Recipe(tried): Party recipes - Some food ideas

Karen: Here are a few of my personal favorite party recipes. Hope they help. Ken

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Spinach Dip in Hawaiian Round Bread
This is the one dip everyone asks for the recipe....
Makes 4 cups

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 container (16 oz.) sour cream
1 cup mayo
1 phg. KNORR Vegetable Soup and Recipe Mix
1 can (8 oz.) chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 Hawaiian Bread Round, scoop out middle to make a bowl and reserve

In a med. bowl, stir the spinach, sour cream, mayo, soup mix, water chestnuts and green onions until well mixed. Cover and chill 2 hours to blend flavors.

Stir before serving. Pour into a prepared round of Hawaiian Bread, serve with crackers and the scooped out bread pieces.

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Kelly~WA (12:33:27) : WONDERFUL SURPRISE CHEESE PUFFS
(a personal favorite)

Yield: 50 servings

1/2 cup Butter
2 cup Grated sharp cheese
1/2 ts Salt
1 tsp Paprika
1 dash Cayenne or red pepper
1 cup Sifted flour
50 small Stuffed green olives.

Allow butter to soften; blend with cheese, salt,
paprika and cayenne. Stir in flour, mixing well. Mold
1 tsp of this mixture around each olive, covering it
completely. Arrange on a baking sheet and chill until
firm. Bake in 400 oven for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Makes 50 puffs.

**NOTE** These puffs are so easy to serve at parties as they may be made in advance, frozen on a baking sheet to keep round and stored in a plastic bag in the freezer. Bake as needed.

I have even made these in half batches. I've filled some with stuffed green olives, some with small black olives. Both are "to die for."
Eaten hot the cheddar cheese is the predominant flavor. And, when hot it is VERY difficult to stop eating these.

When cooled to room temperature the flavor of the olives inside became more pronounced. They are still wonderful. They did not get soggy as they sat at room temperature.

And, you can fill your cookie sheet when baking these puffs. They retain their shape (do not flatten) and puff only slightly.

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Red Potato Salad with Asparagus and Artichoke Hearts

3 pounds red potatoes (15 or 16 small or 8 or 9 large [3"} potatoes)
1 pound fresh asparagus, 1 inch trimmed off the base and, if the stalks are thicker than a pencil, peeled.
4-1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons honey
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 14-ounce can whole artichoke hearts, drained, each heard cut vertically into eighths
3 ounces blue cheese (about 3/4 cup) or more to taste, crumbled (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Freshly milled black pepper
Fresh arugula or spinach (optional)

Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until they can be pierced with a fork, 15 to 12 minutes for small potatoes or 25 to 30 minutes for larger ones. Drain and let cool for a few minutes. Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.

Steam the asparagus until tender but not soggy, just until a knife can pierce the thick part of the stalk, 8 to 12 minutes. Immediately remove from the steam and transfer to a cutting board to cool. Slice into 1-inch lengths and add to the potatoes.

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until well blended and creams. Add the artichoke and dressing to the potatoes and toss lightly.

Add the blue cheese (if using), dill, and pepper to taste. Toss lightly, taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, and/or blue cheese to taste.

Refrigerate until serving time. Serve on a bed of arugula or spinach, if desired.

VARIATION ~~ No-Frills, Red Potato Salad.
Omit the asparagus, artichoke hearts and blue cheese. The dill can be omitted, too, though I prefer to use it. Add 1/4 medium red onion, diced, and one large celery rib, diced.

[From "3 Bowls Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery" by Seppo Ed Farrey with Myochi Nancy O'Hara, Houghton Mifflin Company 2000]

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Fabulous Chocolate Cake
This may take a little more time, but the results are sure worth it!

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco shortening (solid)
4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa
6 to 8 Tablespoons milk
3/4 box powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Ingredients must be mixed in proper order for best results.

Cake: Sift flour, sugar, and salt together. Set aside. In a saucepan, mix butter, Crisco, water, and cocoa. Heat until it almost boils. Pour over dry ingredients. Beat well by hand. Add soda and buttermilk and beat gently only to mix. Add eggs and vanilla last. Mix gently. Pour into 9 x 13 inch greased and floured pan. Bake for 20 minutes only. 10 minutes into baking time, start to make frosting.

Frosting: Mix ingredients together in microwavable bowl. Heat in microwave until warm only. Pour over cake immediately after removing cake from oven.

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Wonderful Watermelon Pie
A pretty, pink pie perfect for people with a sweet tooth.

Makes 8 servings

1 container (12 ounces) frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
1 box (3 ounces) watermelon-flavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
2 cups watermelon balls
9-inch crumb pie shell

In large bowl, fold whipped topping, gelatin and water together. Fold in watermelon balls. Spoon into crumb pie shell. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

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Seasoned Pretzels

1 stick of butter, melted
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 T Worcestershire
1/2 t seasoned salt
dash of hot sauce.
7-8 cups mini pretzels

mix all ingredients except pretzels, toss
with pretzels and place in a large baking
dish or roaster. bake for 1 hour at 250,
stirring every 15 minutes.

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Puppy Chow
Originally posted By: Gina, Fla
Puppy Chow
makes 9 cups

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
9 c. of your favorite Chex cereal (Corn, Rice and/or Wheat)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. butter
1 T. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Pour cereals into large bowl, set aside. In a 1 qt. microwaveable safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave til smooth, for 1 minute, then take out and stir. Stir in vanilla. Pour the mixture over the cereals till well coated. Pour cereal mixture into a large resealable plastic bag with powdered sugar, seal and shake. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

Stovetop:
Pour cereals into a large bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate, peanut butter and butter til smooth stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Continue as indicated above.

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And, last but not least is good old-fashioned finger jello. I have frequently made this for parties and found guests having fun with it. Many recipes have previously been posted here in the Recipe Link. I like making the one with 3 or 4 flavors (colors) that are layered. You let each layer gel completely before adding the next. This allows each layer to be peeled off as it is eaten, if you wish. (tee hee hee)