Easy Appetizers

Delightfully fragrant and flavorful, this extremely simple smoked ham tapas is made with slices of toasted bread - any kind your heart desires, plus the following ingredients. Straight from Spain, this easy to make snack is served in homes and bars and sold locally from street carts.

What you'll need:
- Slices of bread
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 ripe tomato
- Slices of smoked ham
- Olive oil

Toast the slices or better yet, pan fry them. Not sure why the pan frying tastes better... your toaster will work fine though, if you're in a hurry.

While the slices are still hot, rub them with the clove of split garlic until it absorbs the flavor. Cut the tomato in half (needs to be juicy) and rub it over your toasted bread - enough to see the juices sinking in a bit. Add a pinch of salt, olive oil and finally top with your favorite kind of smoked ham. The ham can be warm or cold.

Divine! So simple and so much flavor. How can you go wrong? Enjoy!

For more great Tapas recipes like this one, visit Tapas Small Plates for more tasty ideas.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, food and fun. And that includes Thanksgiving appetizers!

If you are cooking the big turkey at your home this year, and even though you'll probably be eating too much on this day, you'll still need to have some simple appetizers around to keep the guests happy while you are busy in the kitchen with last minute details.

Take a look at a couple of these delicious and easy Thanksgiving recipes and round out your own celebration with some incredible munchies.

Zippy Tomato Soup

Wow! When my mother-in-law, Margie, introduced me to her Zippy Tomato Soup, I became an instant convert! And that's saying a lot because up until then, I was not a big fan of the red soup. But that has changed and you'll see why when you try it too.

It's a great starter for a cold Thanksgiving Day, but don't let that stop you from making it anytime you have some leftover.... [secret ingredient - see below!].

What you'll need:
- 1 large can of tomato juice
- 4 Tbsp sugar (or less - I usually use less)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 dashes of Tobasco or other pepper sauce
- 1/2 cup dill pickle juice [SECRET INGREDIENT!]
- 1/3 cup of fresh or bottled lemon juice (fresh is better)

Don't throw out the juice left over in your big jar of pickles. Save it for this soup! I know, it sounds weird, but it really makes this soup come alive! Combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Serve immediately. How easy is that?

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Hazelnut Cheese Bits

Wow! These yummy bite-size bursts of flavor make an exceptionally delicious appetizer! You will need to make more than you think, because this easy appetizer recipe will get snapped up in a big hurry.

What you'll need:
- 8 ounces of cheese (your choice and shredded)
- 4 ounces butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts (toasted and finely ground)
- couple of dashes of hot pepper sauce (to taste)

What to do:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Here's how easy it is: Blend all the ingredients together to form small balls (or bits!). Press a whole hazelnut into the center of each ball. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Serve them hot. That's it! How easy is that?

Be prepared for many requests for the recipe!

Remember, the true spirit of celebrating Thanksgiving is in the word itself: Giving Thanks. Show your family and friends how grateful you are for their place in your life by giving them an incredible day they won't soon forget.

For more great ideas, check out my Thanksgiving Appetizers page.

Pretty up your average onion dip with a scooped-out ball of Gouda cheese. No kidding! Because it's so beautifully self-contained, it travels well when you want to take this as an appetizer to a party. Not only that, but your friends will be bowled over by the presentation and the great flavor. There will be no leftovers!

What you'll need:
- one 10-oz ball of imported Gouda cheese
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 4 oz Roquefort cheese (crumbled)
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese (finely grated)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 drops of hot pepper sauce
- 1 tsp whole-grain mustard
- 4 Tbsp dark beer or stout

With a sharp knife, cut the top to make a lid from the Gouda cheese ball, about 1 inch thick. Save the lid. Hollow out the cheese without cutting through the wall of the ball. The wall should be as thin as you can make it on all sides. Take the reserved Gouda cheese and grate it and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it reaches a golden brown color. This usually takes about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir often. Remove the onion from the skillet and set aside to cool.

Combine the Gouda, Roquefort, and Cheddar cheeses in a food processor, along with the remaining butter, the onions and the Worcestershire, mustard, and hot pepper sauce. Process the mixture until smooth. Scrape the sides occasionally. Pour in the beer and continue to process until smooth and creamy.

