Easy, Make Ahead Appetizers

Real Simple has 6 Make Ahead Appetizers including Goat cheese with Pistachios & Cranberries, Caramelized Onion Dip, mmmm. I include all of the recipes in our post and then list them from super easy to hardest/longest to make. So hopefully you can use one of them to help make a Memorial Day or Summer party that much easier because even if I’m making appetizers ahead of time, I still want them to be easy!

What’s the point of make ahead appetizers that suck up an entire Spring evening of mine on top of pre-party prep? I’d rather just spend 12 hours on the day of the party making everything and call it a day. Why ruin a perfectly good Thursday evening making food for a party ahead of time. Wait, I think I’ve made it obvious that I don’t love to cook.

I don’t know if it’s the Classic (SJ) “get it done!” nature that makes me not relish cooking — so much process and then the finished product is so fleeting. But, I’m sure there are plenty of Classics who love to cook. I just love it when throwing together a party is almost effortless. I included all of the recipes becaues there ARE those personality types — often Funs (SP) — who enjoy cooking plus quite a few Classics. The only recipe I thought was questionable was the pickled carrots. It only takes 5 minutes of hands on time even if it takes 4 hours to pickle them. So they’re easy to make them but I gave bottom billing because even though I love pickled everything, people like me are not the majority in this world. Here’s the link for the recipes on Real Simple.

Goat Cheese with Pistachios and Cranberries

Ingredients

2 tablespoons roasted pistachios, chopped
2 tablespoons dried cranberries, chopped
1 8- to 10-ounce log fresh goat cheese
crackers or bread, for serving

Directions

  1. On a large plate, combine the pistachios and cranberries.
  2. Roll the goat cheese in the fruit-and-nut mixture to coat. Serve with the crackers or bread.

Shrimp with Tarragon Aioli – 5 minutes total time

Ingredients

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup dill pickles, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/4 pounds cooked peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 cup store-bought cocktail sauce

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pickles, tarragon, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the shrimp and cocktail sauce.

Caramelized Onion Dip – 40 minutes hands on time – 1 hour total time

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
1 8-ounce bar cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
thick-cut potato and vegetable chips, for serving

Directions

  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the onions, cream cheese, sour cream, chives, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Serve with the chips.

 Parmesan-Scallion Pastry Pinwheels – 10 minute hand on — 40 minute total time

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.25-ounce box), thawed
1 large egg, beaten
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (1 1⁄2 ounces)
kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Unfold the pastry and brush with the egg. Sprinkle with the scallions, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Roll tightly into a log. Freeze until firm but still sliceable, about 20 minutes.
  3. Slice the log into ¼-inch-thick rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach – 20 minute hands on time – 40 minute total time

Ingredients

24 medium mushrooms (about 1 1⁄2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 5-ounce package baby spinach, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Gruyère, grated (2 ounces)

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375° F. Remove the stems from the mushrooms; finely chop the stems and reserve. Coat a baking sheet with oil. Bake the mushroom caps, stem-side down, until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chopped mushroom stems and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes more.
  3. In a bowl, combine the spinach mixture with the bread crumbs and cheese. Spoon into the mushroom caps and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Pickled Carrots with Mint – 5 minute hands on time – 4 hour total time

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into thin sticks
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn

Directions

  1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes; drain and run under cold water to cool. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, coriander and mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 ½ cups water and bring to a boil. Pour over the carrots and let cool to room temperature. Add the mint and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.