Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Easy Southern Appetizers

Appetizers are great for sporting events, parties and holidays alike. In early history, only the wealthy were privileged enough to enjoy them; today, however, appetizers are considered a welcome treat by most everyone. Native to the southern United States, these easy appetizers are sure to be a hit at your next get-together.








Cheese Straws


A favorite appetizer in many homes in the southern U.S. is the ever-so-tasty cheese straw. This easy appetizer may fool you with its looks, but it sure packs a punch when it comes to flavor. Cheese straws can be made in the traditional straw shape or any shape you choose. They are the perfect complement to any soup or salad, but also make a great snack on their own.


All you need to make cheese straws is flour, butter, shredded cheddar cheese, salt, ground red pepper and paprika. Mix all the ingredients together, roll out and cut into the desired shape, and bake.


Southern Roasted Pecans


Pecan trees grow primarily in the south, and another easy southern appetizer that utilizes the fruit of these great trees is southern roasted pecans. Southern-style roasted pecans are made by coating pecans with an egg mixture, dusting them with a mixture of sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon, and then roasting them in an oven on low heat for about an hour.


Southern-Style Tacos


Put a new twist on the familiar southern-style taco, and it will be sure to be a hit at your next gathering. This new version of the taco is called a fruit taco, and it certainly qualifies as an easy southern appetizer, taking less than 15 minutes to prepare. So if you are short on time, this is a great choice.


To make fruit tacos, simply brown some coconut in the oven and while this is baking, fill a bowl with your favorite fruits such as apples, bananas, grapes and strawberries. You will want to be sure to add some pourable fruit, which can be found in the jelly section of most grocery stores. Fill taco shells with your fruit mixture, top them with vanilla yogurt and to finish up sprinkle the browned coconut over the yogurt.


A more traditional-style taco appetizer is the southern layered taco. This taco will feed a large amount of people and can be prepared in less than 10 minutes. All you need to make this easy southern appetizer is: refried beans, olives, avocado dip, green onions, tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese. Layer the ingredients on a large pizza pan and serve with corn chips or tortilla chips.

Tags: easy southern, easy southern appetizer, southern appetizer, cheddar cheese, less than