17 appetizers to the festive table

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A selection of original appetisers to have something to eat while the chicken sits in the oven. Bon Appetit!

Shrimp and Cream Cheese Tartlets

Ingredients:

• 500 g yeast puff pastry;
• 300 g peeled shrimp;
• 200 g cherry tomatoes;
• 150 g cream cheese (can be with herbs, garlic or other additives);
• green onions and fresh thyme.

Preparation

Roll out the dough if necessary. Cut out circles about 6 centimeters in diameter from it. It is convenient to do this with a forming ring or bowl with sharp edges. Place the circles on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

Cut the cherry into cubes, chop the herbs (if not thyme, use dill) and combine the ingredients. Place some tomato filling in the center of each circle. Tuck the edges of the dough over to prevent the filling from escaping when baking. Put some cheese on top of the tomatoes (if cheese is unflavored, pepper it to your taste, add a pinch of garlic powder). Put one or two boiled shrimps on the cheese.

Bake the tartlets for 10 minutes at 200 ° C.

Champignons stuffed with chicken

Ingredients:

• 10 large mushrooms;
• 300 g chicken fillet;
• 100 g of hard cheese;
• 1 medium onion;
• 2 tablespoons of sunflower and 1 tablespoon of olive oil;
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Rinse the mushrooms, remove their legs. Fry the finely chopped chicken fillet in sunflower oil for about 5 minutes. Then add the mushroom legs, also finely chopped, to the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mushrooms will give juice, fry until it evaporates. Then add the chopped onion and fry for another 3-4 minutes.

Stuff the mushrooms with the resulting filling and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with grated cheese on top of each mushroom. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Best served hot.

Spicy pickled olives

Ingredients:

• 1 can each of pitted and pitted olives;
• 200 ml of olive oil;
• 4 tablespoons of chopped cilantro and parsley;
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 jalapeno pepper;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger

Preparation

Place the olives in a glass jar, periodically sprinkling layers with chopped cilantro, parsley, ginger and garlic. Also add circles of seeded jalapenos. Top with lemon juice and olive oil. Close the jar with a lid and refrigerate for a couple of days. Olives will acquire an unusual pungent taste and go well with strong alcohol.

Pickled olives can be served in the form of a Christmas tree.

Christmas trees-sandwiches

Ingredients:

• a few slices of sliced toast bread;
• sausage;
• hard cheese;
• lettuce leaves;
• pate or mayonnaise;
• wooden skewers.

Preparation

To make this appetizer, you need five-pointed star cookie cutters of different diameters and imagination. Cut stars out of bread, sausages (boiled pork, smoked meat, etc.) and cheese and string them on skewers. Spread your own pate or mayonnaise on the bread periodically to keep the sandwiches dry, and add lettuce.

Canapes "Caprese"

Ingredients:

• 250 g mozzarella (balls);
• 24 cherry tomatoes;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of Italian herbs seasoning;
• ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes;
• fresh basil;
• balsamic vinegar;
• salt to taste.

Preparation

Drizzle the mozzarella balls with olive oil, sprinkle with seasoning, paprika and salt. Let it stand for a while. Wash the cherry tomatoes. String on skewers alternately: tomato, basil leaf, mozzarella ball, tomato. Place the canapes on a nice platter and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Jellied

Ingredients:

• 1 kg beef fillet;
• 3 eggs;
• 3 medium carrots;
• 2½ liters of water;
• 2 medium onions;
• 40 g gelatin;
• a bunch of parsley;
• salt, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves.

Preparation

Soak gelatin in two glasses of cold boiled water.

Rinse the meat (you can use beef tongue), cover with water and cook. Remove the foam when it appears. Peel the onion and one carrot and place them whole in the broth. Add salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and a couple of cloves. Simmer until the beef is tender (remove from the broth when the onions and carrots begin to boil).

