly with butter. Cover the cookie sheet with a single layer of saltines. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Pour over the saltines, and try to spread it as evenly as possible. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. When you remove it, the caramel mixture will be molten and boiling; allow to cool about 3 min, or until you can see the crackers distinctly, which will have shifted while baking. Push them back into order with a fork or knife.


Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee and let sit for about 5 minutes to melt. Once melted spread chocolate evenly. If desired, sprinkle on pecans and press lightly into the chocolate. Let cool a bit and then transfer to fridge to harden.


Once hard, break the candy into small pieces and place in containers. I warn you, this is addictive to MAKE and to EAT, but go easy on it, as it is literally butter + sugar. I give it as gifts in tins to people I'm attempting to impress (in-laws, boss, etc), and in gladware to everyone else who has already been impressed and is now just awaiting their yearly fix. (I actually wash and reuse the gladware that my lunch meat comes in so I can do some recycling and save some money.)

 

What do you usually take?

It doesn't get much simpler than melons w/ meat.
http://www.ifood.tv/network/prosciutto_wrapped_melon/recipes

you can use crenshaw, honeydew, cantaloupe, casaba or persian melons. Cut the melon into wedges or chunks or balls (whatever you want) and wrap it (or drape) with thinly sliced (almost see through) prosciutto, coppa, salami, cacciatore, mortadella or galantina. It's really good. Pears are good like that too, but you have to drizzle them with lemon juice so they don't turn brown.

 

While I think the Crenshaw melons are fantastic, I won't be draping them in thinly sliced meats any time soon. I've recently overdosed on cured meats and I need a break.

It depends on where I'm going, but normally I take something like a rueben dip, buffalo chick dip, bacon wrapped lil smokies, pigs in a blanket, or artichoke cheese dip.

Thank you all for the ideas. Keep them coming.

 

It sounds like yogurt covered cheetos wouldn't be hoity-toity enough for you.

 

fresh chicken tenders
fresh bacon

fresh mustard
fresh honey

method:
cut the tenders in half. cut the bacon strips in half. wrap tenders w/ bacon. bake on elevated rack @ 400 till done. mix honey and mustard for dipping

 

1) catfish roe [tell everybody it's sturgeon/caviar]
2) hog pate [tell everybody it's goose liver]

Nobody'll know the difference; well, except Mag, maybe.