Nibbly food ideas

Ok, so the plan is that I'm having a sort of birthday party affair next saturday - open house from about 4pm. There will be a fair few people, because as far as I'm aware, all of the family are showing up - including the two kiddies (3 and 1). Now, seeing as it's MY birthday and there will be so many of us, there is no way I intend to stand all day and cook a meal for us all, so I was thinking of just putting out a heap of finger foods and having a kind of an impromptu buffet. Thing is, I don't know where to start - obviously I can putout the nibbly things that the kids will eat, but I was something a little different and fun for the adults too.

Does anyone have any neat ideas for finger food - any favourites that you like to see on a buffet table? Something quick and easy to throw together that won't break the bank?

I'd be really grateful for ANY suggestions

OOOOOOOOH, yes! Nibblies are my faves for parties.

Here are a few of my favourites, that are typed and ready to go. I couldn't choose, that's your problem...

Take 10" flour tortillas, spread with soft cream cheese, sprinkle with a small handful each of chopped green onion and dried cranberries (I kid you not!), roll up and wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for a few hours, until ready to serve, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Arrange on tray with the cut sides up. Very pretty. Very tasty.

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Take bite-size crackers, fairly plain (Stoned Wheat Thins minis are perfect, if available), and spread not too thinly with garlic butter. Top with 2 or three shrimp. Fresh shrimp is best if it's available, but it's not critical -- these were conceived in a situation where only canned shrimp were available, and even so they were awesome.

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Goat cheese appetizer

10-12 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
olive oil
2 tbsp capers
handful of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 round goat's cheese

Soak sundried tomatoes in oil for half an hour. Mix together capers, basil,
pepper, garlic, a bit of oil from the tomatoes and tomatoes themselves.
Place goat's cheese in small oven-safe dish and pour mixture over top. Warm under the grill for 5-10 minutes and serve with crackers, mini toasts or
French bread slices.

Note: I use sundried tomatoes packed in oil -- saves time. You do still need a little of the oil.

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Pate' Maison

1 1/2 cups butter
1 lb chicken livers
1/4 lb mushrooms, chopped
1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, choppedd
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp salt
2 T cognac
5 T\tred wine

Remove membranes from chicken livers, cut livers in half, rinse and dry.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in skillet. Add livers, mushrooms, apple, parsley,
green onions, thyme and salt. Cook on medium heat 5-7 minutes, stirring
often, until livers are slightly pink inside. Add cognac and red wine. Heat to simmering. Remove from heat and let mixture cool to room temperature.
Add pate' mixture to bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade.
Process about 1 minute, or until pureed. Add 1 cup butter in chunks and
process until smooth. Pour mixture into a 4-cup terrine. Cover and chill.

Jelly Topping:

1 env plain gelatin
3T brandy
1 can consomme'

Soften gelatin in brandy. Heat consomme to simmer, stir into soft
gelatin. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Refrigerate until syrupy -
about 45 min. Pour over pate'.

Notes: containers - mini loaf tins (5 or 6 of them) produce a quantity that's just right for "Happy Hour" nibblies for 4 people
\tonions - regular onion chopped fine is OK if you don't have green onion \tcognac - ordinary brandy is fine (St Remy VSOP is what I buy)
\tkeeps in the refrigerator for about a week, in the freezer for a couple of months, although the texture is not quite the same -- if you use the jelly topping it keeps several weeks in the fridge, so you don't need to freeze.

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CHEESE CRISPY WAFERS

2 c \tGrated Extra Old White Cheddar*
2 c \tRice Krispies
1 c \tMargarine
1¾ -2 c Flour
\tGarlic to taste**
\tCayenne to taste

Mix all above together until well blended and can be formed by hand into a ball***. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten lightly with floured fork. Bake in 350 oven until light golden brown. About 20 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack.

*Cheese: 2 c is the actual recipe: I fill the 2 c measuring cup to the top with cheese (do try it this way, but I wouldn't use any more

** Garlic: you can use powdered garlic or crushed fresh garlic or as I am using these days garlic spray.

***Flour: the amount you use will be governed by the amount of cheese you use: the more cheese, less flour. A small ice cream scoop works very well

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Crab-Cream Cheese Special

1-3oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce*
1 small garlic clove, minced*
1 7-1/2 oz can crab meat, drained, finely flaked, cartilage removed**
Assorted crackers

Beat together cream cheese and milk till smooth. Stir in lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, dash salt, dash pepper. Stir in crab meat. Chill till ready to serve. Serve with assorted crackers. Makes 1-3/4 cups dip.

*No recipe ever seasons enough for my taste. I always increase these.
**Imitation crab also works, 200 grams or so -- up to 1/2 lb -- would be about right.

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Here's a dead easy that I resisted for many years and then tried because I was short on time. It got rave reviews twenty-odd years ago, and still does. One of my favourite "copouts". The proper name is "Blue Cheese Bites", but we just call them...