Cook the remaining carrots and hard boiled eggs separately. Carrots should be soft, but not overcooked. Remove the meat, strain the broth, let it cool slightly and add the swollen gelatin. Put it on the fire again and heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved, but in no case boil. If the broth is not salted to your taste, add salt.

Cut the cooled beef into strips across the fibers. Slice the carrots and eggs nicely. Plungers can be used. Place vegetables, meat and parsley in aspic bowls and cover with gelatin broth. Refrigerate for 5-6 hours.

Bruschetta with tomatoes and basil

Ingredients:

• 500 g ripe tomatoes;
• 1 French baguette;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 70 ml of olive oil;
• 1 teaspoon each of balsamic vinegar and salt;
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper;
• fresh basil.

Preparation

Make criss-cross cuts on the tomatoes and pour boiling water over them to peel them off. Cut the peeled tomatoes into cubes and combine with chopped garlic and basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Cut the baguette and brush each piece with olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet and dry in an oven preheated to 220 ° C for about 5 minutes. Put the tomatoes on the browned bread and serve immediately. If the feast is supposed to be long, it is better to serve tomatoes and bread separately so that the latter does not get soaked.

Crab stick croquettes

Ingredients:

• 350 g crab sticks;
• 250 ml of vegetable oil;
• 150 g mayonnaise;
• 100 g of red smoked fish;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 lemon;
• 1 egg;
• 3 tablespoons flour;
• 1 tablespoon sour cream;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

Squeeze the juice out of the lemon, do not throw away the zest. Mix lemon juice with mayonnaise and minced garlic. Set aside.

Grind crab sticks and smoked fish fillets in a blender. It should be fine enough, but not puree. Add chopped zest and parsley, salt, pepper and sour cream to the mixture. Form oval croquettes, place on a platter and refrigerate for an hour.

Pour flour in one bowl, crackers in another, and lightly beat an egg in the third. Heat oil in a deep skillet. Dip the croquettes first in flour, then in an egg, then in breadcrumbs and deep-fry. Pat dry on paper towels and serve hot with garlic mayonnaise.

Salmon tartlets

Ingredients:

• 300 g lightly salted salmon;
• 400 g of cottage cheese;
• 1 pack of shortcrust pastry tartlets;
• 3 tablespoons sour cream;
• a bunch of dill;
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Wipe the cottage cheese through a sieve (it is better to take cottage cheese with a fat content of 9%) or beat in mashed potatoes with a blender. Add chopped dill and sour cream to the curd mass. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill the tartlets with this. On top of each of them, place a small piece of salmon fillet. The appetizer is ready!

"Wreath" with cheese and mushroom dip sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 kg yeast dough;
• 1 small onion;
• 1 egg
• 100 g of champignons;
• 100 g mozzarella;
• 70 ml heavy cream;
• 50 g each parmesan, Philadelphia and cheddar;
• 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and dried oregano;
• ¼ teaspoon of chili flakes;
• salt to taste and vegetable oil for frying.

Preparation

Divide the dough into 14-16 balls and place them in a circle in a baking dish (preferably split), pre-oiled with vegetable oil. Let them distance.

Each ball will make a small bun, which you can then break off and dip in the sauce.

Fry the onions in vegetable oil until golden brown, then add mushrooms to it (wild mushrooms can be used instead of champignons). When the fried mushrooms and onions have cooled, add the grated cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella, as well as soft cheese, cream and all the spices to them. Mix well. Try the resulting sauce. Salt if necessary.

Place the dip in the center of the baking dish with the buns around it. Lubricate the buns with egg yolk and send the resulting "wreath" to the oven (190 ° C). After 25 minutes, you can call the company to the table.

Rolls with bacon, prunes and almonds

Ingredients:

• 30 slices of bacon;
• 30 prunes (pitted);
• 30 almonds;
• olive oil for frying.

