Need cheap and easy tapas ideas

[chef_Tab]

The winery that I volunteer at is having this March madness event and hundreds of people show up throughout the day on weekends. This weekend's theme is Sangria and the manager asked me for ideas to serve as a nibble to the customers. I thought of tapas. The thing is it has to sit all day, be very inexpensive, and easy to make in large quanties. For example, last week there was minestrone soup in one crockpot and little smokies soaking in bbq sauce in another. Any ideas would be appreciated. Inexpensive is the big key.

[cjs]

Here are a few ideas I've done for the wineries around here, Thresea.

Truffle popcorn - folks just loved bowls of this around the winery

Goat Cheese & Rosemary Bread Pudding -
I diced the bread really small and poured the pudding on sheet pans and cooked. Cut in small squares and served with pickes in them. (1/2 sheet pan produced 144 squares - so they go a long way)

Any kind of a dip made thick enough to pipe onto crackers/toasted bread rounds, etc. (keeps people from double dippng serving as a dip.) or pipe into those toastado bowl chips.

Wraps are so easy (and cheap) to make ahead and just slice as needed - another where a little goes a long way

sliced cocktail bread rounds pipe with cream cheese mixed with apricot jam, goat cheese, stilton, fig jam, etc.

Costco meatballs heated with grape jelly(or apple jelly mixed with dijon) served with picks in a chafing dish.

Pepperoni squares - pepperoni and muenster cheese batter and baked; cut into squares and servd with a pick. (Can also have a marinara sauce just drizzled over at service.)

On small picks - skewer a slice of sausage, cooked tortellini and a square of red bell or cheese cube - just a small bite.

a commercial tapenade spread on crackers or toasted bread rounds.

If you'd like any recipes for the above, I'd be glad to send them to you.

[Gourmet_Mom]

Great tips, Jean. I want to copy these down for future reference. I need to create a file for this kind of thing. We have so many party/catering/reception idea threads on here.

[cjs]

These are all very easy, fast and inexpensive.

[chef_Tab]

thanks so much Jean!!! I will talk to the manager and see what she wants to do. Somehow I knew you would come to the rescue. I will even offer to help make stuff.

[labradors]

Quote:

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Truffle popcorn

Goat Cheese 7 Rosemary Bread Pudding

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Easy, yes, but cheap?

Still, they sound WONDERFUL!

[Vanquisher]

BACON-WRAPPED DATES with ALMONDS and GOAT CHEESE
24 large fresh dates
12 slices thin bacon, halved crosswise
2 ounces goat cheese
24 unsalted almonds, toasted


1. Preheat oven to 500° F.

2. Pit dates, tearing them open as little as possible. Set dates aside.

3. Roughly chop almonds and mix with goat cheese.

4. Stuff dates with goat cheese mixture and wrap dates with bacon.

5. Place dates on a baking sheet, seam side down, at least 1/2 inch apart. Bake until bacon is golden and crisp, 8-15 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside to cool briefly before serving.

Bruschetta, Olive Tapenade, Olives and Cheese tray, Smoked Salmon

I don't know.

[Gourmet_Mom]

Theresa, I just remembered my trip to "A Taste of Southport"...DUH!

I don't know the cost of yellow-fin tuna, but those Cucumber Rolls the other day were REALLY good and there was not more than a sliver (1/2 ounce) of tuna in each roll...with that flavor, it didn't take much.

Then there was the Gravlax that Kelli served at "A Taste of Southport". One slab of tuna would go a VERY long way. She had shaved off 10 or more slivers of salmon and hadn't made much of a dent in it. If you served it like she did...crostini, thin slice of cuke, thin sheet of gravlax, dollop of HOMEMADE creme fraiche, and a few capers sprinkled over...it would be fairly cost effective.

If you're interested in details, let me know.

[chef_Tab]

Thanks Heidi and Daphne. I will definitely bring some of these up too. We will most likely need 200-300 of whatevers, so I think the dates are out. I know I am not offering to stuff that many, not even with Billy's assembly line stuffing method.

[cjs]

"Truffle popcorn
Goat Cheese & Rosemary Bread Pudding - Easy, yes, but cheap?"

Yes, they both are when you think about it - The popcorn takes just dribbles of the oil.

For 144 pieces, about 3/4 lb. cheese works out to be pretty good costwise.