Let this drop. I meant to post on Discussions. Sigh.

I would love to do the appetizer party, but don't think I will be able to with two birthdays, graduation and Mothers Day. But if I can I will and might just do it anyway even if not on the exact day. Ann, thanks again for the recipes. I have enjoyed looking at the appetizer and dessert recipes and look forward to making many of them!

Is this what you were looking for, Chase? Posted by chase (My Page) on Fri, Jul 11, 08 at 9:49 I made this dip for a Canada Day get together and it was a big hit. Rita's Queso from "Rita's on the River" in San Antonio Originally posted by Brenda55 on the Cooking Forum. Brenda's notes: This recipe was in the SA paper several months ago and a reader had asked for this recipe from Rita's on the River because it was "the best queso we have ever eaten". I just recently fixed it and it was for us also the best queso. I changed the recipe somewhat for the heat impaired in my house and served the pica de gallo on top, which I really liked as it added the crunch with the creamy queso. I hope you enjoy as much as we did. I also halved the recipe and we still had enough left to serve over some soft tacos the next night. Can be cut in half or thirds Rita's Queso 3 Lb white American cheese ( Use Queso Blanco Instead ) * 2 Cup half and half 1 Cup heavy cream 1 Cup sour cream 1 Cup salsa (your favorite recipe) 1-1/2 T. Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or your favorite seasoning) 1 Tbl Tabasco sauce Pico de Gallo 2 Cups ripe tomatoes chopped 1/2 Cup chopped onions 2 Tbl minced fresh jalapeno or serrano chiles 2-3 T. chopped fresh cilantro 3 Tbl fresh lime juice Salt and pepper to taste For queso: cut white cheese into 1 to 2 inch cubes, set aside. Combine all ingredients, except cheese and Pico de Gallo in microwave-safe dish. Add cheese and microwave on high for 4 minutes, stop and stir and repeat twice; then reduce to 2 minutes until mixture is hot and well mixed. Recipe can be reduced by half or a third. Pico de Gallo Combine tomatoes, onions, chiles, salt, cilantro and lime juice in bowl. Let set for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Drain before placing on top of queso. Food editor's notes: It can also be made in a slow cooker to keep it hot and to avoid a skin forming on the surface. You can adjust the heat level easily with salsa, pico de gallo and Tabasco. My notes: I could not get Queso Blanco at the cottage so used Monterey Jack cheese. I served the Pico separate from the Queso rather than on top Here is a link that might be useful: Queso dip thread

