2016 Copyright by Marg Ruttan. All rights reserved. Except for reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced without permission from the author.

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2 2016 Copyright by Marg Ruttan. All rights reserved. Except for reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced without permission from the author. You can get a FREE copy of Grandma's Best Appetizers. Just click the tab below to get started. We will never share your with anyone else. Your privacy is assured.

3 Other Books by Marg Ruttan Grandma's Best Comfort Food Grandma's Best Casseroles Grandma's Best Soup Recipes Grandma's Best Chocolate Recipes Grandma's Best Cookie Recipes Grandma's Best Cake Recipes Grandma's Best Muffin Recipes Grandma's Best Cupcake Recipes Grandma's Best Christmas Recipes Grandma's Best Holiday Candy and Fudge Grandma's Best Recipes

4 Contents Other Books by Marg Ruttan... 3 Introduction... 6 Salmon Remingtons... 7 Quick and Easy Kabobs... 9 Stuffed Cucumber Stuffed Celery Stuffed Tomatoes Sausage Rolls Cheddar Tarts Tiny Quiche Pizza Quiche Shrimp Ball Onion Cheese Ball Potato Skins Ham Roll Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings Spiced Nuts Mom s Devilled Eggs Snow Peas and Crab Layered Crab Spread Shrimp Spread Carrot Spread Salmon Spread... 29

5 Roast Beef Roll Ups Bruschetta BLT Cucumbers Berry Dip... 33

6 Introduction As many of you know, I have a whole series of books, Grandma s Best Recipes that focus on recipes my own grandmothers, my mother, I and my daughters all use. These recipes, for the most part, are old-fashioned and almost all the recipes are made from scratch. That series of cookbooks has been well received and people seem to like the idea of having food that is made from scratch. However, so many women today are busy, busy, busy. And many don t have the time it takes to spend hours in the kitchen. Now, many of the recipes in the Grandma s Best Recipes series don t take forever, but they weren t written with speed in mind. For that reason, I have decided to create a second series of cookbooks, this one to be titled Grandma s Quick & Easy Recipes. This new series will use all kinds of newer recipes that very well may include such things as cake mixes, Pillsbury crescent rolls and other such conveniences. I have come to realize that many of these products help us create tasty and wholesome meals that don t take as long to make as some of the more traditional recipes. So this new series of books will be written to accommodate those recipes that are truly quick and easy and yet are bursting with flavor. I hope you enjoy the new series!

7 Salmon Remingtons My Mom talked for years about Grandma making Salmon Remingtons and how good they were. Unfortunately, Mom didn t have a recipe, but every time she talked about them, my mouth watered. Finally, I convinced her to figure out how they were made and she did. I m glad I nagged her to do so as these are a really delicious treat. Here s her recipe, which I m sure you ll like as much as we do. 12 large tart shells, baked 1 tbsp. butter 2 celery stalks, finely diced 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp. flour 1 ⅓ cups milk 4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. white pepper ½ tsp. dry mustard 2 cups cooked, flaked salmon (use fresh salmon if possible) chopped green onion Paprika Method: I use Tenderflake frozen tart shells for this recipe. In a frying pan, over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the celery and onions for about 6 7 minutes. Add the flour, and stirring constantly, cook for a minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. The milk will gradually thicken to form a sauce. Add the seasonings and mustard. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. Add the

8 salmon and blend gently into the sauce. Spoon the filling into the tart shells and sprinkle with chopped green onion and paprika. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the Remingtons are piping hot. Serve immediately. Variations: Use tuna, crab, shrimp, scallops or lobster in place of salmon. Add1/2 cup green or red pepper for a totally different taste. Add 1 tsp. dillweed, basil or oregano. Sprinkle the Remingtons with toasted sesame seeds.

9 Quick and Easy Kabobs When my daughter, Stacy and I had our catering business we used these often. They are easy to make and look great and you can use such a wide variety of different food on them. You ll need long toothpicks (about 3 ones) which you should be able to buy at a grocery store. If not, try a party store. Then you need items to place on the toothpicks. You can make any combination of items. We usually found that three to four items on a toothpick were lots. The quantities of each item you need will depend on the number of people you are serving and how many additional dishes you ll be using. So here are the things we used on the kabobs. Buy the appropriate amount of each for the number of people to be served. Stuffed olives Ham cubes Cooked sausage Pineapple chunks Maraschino cherries Cheese cubes Small shrimp Small piece celery Pickled onion Cube of turkey Cube of roast beef Cube cucumber Use these in any combination and you ll have kabobs fit for a king!