Preparation

If you come across an excessively dry prune, then it is better to soak it for several hours in red wine or port before cooking. If the dried fruit is sufficiently fleshy and juicy, you can fry it right away. Place a nut on the inside of each prune and wrap with a slice of bacon. Fry the rolls in olive oil until golden and crispy. Place the rolls on skewers and serve.

Cheese balls with bacon and nuts

Ingredients:

• 350 g cream cheese;
• 150 g cheddar cheese;
• 100 g of walnuts;
• 8-10 slices of fried bacon;
• 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and paprika;
• salt and black pepper to taste;
• salted straws;
• a bunch of green onions.

Preparation

Hard cheese (if there is no cheddar, replace with another) grate and mix with butter. Add paprika and garlic powder, salt and pepper, mix thoroughly. Form the curd into small balls and refrigerate for an hour.

Finely chop the bacon and green onions, chop the nuts with a blender. Mix well. When the cheese balls are stiff, dip them in the bacon and nuts mixture. Before serving, keep the snack in the refrigerator, and to make it easier to take the balls, stick a salted straw into each of them.

Lavash roll with trout

Ingredients:

• 1 Armenian lavash;
• 200 g salted trout;
• 200 g cream cheese;
• 1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest and lemon juice;
• a bunch of dill and green onions;
• ground black pepper.

Preparation

Rinse and chop the herbs. Then in a blender, mix it with cheese, zest and lemon juice. The mass should be homogeneous. Spread pita bread on it, sprinkle with pepper and spread thin slices of trout on top (make sure there are no bones). Then roll up the roll, wrap with cling film and put in the refrigerator for an hour. After removing the foil, cut the roll into portions about 3 centimeters wide.

Stuffed eggs with red caviar

Ingredients:

• 5 chicken eggs;
• 100 g of red caviar;
• 70 g soft cream cheese;
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Hard boil the eggs. Try to keep the protein intact when brushing. Cut the eggs in half lengthways and remove the yolk. Mash the yolk with a fork, combine with cheese and mustard, salt, pepper and stir until smooth.

Fill the halves of the eggs with the resulting mixture. It will turn out especially beautifully if you do it with a pastry syringe or bag. Put a spoonful of red caviar on top of each egg. Serve over a large platter with lettuce.

Herring Butter Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• a loaf of Borodino bread;
• 2 lightly salted herrings;
• 120 g butter;
• 2 eggs;
• 1 processed cheese;
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise;
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• a bunch of dill;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

The herring must be filleted. It won't take long if you watch the next video. If the fish contains caviar, be sure to use it as well.

Hard boil the eggs, peel them. Soften the butter to room temperature. Finely chop the dill. Combine all ingredients (except bread) with a blender until smooth. Place the herring oil in a glass jar and refrigerate. After two hours, you can make sandwiches. To do this, cut out circles from Borodino bread and spread them with herring oil. Decorate with herbs.

Salami horns with cheese

Ingredients:

• 230 g Genoese salami;
• 230 g soft cheese;
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• fresh green onions and parsley;
• a pinch of dried dill and salt.

Preparation

Salami (can be replaced with raw smoked cervelat) cut into thin slices and roll in a cone shape. Combine cheese, finely chopped herbs, salt, dill and lemon juice. Place the cheese mass in a pastry bag and fill the sausage cones with it.

From the specified number of ingredients, about fifty horns will be obtained. It is better to keep them in the refrigerator before serving.

Tartlets with meat filling

Ingredients:

• 1 box of tortilla cakes;
• 500 g lean minced meat;
• 200 g cheddar;
• 200 g sour cream;
• 200 g salsa sauce;
• seasoning for tacos to taste;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Preparation

Minced meat (beef or chicken plus pork can be used) fry in vegetable oil. Mix it with the taco seasoning. Cut the tortillas into squares about 5 centimeters wide and place in muffin tins. Place a spoonful of minced meat and salsa sauce inside, as well as a pinch of grated cheese. Place the tartlets in the oven for 5 minutes to dry and take the shape of baskets. Serve with thick sour cream.