Hey Eileen! Hi all ! Wow, this stuff looks great...I've been cutting and pasting since the top of the thread. I've copied some of my new rcipes, and some old favorites... pick and chose at your pleasure. They're all tried and true and are delicious... Don't know if you're planning to hire help, but I find that for a party of this size it makes a huge difference if I have someone serving and someone pacing the dishes and doing last minute prep and plating - and clean up! It's very affordable too - usually around $25 per hour per person. I usually have them for 4 hours, and give them an hour's gratuity. Ok, here goes... Ceasar Dip (this is best when made a day or two in advance)- Cooks Illustrated Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1 Tablespoon minced parsley 2 medium garlic cloves -- minced 1 teaspoon anchovy paste Fresh ground pepper Combine all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Transfer dip to serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until flavors blend (at least 1 hour) Serve cold with crudite ARTICHOKE-PROSCIUTTO GRATIN Adapted from: "Bon Appétit October 2002" I just served this on Thanksgiving with toasted baguette and carrot dippers (cut carrots on severed diagonal) and endive. They loved it. Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 cans artichoke hearts -- (14 ounce) drained, chopped 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto -- chopped 4 ounces Mild Blue Cheese 10 ounces Goat Cheese 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup Chopped walnuts -- toasted 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage Toss together chopped artichoke hearts and prosciutto. Mix in Blue and Goat cheeses. Pour cream over. Sprinkle pecans, Parmesan, and sage. Bake at 350 until gratin is bubbling and sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Antipasto This year we had a platter of the following on Thanksgiving: Grilled artichoke hearts (our favorite Italian store has them - they're still on the stem and delicious) Fresh salted mozzarella - sliced thick Fresh tomato slices Fresh basil Dried sweet salami Hot and sweet stuffed cherry peppers Mixed olives Roasted peppers Asiago cheese Served alongside a basket of bread sticks and toasted baguette ------ LionsHead Meatballs I love, love, love these...and serve them in a beautiful chaffing dish or crock...they're a nice alternative to Swedish meatballs. You can prepare the meatballs ahead (don't cook them) and freeze them on a cookie sheet. When frozen, place them in a zip lock bag until ready to use. When ready to use, DO NOT DEFROST, just saute them in a oiled pan and continue with prep as written. 1 cup "lite"* coconut milk 2 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 pound lean ground pork or beef 1/2 cup chopped scallions 1/4 cup minced leek -- white and pale green part only 1 small head Chinese cabbage - diced 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger -- optional (I leave it out) 2 teaspoons seeded and minced fresh chile pepper -- optional 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil *If you can't find 'lite', use regular, diluting with 1/2 water. 1. Combine coconut milk, soy sauce and curry powder in a large saucepan. Set aside. 2. Place pork (or beef), scallions, leek, cabbage, cornstarch, flour, sesame oil, ginger, chile, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. 3. Knead by hand until thoroughly combined and the mixture becomes sticky. 4. Shape into small (golf-ball size) meatballs 5. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat the sides. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. 6. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. 7. Bring the coconut-milk mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs; cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 - 45 meatballs (this long cooking tenderizes them) Adapted from: "Eating Well Magazine eatingwell.com" ------ As an alternative to the Lionshead, and in keeping with the Italian theme, you can make mini Italian meatballs and serve them in a crock alongside small dinner rolls, so folks can make their own mini meatball heros. ----- I serve these with varying sauces, but they're great with just a squeeze of lemon Sue's Crab Cakes with Mustard Mayo Sauce Yield: 24ish Lots of crab and just enough bread to hold it all together. I have made these ahead of time and just reheated before serving. 2 lbs. Backfin or lump crab meat (Costco has 1 lb cans) 2 C. Fresh breadcrumbs 4 large eggs 1 C. Heavy cream 1 T. Dijon mustard 4 t. lemon juice 4 t. Tarragon - dried 4 t. onion - grated salt/pepper 1 C. Panko plus 3 cups for coating (Janpanese 'breadcrumbs') 6 T. Unsalted butter Mustard Mayonnaise Sauce (for crab cakes) In bowl, combine crab meat, breadcrumbs, an 1 C. panko. In small bowl, whisk eggs well and add cream, whisking. Add cream mixture, mustard, lemon juice, tarragon, onion, and salt/pepper to crab mixture and combine well. In a large skillet heat 1 T. of butter over moderate heat until foam subsides. Take mounded tablespoon full of crab mixture in hand, and pat panko onto the crab cake to coat (don't try to dip it in the panko as the cake will fall apart). Drop cake into pan and sauté for 2 - 3 minutes - until deep golden. Carefully turn over and cook 2 - 3 minutes more. The cakes may be cooked a few hours ahead. Place on a cookie sheet and cover. When ready to serve, reheat in 350° oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Mustard Mayonnaise Sauce (for crab cakes) 1/4 C. Mayonnaise 2 1/2 t. Stone ground mustard 1/4 t. fresh lemon juice 2 t. capers (optional) In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days ahead. ---------- Shrimp Salad (Chunks of shrimp with garlic, celery, lemon, and olive oil)- can be made a day in advance. We serve this on Christmas Eve as a nice light appetizer. Mom made this for years, and it never goes out of style. It;s a nice departure from Shrimp Cocktail. 2 lbs Shrimp (we buy the large shrimp sold at the seafood counter in Costo (4 lbs for 38.99 her on LI) - they're sweet like sugar 3 stalks celery (I like to slice it about an 1/8 inch thick - if they're too wide, cut stalk lengthwise before slicing) 2 Garlic cloves - sliced very thin or minced through a press Olive oil Lemon Salt/pepper Cut shrimp into 3 pieces, toss with celery and garlic. Drizzle with Olive oil (not a lot, just enough to coat) and juice of lemon (until mixture is balanced). Season with salt and pepper. Chill for several hours or overnight. ---------- Grilled scallops with Bacon Scallops Bacon Wrap bacon around each scallop, secure with long metal skewer you can line these up on a skewer, just allow some space in between so they cook evenly). ------- Grilled baby lamb chops with mint sauce on the side Prep these ahead of time and finish right before serving. 4 racks of lamb (Costco has nice ones) Rub roasts with a mixture of rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Roast at 400 until about 125 degrees. let cool. Cut alongside each bone to make individual chops. Place on flat roasting rack, cover, and set aside. Right before passing (these should be passed so folks get them hot), give them a quick cook under the broiler, turning once...serve immediately. ---------------- Hope this helps... sue