I need a good appetizer

[JAG&JIV]

My family has only done appetizers for Christmas Eve my whole life. Here are a few I like because they're a little more food like than a lot of appetizers. We always seem to end up with a ton of dips and cheese based finger foods so I needed to find a few that had more substance.

Meatball Phyllo Balls

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1-8 oz. pkg. crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, chopped
1/2 small onion, sauteed in butter
3 tsp. (Mrs. Dash) Garlic and Herb seasoning blend
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. olive oil
Phyllo dough sheets
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
8 oz. sour cream
1 packet french onion soup mix

Method
In a big bowl, combine ground beef, blue cheese, dried tomatoes, sauteed onion, seasoning blend, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with hands. Form into about 1-inch diameter balls. Fry all the balls in a pan with 1 tsp. olive oil until thoroughly cooked through. Drain. Cut phyllo dough sheets into 2-inch squares. Place one meatball on each square and fold up corners, then twist the top for a decorative look. Do this for each meatball. Brush each appetizer with melted butter. Place all the phyllo appetizers on a cookie sheet and bake about 15 minutes (or until golden brown) in a 350 degree oven. To prepare dipping sauce: Mix packet of French onion soup mix with sour cream and stir thoroughly.

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Bacon Quiche Tarts


INGREDIENTS:
5 slices bacon
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (I used cheddar)
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated flaky biscuit dough

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until crisp and evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
3. Place the cream cheese, milk, and eggs in a medium bowl, and beat until smooth with an electric mixer set on Low. Stir in Swiss cheese and green onion, and set aside.
4. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Press into the bottom and sides of each muffin cup, forming 1/4 inch rims. Sprinkle half of the bacon into the bottoms of the dough-lined muffin cups. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into each cup.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until filling is set and rims of the tarts are golden brown. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon, and lightly press into the filling. Remove from pan, and serve warm.
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Chicken Salad Puffs

Ingredients
3 cups cooked chicken breasts, diced
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon sweet onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon celery, finely chopped
3 tablespoons milk

2 (8 count) cans crescent rolls

Directions
1Heat oven to 350.
2Mix butter, cream cheese, salt, pepper, onion, celery, & milk, until smooth. Stir in chicken.
3Roll out crescent roll dough, pressing 2 triangles together to make squares. Place app. 3 tablespoons chicken mixture onto center of each square. Bring up sides, and pinch together to seal.
4Bake 15 minutes, serve hot.

I just bought stuff to make all three of these. they all sound so yummy! I am hungry just thinking of it!

[whip]

JAG- I am making the meatballs and the bacon quiches for NYE, too. Plus a spinach and artichoke dip... yummy.

My tummy is so adjusted to eating this past week beyond my regular intake that it is growling now. Not good.

[JAG&JIV]

The bacon quiche tarts didn't come out that great. I purchased the jumbo biscuits instead of the regular which threw off my cooking time and then I ended up cooking a little too long.

The other two things are prepped and waiting to be baked tonight. mmmm mmm!

[JAG&JIV]

I make this all to taste really so use your best judgement

Salsa:
3 or 4 tomatoes
1/4 c red onion
1/2 c green pepper
2 crushed or chopped garlic cloves
1/2 lime
1/2 lemon
cilantro- maybe a tsp at first them more if needed
salt and pepper

Dice up and mix the veggies
Add garlic
Squeeze the lime and lemon juice in
add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste
mix it all in, refridgerate. I make it ahead of time so I can taste test and adjust as needed

Guac:
4 ripe avacados

cut and mash the avacados. Add some of the salsa mixture until it is the texture you like. Keep the remaining salsa on the side and serve both the guac and the salsa with your fave chips!

The salsa can be made ahead but the guac is best right before serving. Avacados can get discolored.