Appetizers






What's on the menu?

Pay Day Party's Poppyseed and Ham Biscuits

  • 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened

  • ¼ cup finely chopped onions

  • 1 tablespoon poppyseed

  • 2 ½ teaspoons Dijon m·ustard

  • 4 ½ dozen small soft party rolls, sliced

  • 1 pound shaved ham

350 F

Combine butter, onions, poppyseeds and mustard until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. To assemble, soften butter mixture and spread on roll bottom. Top with ham and roll top. Place in a shallow pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes or until warm.

Yield: 12 servings

Sauerkraut Party Balls

  • 1 pound hot pork sausage

  • 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened

  • ½ cup finely chopped onions

  • 1/3 cup chopped parsley

  • 3 tablespoons prepared mustard

  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 (10-oz) can chopped sauerkraut, drained

  • 4 ½ cups biscuit baking mix

  • 1 ¼ cups bread crumbs

  • 2 ½ teaspoons paprika

350 F

Combine sausage, cream cheese, onions, parsley and mustard in a food processor. Add sauerkraut and process until well blended. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in baking mix. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and paprika. Shape meat mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in crumb mixture. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 23 to 26 minutes or until golden browned. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 dozen

Cheese Pockets

  • 1 (8-oz) package refrigerated pizza dough or crescent rolls

  • ¼ cup strawberry preserves

  • ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

  • ¼ cup chopped green onions

  • 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

  • ¼ cup chopped pecans

350 F

Unroll pizza dough or crescent rolls. Flatten dough into a rectangle and cut into 12 equal pieces. Place 1 teaspoon preserves on the center of each piece. Top each with cheese, onions, bacon and pecans. Fold dough over filling and seal edges with a fork. Place pockets on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Basic Humble Deviled Eggs

  • 12 boiled eggs

  • ¼ cup regular mayonnaise, more or less to taste

  • 1 tablespoon Creole, Dijon, or yellow mustard

  • 1 tablespoon sweet or dill pickle relish

  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Paprika, for garnish, optional

Stove Top

Peel the eggs and split in half lengthwise, removing the yolks and setting aside the whites. Using a fork, mash the yolks well. To the yolks, add the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, salt, pepper and stir together well until creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Pipe the yolk mixture into the egg whites by placing into a plastic storage bag and snip off the corner. Piping not only looks nicer, but it also makes more efficient use of the yolk filling. Serve immediately or refrigerate filled eggs in a covered bowl or plastic container that leaves room so the stuffing is not disturbed.

Make Ahead: Want to get the eggs boiled and filling ready ahead of time? No problem! Boil the eggs and remove the yolks as usual. Place the egg whites in a zippered storage bag or other container and refrigerate. Mix up the filling and spoon that into another zippered bag, seal and refrigerate. Same with garnishes. When it comes time to make the eggs, cut the tip off of the corner of the bag and pipe, at home, or at the site, and garnish. Perfect for tailgating!

Presentation: Don't have an egg platter? Or just want to put out more eggs? Layer a large platter with curly leaf lettuce, breaking off the rough stem ends and placing the lettuce with the curly leaves out in a circular pattern around the platter. Transfer the eggs to the platter laying them out in a similar circular fashion toward the center until the platter is full. Refrigerate remaining eggs until time to replenish the tray.

Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Smokies

325 F

These are very addictive morsels. They are sweet little candied meat goodies. I dare you to eat just one!

  • 1 pound sliced bacon, cut into thirds

  • 1 (14 oz) package beef cocktail wieners

  • ¾ cup brown sugar or to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Refrigerate 2/3 of the bacon until needed. It is easier to wrap the wieners with cold bacon. Wrap each cocktail wiener with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar generously over all.

Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sugar is bubbly. To serve, place the wieners, and all of the sugary juices, in a slow cooker and keep on the low setting.

Cheddar Pecan Cheese Ring with Strawberry Preserves

350 F

This recipe is attributed to first lady Rosalynn Carter. This is another payday party and bunco favorite.

  • 1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated or bagged

  • 1 cup chopped pecans

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 small onion grated

  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

  • 1 small jar strawberry preserves

Lightly toast the pecans in the oven at 350º or in a dry skillet over medium heat. Let cool. Set aside 2 tablespoons of pecans for garnish. Grate the cheese with a box grater or food processor, or buy bagged. Put all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Turn the mixture out onto a serving plate. Using your hands, shape into a ring. Place preserves in the center of the ring. Sprinkle with the reserved pecans. Serve with assorted crackers.May be made ahead and refrigerated. Keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Stove Top

What isn't great about fried green tomatoes? You don't have to wait until the end of the season to use up your tomatoes before the first frost. Mom and I loved fried eggplant, okra, zucchini, and green tomatoes. She liked to dip hers in Ranch, I liked cocktail sauce. We often topped a salad with the tomatoes, too. Dad, not too hot on the fried veggies. He got indigestion easily.

