Inexpensive appetizers?

Bruschetta is fairly easy, inexpensive, and still looks nice.

Here's a recipe

Bruschetta

INGREDIENTS:

1 (8 ounce) loaf French

baguette

1 1/2 cups spinach - packed,

rinsed and torn

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

cheese

3 cups finely chopped almonds

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 clove garlic, minced

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons thinly sliced

green onion

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Arrange the bread slices on a non-stick cookie sheet.

2. In an electric blender or food processor combine the spinach, Parmesan, almonds, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Blend until a paste forms. Pulse in 2 tablespoons olive oil; continue pulsing until the mixture is the consistency of soft butter.

3. In a small mixing bowl combine chopped tomatoes, green onion and 1 tablespoon olive oil; stir.

4. Bake the bread slices for 5 minutes or until crisp and brown.

5. Arrange toast on a serving platter. Spread each piece of toast with a thin layer of the blended pesto, then top with the tomato mixture.

Stuffed mushrooms : clean and remove stems off the mushrooms. Chop it finely and some onions. Saute the onions, mushroom stems (that have been chopped) with salt. Remove cool and add breadcrumbs and chopped parsley leaves. Stuff the cleaned caps with this mix and top with a dot of grated cheese, bake until cooked and place under broiler to brown the cheese for a few seconds. This is a versatile recipe. You can add anything else you want and have to this and it will be good. Have fun.

Finger sandwiches (spread egg salad, tuna salad, cream cheese, or various meat fillings(Armour/Little devil) on bread

and cut into triangle shapes. I would buy fresh bread from the bakery like marble, wheat, soudough.Deviled eggs.

OR

Rolled sandwiched made into pinwheels-Flour tortilla, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, and turkey/or ham (do a few veg's)

OR

Buy seven layer dip (Salsa, Cheese, Sour Cream, Guaco, Beans,etc) and buy a spinach dip

Serve with tortilla chips, crackers

Be sure to have some vegetables/ and or fruit.

Take some dry salami or regular.Spread cream cheese on it, then take a pickle and slice it into spears that fit.Roll the salami up and chill.Good and easy.Tortillas with cream cheese and chopped chili peppers rolled are good.Just remember to chill well.Takes pretzel sticks and put olives,cheese or chunks of ham on them,no waste or mess.Hope this helps.

When my Mum entertains, she always buys these frozen mini-quiches. They come in a box with two varieties - spinach & cheese and bacon & cheese.

I know the spinach ones are excellent! (I'm a veggie and I didn't try the bacon ones). I think that would go well with your wine.

You might also try some hummus and fancy crackers...like the really thin ones with no salt that you find in a fancy deli.

Good luck!

Fruit and cheese are always good.

Salami, smear thin layer of cream cheese, top with pepperoncini or sundried tomato. roll, secure with toothpick.

Cream cheese is very versatile. Get a small block, open and place on serving plate, cover with:

cooked baby shrimp and cocktail sauce (or) Ham glaze (like Honey Baked) and warm slightly. Serve with crackers.

I wouldn't do an appetizer. Your menu should be spaghetti with ground meat in the marinara sauce(easier and cheaper than meatballs),salad,roll, drink & dessert. The dessert can be anything such as pound cake,brownies,or cookies. All three are easily and cheaply mass produced .

Hope you didn't mean Philly cream cheese. Here's a simple recipe:

Take one 8 oz. block of cream cheese and put on a plate. Pour "Picka Pepper" sauce all over it. Really good and zingy.

Fresh Fruit

You can buy crab wontons or finger foods in the frozen section of your local wholesale warehouse just heat and serve.

I had these delicious pinwheels called "Mediterranean Pinwheels" http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/pillsbury-bakeoff/13...

there is the recipe for it. They were really good! maybe a little expensive, with the feta cheese and the prosciutto, but one recipe makes like 20 little pinwheels!

Try it you wont be disappointed!