Next, fill the hollowed out Gouda ball with the mixture. You'll probably have more mixture than will fit in the ball. Place the lid on the ball of cheese and put the remaining dip into a bowl. Cover both with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving.

One nice aspect of making this dip is that if you make it a day ahead, it actually enhances the flavor. When you serve the dip, bring out the Gouda ball in time to reach room temperature. You can use the additional dip to refill the cheese ball.

This recipe makes approximately 2 cups. You must refrigerate it at least 4 hours before serving.

Find more wonderfully delicious ideas for dips and spreads on my Chip Dip Recipes page.

And...

For more great recipe ideas, checkout Free Recipe Sites to find the perfect recipe for the perfect occasion.

Who says dinner has to be meat and potatoes? These easy to make mini pizzas are loved by kids and adults alike.

You can substitute 2 English Muffins for the Boboli crusts if you prefer. Simply split the muffins and toast them before putting the toppings on.

Remember, this is a versatile recipe that is hard to screw up. You can exchange any of the ingredients below for your favorite cheese, veggies, sausage or favorite pizza toppings. Go wild! Use your imagination!

What you'll need:
- 2 six-inch Boboli pizza crusts
- 1/2 cup of pizza sauce
- 3 green onions (chopped)
- 1/2 cup of sliced pepperoni
- 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese (shredded)

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

For each crust, spread the pizza sauce evenly. If you decided to make them with English Muffins, make sure you split and toast them first before adding the sauce.

Finish by topping with the remaining ingredients. Bake for about 8-10 minutes on until the cheese is melting and bubbly and the crust has turned to a golden brown on the bottom.

Serve and enjoy! This recipe serves 2 so make plenty!

For more terrific ideas, check out Simple Appetizer Recipes and plan your next "meal"!

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Parmesan Cheese Crispies make my mouth water just thinking about them.

This is one of my favorite easy appetizer recipes because of it's crispy lightness and they way they melt in your mouth at the same time.

Try them out next time you want to do a different appetizer for your next gathering. You don't even need a dip to go with these chips - they are that good!

What you'll need:
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- salt

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Then, in a small bowl, combine the butter and the spices. Brush the top of each tortilla with the butter mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and salt.

Next, cut the tortillas into wedges. Place the wedges on a baking sheet and back until crisp (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Once, crisped, take them out of the oven and transfer the chips on to a wire rack to cool. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving or storing. How easy is that?

This easy appetizer recipe makes about 8 dozen chips.

For more great "cheesey" ideas, check out my Cheese Appetizers page.

Are your kids "Carrot-Haters?" And are you scratching your head trying to come up with another great healthy snack that your kiddo will love (and that's good or him)?

Well, scratch no more, and try this recipe for a new twist on fries. Delicious, nutritious and everyone will love them even the most notorious carrot-hater!

What you'll need:
- 16 medium carrots
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- parchment paper for baking

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and cut the carrots (16 carrots or 2 pounds worth) into sticks that are about 4 inches long. Put the sticks into a bowl and pour the olive oil over them and mix to coat.

Next, place the carrot sticks on a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, sprinkle the carrots with the salt.

Bake the carrots until they begin to crisp (about 20 to 25 minutes)

Serve these beauties warm. Kids that hate carrots will have a change of heart after they try this easy appetizer recipe!

Visit this Great Snacks page for more terrific ideas for school snacks, everyday snacks, snacky snacks...

After School Snacks definitely means summer is over! My son came home from the first day of school, completely exhausted and cranky. I was surprised because he was so excited to get back to school and see all his buddies.

But then I thought back to my days of returning to school and remembered that going from a state of "play" to a state of highly structured activity WAS exhausting. And he was grumpy because he was hungry! What kind of nutritious, great-tasting after school snacks could I give him?

I didn't want to give him sugary stuff that would ruin his dinner, not to mention add to his already grumpy attitude. I needed to know what of snack would work after expending all the mental and physical energy he does during a regular school day.

Typically, whatever is convenient and readily available in my cupboard is what I would let him have. And I try really hard to find good, nutritious after school snacks that are easy, but let's face it. Any kind of snacks you buy in the store are processed, full of sugar usually, and the fat content can be, or is quite high.

Read the complete article here.