# I need a great easy appetizer for BBQ



## Janet H (Oct 2, 2009)

I need some help! I'm camping and need to take a fabulous and low hassle appetizer to a campground bash. Does anyone have any ideas?

It needs to be simple to prep, something that will hold well (maybe 2 hours) in balmy temps and look and taste spectacular.


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## Wyogal (Oct 2, 2009)

Do you need to prepare it on location?
I just did a quick google and found lots of stuff on skewers that looks fun:
dried tomatoes, canned artichoke hearts, small mozzarella ball or cube(they come in jars), basil leaf...
or how about dried apricot halves, cheese cubes...
or those pinwheels: tortillas (or a flavored wrap) with spinach and cream cheese, flavors are pretty unlimited. I like the crunch of raw spinach leaves.


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## kadesma (Oct 2, 2009)

Janet, my family likes dried apricots, stuffed with mascarpone or cream cheese with an almond or piece of walnut in the middle, then drizzle with a nice honey.Easy tasty and it holds up well.
kades


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## Yakuta (Oct 2, 2009)

Two ideas:

Black Bean Salad:  

2 Canned Black Beans - Rinse in cold water and drain
2 large tomatoes finely chopped
1 jalapeno finely chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
juice of two limes
salt
freshly roasted and ground cumin powder (2 tsps)
Cilantro - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Assorted red, green and yellow bell pepper super finely chopped, you can use half of each and chop it into a fine dice. 

Stir and keep it in an ice box.  Healthy and Tastes great


Potato Salad

Red potato boiled, cooled and cut into small peices
Make a spice blend - you need 4 dried arabol chilies (available at any latin market), 4 tbsp of whole corrainder seeds, 4 tbsp of whole cumin seeds (both again available at latin market).  Dry roast in a skillet on a stove for a few minutes and place in a coffee or spice grinder and grind. 

Make a tangy sauce with one cup of apple sauce, put in some brown sugar to it, a dash of lime juice and some chili powder and cook it until it's nice and bubbling and cool it.  

To assemble put a tiny bit (2 tsp) in a pan, once it's a bit hot, add spices and toast them.  Next add the tangy sauce and then put the potatoes in it.  Stir to combine everything.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.  Will again taste fanstastic - a bit sweet, a bit sour a bit spicy and will even last without a problem for hours at room temperature.


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## navywife (Oct 2, 2009)

How about baked olives?

Pick good, large olives, maybe even the ones stuffed with garlic, or a jalapeno, just make sure they're good sized.  Take puff pastry and cut it into strips a tiny bit larger than the olive is wide (post thaw), and sprinkle with something tasty, like maybe one of those DeLallo shakers you can get at the store, or your own blend of parm, garlic, oregano, and white pepper.
Then roll the strips around the olives after you dry them a bit, overlapping just a  little, and glue them shut with a fingertip moistened in water. Cut off any excess and bake it like a breadstick if it's too small to use on another olive.
Bake them according to the puff pastry directions, with maybe a little spray of olive oil over the top.  They're good right out of the oven, or at room temp.  If you want I'll post a pic of the finished product on my Hors d'eouvures (or however you spell it) table from last Thanksgiving.

You could also do a loaf or two of french bread and a pan of garlic baked in olive oil with a bit of anchovy paste and butter stirred in.  It's so good that your friends will make themselves sick eating it....trust me.


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## BreezyCooking (Oct 2, 2009)

Don't know whether you're making this for mixed company or adults, but how about Bloody Mary Tomatoes?  Blanch & peel a bunch of nice cherry tomatoes, then soak them in vodka.  Serve with toothpicks & a dish of coarse salt laced with pepper.

Then there's also a bruschetta spread.  Slice & toast your bread ahead of time & serve with a variety of toppings:  white bean & chopped sage, chopped tomatoes & basil, olive tapenade (which can be bought.


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## Janet H (Oct 3, 2009)

Loads of good ideas here. Thanks for the help.  Here's what I did...

