10 fast party ideas

[Bilby]

1. Raid the pantry: If you've got sour cream and mayo in the fridge, canned clams or even tuna, you have what you need to whip up a super-fast dip. All that’s left to do is buy chips or swing by your grocer’s salad bar to get crudités for dipping.

2. When it comes to what you can add to a basic dip, the sky’s the limit. Creamy, strong-flavored cheeses -- like blue cheese -- work extremely well with your standard sour cream and mayo. And in a pinch, use chopped frozen spinach, jarred artichoke hearts or roasted red peppers.


3. If you've got frozen peas, make pea "guacamole" -- throw frozen peas into a food processor, pulse it a few times and finish it with salt, pepper, diced tomatoes, and a squeeze of lime juice. This recipe is excellent with tortilla chips or pita chips.


4. A wedge of cheese with some fruit jam on the side makes a great appetizer, especially if you can pick up some crackers to go with it.


5. For a truly last-minute party, your guests won’t expect you to have anything more than beer or wine to serve. But if you do decide to go all-out, make one "house ****tail," such as margaritas or punch. This way, you can offer people a choice between beer, wine, or the house ****tail.


6. Spiced nuts are quick and easy to whip up, and they can last for months in the freezer. We suggest making them in advance so you can have them on hand when guests drop by.


7. Check out your local butcher or specialty meat store to find an assortment of cold cuts and pâtés. Then arrange them on a platter with jarred cornichons, good bread, and a strong mustard.


8. Deli counters are a great source for antipasto. Buy small balls of mozzarella, a few different kinds of olives, cherry tomatoes and marinated peperoncini. Then arrange them in small bowls.


9. Pop some unflavored popcorn and toss it with a combination of melted butter, salt, and a unique spice for a flavorful surprise. We suggest Chinese 5-spice powder, Cajun spices or Spanish smoked paprika.


10. To make the easiest nachos ever: Top tortilla chips with canned black beans (rinse them before using), canned jalapenos, jarred salsa, and shredded cheese. Then put under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

[Bilby]

Spiced nuts
Assorted shelled nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc.) For sweet and spicy nuts:
Peanut oil, for drizzling
Sugar, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Chinese five-spice powder, to taste
For savory nuts:
Peanut oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt, to taste
Chili powder, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. For a sweet and spicy nut, toss your choice of nuts with oil, sugar, salt and a few dashes of Chinese five-spice powder.
For a savory and spicy nut, toss your choice of nuts with oil, salt and a few dashes of chili powder.
Lay out the nuts in an even layer on a baking dish. Bake, redistributing the nuts every 7 minutes or so to make sure they cook evenly, until the nuts are lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.

[Bilby]

Pineapple punch
1 quart fresh orange juice
32 ounces canned or fresh pineapple juice
2 cups coconut milk
1 liter seltzer water
1 pineapple, peeled cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1 pint of strawberries, hulled and frozen
1 orange sliced thin
4 cups light rum, optionalTo a large punch bowl, add orange juice, pineapple juice, coconut milk and seltzer. Mix well. Place frozen pineapple chunks and strawberries in the punch to keep it cold. Float the orange slices on top of the punch for garnish. If desired, add rum.

[Bilby]

Hot and spicy nuts
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch cayenne (or to taste)
1 pound unsalted nuts

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over low heat. Add the Worcestershire sauce, paprika, hot pepper sauce, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and cayenne and mix well. Add the nuts and toss well to coat. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently over low heat until the nuts are lightly toasted. Drain on paper towels and serve hot, or store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.

Makes 1 pound spiced nuts.

[Bilby]

Pita Toasts
6 6-inch pitas
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Split the pitas to make 12 slices. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Mix together the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Brush the mixture over each slice and place on baking sheets. Bake for 5 minutes or until crispy.

[Bilby]

Cheese straws
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon crumbled Italian spices
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash cayenne pepper
1 thawed puff pastry sheet(1/2 package frozen puff pastry sheets)
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon coarse salt (optional)

Place two oven racks in the middle of the oven, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and heavily grease two baking sheets. In a small bowl toss together the cheeses, Italian spices, garlic powder, and cayenne. In another bowl, beat the egg with the water until light and frothy. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and with a well floured rolling pin, roll the pastry into a 16 X 10 inch rectangle. Cut the pastry into two 8 X 10 rectangles. Brush each rectangle liberally with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the cheese mixture on one of the rectangles, then top with the other sheet of pastry, making sure to align the rectangles evenly. Firmly press the pastry down to form a tight seal. Brush the pastry with additional egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel cut the pastry into 8 inch by 1/4 inch shapes. Place the straws about an inch apart on baking sheets and bake in batches for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Makes approx 40 cheese straws.
Cooking 20 minutes
I love these and so do the kids

[Bilby]

Sugar nuts
6 cups sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups whole pecans or walnuts
Vegetable oil, for frying
In a large bowl combine sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Blanch nuts in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and dry them off in a kitchen towel. Lightly toss them into the sugar mixture until coated. Remove nuts, and set aside the sugar spice mixture.
Bring the oil in a deep fryer or a heavy-bottomed pan to 330 to 350 degrees-F (do not let the oil burn).

Hint: place 1 nut in the oil and when it starts to sizzle, add the rest of the nuts.
Fry approximately 1 minute, the nuts will turn golden in color, and float. Remove from the oil and add directly to the sugar mixture and toss again. Carefully remove nuts and shake off excess sugar, let cool and serve.

[cat lover]

Some good ideas Bilby; thanks for sharing! Going to try the hot & spicy nuts this weekend!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Kathy, what time should I be there for the party? lol

[Bilby]

Oh I don't know DeBora these are fast ideas, if you're coming over that gives me at leat a 14-16 hour lee way on when you'll arrive, I think I'll have it all done by then, just give me the word LOL

[vicki2]

One of the things I always keep in stock ...just in case peope stop by for drinks ..are raw cashews. I use an Indian method of quickly frying them and with a little salt ...they're huge favorites. It's what all the Brits used to do when they lived in thr Raj days lol.

[barbszy]

Those sugar nuts sound really good.

A lot of times when we have guests on very short notice I put together a batch of chili or chicken chili. Usually I have those ingredients in the pantry. This way I can offer everyone dinner.

[ajrsmom]

I'm glad that no one shows up at our house by surprise. Half the time they would be going hungry. ROFL! :p :p

The hot & spicy and sugared nuts sound great. I love to nibble on stuff like that. :rolleyes: ;)

[cat lover]

Hmm, can you find a way for me to clean and hide stuff sitting around real quick? LOL Then I'll be ready to use all your good ideas!

[Bilby]

My best bet for a large meal for many is lasagne as it's pretty filling, toss a salad and make a garlic bread.

Cat lover
For a quick clean I virtually grab a box and throw things in to get them out of the way, make a quick trip to check out the state of the bathroom on the way back, plump the cushions on the couch then pop to the kitchen to start a tidy up, that way they think you were in the kitchen all along and cleaning up something anyway and it's not so obvious.
Closing the bedroom doors to hid any mess it a good one to.

[cat lover]

Here's a "quick" dish that works well for drop ins at lunch time; it has worked for me several times and I always have the ingredients on hand. Throw together a quick tossed salad and it makes a nice quick lunch


Easy As Chicken Pot Pie

1 cup cooked chicken, cubed( I always keep some pre-cooked in the freezer and thaw in microwave when needed)
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 large can mixed vegetables ( I like the ones cut large for stew; frozen ones work well also, but thaw them in microwave)
1/4 cup milk

Mix all together and put into a baked pie shell. Top with an unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or till golden brown.