I need a good appetizer and side dish recipe!?

Hi everyone :)


I am going to a friends house tonight for dinner. I told her I would bring an appetizer. Any suggestions?


Also, I need a good side dish for a baby shower tomorrow. If you have a step by step recipe with specific ingredients that would be super helpful. Thanks :)I need a good appetizer and side dish recipe!?
These are the easiest and yummiest appetizers. I get requested to make these at all our parties. This was a high-rate recipe on allrecipes.com, but I played around with it a bit and came up with some changes that makes it even better.





Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms


1/2 pound ground pork sausage (I chop mine up in the food processor so it's very fine)


1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened


1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, stems removed





DIRECTIONS


Preheat oven to 350.





Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl.


Blend cream cheese with the sausage. Stuff mushroom caps with the cream cheese and sausage mixture.





Arrange stuffed mushroom caps on a medium baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and then put under the broiler for 2 minutes to brown.





I added the following changes to the recipe.





I fry up garlic with my sausage and add onion powder to the mixture.





I also melt some butter and mix it with seasoned bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese. I then take the mushrooms once filled and dip it into the bread crumbs.





They take some prep time, but they are very delicious.


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Side dish:





I bring this to potlucks and it's always a hit:





Hashbrown Casserole





2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (you can use cream of celery, cream of chicken or a combination)


1 1/2 cups sour cream


2 tablespoons butter, softened


2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes


ground black pepper to taste


1 (2 pound) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed


4 ounces extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded


1/2 cup crushed cornflakes cereal





Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.





In a large bowl, mix together the soup, sour cream, butter, dried onion flakes, and pepper. Stir in the hash browns and 1/2 the cheese. Pour into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and top with crushed cornflakes.





Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.I need a good appetizer and side dish recipe!?
For appetiser, figs with Parma ham. No cooking and it depends entirely on the quality of the ingredients.





For side dish, buttered spinach. Buy a bag of spinach and take it with you. When you get to your friends, butter a saucepan, put the spinach in, put the lid on and put it on the lowest heat for ten minutes. Shake and serve.
I went somewhere last night, and she had the easiest, most FANTASTIC appetizer! She just got a jar of Raspberry Chipolte sauce (near the dressings or maybe BBQ sauces) and put 1/2 the jar over a softened rectangle of cream cheese, with crackers. It was incredibly good, and different.....





I make this rice alot, since it can be served hot, cold or room temp (and can be made a couple of days ahead)





ARTICHOKE RICE SALAD


1 pkg. chicken flavored rice mix (like Rice-a-Roni)


2 green onions, thinly sliced


2 jars marinated artichoke hearts, cut up


8 pimento-stuffed olives, thinly sliced


1/3 c. mayonnaise


1-2 tsp. curry powder


Make the rice per the package; stir everything else into hot rice to mix well. Serve hot, cold or room temp
For the Baby Shower take





Crockpot meatballs





2 12 oz jars of seafood cocktail sauce or Heinz chili sauce


1 32 oz jar grape jelly


1 bag meatballs (about 80 in a bag)





Put chili sauce and jelly in a large pot, heat until jelly is melted and sauce is smooth, stirring often. Add frozen meatballs; heat until meatballs are thawed and then simmer for 3 hours.





For tonight take


A warm dip and some gourmet crackers


warm artichoke


http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1947,148鈥?/a>





Here some other other warm dips


http://partyfood.suite101.com/article.cf鈥?/a>
Here's a good app, quick and easy.





1 jar dried beef slices (buy near the tuna)


2 pkgs cream cheese


1 tbsp prepared horseradish (or maybe 2 if you like it hot)





Mix the cream cheese with the horseradish. Spread on the beef slices. Roll each slice up and secure with a toothpick through it.





These have trouble making it to the guests in my house....
Try a wheel of Brie with Cranberry or Hot Pepper Pomegranate Chutney over the top, serve with crackers or small crusty bread slices