Easy Entertaining - Guy Favorites

Glazed Meatballs

Best dip mixes:  Bloody Mary, Casablanca, Queen of Sheba, Rio Grande
Best salsa mixes:  Roasted Garlic, Tortuga Bay

Ingredients:
2 cups Heinz® ketchup
1 pound appetizer/cocktail size meat balls
1 package of dip or salsa mix
 
Directions:

Combine mix with ketchup.

Add a splash of water, fruit juice (lime, orange or apple), wine or ale to thin seasoned ketchup for glaze and stir to combine.

If using frozen meatballs, defrost in microwave.

Add meatballs to sauce and heat over medium heat just until sauce is bubbly. 
 
To serve:
Serve in a crock pot to keep warm.

Pile on a serving plate (provide toothpicks or appetizer plates & forks).

Place meatballs in individual serving spoons with cocktail forks. 
 
TIP:  Allow 4-5 meatballs per person.

TIP:  Make this even quicker by preparing entirely in the microwave.  Defrost time is about 3 minutes; heating takes about 4-5 minutes.  Start to finish, this takes about 10 minutes - perfect for drop in company.

TIP:  Pairs well with semi-dry wine or most ales

Sausages with Wasabi Lemon or Wasabi Ginger Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1+2 pounds kielbasa
1 package Wasabi Lemon or Wasabi Ginger dip mix
 
Directions:

Prepare dip according to package directions.  Chill unused dip for another use.

Chill at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight for flavors to set.

To grill:  Place sausage on grill over medium heat until heated through and slightly browned; turn once to cook evenly.  Let rest 2-3 minutes, then cut into 1/4" slices.

To sauté:  Cut sausage into 1/4” pieces.  Cook in large skillet over medium heat until slices are browned.
 
To Serve:

Serve in crock pot to keep warm.
Serve piled onto serving plate.
Provide toothpicks or appetizer size plates and forks.

TIP:  Allow about 5 slices per person

TIP:  Pairs well with semi-dry wine or most ales

White Cheddar Horseradish Dip & Spread

Ingredients:
1 C cup mayonnaise
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 package White Cheddar Horseradish dip mix
 
Directions:

Combine all ingredients.

Chill at lest 1 hour, preferably over night, to let flavors set.
 
To Serve:

Serve White Cheddar Horseradish dip with pretzels or crackers.  Garnish with crumbled bacon.

Slather White Cheddar Horseradish dip on hamburgers for a zingy taste treat.

TIP:  Pairs beautifully with beer or ale.

Shrimp Cocktail with 6 Sauce Flavors

 

Best Dip Mixes:  Bloody Mary, Casablanca, Queen of Sheba, Rio Grande
Best Salsa Mixes:  Roasted Garlic, Tortuga Bay

Ingredients:
2 cups Heinz® ketchup
1-2 pounds medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
1 package of dip or salsa mix

TIP:  Fresh shrimp is delicious, but will need to be shelled, deveined and cooked.  Most frozen shrimp is now flash frozen and is hard to distinguish from fresh shrimp when defrosted. To save time and money, use frozen shrimp that has already been shelled, cooked and deveined.

TIP:  Defrost frozen shrimp in fridge (takes several hours) or in a bowl of cold slowly running water (takes under 10 minutes).  Pat shrimp dry using towel or paper towels.  Repeat until towels are only damp, not still wet.  Chill until ready to use.

Directions:

Combine mix with ketchup.

Chill at least an hour, preferably over night, to allow flavors to blend.

To Serve:

Family Style:  Mound shrimp in serving bowl or plate.  Serve cocktail sauce in separate dish for dipping.

Shrimp Cocktail Shooters:  Use shot glasses for shrimp cocktail shooters.  Dollop cocktail sauce in bottom of glasses.  Hang shrimp over rim of glass, or tuck into glass so that shrimp is just resting on cocktail sauce.

Individually:  Dollop cocktail sauce in individual serving spoons.  Balance shrimp  on sauce in center of spoon.  Place spoons on serving dish or tray.  Serve with plastic or cocktail forks.
 
TIP:  Allow 4-6 shrimp per person

TIP:  If shrimp is frozen, thaw in slowly running cold water (takes less than 5 minutes).  When thawed, drain and pat dry with paper towels.

TIP:  Pairs well with semi-dry wine and most ales.