Hi Karen - I love hors d'ouevres, and here are a few of my old standbys. All of these (except the last) are great because they can be made ahead and frozen. I've filled my freezer and will pull out an assortment to take to parties this month. Hope something sounds good!

Talmouses au Fromage
(From an old Julia Child cookbook, “From
Julia’s Recipe.”)

2 ounces (1/4 cup) roquefort or other blue cheese
1 egg, beaten, divided
Drops of worcestershire sauce pepper
1 tablespoon sour cream, creme fraiche or cream
1 lb. puff pastry dough, defrosted per directions

Cream the cheese with half the egg and season. Add the sour cream to make a fairly thick paste that holds its shape.

Cut dough into 2” squares. Place a teaspoon of cheese mixture in center of each square. Moisten the 4 corners of each with cold water and pinch corners together over top of the filling. Place bundles on a lightly greased cookie sheet, cover loosely and chill at least 30 minutes before baking (or, freeze and then place in sealed container and baked straight from the freezer).

Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Blend a teaspoon of water into the remaining egg and brush over pastries, then glaze again. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until puffed and brown - the corners spread open during baking, but stay upright to hold in the filling. Bake a little longer if they’ve been frozen. Serve warm.

(My Notes - I usually make half the cheese stuffing and use one of the pieces of the frozen puff pastry in a package, using the other piece for a different hors d'oeurve.) Ham, Cheese and Mustard Palmiers

1 sheet of puff pastry (1/2 of the Pepperidge Farm package)
3 TBL mustard (whole-grained dijon or honey mustard are ideal)
1/3 lb. very thinly sliced prosciutto
1/3 lb. very thinly sliced swiss cheese (the kind with very tiny holes works best), room temperature
1 egg
1 TBL water

Defrost puff pastry according to package directions. Unfold and roll lightly with rolling pin to lengthen the sheet slightly. Brush with mustard, covering all the pastry. Place ham slices to completely cover the pastry, then top with cheese slices (if the cheese is cold, it will make it a real pain to roll this, so let them become room temp before you assemble).

To make it easier to roll, turn so one long side is toward you. Roll this side as tightly as possible to the middle. Roll the other side in the same manner, so they meet in the middle. Beat the egg with the water. Using your finger, spread a little bit of the egg mixture in between where the two rolls meet to help them stick together. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for 30 minutes or more - getting the whole thing chilled makes it so much easier to cut.

Using a serrated knife, cut crosswise in 1/2 inch slices. Lay slices flat on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper (it's ok to press together a bit with your hands). Brush tops of palmiers lightly with egg wash.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven about 10 minutes, until golden. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

(My notes - I freeze them, uncooked, on a cookie sheet and then store them in the freezer. Cook them straight from the freezer - it will probably take 15 minutes or a little more to cook frozen. I've tried using regular baked ham from the deli to try and save money, but it turned out that the flavor wasn't strong enough and I couldn't really tell that there was ham in them - strong flavors are needed in this recipe. This style of hors d'oeuvre can be altered easily - use prepared pesto or black olive tapenade insted of the ham/cheese/mustard filling, for instance.)Creamy Chicken & Jalapeno Nachos
From “The Silver Palate Goodtimes Cookbook” - Makes 72 nacho wedges.

1 whole (2 breast halves) boneless, skinless
chicken breast, poached , and diced or shredded
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
3 TBL finely cholpped red onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1-1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
salt & pepper to taste
6-medium-size pita, each cut and separated
into 2 rounds

Combine all the ingedients except the pita
bread in a large bowl and beat with an
electric mixer until blended.

Spread each pita round with one-twelfth of
the filling. Place on cookie sheets and bake
at 375F until puffed and bubbling, 5 to 7
minutes. Immediately cut each into 6
wedges and serve in a napkin-lined basket.

(My notes - I like it zippier, and add cayenne or tobasco, dashes of worcestershire, an additional jalapeno, and about 1 tsp. dried oregano or marjoram. I also cut into wedges before cooking and freeze layered on a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper in between, then put them in a bag. Bake straight from the freezer for about 15-18 minutes, or until very bubbly and just beginning to color.)Cheese Gratin
This is my version of a recipe inspired by Patricia Wells' "At Home in Provence" -- I couldn't afford to make this for a crowd using expensive goat cheese per the original recipe, so I tried to get close to that taste using a mix of feta and ricotta. I've been asked for this recipe so many times, so I think it worked!

8 oz. feta cheese
8 oz. ricotta cheese
2 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp minced fresh thyme or oregano
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 cup good quality black olives, pitted and quartered

Blend cheese together well. Spread in 8"-10" gratin dish.

Drain the tomatoes very well and put in the blender with the garlic. Blend until pureed (not liquified). Pour over cheese, leaving a some of the cheese showing through. Sprinkle with herbs and olives.

Bake at 375 or 400 (depending on what else you are cooking at the time) until hot and bubbling. Serve with slices of fresh or toasted French bread.