10 Stuffed Cucumber Here s another quick and easy way to make some great appetizers. These little bite-sized pieces of cucumber are really yummy and you can make them in just a few minutes. They can be made a few hours ahead and stored in the fridge as well. 1 straight cucumber 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature ½ tsp. dry onion flakes, crushed ½ tsp. dried dill Paprika Score the cucumber all around by scraping from top to bottom with fork tines. Cut ends off and cut cucumber in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds from the center. A small spoon works well for this. Mash cream cheese and stir in onion flakes and dill. Stuff cucumber. Wrap and chill. Cut into bite-sized pieces when ready to serve and sprinkle with paprika. Variations: Stuff with peanut butter and tiny pieces of banana. Stuff with chopped tomato and 1 tsp. dried basil. Stuff with green onion and salsa.

11 Stuffed Celery Here s another really quick and easy way to make all kinds of appetizers. There are as many ways to stuff celery as there are celery stalks. You can use some of these stuffing recipes for cucumbers as well. For these recipes you will probably need 6 stalks of celery. Shrimp Stuffing: 1 4 oz. can broken shrimp, drained 4 oz. cream cheese ¼ tsp. lemon juice ¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp. finely chopped green onion 3 tbsp. mayonnaise ½ tsp. dried parsley flakes ¼ tsp. onion salt Mix together well. Stuff celery stalks. Chill. Olive Stuffing: 4 oz. cream cheese 2 tbsp. ketchup 2 tbsp. very finely chopped pecans 7 stuffed green olives, finely chopped Mix all ingredients. Stuff celery stalks. Chill. Green Onion Stuffing: 6 green onions finely chopped 4 oz. cream cheese 2 tbsp. finely chopped red pepper ½ tsp. oregano Paprika

12 Mix all ingredients except paprika. Stuff celery stalks. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill.

13 Stuffed Tomatoes I first made this recipe a while back and fell in love with it. It only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and you can make it ahead and just add the filling to the tomatoes when you are ready to serve it. It is awesome! 10 Roma tomatoes 1 6 oz. can crabmeat ½ cup finely chopped celery ⅓ cup plain yogurt 2 tbsp. minced green onion 2 tbsp. finely chopped red pepper ½ tsp. lemon juice ¼ tsp. salt ⅛ tsp. pepper 2 tbsp. finely chopped green onion Method: Remove shell and cartilage from crabmeat. Drain. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out centers of tomatoes. Discard pulp. Invert on paper towels. Combine all remaining ingredients except second amount of green onion. Mix well. Fill tomato halves with crab mixture. Refrigerate 2 hours. Sprinkle with second amount of green onion.

14 Sausage Rolls Doesn t everyone love sausage rolls? They are quick and easy to make and I use Pillsbury Crescent rolls to make mine. 1 tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls 16 sausage links, cooked ½ tsp. ground sage Method: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lay crescent rolls out and cut into triangles. Place a sausage on each crescent roll triangle and sprinkle with just a hint of sage. Roll up from the wide side of the triangle with the sausage in the middle. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes until crescent rolls are browned. Cool. Store in refrigerator. To serve: Arrange sausage rolls on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Heat rolls for about 10 minutes or until hot. Serve immediately.

15 Cheddar Tarts These are so easy to make and they are also yummy to eat. They take just a few minutes to make and then while they are cooking you can be busy doing something else. Best served warm. 24 tart shells (I use Tenderflake ones) 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1 egg ½ cup milk ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. onion salt Method: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Divide cheese evenly among tart shells. Beat egg until frothy. Mix in milk, salt and onion salt. Spoon into shells. Bake for about 25 minutes or until filling is set. Makes 24 tarts

16 Tiny Quiche I love quiche in all kinds of formats but I especially love this particular recipe. It is quick and easy to make and the taste is awesome. 24 tart shells (I use frozen Tenderflake ones) 8 slices bacon cut in bite-sized pieces 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese 3 eggs 1 ½ cups half and half cream ¼ cup finely chopped green onion ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper Method: Place unbaked tart shells on cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a frying pan cook bacon until crisp. Remove and place on paper towel to drain off excess fat. In a medium-sized bowl combine bacon, cheese, eggs, half and half, onion and salt and pepper. Pour evenly into tart shells. Bake for about minutes or until eggs are set and crust is golden brown. Makes 24 tarts. Variations: Add ½ cup finely chopped shrimp to the filling. Add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes with seeds removed to the filling.

17 Pizza Quiche These are so good and everyone loves them. We like to have lots when I make them because they disappear so fast. 24 frozen tart shells (I use Tenderflake) ½ cup pizza sauce 1 cup finely diced ham or pepperoni or other deli meat ½ cup finely diced green pepper ½ cup finely diced mushrooms (optional) ½ cup grated Cheddar cheese 3 eggs 1 cup milk ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper ¼ tsp. oregano ¼ tsp. garlic powder ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese Method: Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium-sized bowl combine pizza sauce, meat, green pepper, mushrooms, and Cheddar cheese. In a small bowl combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder. Stir well. Pour over veggie mixture. Spoon evenly into tart shells. Bake for about minutes or until eggs are set and crusts are golden brown. Makes 24 tarts.

