Quick & Easy Italian Appetizers to Feed a Crowd

Great Italian Appetizers to Serve a Big Crowd on Short Notice

If you are having a big event in your home, there is nothing better to serve as appetizers than Italian food. The incredible blending of herbs and spices along with the masterful recipes make this one of the best foods you can possibly serve. Plus, Italian food offers selections that will fit just about any palate. No matter what kind of food you like to eat, you can be sure that there is some Italian appetizer that will fit that taste.

While this is incredible food, some of these appetizers can be rather time-consuming to make. Others require a lot of different ingredients and prep work, something you may not have the time or money for. You need something that you can make quick and easy that everyone will love.

Perfect for Any Occasion

Italian food is perfect for any occasion. The wide assortment of dishes allows you to appeal to all of your guests. There are a number of people who are using Italian appetizers for events you may not have considered before. These appetizers are often used for sporting events or movie nights, but there are those who are expanding it into an entirely different industry.

The casino theme party night at home is one such example. In a rush preparing for a last-minute gathering at your place or hosting a casino night party at home, these quick and easy recipes will save your day. Italian appetizers are the perfect choice.

This may sound great, but maybe you do not know any recipes to make that are quick and easy. Here are four that should help you to turn that special event into an incredible one.

Italian Cheese Puffs

If you have been to an Italian restaurant, you have likely tasted these already. They are fantastic. Italian cheese puffs are very easy to make and it is likely that the vast majority of ingredients that you need for this you already have in your home. These include water, unsalted butter, flour, eggs, and milk. The only ingredients you may need to get are prosciutto cheese, fontina cheese, and minced chives.

To get started, you will want to follow these steps:

• Mix 1-1/2 cups of water and 1-1/2 sticks of butter in a pan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and add 1-1/2 cups of flour. Mix well using a wooden spoon and tell the dough begins to form into a ball. Continue to stir for about two more minutes.
• Using an electric mixer, blend six eggs. Add a single egg and beat thoroughly, then add the next until you have added all six eggs.
• Next, stir in 1 cup of prosciutto cheese, ¼ cup of fontina cheese, and 2 tablespoons of minced chives into your dough mix.
• Form the dough into small little balls, coat with your egg blend, and then place on a cookie sheet. When you have placed all of your balls on the sheet, add sprinkles of the remaining cheeses.
• Bake between 30 and 40 minutes. This should make enough for 30 to 32 people.

Italian Appetizer Bread

If you want something a little more extravagant, then Italian appetizer bread may be the choice for you. This recipe serves 16 people, so increase the ingredients to fit your needs. What you will need to start is butter, chopped garlic, a loaf of frozen bread to, deli salami, provolone cheese, green olives, eggs, water, and poppy seeds if you so desire.

Now follow this recipe:

• Stir 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic into a small bowl. Take out your dough and roll it out into a 12 in square pan. Brush the butter-garlic mixture across the dough.
• Next, cut your salami and cheese into strips and place in the center of the dough so that there is about 4 inches to each side. Add other ingredients, such as onions and olives as you desire.
• Now, on each side cut small strips about 3 inches long, separated about 1 inch apart.
• This should be done on both sides of the dough in the sections where you did not put salami and cheese. Fold the strips across the center in a crisscross pattern so it has a braided look.
• Put in a preheated oven at 350°F for between 30 and 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and you are ready to eat.

Antipasto Skewers

Maybe you want to go a little simpler. That is easy to do. You could make antipasto skewers instead. All you need is wooden skewers, cherry or grape tomatoes, cheese, black olives, mushrooms, salami, ham, and Italian vinaigrette dressing. This recipe calls for that many ingredients, but you can reduce and change as you desire.

• Begin by lightly sautéing the mushrooms in a mixture of butter and the Italian vinaigrette dressing.
• When done, cut your salami, cheese, ham in small sections. The salami or ham should be cut in strips about 2 inches long
•  If you are using mozzarella as your cheese, it may already be cut in small balls. Otherwise, cut your cheese into small cubes about ¼ inch.
• Put each of your ingredients in a small bowl. Now it is time to do something like an assembly line.
• Go to each of your bowls and place one of the items on your skewer.
• Make sure to fold the strips of pepperoni, ham, or salami so that it is layered at about the same size as your other ingredients.
• When you are done, take a baking brush and lightly bathe your skewers in the Italian vinaigrette. That is all there is to it.

Italian Tomato Sandwiches

Bread and sandwich types of appetizers are always a winner because you can modify them to fit your particular taste. We will give you a simple selection here in the Italian tomato sandwich, but you can get more extravagant as you desire. What you will need to get started is minced garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, Italian shredded or mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, a French baguette, tomatoes, and parsley.

• In a small mixing bowl, combine 8 ounces of cream cheese, ¼ cup of sour cream, ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup of Italian or mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Blend thoroughly and refrigerate for about two hours.
• Cut your French baguette into thin slices about ¼ inch thick. Also, dice your tomatoes into small cubes.
• After your garlic-cheese mixture has been refrigerated, spread it on your slices of the bread. Put pieces of tomato in the center along with some chopped parsley. That is all there is to it.
• You can add other ingredients such as olives, pepperoni, or other ingredients to put on the top.

Your event can be a big-time success now. These recipes will feed dozens of people and they take you very little time to complete. So, enjoy!