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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 10:52 AM

What's your crack-etizer?

You know the appetizer I’m talking about—the one you always make that gets wiped out in minutes when it hits the buffet. The one that, if you don’t make it, people get all aggro because it’s not there? It usually has about 4,000 calories per tablespoon, and you probably never make it for anything other than special occasions because you’d scarf an entire tray of it by yourself.

Mine is the old, faithful artichoke dip. It’s the stuff my parents made one tiny, oval dish of for the Christmas party and the kids weren’t allowed to touch it (because canned artichokes were so rare and expensive where I grew up).

I’ve seen all kinds of variations on this appetizer (like adding spinach or capers), but it really doesn’t need a thing.

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients
2 cans artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered
1 cup mayo
1 cup, plus 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 dashes of Tabasco

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Scrape mixture into two small, shallow oven-proof dishes. Sprinkle top with leftover parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until browned and bubbling, about 15-20 minutes. Serve with crackers or thin slices of toasted French bread.

What’s YOUR crack-etizer?

Posted by Nest Colleen
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Comments

re: What’s your crack-etizer?

Great topic for this time of the year! I have a crack-etizer to add:

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2-3 cans of canned chunk chicken

3/4 block Philly Cream Cheese

3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce

1 cup bleu cheese dressing

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

2-3 bunches of celery

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a pan until warmed through. Add cream cheese and bleu cheese to the mixture until mixed thoroughly. Place all in a crock pot and add the shredded cheddar on top. Serve with celery to help cut the "heat" from the hot sauce. I always think about my audience when taking this dip and sometimes make it hotter than others. It is a major crowd pleaser and so easy. Enjoy!

Posted by Posted by martinsla    Monday, December 17, 2007 10:07 PM


re: What’s your crack-etizer?

this is a great topic. Mine is stuffed mushrooms. I buy the bulk white mushrooms and pick out the biggest ones I can find.

Stuffed Mushrooms

20-24 large white mushrooms

2 tbs. olive oil

1 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided

1 cup of stovetop stuffing

2 ribs of celery with the leafy tops, diced

1/2 medium onion, diced

2-3 large cloves of garlic, minced

6-10 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, or 1 heaping tbs. dried

juice from one lemon, plus extra wedges for garnish

Pop the stems out of all the mushrooms, and dice them. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large skillet, heat oil and add mushroom stems, onions, garlic and celery. Cook until onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and thyme and bring to a boil. Add stuffing mix and remove from heat. If the mix is too dry, add a little more chicken stock. Place mushroom caps hole side up in a 13 x 9 baking dish, and fill with about one tablespoon of the stuffing, or as much as will fit without falling out. When all caps are stuffed, squeeze the lemon juice over all of them. Bake at 375 for about 15-20 minues, until the stuffing begins to brown slightly on top. Serve with lemon wedges.

Posted by Posted by kelli.hamit    Tuesday, December 18, 2007 12:05 PM


re: What’s your crack-etizer?

Ever since posting this, I've been thinking about trying a new crack-etizer that won't cause a revolt in the family. I'm thinking...spicy pimento cheese. It's so old-school. I had it at a holiday party recently, stuffed in hardboiled eggs (like Deviled eggs...only better).  The best recipe I've found so far (based on the one at Mammy's Cupboard in Natchez, Mississippi):

1/2 lb. sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated

4 oz. pimento, drained and diced

4 oz. cream cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. garlic salt

pinch of cayenne (or to taste)

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, add the cheese, pimento, cream cheese, mayo and seasonings. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Makes 2 cups.

Posted by Posted by Nest Colleen    Tuesday, December 18, 2007 6:12 PM


re: What’s your crack-etizer?

I love this! I am having a New Years party so this is great. Mine is so easy

pepper jelly cream cheese... it doesn't sound so great but it is!

Reese Red Pepper Jelly- other brands aren't as good

Cream Cheese- 8 oz.

Wheat Thins- or any semi-hard cracker

Put cream cheese on platter and pour pepper jelly over. Serve with wheat thins for dipping! thats it!

Posted by Posted by bennettaj    Friday, December 28, 2007 10:15 AM


re: What’s your crack-etizer?

I love pepper jelly and cream cheese! You can also use goat cheese. I found a "low country" recipe for pepper jelly in Food & Wine a few years ago, so I started making my own jelly, too. It's not as hard as it sounds.

If you want a less sweet/more savory version of the same appetizer, cover the cream cheese or goat cheese in Pick-a-peppa or Worcestershire sauce.

Posted by Posted by Nest Colleen    Tuesday, January 08, 2008 10:21 AM


re: What’s your crack-etizer?

Believe it or not mine is Chicken salad on tostadas! It sounds simple and plain but people love it. It's cooked chicken breast broken up into very tiny pieces (almost looks like tuna once it's done), mayo, lime juice (just a little, about half a lime), Chopped celery and onion, and salt and pepper. I scoop it all in a bowl and place tostada chips around it. People flip over it!

Posted by Posted by Tikvahc    Friday, January 11, 2008 5:16 PM


re: What’s your crack-etizer?

Possibly, one of the most absurd pairing of foods. My mom used to make this for me and my siblings when we were young. It's honestly, 3 ingredients. It's cream-cheese, and bacon smeared on Ritz crackers. Just mix whipped cream cheese and bacon together and dollop onto a cracker. My mother used bacon bits, but, I cook my own bacon and crumble it in. Voila! It's quick, easy and made with ingredients that are in almost every kitchen!

Posted by Posted by babuh11    Saturday, February 09, 2008 10:05 PM


re: What’s your crack-etizer?

definitely the pretty stock spicy queso dip.  i fixed it for our superbowl party and at a couple get togethers sine then, and people can't stay away from it!

1lb velveta cheese. (or have the block if it comes in the two pound package)

1 can cheddar cheese soup (don't add the water- just the stuff in the can)

1 can rotel tomatoes with green chillies.

Drain the can of tomatoes first, and then put the Velveeta, cheddar cheese soup & tomoatoes in a microwave safe bowl, and heat until melted. I usually microwave it for a few, and then get it out and stir it. Sometimes if you don't the cheese around the edges of the bowl will burn slightly.

Posted by Posted by tc*sgirl    Friday, February 22, 2008 9:40 AM


re: What’s your crack-etizer?

I never would have thought this would fly off a buffet the way it did, but I guess bacon-wrapped anything is a hit!

Fresh (or canned, if well drained) chunks of pineapple

Bacon

Just wrap each chunk of pineapple in a piece of bacon, secure with a toothpick, and bake at 375F until the bacon is nice and crispy.  The taste combination is awesome.

Posted by Posted by amgrace    Monday, February 25, 2008 7:48 AM


re: What’s your crack-etizer?

Georgia Cheese Ball

4 cups shredded sharp cheese

1 & ¼ cup mayonnaise

1 small onion, diced

Paprika

Strawberry preserves (keep separate from rest of ingredients)

Mix together in order.  Form a ball or a ring with the cheese spread and spread paprika on top. Place bowl of strawberry preserves next to cheese ball or in the middle of the ring.  Serve with Wheat Thins.

Posted by Posted by shortbride145    Sunday, March 02, 2008 9:04 PM


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