18 Shrimp Ball The first time I made this recipe I couldn t believe how good it was. We made it many, many times while we were catering and it always disappeared in a hurry. Serve with a variety of crackers and you ve got a real treat. ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup softened butter (not margarine) 2 4 oz. cans broken shrimp 2 tbsp. minced green onion ⅛ tsp. garlic powder 1 tbsp. lemon juice Parsley, chopped Paprika Method: Cream mayonnaise and butter. Add shrimp, onion, garlic powder and lemon juice. Mix and form into a ball. The butter firms up once you chill the ball. Gently roll the ball in the fresh chopped parsley and some paprika. Chill thoroughly before serving.

19 Onion Cheese Ball We used to serve a lot of cheese balls when we were doing the catering and this one was a favorite with everyone. You ll find the flavor is really appealing. Just serve with a variety of crackers and you ve got it made. 2 8 oz. tubs cream cheese at room temperature 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese ½ cup finely diced green onion 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. onion flakes 1 tsp. lemon juice ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper ⅛ tsp. salt Finely chopped pecans or parsley Method: Mix all ingredients except pecans or parsley. Form into a ball. Roll ball in the chopped pecans or parsley. Chill well before serving. You can also form this into individual tiny cheese balls if you would like something a bit different.

20 Potato Skins Doesn t everyone like potato skins? I don t know one person who doesn t like them. They are a really welcome appetizer at most gatherings. And these are really easy to make too! 6 medium potatoes, baked and cooled 6 tbsp. butter, melted ¾ cup grated Cheddar cheese ½ cup bacon bits ¾ cup sour cream Method: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cut each potato into 4 lengthwise sections. Scoop out pulp, leaving a shell about ¼ thick. Don t leave shell too thick or it won t be crisp enough. Brush shells on both sides with melted butter. Arrange on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon bits. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Put a dollop of sour cream on each piece to serve.

21 Ham Roll This is another of those awesome recipes we used to make when we were catering. We have also made it often for our own family. I ve also included a couple of variations for you. 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 tbsp. mayonnaise 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce ¼ tsp. onion salt 6 cooked ham slices Method: Mash first four ingredients. Mix well. Spread on ham slices. Roll as for a jelly roll. Chill. Cut into slices when chilled. These can either be placed on a plate or directly on a cracker. Variations: Roll a thin slice of dill pickle up inside the ham and cheese. Chill and slice. Wrap the spread ham around a thin round of pepperoni. Chill and slice.

22 Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings If you like chicken wings you ll love this recipe. It s easy to make and the flavor is exceptional. We use this recipe often. 3 lbs. chicken wings Sprinkle of salt and pepper 1 cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup water ¼ cup vinegar ¼ cup soy sauce 1 tbsp. ketchup Method: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place chicken wings on a foil-lined baking sheet with sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put sugar and flour into a small pot. Stir thoroughly. Add water, vinegar, soy sauce and ketchup. Stir and cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens slightly. Remove from heat. When wings have cooked for 30 minutes, brush liberally with sauce. Bake 10 minutes more. Brush with sauce again and bake for another 10 minutes. Brush with sauce when chicken is finished cooking. Makes about 36 pieces.

23 Spiced Nuts This is a recipe that is really easy to make and it is always yummy. So long as there is no one around who is allergic to nuts it s a winner. 1 egg white, slightly beaten 2 cups mixed nuts 6 tbsp. granulated sugar 1 tbsp. cinnamon ⅛ tsp. nutmeg ⅛ tsp. cloves 1 cup raisins ½ tsp. salt Method: Preheat oven to 325ºF. Beat egg white until smooth consistency. Add nuts. Stir to coat each nut. Mix sugar and spices together. Stir into nut mixture. Spread on baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Remove from oven. Stir in raisins and salt right away. Allow to cool. Store in an air tight container. Makes 3 cups

24 Mom s Devilled Eggs I can t begin to think of the number of times I have made this recipe. It is easy to make and always delicious. You ll want to make more eggs if you are feeding more people. This recipe will provide you with 12 pieces. 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 tsp. mustard ½ tsp. salt ⅛ tsp. pepper ¼ cup finely shredded carrot 1 tbsp. finely chopped green onion Paprika Method: Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a medium-sized bowl. Mash thoroughly. Add all ingredients except paprika to the yolks. Mix well. Spoon into egg whites and sprinkle with paprika.

25 Snow Peas and Crab These are a little bit fiddly to make, but they are so good that they are worth the effort. They are really tasty and they disappear in a hurry. 1 small pack fresh snow peas 6 oz. can crabmeat with cartilage removed 1 hard-boiled egg, mashed 2 tbsp. mayonnaise 2 tbsp. finely chopped celery 2 tbsp. finely chopped green onion ¼ tsp. Dijon mustard Method: Pour boiling water over pea pods and let stand for 10 seconds. Drain. Rinse with cold water until cold. Slit peas open on top side, which is the least curved side. Set aside. In a small bowl mix crabmeat, egg, mayonnaise, celery, onion and mustard. Stuff each pea pod until it looks like it is overflowing. Makes about 2 ½ dozen.

