The Short Orders Appetizer Guide

Let's assume, since you're all the popular sort, that you've all been invited to at least one Super Bowl party. If you're lucky, you've gotten two or more golden tickets, and are now faced with the quandary of which bash to pick.

Let's all be honest here, now. We're all friends. One of the biggest considerations you'll factor into your decision is the quality of the munchies on the menu. You're more likely to head for the party with the invitation mentioning hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and dips than for the one saying "snacks available." A fondue pot trumps a game of Pictionary any day.

With that in mind, I've gathered a set of recipes and online vendors to make your parties the hit of the town. Next year, your invitation will be the one holding the coveted spot: attached with a large magnet at eye level on the refrigerator door, where it won't be forgotten.

Handy Bites

Every party has its bowl of mixed nuts or some other food intended for munching by the handful. Popcorn may be considered more of a "movie night" snack, but not if you get in touch with my pals Bill and Kit at Great Lakes Popcorn. Every flavor is top-notch. Try mixing a few!

If you'd like to make your own munchies at home, our celebrity chef, Paulette Mitchell, has some fantastic recipes. Try Spiced Mixed Nuts or Glazed Pecans. If your gathering is a little less refined, try this recipe, known by such varied names as Hobbit Toes, Coyote Droppings and Orc Fingers. It is quite possibly the most addictive snack food ever created. If you make just a single recipe, prepare to be banished to the kitchen by enraged guests before the end of the party with orders to make more or suffer severe beatings.

Ingredients
2 cups light brown sugar

1 cup margarine (yes, you actually DO need to use margarine for this one)

½ c. light corn syrup

½ tsp. baking soda

1 14 ½ ounce bag baked Cheetos or other cheese puffs

Directions

Preheat oven to 250° F. Spray a large oven-safe metal bowl with nonstick cooking spray and empty the cheese puffs into it.

In a heavy saucepan, mix sugar, margarine and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and keep boiling for five minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove pan from heat and mix in baking soda. Mixture will turn white and become slightly foamy.

Pour syrup mixture over cheese puffs and toss VERY thoroughly to coat all the puffs. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Spread baked puffs onto waxed paper, separating as much as possible (you will end up with a few stuck in clumps). Allow to cool completely.

To say that you can't eat just one of these is a gross understatement. I'm not kidding about the "single batch" mistake.

If you use a large enough bowl, you can cook a double recipe all at once. Increase baking time by 20 minutes or more, as needed. Watch the puffs and pull them from the oven when they begin to take on a slight golden-brown color.

Cold Appetizers

While the hot appetizers are the "flash" of your party menu, the cold bites are the meat and potatoes. They're the ones you can make in quantity a day or so before the party and circulate during the early parts of the party. This Black Bean Spread recipe features adjustable heat levels and instructions for making killer canapés. For the refined palate, this Blue Cheese and Apple Spread on Cocktail Rye is a prime choice, and the spread can be made up to two days in advance.

Among the foodie crowd, quail eggs are a hot new item. If you want to impress, try Paulette's Quail Eggs With Olivada, which is another great make-ahead. All you'll need to do on the day of the party is assemble and serve!

One party classic, especially in the Southwest, is Seven-Layer Dip. If you want to make this one truly special, use homemade Guacamole instead of store-bought avocado dip. Thanks to improvements in shipping, fresh avocados are available all over during most of the year.

Seven-Layer Dip

2 (16 oz.) cans refried beans
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 (6 oz.) carton avocado dip
1 c. sour cream
1 small can chopped ripe olives
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small can chopped green chilies
10 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Combine beans and taco mix in bowl, mixing well. Spread evenly in 9-by-13-inch pan. Layer remaining ingredients in order listed (avocado dip, sour cream, olives, tomatoes, onion, green chilies and cheese). Serve with large taco or corn chips.

Yield: 8 cups.

Hot Appetizers

Here are your showpiece items; the ones that will get the most talk when your party becomes the topic of discussion the day or week after the event. One of the most important things is to not overextend yourself. Don't plan for more dishes than your oven, stove, counter space or (most importantly) sanity can handle. One or two well-executed hot appetizers trumps a half-dozen slapdash efforts.

You don't have to be an expert short order cook or speedy Benihana chef to whip these dishes out, either. There are make-ahead treasures that await only a turn in the oven to make them ready for your guests, such as Asparagus Roll-Ups from Paulette's recipe box. Her Pesto Palmiers are a gourmet delight. They're a little labor-intensive to prepare, but can be done a couple of days ahead of time and baked at party time. The flavor and texture will be well worth the effort!

Bruschetta is a trendy restaurant appetizer, and it can become the platform on which you build fantastic canapés. After toasting the bread, top with a bit of prosciutto and mozzarella and slide back under the broiler for a minute at most to toast the cheese. Hit the deli department and mix and match a number of meats and cheeses to make a variety! Be sure and serve some good Basil Pesto alongside for a topper.

This next recipe is one I've "evolved" over time from one originally published by Kraft Foods. Their original called for crescent roll dough, but I've found that pie crust dough works better and doesn't get as greasy. If you've got kids in the house, the preparation here is something they can handle easily, and it'll get them involved in the cooking process.

Cheesy Sausage Rollups

1 lb. all-beef cocktail sausages
1 package (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 package refrigerated pie crust dough

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.

Pinch off a piece of pie crust dough about the size of a quarter and shape to wrap around one sausage, leaving the ends of the sausages exposed. Lay 5-8 cheese shreds on the dough, then roll up the dough. Pinch to seal securely. Repeat until all sausages are encased.

Bake for 10-12 minutes on parchment paper-lined baking sheets until golden brown. Serve with good mustards for dipping.

And, finally, what party would be complete without that standard of standards, the sausage balls? This is something that just about everyone's mom or grandmother made at some point, and just the smell of them cooking will bring back happy memories.

Sausage Balls

1 pound hot country-style ground sausage
3 ½ c. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
2 c. Bisquick or other baking mix

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands so there are no dry crumbs. Form into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Refrigerate overnight or freeze.

Remove from refrigerator or freezer and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the balls are golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Yield: About 6 dozen.

There you have it! It's a complete party in one convenient column. Enjoy!

Join me here every Friday for explorations of the nuts and bolts of cooking, food oddities and other items of general culinary interest. Drop me a line anytime!