Need Ideas...

http://realhousemoms.com/bacon-and-rotel-cups/

These are delicious and super easy. I am sure they could be smoked at high temp instead of the oven.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sausage-cheese-balls/6a2a7890-c685-4991-b699-743fd880486f

Made these a few times. I used hot sausage

Jalapeno popper dip

Steamed green beans mixed with fresh mozzarella balls and Italian dressing is always a nice healthier app too

Tried to stick with ones that are easier to make in bulk

bacon-wrapped chicken bites

It's a little fussy for a large crowd, but lately I've been doing dates stuffed with goat cheese and almonds, wrapped in bacon. Smoked and served hot or room temp.

How about a spinach, artichoke, bacon, cheese dip using smoked cheese and then smoke the entire dish? the top gets smokey and brown. Dang, now I'm hungry...

Great timing on your post, Lionel. Got a family thing this Saturday but not that many folks. Making ABTs but want to make something else too. Those Rotel Cups sound good.

Smoked chicken ranch dip.....chicken smoked then pulled and mixed with ranch, hot sauce, cream cheese, etc. It's always the first app to disappear at parties...

Smoked salmon and cream cheese dip (with fresh dill, capers, onion etc) is always a hit...I make a basic brined and hot smoked salmon (I use the frozen fillets) and serve the dip with baguette rounds that I toast in the oven.

greenmountainsmoke said:

bacon-wrapped chicken bites

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I was thinking the same thing

What did you end up making, Lionel? I made those "bacon and rotel cups" and they were pretty darn good.

krex1010 said:

Smoked salmon and cream cheese dip (with fresh dill, capers, onion etc) is always a hit...I make a basic brined and hot smoked salmon (I use the frozen fillets) and serve the dip with baguette rounds that I toast in the oven.

Click to expand...

This!

Here's our go-to recipe (from Food Network's Ina Garden) for about the last 8 years (since we discovered it). Though, I suppose we cheat and use the store-bought smoked salmon. :mrgreen:

Depending on how much work you want to do, you can go the route of curing and smoking some pork tenderloin. It only takes 3 days to cure and probably 4-6 hours of smoking. It is SO GOOD. It'll come out like the best ham you ever put in your porktrap.



This is a dry cure with 1/2oz Morton's sugar cure + 1 tsp/lb of white sugar and 1 tsp/lb brown sugar. Rub on both sides of meat, seal up in a ziplock. Flip every 24 hours for 3 days. Do not drain off any liquid released.

Take tenderloins out, soak in ample water (2 gallons should do it) for 2 hours. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP lest you end up with hardly edible, very salty tenderloin.

Pull them out of the water, blot down, season with coarse fresh cracked pepper, place directly into waiting smoker. If you can smoke at 150, do it. Smoking over 170 will impact the quality of the end product as you will start to melt fat. Smoke it until you get bored, but at least 4 hours. Do not let temps of meat go over 140 degrees.

This is actually very easy to do, but the process is necessarily specific. I'm bringing this to my company Christmas party on Saturday.

Lionel, you need to try these.

No matter what else I cook, these always seem to steal the spotlight

Bacon Wrapped Pears

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233893&highlight=Bacon+wrapped+pears

Bacon jam...

http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-jam-463068



This ^ is an eight pound batch I have going right now. I make a couple tweaks to the base recipe (balsamic, chipotle, sriracha & cabernet sauvignon)but it's good start. See you at the Betty Ford Clinic if you decide to give it a try. :loco:

Chicken wings,quick easy,and always a favorite.

We love Thai flavors. What about:

Chicken Satay Skewers w/ peanut dip... stuff on a stick is always cool-
and maybe a couple other dip options in case of allergies

Thai Meatballs... lots of recipes. Toothpick serve