New Year's Eve Bash On A Budget

Great Appetizer Recipes And Tips To Keep Your Budget Low While Still Wowing Your Guests

(CBS)  New Years can be an expensive proposition, especially if you are the one hosting the party. But in these tough economic times, there's no need to cancel your big soiree.

Holley Johnson, Food Editor of Myrecipes.com offered up some great appetizer recipes and some other tips that will keep your budget low while still wowing your guests.

RECIPES:

Mini Caprese Bites
Price: $0.31 per skewer
Makes 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients
1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
10 to 14 fresh small mozzarella cheese balls, cut into thirds*
32 (4-inch) wooden skewers**
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1. Thread 1 tomato half, 1 piece of cheese, and another tomato half onto each skewer. Place skewers in a shallow serving dish.

2. Whisk together oil and next 3 ingredients. Drizzle oil mixture over skewers; sprinkle with basil and salt and pepper to taste.

*1 (8-oz.) package fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, may be substituted.

**Wooden picks may be substituted.


Chevre Mango Steak Bites
Price: $0.61 per appetizer
Makes 30 to 34 rolls

These are as easy to make as they are pretty to look at. Prep and cook Time: 1 1/2 hours. Notes: Cut chilled grilled steak when ready to assemble appetizers and slice it very thinly (less than 1/4 inch, if possible). The finished appetizers can be covered and chilled for up to 6 hours.

Ingredients
1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lbs.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
About 2 tbsp. milk
1/2 cup (4 to 5 oz.) packed fresh goat cheese
30 to 34 small mint leaves
About 15 dried mango pieces, cut into 1/4- by 1-in. slivers

1. Trim fat from steak. Rinse meat, pat dry, rub with oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

2. Lay steak on an oiled cooking grate over a solid bed of very hot coals or highest gas heat (you can hold your hand 1 to 2 in. above grate for only 1 to 2 seconds); cover gas grill. Cook until firm when pressed on thin end but still quite pink inside (cut to check), 8 to 10 minutes; turn over halfway through. Transfer steak to a plate; let cool at least 30 minutes. About 45 minutes before slicing, put steak in the freezer (it will be easier to slice thinly).

3. On a board with a very sharp knife, cut steak across the grain, straight up and down and as thinly and evenly as possible, to make 30 to 34 slices; save narrow and uneven ends just to eat. If wet, blot with paper towels.

4. Measure accumulated meat juices and add enough milk to make 2 tbsp.; pour into a bowl. Crumble cheese into bowl and mash with a fork into a smooth paste.

5. Working with 1 steak strip at a time, lay strip on a flat side. Spread strip with about 3/4 tsp. cheese mixture, then lay 1 mint leaf and 1 mango piece at end of strip and roll to enclose. Let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes before serving.

Prep: 20 min. Grape tomatoes vary in size from week to week at the grocery store; some pints we found had only 24 while others had more than 40. Good news, you should still have enough mozzarella balls because they are generally sold in 8-oz. containers that have more than enough.

More recipes on Page 2

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