  • 2 large green tomatoes, or 3 medium

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 egg

  • 1 cup buttermilk or milk

  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce, optional

  • 1 sleeve of Saltine crackers, crushed thoroughly or cornmeal

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional

  • salt and black pepper

  • oil for frying

Sprinkle the flour into a shallow dish. Add salt and pepper to the flour until you can distinctly taste the salt and the pepper.

In another dish, whisk together the egg and the buttermilk or milk and the hot sauce. In another shallow dish, mix together the crushed crackers and the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

Heat about two inches of oil in a large, heavy skillet.

Slice the green tomatoes into ½-inch slices. Dip the slices first into the flour, coating both sides, tapping off any excess. Next dip into the egg/buttermilk mixture and then into the cracker mixture, coating thoroughly.

Fry until they are golden brown, turning once or twice. Drain on paper towels. They taste best if they’ve had a little time to cool, but are still quite warm.

Deli Turkey Crackers

No Bake

I know that this is the world’s easiest appetizer, but it is like a small sandwich in a bite and the preserves (I like strawberry.) is a delicious, sweet touch with the smoky turkey.

  • Ritz Crackers or other favorite cracker

  • honey mustard

  • sliced smoked turkey

  • fruit preserves (I prefer strawberry.)

Top the buttery crackers with honey mustard, turkey, and preserves.

Ranch oyster crackers

250 F

The first time I had these was at one of Andrea Farrell’s Bunco parties. She put bowls of these on the card tables so we could snack while throwing the dice. I’ve since had the same recipe used on Gold Fish and Cheezit Crackers. They are just as tasty.

  • 1 (1 oz.) package ranch dressing mix

  • ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

  • 1 tsp dried dill weed (or to your taste)

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or to your taste)

  • salt to taste

  • 1 box or bag oyster crackers

Preheat oven to 250°. In a large mixing bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and mix well. Stir in oyster crackers mix to coat. Pour crackers onto a large cookie sheet.

Bake 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Cool and add to a covered container. These are delicious served with soup.

Southern Living's Pimento Cheese

350 F

My mother adored pimento cheese and probably made it a couple of times a month. I turned Sammie on to Palmetto Cheese when Mendy Breeden brought me some after the wreck. I think the difference between pimento and palmetto is that Sassy Henry used cream cheese in her tailgate spread for her future husband. The Henry's Palmetto Cheese is available everywhere. Otherwise, the standard recipe is the same. Grate cheddar cheese, add pimentos and mayo. Do not use Miracle Whip and do NOT use bagged cheese. Grate quality cheddar with a box grater. I like my pimento cheese spicy like Southern Living's. It has toasted pecans and you already know my addiction to pecans.

  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, such as Hellmann's or Duke's (Duke's!)

  • 1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon finely grated onion

  • 1 teaspoon ground red pepper

  • 1 cup chopped pecans

  • 1 (8-oz.) block extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

  • 1 (8-oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese

  • sliced white sandwich bread, like Bunny Bread

  • Celery sticks and assorted crackers

  1. Make the mayo mixture. In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, diced pimiento, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, and ground red pepper until blended.

  2. Toast the pecans. Toasting brings out the rich flavor of the nuts. Preheat your oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. (Stirring helps to ensure even browning.)

  3. Shred the cheese. Trust us – texture matters. Using the small side of a box grater, finely shred extra-sharp Cheddar cheese. Then use the large side of the grater to coarsely shred sharp Cheddar cheese. Fresh cheese makes a difference.

  4. Stir and enjoy. Add pecans and shredded cheeses to mayo mixture, stirring until blended. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve with celery sticks and assorted crackers, or make a grilled pimento cheese sandwich in a skillet or panini press. Or cut the crusts off and cut diagonally to make 4 small tea sandwiches for a shower.

Crab Balls

350 F

Sammie's and Dave's wedding reception had the best crab meat ball hors d'oeuvres I have ever eaten. I could have taken a tray from the server and had my meal for the evening even though the buffet was fantastic. I didn't get the recipe, but this one sounds close.

  • 1 lb. crab meat

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 1 cup Ritz Crackers, crushed

  • 1 tsp. yellow mustard

  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

  • 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

  • 1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

  • 1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Place crabmeat in a mixing bowl, picking any stray shell fragments out. Add crushed crackers, Old Bay Seasoning & parsley to the crab. In a separate bowl, combine egg, mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Whip with a whisk until smooth. Pour egg mixture over the crabmeat and crackers and mix gently being careful not to break up large lumps of crabmeat. Mold into golf ball sized balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake 350º for 30 minutes. Drizzle with melted butter and allow to cool.

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