Maybe you’ve invited a few friends over for an informal evening of cocktails and snacks. Perhaps you’ve decided to open your home to your neighbors for a big caroling party. Or, better yet, have some of your relatives stopped by unexpectedly for an impromptu holiday get-together? Whatever the occasion, prepare now for the season of endless entertaining by keeping a supply of delicious appetizers ready to serve at a moment’s notice. Since time is precious this time of year, you’ll want these snacks to be quick and easy to make. I’ve compiled a few of my favorites for you. They are all easy to prepare, budget-friendly, and you can store most of them in your freezer, ready to reheat and serve within minutes.
Tex-Mex Chicken Wontons
Your guests will love these little two-bite goodies! They have become an appetizer staple at all of my gatherings, since they are easy to make and absolutely delicious. I usually make a double batch of one hundred pieces, and never have a single one left over. Here’s what you’ll need for a batch of 50 appetizers:
1 16 oz. jar of salsa (I usually use a “medium” heat)
6 oz. of cheddar cheese, shredded
1 50 piece package of wonton wrappers
Small bowl of water for sealing wontons
Oil for frying
Chop your fully cooked chicken breast into the tiniest pieces you can make. (This one chicken breast will easily fill all 50 wonton wrappers.) Put the chopped chicken, salsa, and cheddar cheese in a bowl and mix together. Next, place a teaspoon or so of the mixture on the wonton wrapper, positioning it slightly off center. Dip your finger in the bowl of water and moisten the wonton wrapper around the top two edges. Fold the wrapper over the filling in order to form a triangle, and press the edges together to seal. Repeat for the remaining filling and wrappers. Next, put enough oil in a frying pan to cover the bottom about ¼” deep, and heat it until it is hot enough to fry the wontons (They will sizzle when you carefully place them into the pan.). Cook the wontons a few at a time. You don’t want to crowd the frying pan. Use all of the usual precautions required for cooking with hot oil. When the wontons have lightly browned on one side, carefully flip them over and brown the other side. Then, remove them to a rack or pan for draining and cooling. Stay on your toes, because they will brown quickly. Once you have cooked all of the wontons, you are ready to freeze them for later use. Arrange them on a tray, spaced out so that they aren’t touching each other, and put them in the freezer for about twenty to thirty minutes. They will start to freeze in that time. Then, take them out of the freezer and transfer them into plastic freezer bags for storage. (This two-step freezing process will keep them from freezing together in clumps.) When it is time to serve your wontons, just place them on a baking sheet and reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until the centers or hot. Now, serve your appetizers with a bowl of salsa for dipping and enjoy!
These are addictive bites of fried pasta and cheese goodness. They are also easy to make ahead of time and keep in your freezer. Your guests will be so impressed! Here’s what you need:
1 package of your favorite refrigerated ravioli (I love spinach and cheese for this recipe.)
1 raw egg, scrambled in a bowl with a few tablespoons of water (an egg wash…)
Breadcrumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese (Yes, the kind in the can is fine.)
Oil for frying
Marinara Sauce for dipping (Just use your favorite jar from the store.)
If you aren’t using pre-seasoned breadcrumbs, then add salt and pepper to them to season them yourself. You can add Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs for extra flavor. Dip each ravioli in the egg wash, and then in the breadcrumbs to coat. When they are all coated, set them aside. Put enough oil in the bottom of a frying pan to coat the bottom, maybe ¼” deep, and heat it until it is hot enough to fry the ravioli (They will sizzle when you carefully place them into the pan.). Cook the ravioli a few at a time. You don’t want to crowd the frying pan. Use all of the usual precautions required for cooking with hot oil. When they are brown on one side, flip them and cook the other side. They will puff up, so be careful to remove them from the pan before they burst. Have a rack ready for draining and cooling. While they are still hot, sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese as they cool on the rack. When all of your ravioli are cooked, spread them on baking sheets in a single layer, taking care to make sure that they are not touching each other. Put the baking sheets in the freezer for twenty to thirty minutes, until the ravioli have started to freeze. Then, remove them and place them into plastic freezer bags. . (This two-step freezing process will keep them from freezing together in clumps.) When it is time to serve your ravioli, just place them on a baking sheet and reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until the centers or hot. Now, serve these tasty appetizers with some marinara sauce for dipping and enjoy!
Yummy! Mini hot dogs are always a hit, but this is a grown-up version that is easy to make from ingredients you most likely have on hand. If you keep a package of cocktail franks in your fridge, you’ll be prepared for drop-in guests anytime. It only takes a few minutes to put this simple dish together. Here’s what you need:
1 cup of ketchup
1 cup of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of mustard (use spicy mustard if you want to give it a kick)
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce
1 clove of garlic, pressed or finely minced
a dash of seasoned salt (regular salt will work, too)
a dash of pepper
1 14 to 16 oz. package of cocktail franks
Combine all of the ingredients, except for the franks, in a crockpot. Once you have the sauce mixed together, add the cocktail franks. Turn your crockpot on and let the franks and sauce simmer. It is best to make this dish at least an hour ahead of time. Once the franks are heated through, you are ready to serve this simple appetizer.
I hope these appetizer ideas give you some inspiration for your holiday gatherings. With a little preparation, you will wow your guests with delicious food that you can serve on a moment’s notice.
