Appetizers, Sides & Snacks


















Sides and Snacks have some of the highest profit margins for the grocery industry. For example I recently noticed pre-made mashed potatoes in a plastic container for $4.00 a pound, yet in the produce isle I found a 10 pound bag for just  $1.30. Even after you add in other ingredients, you will save over $3.50 per pound for just a little effort. Or you could get over 30 pounds of potatoes for the price of 1 pound of mashed potatoes. Hmmm. OK! I also saw Hummus in little plastic containers for $4.00 for 8 ounces. That is $8.00 a pound! Funny thing is that 2 isles down a pound bag of dry chickpeas is only $.80. After you rehydrate those little beans you end up with over 2 pounds. Whip those beans up with a few other ingredients in your food processor and you have just saved yourself over $7.00 a pound! WOW! So not only are sides easy to make, they are also much cheaper when homemade, and often very impressive to friends and family.

Raspberry Applesauce Salad
2 pkg. raspberry Jello
2 cups hot water
2 pkg. frozen raspberries thawed
2 cups apple sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mini marshmallows

Dissolve Jello in hot water. Add thawed raspberries and applesauce. Pour mixture into mold. In separate bowl combine sour cream and marshmallows. Refrigerate both separately overnight. Spread sour cream mixture over Jello mixture and enjoy.

Tea'd Rice Pudding
3 cups water
4 fruited tea bags
1 1/2 cups white rice
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Bring water to boil in saucepan. Add tea bags and continue to boil for 4 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Add rice and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until tender. Stir in sugar and whipped cream. Recover and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour pudding into bowl and chill for 1 hour.

Baked Bananas
1/3 cup melted butter
3 Tbsp lemon juice
6 ripe bananas, peeled
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup grated coconut

Combine melted butter with lemon juice and pour on the bottom of a shallow baking pan that will hold 6 bananas. Turn bananas in dish until well coated with butter and juice mixture. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon evenly over bananas. Bake at 375 degrees, turning once halfway through. Sprinkle coconut over bananas about 5 minutes before they finish cooking.

Anchovy Cheese Spread
1 1/2 sticks of butter
8oz cream cheese
1/2 can of beer
2 Tbsp paprika
1 can anchovies
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp grated onion

Mix well all ingredients and serve with crackers.

Chickpea Dip
1 lb can drained chickpeas
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped onions
1/2 tsp salt

Mash chickpeas in a small bowl until they are smooth. Add oil and lemon juice; stir to combine. Add chopped onions and salt.
Serve on bread or crackers.

Soup Mix Dip
2 cups plain yogurt, cottage cheese or sour cream
1 pkg dry onion or vegetable soup mix.

Mix ingredients together and chill. Use as dip for vegetables or potato chips.

Hummous
1 15oz can of garbanzo beans
1 juiced lemon
3 T tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 cloves of garlic
3/4 t cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 t tobasco sauce
Olive oil
fresh parsley
paprika

Drain liquid from garbanzo beans saving 1/3 cup. In a blender, mix liquid, beans, tahini, garlic, tobasco, lemon juice, cumin, and coriander until smooth. Spread in bowl and drizzle with olive oil, and top with paprika and parsley. 

Gingered Cucumbers
1 or 2 cucumbers (see below)
1/3 cup vinegar
1 T sugar
1 t salt
1t fresh ginger, grated

For this use, if available, long, thin English cucumbers. Peeling is optional.  If you only have regular cucumbers use them but peel them.Cut in half and scrape out seeds.  Slice cucumbers very thin to make about 2 cups.  In a bowl, mix cucumbers, vinegar, sugar, salt and ginger and refrigerate for at least one hour, overnight is preferred.  Drizzle the remaining marinade over the slices.

Oven Rice
1 Cup rice (no instant)
1 can onion soup
1 can beef bouillon

Put uncooked rice in 1 1/2 or 2 qt casserole dish and pour soup and bouillon over it. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour.

Honeyed Glazed Carrots
12 peeled baby carrots
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey

Boil carrots in salted water for 15 minutes. Drain carrots. Combine butter, sugar and honey in saucepan stir until melted. Add carrots. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until carrots are well glazed.

Marinated Carrots
2 lbs sliced carrots
1 can tomato soup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup salad oil
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1 finely chopped onion

Cook carrots until tender. Mix all other ingredients together. Chill carrots in marinade mixture overnight. Serve hot or cold.

Mint Cucumber Salad
2 peppermint tea bags
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup yogurt
2 large cucumbers peeled and sliced

Steep tea bags in vinegar for 20 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add sugar and yogurt to minted vinegar. Mix well. pour mixture over sliced cucumbers. Toss and chill for ten minutes.

Spinach Balls
2 pkgs chopped, frozen spinach, thawed.
2 cups stuffing mix
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup minced green onion
3 beaten eggs
1/8 t nutmeg

Drain and squeeze dry spinach. Mix all ingredients together and shape into two inch balls. Cover and refigerate until baking at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Breezy Cheese Spead
1lb grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 t dry mustard
1/2 t tobasco sauce
1 t garlic powder
3 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t chicken bouillon, ground
1/2 cup sour cream
4oz white Cruzan Rum

Combine ingredients in mixer for about five minutes then whip on high until fluffy. Chopped olives are optional for added flavor.

Creamy Artichoke Spread
16 oz cream cheese
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp salt
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 small can sliced olives
7 chopped green onions
6 Tbls chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped chives

Combine cream cheese, garlic, and salt in medium mixing bowl. Stir in artichoke hearts and olives. Add remaining ingredients, mixing gently. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with crackers

Caramel Apple Salad
1 small package instant butterscotch pudding
8 oz carton thawed, frozen whipped topping
8 oz can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup miniature marshmallows
3 cups chopped apples, with peelings
1 cup dry roasted peanuts

In large bowl, whip together pudding mix, whipped topping, and pineapple with juice, until well blended. Stir in marshmallows, apples, and peanuts until mixed well. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving. 

Hot Rhubarb Pudding
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 cup unbleached flour
4 cups diced rhubarb

Whisk togehter eggs, sugar, vanilla and the flour.  Stir in rhubarb.  In a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish, add the rhubarb mixture. Bake for 40 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.

Fresh Herbed Rice
6 cups hot cooked rice
1 handful fresh chopped cilantro
1 handful fresh chopped parsley
1 handful fresh chopped green onion

Toss all ingredients together. Serve hot. This is a great side to any hearty dish!

Frog Eyed Salad
16 oz Acini Di Pepe pasta cooked and drained
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBLS flour
16 oz can crushed pineapple, drained (reserve juice)
16 oz fruit cocktail, drained (reserve juice)
1 bag miniature marshmallows (rainbow ones are fun)
8 oz frozen whipped topping (thawed)

In saucepan whisk egg until foamy. Stir in sugar, flour, and freserved liquid from canned fruit. Cook on low until thickened and bubbly. In large bowl combine cooked pasta, egg mixture, drained fruit, miniature marshmallows, and "thawed" frozen whipped topping. Chill for at least an hour before serving. Is even better chilled overnight.