26 Layered Crab Spread This is awesome served with crackers or tiny slices of bread. It is easy to make and the flavor is absolutely fabulous. People will come back for more of this recipe every time. 8 oz. cream cheese, softened ½ cup sour cream ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp. dry onion flakes ¾ cup chili sauce 2 4 ¾ oz. cans crabmeat, membrane removed 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Paprika Fresh chopped parsley Method: Mix first 5 ingredients. Spread over a 12 pizza pan. Spread chili sauce over cream cheese mixture. Layer crab then cheese evenly over top. Sprinkle with paprika. Garnish with parsley. Cover and chill.

27 Shrimp Spread This has become an all time family favorite at our house and we also used it many, many times when we were catering. The recipe has a little bit to it and the flavor combinations are just amazing. 8 oz. cream cheese, softened ½ cup sour cream ¼ cup mayonnaise 3 4 oz. cans small shrimp, drained and rinsed 1 cup seafood cocktail sauce 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese 1 green pepper, finely chopped 3 green onions, finely chopped 1 large tomato, seeds removed, finely diced Method: Mix first three ingredients together. Spread over a 12 pizza pan. Scatter shrimp over cheese mixture. Add layers of seafood sauce, mozzarella, green pepper, onions and tomato. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve with a variety of crackers or small bite-sized pieces of bread.

28 Carrot Spread Here s another one of those recipes that people seem to love no matter when you serve it. It s simple to make and can be used with crackers or bread cubes or could also be used to stuff cucumber or celery. 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans 6 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed ¼ tsp. cinnamon 1 cup finely grated carrots ¼ cup raisins Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place pecans on a shallow baking dish. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly and chop finely. Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, juice and cinnamon in a bowl until well blended. Stir in carrots, pecans and raisins. Serve spread on crackers.

29 Salmon Spread This is absolutely delicious and it will disappear quickly once your guests try it out. We use this recipe often and just love it. It s also really attractive with the pink salmon coloring. 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened ½ lb. cooked, flaked salmon 2 tbsp. minced green onion 1 tbsp. chopped celery 1 tsp. lemon juice ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper Paprika Method: Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add salmon, green onion, celery, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix gently with a spoon. Refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to use, sprinkle with paprika This is great served in a bread bowl with chunks of bread surrounding it.

30 Roast Beef Roll Ups These are so quick and easy to make and they are attractive on a plate. And to top it all off, they have great flavor too! 6 tbsp. mayonnaise 3 tsp. horseradish 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese 6 thin slices red onion, quartered 6 thin slices dill pickle 6 slices deli roast beef Method: In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, horseradish, and mozzarella. Mix well. Spread evenly over the 6 slices of beef. Top with the onion and dill pickle. Wrap beef up around the pickle. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. These can be cut into slices to make more bite-sized pieces if desired.

31 Bruschetta I love bruschetta and this is one of my favorite recipes for it. It is quick to make and tastes delicious. These little twobite-sized appetizers are a real winner. 2 large tomatoes, pulp and seeds removed, finely chopped ½ cup finely chopped onion 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 tsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil OR 1 tsp. dried basil ½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese 8 small slices French bread Method: In a small frying pan sauté onion over medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato. Cook for about 3 minutes more. Preheat broiler. Combine garlic, olive oil and basil with tomato mixture. Heap onto bread slices. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil for about 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

32 BLT Cucumbers These little bite-sized snacks are really tasty and it seems people can never get enough of them. You ll want to make them often. 3 slices crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled ½ cup finely chopped lettuce ½ cup finely diced tomato (seeds removed) 2 tbsp. mayonnaise ⅛ tsp. salt ⅛ tsp. pepper 1 large straight cucumber Minced fresh parsley or green onion Method: Combine first six ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well. Slice cucumber lengthwise and remove center pulp and seeds. Divide bacon mixture between the two cucumber halves, mounding in the hollowed out area. Garnish with parsley or green onion. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Chill.

33 Berry Dip This dip is fabulous and so easy to make. It has an awesome flavor and is colorful as well. Serve it with chunks of pineapple, apple, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, grapes or other fruit. It s a great way to add a sweet element to appetizers. 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen strawberries 4 oz. cream cheese, softened ¼ cup sour cream 1 tbsp. sugar Orange peel, optional Method: Place strawberries in blender. Process until smooth. Beat cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in sour cream, strawberry purée and sugar. Cover. Chill until ready to serve. When ready to serve garnish with orange peel.