Question:

What appetizers can I make ahead?

Spicy Ranch Dip

This spiced up dip is excellent with crispy baked chicken wings or vegetable crudite.

1 cup ranch salad dressing
4 ounces chopped green chiles -- drained
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 Tablespoon Tabasco sauce -- (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or bottle. Mix or shake well to combine.

Let sit at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Blue Cheese & Vegetable Turnovers

2 tablespoons oil
1 pound fresh mushrooms -- finely chopped
1 medium onion -- diced
5 cloves garlic -- minced
2 leeks -- thinly sliced
1 large sweet red pepper -- julienned
1 teaspoon dried dill -- plus more for garnish
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces blue cheese -- crumbled
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 pound phyllo dough -- thawed
1/2 cup butter -- melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Saute the mushrooms,onion, garlic, leeks, red pepper,
and dill until the vegetables are tender and the liquid
has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the salt,
cheese, and bread crumbs.

Lay out the sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface, and brush it with melted butter. Fold it in -- into thirds -- lengthwise.
Cut the dough in half, forming two rectangles.

Take each rectangle and fold as you would a box top, first one side towards center, then the other,
ending up with one long strip. Then cut short way, down center
to form strips.

Put 1 rounded tablespoon of filling in the bottom
left-hand corner of one of the phyllo strips. Fold the corner up to form a triangle, and continue to fold until the edges are closed (four times). Place the finished triangles on two baking sheets.

Repeat until you have used all the filling.

Brush the triangles with the remaining melted butter,
and sprinkle with dried dill.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until crisp and browned on
the edges. Serve hot.

Broccoli & Cheese Rolls

1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Use as filling for phyllo appetizers: flags and rolls work well for this filling.

Chevre & Mushroom Phyllo Cups

Phyllo Cups

2 boxes frozen phyllo dough
2 pounds unsalted butter, melted
2 pounds button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temp
1 pound goat cheese (Chevre)
3 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1. Leave dough out at room temperature while preparing filling.

2. Saute mushrooms and garlic until moisture has evaporated. Let cool completely.

3. Mix in cheeses, dill, parsley, season to taste with salt & pepper.

4. Unroll phyllo and cover with a lightly moist towel. Butter 1 sheet of phyllo; top with another buttered sheet, then another..A total of three buttered sheets.

5. Cut the sheets into 24 squares; 6x4 and press each square into a mini muffin pan.

6. Fill each one with 1 tablespoon of the filling and refrigerate for 1/2 hour..

7. Bake at 350 degrees until brown.

Optional garnish: Fresh julienned roma tomato, 1 for each.

Yields: 75 phyllo cups

Tiny Tart Shells

Tiny tart shells, available frozen in the grocery section
are an excellent item to use for make ahead appetizers.

Prepare them with fillings of your choice, then half bake
(about 12 minutes) and flash freeze.

Once frozen, place in an airtight container until needed.

To cook, allow to partially defrost and then complete cooking
until heated through and crusts are golden.

Try Savory Mini Quiches in the recipe section.

Blue Cheese Straws

Blue Cheese and Parmesan Cheese Straws

1 large egg
2 Tablespoons water
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup finely crumbled blue cheese
1 pound frozen puff pastry -- thawed
paprika

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and water to make an egg wash; set aside.

In another bowl, toss together the Parmesan and blue cheeses; set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each puff pastry sheet into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle.

Brush both of the pastry sheets to the edges with the egg wash and sprinkle with paprika. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over one of the pastry sheets and top with the other pastry sheet, egg wash side down. Roll out the pastry with a rolling pin to flatten slightly.

Cut the pastry in half horizontally with a sharp knife and then lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Carefully pick up a stick and, with both hands, twist to form a spiral (left hand counter-clockwise, right hand clockwise).

Arrange cheese straws about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets, pressing ends onto the sheets. Bake until golden and puffed, about 12-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool before serving

NOTES : Cheese straws can be made ahead and frozen until ready to use or baked up to two days ahead and kept in an airtight container. To recrisp them, place in a 400-degree oven until heated through, about 3-5 minutes.