Fresh baby mozz balls
Artichoke hearts
heirloom baby tomatoes
capers
almond stuffed olives
fresh basil leaves
all tossed in an herbed vinaigrette

Bruschetta

Tonight I'm trying the stuffed apricot idea - sounds yummy.  Keep the ideas coming I'm still on the hook for another night of appetizers


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## Alix (Oct 3, 2009)

Janet, my standard appy is usually a dip of some sort or those tortilla roll ups. With the roll ups you can have them individually wrapped and just slice them when you need them. However, both those ideas require a bit of refrigeration. A cooler works fine though. I've taken both in coolers. 

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts or chicken bits are a hit too. The water chestnuts will keep better though. 

Edit: I meant to say that dips are good sitting out for a couple of hours, they look nice too. They just need to be cool before serving. Ditto the pinwheels. Cool before serving, then they can stay out for a long time. They won't though...they go fast. They look fancy too.


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## Saphellae (Oct 3, 2009)

Bacon wrapped jalapeno's stuffed with herb and garlic cream cheese!


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## Chef Munky (Oct 3, 2009)

Paula Deen has one for Bacon wrapped chicken breasts,that's dredged in a brown sugar spice mix.Then baked.

You can cook it ahead of time,wrap a batch in foil.Reheat on site..Bring the tooth picks.

Munky.


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## kadesma (Oct 3, 2009)

Had these at Cade's birthday party...Take a date and put an almond or half a pecan in the center, sprinkle  or roll the date in brown sugar, then wrap in a half slice of bacon that you've partially cooked, put under the broiler and finish cooking bacon..So good, these went like hot cakes.Another one I  like is an old one but yummy. Take10 small potatoes, I like yukons, wash them and steem without peeling about 20 min,or til tender. Trim the round ends and then cut into slices. Just before serving scoop out some of the potato, mash it with some cubed ham and a soft cheese,say some yogurt or sour cream,salt and pepper and   smidgen of minced green onion.Fill the hollow in the potato and then top with some brie. Brown under broiler til bubbling..Serve hot
kades


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## Jeff G. (Oct 11, 2009)

Janet H said:


> I need some help! I'm camping and need to take a fabulous and low hassle appetizer to a campground bash. Does anyone have any ideas?
> 
> It needs to be simple to prep, something that will hold well (maybe 2 hours) in balmy temps and look and taste spectacular.



Easy!!  get a jar of candied jalapeno's, a block of cream cheese and some crackers.  

Spread a little cream cheese on the cracker, top with a few of the candied peppers... Cowboy candy and Crackers... very tasty.


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## babetoo (Oct 11, 2009)

how about salsa and chips, if u are a purist you can make your own.


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## letscook (Oct 12, 2009)

Hoagie Dip
I got the idea from here:

Italian Hoagie Dip - The Food in my Beard

you can cut everything up ahead of time store in baggies and then when ready dump all in a bowl  - add desired dressing.   I add like she did lil of the artichoke juice and pepper juice and then lil italian dressing.  gone in no time.  make sure you buy plenty of bread. I use either french or bagettes


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## mexican mama (Oct 12, 2009)

*salsa*

I suggest you buy bottled salsa...you can serve this along side for most meat and chicken dishes


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## CharlieD (Oct 19, 2009)

I bet it is way too late, but if I was BBQing I'd add corn on the cobb. It is as easy as it gets and is always a big hit as a side dish.


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## SourCream15 (Oct 29, 2009)

yummm those bacon wrapped jalapenos sounds awesome!


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## gpc2000 (Dec 1, 2009)

If you can prep it before you go try stuffed won ton wrap.  I make a small ammount of meatball mixture and add a little sweet and sour sauce to it.  bake them.  wrap in won ton skins and deep fry.  They keep well over night and when warmed and stored in a sterno serving dish are very yummy.  Serve with bbq sauce, sweet and sour sauce, honey mustard sauce, ranch dressing or just about anything you can dip them in.


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