appetizer

One of the hands-down best appetizers to order at Grandma's Restaurant is their Stuffed Wild Rice Mushrooms. When our 2013 Appetizer Contest winner Alejandra A. suggested Bacon and Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, I knew we had an amazing opportunity at hand. Combine her recipe for stuffed mushrooms with Grandma's Restaurant's idea for a cheesy Mornay sauce over the top.

Pinterest is as wonderful as it is addicting. Our CasadeLindquist Pinterest page is up to thousands of pins and after a bit of digging, I found the recipe I'd been meaning to try for a while. Imagine soft pretzels (Yum!) with an added layer of melty cheese and delicious ham (double yum!). I mean, who wouldn't love that at a party?!

Nachos are an amazing food that can be made anytime for virtually any occassion. They allow the consumer (aka the person eating the food) to assemble their favorite food items together into a pile, top it off with guacamole and sour cream, and go to town. One of our new favorite recipes for nachos is similar to the Green Mill one for Chipotle Chicken & Three Cheese Nachos.

My husband and I occasionally visit a local restaurant that serves the most incredible creamy artichoke dip. Pretty much every time we go there, we have to order it because it is just that good. After a friend made his own delicious creamy artichoke dip, I realized that it was indeed possible to make a delicious batch of the stuff at home! Imagine, no more going to the restaurant just for the appetizer.

I love mozzarella sticks! They are so incredibly tasty.  So, upon finding a recipe for baked mozzarella sticks, I decided I needed to try this recipe out!

Overall,  it was quite successful: the texture was decent and mozzarella sticks themselves are very very tasty!

If you're looking for a simple snack or a great party appetizer, look no further than Pickle Rollups.  With only three ingredients and minimum preparation, these appetizers will please everyone without breaking the bank! 

My grandmother used to make these for every family gathering.  As I got older, she showed me how to make them and eventually put me in charge of them!  While they are traditionally made with corned beef, I do not usually have that particular meat around, so I started making mine with ham and they are just as tasty!  Thin sliced hard salami or a good smoked turkey works too!
And now, just as my grandmother taught me, I will pass this recipe on to you!

Every once in a while the grocery store has logs of fresh mozzarella on sale that beg to be bought and consumed. When last this happened, we purchased two logs and came up with a variety of tasty ways to incorporate them into our meals. This particular time was an experiment of condiments / sauces we had around the house, baguette bread, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. Check out these ideas!

I was recently asked to be the cook for a Luau. As I researched what kinds of foods would typically be found at such an event, I came across a variety of fun foods going beyond the pineapple that initially popped into my head. When I found a recipe for Thai Chicken Skewers, I knew that had to go on the list. 

Another taco-inspired meal for you all to enjoy: taco dip! Usually I use this as an appetizer, but occasionally we do make it into more of a salad-type meal and both ways are truly fantastic. In addition to its versatility, taco dip requires few ingredients and minimal prep time!  Let's get to it...

With every party, there should be options for healthy snacks. That's where this mini-treat comes in handy and you won't believe how easy it is to do!  Just gather up your favorite vegetables, some dip, and short shot glasses.