Our New Year's Eve was a pretty laid back and quiet one with good friends. We dressed up, toasted, and had plenty of goodies. Here is a picture of me and Mike from that night about 5 minutes before the ball dropped.
My friend and I did the cooking and one of the things I made was a platter of retro appetizers. These apps are pretty cool to look at and are really quick and easy. These will definitely take you back in time faster than any DeLorean ever could!
These appetizers all come from the same cookbook which was from the 1950s.
I chose five appetizers from this book. They are:
* Pineapple Spears: These look adorable and are a super simple way to mix sweet and salty. I added an extra step and mixed coconut cooking spray with brown sugar in a pan, then added the pineapples and cherries. I tossed them around for about 2 minutes just to mix the flavors. I found the coconut cooking spray at Fresh Market and it definitely adds a hint of coconut to the food. Regular cooking spray will work for this too though. Here is a picture of the spray I used if you are a big coconut fan like I am.
The pinapple at the bottom kind of remind me of a hula skirt and these would especially make a great addition to a luau or tiki party. On the other hand, these are great any time of year when you want to add a little bit of the tropics to the night.
* Bacon Rolls: Ridiculously easy and quick to make. I used the fully cooked bacon that you can buy in the super market. Just make sure to pay attention to them in the broiler... 3-5 minutes tops!
If you look at the original recipe you can see there are other variations to make - these were pretty tasty.
* Ham Sticks: Another easy and quick one. These can be made ahead of time, but just be sure to cover them in foil and put them straight into the fridge. To save on space, you can cut them in half. Or stack them into a pyramid whole on a rectangle plate.
* Burning Bush: Definitely make this ahead of time and put it in the fridge so it can chill at least an hour before serving. I was nervous about finding dried beef when I first saw this recipe. However, I found out that Hormel makes one that is usually found by the tuna and other canned meats.
I used a pomegranite for the base instead of a grapefruit. Any larger fruit will work depending on what you have on hand or the look you are going for.
* Green Chive Balls: Like the recipe above, this recipe can be made ahead of time should definitely chill for at least a hour until immediately before serving. The original recipe calls for an egg yolk, but it would have to be served raw. To hold the recipe together I used sour cream instead. I also substituted prosciutto for the ham to add a little more flavor. The chives were a perfect finish to this app.
I served the last two together on toothpicks stuck into the pomegranite to add some color and variation.
PINEAPPLE SPEARS
* Coconut cooking spray or regular cooking spray
* 1 can of pineapple chunks, drained
* 1 jar of marascino cherries
* 1 tsp brown sugar (light or dark)
* 25-30 cubes of sharp cheddar cheese
25-30 toothpicks. Makes approximately 25-30 spears.
BACON ROLLS
* 25-30 pieces of bacon/fully cooked bacon
* 25-30 small cubes of cheddar cheese
Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, lightly greased. Broiler set on high. Makes 25-30 rolls.
HAM STICKS
* 1 package breadsticks
* 1/2 pound ham, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup mustard (spicy mustard also works)
* Paprika
Makes approximately 20-24 sticks.
BURNING BUSH
* 3 oz cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 tsp minced onion
* 1 cup minced dried beef
8-12 toothpicks. Makes approximately 8-12 balls.
GREEN CHIVE BALLS
* 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese (Cheddar will also work)
* 1/2 cup minced ham/prosciutto
* 1/2 tsp mustard/spicy mustard
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/4 tsp salt
* Dash pepper
* 1 cup minced chives
8-12 toothpicks. Makes 8-12 balls.
PINEAPPLE SPEARS: Drain pineapple and cherries.
Spray pan with cooking spray and mix with brown sugar on medium heat.
Melt sugar.
Add fruit and stir over heat for about two minutes.
Remove from heat and cool. Spear a cherry, then a cube of cheese, and then a pineapple cube on the bottom. Stand with pineapple as the base. Serve.
BACON ROLLS: Roll cube a strip of bacon. Hold together with tooth pick. Line on cookie sheet and put in high broiler until bacon crisps. Serve.
***BACON THAT IS ALREADY FULLY COOKED WILL CRISP UP IN NO MORE THAN 3-5 MINUTES. KEEP AN EYE ON IT!***
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HAM STICKS: Lay a piece of the ham on a piece of tin foil.
Spread ham with mustard.
Lightly sprinkle a thin dusting of paprika.
Wrap around bread stick allowing 1 inch of each end to be free as a handle. Repeat with remaining breadsticks. Serve immediately or chill until served.
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BURNING BUSH: Mince beef if not done already.
Mix cream cheese and onion together.
Form into balls and then roll in beef. Put on toothpick and poke toothpick into fruit for display. Repeat until finished. Chill for at least one hour before serving.
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GREEN CHIVE BALLS: Mix together all ingredients except the chives.
Form into balls and then roll in the chives. Put on toothpick and poke toothpick into fruit for display. Repeat until finished. Chill for at least one hour before serving.
HERE IS THE DISPLAY OF THE LAST TWO RECIPES:
Here are the original recipes. Happy entertaining!
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Thanks so much! Hope you have a wonderful day! :)