Are you exhausted from a long day? Did you forget that company is coming over? Is a relative stopping by for a surprise visit? Don’t despair you can whip up something delicious in a jiffy! Here are fast and easy hors d’oeuvre recipes that will have your guests thinking you spend hours slaving away in the kitchen.
Avocado Toasts
Avocados are a useful ingredient when it comes to whipping up an appetizer or hors-d’oeuvres on the fly. You can make a quick and spicy guacamole or avocado toasts. This sophisticated ingredient is versatile and can be incorporated with any ingredient in your kitchen.
What You’ll Need
• Store bought or homemade crostini or bread rounds
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Juice of one lime
• One tablespoon of chopped mint
• Slivered almonds
• Lump crabmeat
• Rotisserie chicken
• Cheddar cheese
• Ripe olives
Mix up the spices and add a splash of extra-virgin olive oil, then add your mashed avocado. Season with lime juice and mix in some chopped mint. Spread your avocado mixture onto your toasted crostini and set aside.
Raid your refrigerator for ingredients to add (lump crabmeat, cheddar cheese, ripe olives, rotisserie chicken and slivered almonds.) Once you’ve found a topping of choice, add it to the avocado toasts and squeeze some lime juice on top.
Brie Puffs
These kitchen superstars elevate any gathering from ordinary to elegant and they are simple to make. Make sure you have puff pastry cups on hand; you can buy these in the refrigerated section of any grocery store. Next time you’re grocery shopping, pick up a package.
What You’ll Need
• Store bought puff pastry cups
• Brie
• Preserves or jam of your choice
• Slivered almonds (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spread out your puff pastry cups on a greased baking sheet. Drop a slice of brie into each cup, top it with preserves or jam of your choice and a light sprinkle of slivered almonds. Then bake for 5-10 minutes until the brie is melted and the puff pastry is a lovely golden brown.
Skewered Vegetables
Visit your supermarket salad bar and pick up bocconcini (little mozzarella balls) and spiced olives and vegetables. A jar of giardiniera (pickled vegetables from Italy) will also work.
What You’ll Need
• Wooden skewers
• Giardiniera
• Bocconcini
• Pickles
• Different types of olives
• Roasted red peppers
Organize your ingredients and start threading them on to your wooden skewers. Alternate types of food on the skewers and place on a platter for a beautiful presentation.
Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is a perennial party favorite and one that never goes out of style. If you have bread, butter, and garlic cloves, you can whip up delicious garlic bread in no time.
What You’ll Need
• Ciabatta or similar bread
• Butter
• Minced garlic (several cloves)
• Salt and pepper
• Parsley
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• Pasta sauce
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and cut your bread (slice the loaf lengthwise or cut it into rounds.) Combine softened butter, minced garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl and spread the mixture onto your bread. Sprinkle the bread with parsley and some Parmesan cheese. Pop in the oven until the bread browns and cheese melts. Serve with sauce for dipping.
Fruit and Dip
Make a tasty and sweet fruit dip in minutes with four things; instant vanilla pudding mix, a little milk, some whipped topping and fruit of your choice. If you want to get fancy, add some chopped walnuts and a splash of your favorite liqueur.
What You’ll Need
• One box of instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 a cup- 1 cup of milk
• Whipped topping
• Chopped walnuts (optional)
• Flavored liqueurs (optional)
• Assorted fresh fruits
Mix your ingredients together and refrigerate until company arrives. Serve on a platter with a variety of fresh fruits for dipping, your guests will love the crunch of fruit and the sweetness of this dip.
You can make tons of delicious appetizers and hors-d’oeuvres in no time from ingredients you have in your kitchen or you can quickly grab from the store. Use these recipes as a blueprint, but feel free to make your own tweaks.
