Five Easy Appetizers to Fix in a Pinch

Preparing appetizers for a party, a special dinner, an office potluck or any other occasion doesn't have to be stressful. So, the next time you are caught unprepared or find yourself out of tasty appetizer ideas, try throwing together any of the following appetizer recipes to save the day and your sanity.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

8 oz Cream Cheese

7.5 oz Marshmallow Fluff

Allow cream cheese to soften and then blend both ingredients together until completely mixed and fluffy. That's it! Use this dip with sliced apples, strawberries, grapes, peaches or any other fruit that catches your fancy.

Cream Cheese and Crackers

8 oz Cream Cheese

1 box Water Crackers

Sliced Olives (green and black)

Pimentos

Shredded Cheese

Spread softened cream cheese over each cracker. Garnish cream cheese crackers with sliced olives, pimentos and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. You can also add tiny pinches of spices, like dill, if you like. This appetizer is simple, yet elegant and tasty.

Tropical Smokies

1 or 2 bags of Lil Smokies

1 or 2 cans large chunk pineapple

1 bottle of regular BBQ sauce

Coconut Flakes (optional)

Put all the ingredients into the crockpot and stir until mixed well. Set crockpot on medium and allow mixture to cook for about 2 hours. Serve tropical smokies sprinkled with coconut flakes and toothpicks for eating utensils.

Sausage Cheese Balls

2 16 oz. pkgs. Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
1.5 cups self-rising flour or Bisquick
4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Form into 1 or 2 inch balls. Place each ball on an ungreased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake sausage cheese balls for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow the sausage cheese balls to cool at least 5 minutes before removing from pan and serving.

Apple Cherry Spring Rolls

1 can apple pie filling

1 can cherry pie filling

1 pack of spring roll wrappers

Butter-flavored Crisco

Powdered Sugar

Peel off a spring roll wrapper and brush one side, lightly, with water. Spoon apple and cherry pie filling on to bottom center of spring roll wrapper. Starting with fruit covered portion of spring roll wrapper, roll wrapper upwards until you reach the other end of the wrapper. Brush the closure seam with water and sit aside with seam-side down. Continue to roll apple cherry spring rolls until you run out of ingredients. Heat oil until a drop of water crackles softly when dropped into it. Now you are ready to begin deep-frying your rolls. Carefully put a roll into the hot oil and allow it to cook until it reaches a light golden brown all over. The filling is already cooked, so you are only cooking the spring roll until crispy and brown. Remove the spring roll from the oil, drain oil on paper towels, move to a platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Continue until all the apple cherry spring rolls are finished. Serve spring rolls with whipped cream, raspberry sauce, ice cream or whatever else sounds good to you.

Each of these appetizers has gotten me mountains of praise at all types of occasions. I hope they serve you as well.