Those Cheese Things

1 pkg (10) refrigerator biscuits (Pillsbury Buttermilk is my favourite, but use whatever you find!)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Separate biscuits and cut each into 4 pieces. Arrange in 2 8" round cake tins.

Melt cheese and butter together. It makes a truly gross looking mess -- don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, then drizzle over the biscuit pieces.

Bake in a 400 F oven 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot or cold.

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Quick Tapenade

1 cup (250 ml) ripe olives, pitted
4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 Tbs (30 ml) capers
6 Tbs (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp (5 ml) each dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano
1 tsp (5 ml) anchovy paste, or 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until well
chopped but still in individual pieces. Alternately, finely chop the
olives, garlic, and capers, and combine in a small bowl with the
remaining ingredients. Serve chilled or at room temperature with
toasted slices of French bread or crackers. Will keep refrigerated
for several weeks. Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer.

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Hope you find something interesting there -- have a GRRRRRRRRREAT party!

This isn't exactly finger food, but its a great buffet item. At the moment, I don't know the exact name or recipe, I'll look it up and post back. You use the Ramen Noodles (yes the cheap, college food!) to make some type of salad/slaw thing. I know that sounds really gross, but I am a very picky eater and I absolutely love it. I'm gonna look on the internet to find the recipe, get back to you soon!


Recipe: I found several they were all about the same, only difference is some used cooked noodles, some used uncooked. Personally I like the uncooked best, or atleast only cooked a few minutes (where they are still a little crunchy). You could always do some searching if you want to find something similar.

Ramen Cole Slaw

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsp, white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cabbage, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1 pkg. (3 oz.) chicken-flavored RamenÂ[emoji]174[/emoji] noodles
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350º F.
Evenly spread sesame seeds and almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 10
minutes, or until slightly browned.
Whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, RamenÂ[emoji]174[/emoji] noodle spice mix and salt
and pepper.
In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions and RamenÂ[emoji]174[/emoji]
noodles. Pour dressing over the cabbage and toss to coat evenly. Top with
toasted sesame seeds and almonds.
Makes 4 servings.

Hope this sounds good to you, b/c its great! The dips with chips/vegetable is a good idea too. A chili/cheese dip or spinach queso always go over good at our parties! Good luck!

Fran gave you lots of advice!

You could also just buy a few dips, and cut up carrots and other veggies, make a salad, arrange a tray of cheap bikkies and bake a cake the day before!!

also if you can afford it, buy salami, ham and cut them up in small pieces and use tooth picks as finger food

Happy Birthday! Hope it turns out great!

Well, when we have the TCS get together, I vote for Fran to fix the food! LOL!

I was thinking a few bags of pretzels, baby carrots and dip, maybe some cut up broccoli and cauliflower. Buy some bunches of seedless grapes, and cut them into little bunches and set in pretty bowls.

I do have an idea that would look nice near Fran's tortilla pinwheels. You spread a slice of ham with cream cheese, lay a green onion on one side, and roll them up. Then you slice, about 1/2 to 1 inch thick, and place on their sides. These are the most delicious little pinwheels! And so easy. You can put other things than the green onion for the center, but I prefer the onion.

Also, since it is your birthday, maybe ask your siblings to bring something along, so you won't have too much work?

Happy upcoming Birthday!

Sausage Rolls - it isn't a party without Sausage Rolls!

Sounds like such fun! Recently I attented a party and there was a HUGE bowl of cut up veges including raw Asparagus and a whole lot of homemade dips, I was in such heaven!

I love a fruit salad when I go to parties. You can get frozen blueberries and things that are out of season and what not. Maybe have some whipped cream available for it too.

I was going to suggest a raw vegetable platter with sliced carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and dips/cheese spreads, but I see others have beaten me to it. Do you have soft pretzels there? I'm assuming you probably do, given the proximity to Germany. You could order some at a bakery for Saturday, slice them horizontally, and offer various mustards, butter, and cheese, meat or fish spreads to put on them.

well sam, i dont know about denmark but if you want sausage rolls here you gotta make them your self!
and i dont think Emma wants to slave that much more )

ALthough emma if i could make it i would do all the cooking for you

well i just made myself something that is always a big hit at parties when i bring it.. no name for it

I use a can of ragu meat flavour sketti sauce, half a lb of hamburger, 3-6 spicey hormel sausages, cook that all up than add velveeta cheese. makes a great dip

aaaaw Fwan you're too sweet! I agree... can I just ship Fran over to do all the food? You sound like a real expert on the whole finger food thing!! I LOOOOOVE the idea of the tortilla wraps by the way, they definitely sound different. It's not something I've ever even heard of before! I'm really lucky that Rune's family are really open to new ideas - especially with food - and boy can they eat! I need to cater for half the population of Copenhagen when they come around! Sausage rolls are a MUST! I couldn't even consider a party without sausage rolls - oh and those little cocktail sticks with pickled onions/cheese/pineapple chunks on them.... (yes, all three) mmmmmmmm! You guys have had some great ideas - thanks!