Cooking On The Go: Finger Food Favorites

By Janet Groene, F47166

March 2017

Campground potlucks. Infield entertaining. Campfire conviviality. Tailgating. Motorhome travelers love camping camaraderie and the finger foods that go with it. Here’s a collection of serious snack recipes to eat hot or cold, sitting or standing, without fork or fuss.

Serve this fudge as a finger food dessert.

1 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup rum

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 stick butter

1 cup half-and-half

1 12-ounce bag butterscotch morsels

1 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream

1 cup chopped nuts

1 teaspoon butter-rum extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the raisins and rum in a jar the night before and let them soak. Butter a deep 8-inch-by-8-inch pan and line the bottom with parchment, waxed paper, or nonstick foil. Spray or butter the liner.

Bring the sugars, butter, and half-and-half to a boil, stirring constantly over medium heat, until the mixture reaches 238 to 240 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients, including the rum-soaked raisins. Spread the fudge in the pan and cool thoroughly. Turn the fudge out of the pan and use a sharp knife to cut it into 64 squares. Serving suggestion: Place the squares in miniature cupcake papers.

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Elegant but easy, profiteroles can be filled with a creamy sweet such as whipped cream or a savory standard such as chicken salad.

1 stick butter

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Set the oven to 425 degrees. Bring the butter, water, and salt to a boil and stir in the flour until it forms a ball. Remove from the heat. Stir in the eggs, one at time. Drop the dough by teaspoons on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes until the puffs are golden and dry. Allow the puffs to cool. Cut off the tops, add the filling of your choice, and replace the tops.

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12 t0 16 pieces Belgian endive

1 teaspoon (more or less, to taste) dry cherry gelatin dessert mix

1 8-ounce brick cream cheese

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups chopped apple

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Wash the endive and dry it thoroughly. Mash the gelatin mix into the cream cheese, then fold in the celery, apple, and pecans. Fill the endive “boats” with the apple mix. Makes 12 to 16 pieces.

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1 cup honey

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups nonfat dry milk

2 cups minute oats

Sweetened coconut flakes

No cooking is needed. Combine the honey and peanut butter. Stir in the dry milk and oats. Form into bite-size balls and roll them in coconut. Arrange the balls on a platter to dry. Makes three dozen cookies.

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1 8-serving package lemon gelatin dessert mix

2 cups boiling water

1 cup cold water

1 cup vodka

Dissolve the gelatin mix in boiling water. Stir in the cold water and let it cool to room temperature. Stir in the vodka. Serve the beverage in shot glasses. Makes one quart.

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2 sticks salted butter

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 8-ounce package shredded cheddar cheese

3 3/4 cups crisp rice cereal

Set the oven at 350 degrees. Let the butter soften to room temperature and cut it into the flour and cayenne until mealy. Fold in the cheese and cereal. Form walnut-size balls, arrange them on a greased baking sheet, and press them with a fork to flatten them slightly. Bake about 10 minutes or until golden. Makes 48 pieces.

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No need to butter this moist, flavorful bread. Cut it into small squares and serve in cupcake papers.

2 medium onions, cut in small dice

1/4 cup corn or canola oil

1/2 cup flour

2 1/4 cups cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 12-ounce package grated cheese

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan. Sauté the onions in hot oil until they are tender. Set them aside to cool. Place the dry ingredients, including the cheese, in a clean bag and jostle to mix. Beat the eggs and milk. Add the dry ingredients, stir well, and then fold in the onions. Pour into the pan and bake about 30 minutes or until springy to the touch. Cool and cut into 36 to 42 pieces.

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12 miniature sweet peppers in red, green, yellow

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 8-ounce brick cream cheese

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

Cut the miniature peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Finely chop one green pepper and one red pepper. Fold the chopped peppers, cheese, and lemon pepper into the cream cheese. Fill the cut pepper halves with the cream cheese mixture. Makes 20 pieces.

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1 20-ounce package frozen, chopped spinach

3 cups seasoned stuffing mix

1/2 cup grated dry cheese such as Parmesan

1 stick butter, melted

6 beaten eggs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cook and drain the spinach and press it very dry. Combine ingredients well and let stand for 15 minutes. Form walnut-size balls. Place the balls on greased baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes or until firm. They will puff slightly as they bake.

Alternative: Make half of this recipe and spoon it into miniature phyllo appetizer cups (found in grocery stores with frozen pastries). Bake as directed.

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Serve a walnut-size “lollipop” on the end of a sucker stick. (Sticks can be found where Wilton baking supplies are sold.)

2 pounds ground turkey or chicken

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1  teaspoon ground sage

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

2 beaten eggs

Cornflake crumbs

Spray-on olive oil

Combine the ground meat, seasonings, bread crumbs, and eggs. Form balls and roll in the cornflake crumbs. Arrange the balls on a greased baking sheet. Spray them with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve on lollipop sticks, as is or with a dip. Makes 32 pieces.

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If you don’t have a large enough bowl, mix the ground beef in a clean dish pan. The ingredients are best mixed by hand, wearing disposable plastic kitchen gloves. These meaty poppers disappear quickly at tailgate parties.

5 pounds lean ground beef

5 teaspoons meat cure such as Morton Tender Quick

2 ½ teaspoons salt

2 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

2 ½ teaspoons mustard seed

2 ½ teaspoons ground pepper

2 teaspoons non-iodized salt

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Mix ingredients well and form into tiny logs. Bake 8 hours at 150 degrees. Serve warm or cold as is, or with dips such as mustard and ketchup. Makes 100 rolls. Refrigerate and use within a month.

*Cupcake papers come in several sizes, colors, and patterns. They’re ideal for neat, festive, single servings.

*Layered biscuits from a tube peel apart easily to make thin crusts for mini-quiches baked in muffin pans.

*Filled waffle cones make good finger foods, but they get soggy quickly. Fill them at the last minute with chicken salad, egg salad, ham salad, etc. To prevent leaks, add a small crouton before filling.

*To keep ice cream cones upright for serving, fill a wide pan or dish with raw rice three to four inches deep. Carefully insert the cones.

*Flat-bottom ice cream cones make a good breakfast popper when filled with scrambled eggs.

*Place a cookie or vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cupcake paper to form a crust for miniature cheesecakes.

*Pile miniature doughnuts into a pyramid and drizzle very lightly with butterscotch schnapps, then drizzle with melted chocolate. When the chocolate hardens, they’re ready. Provide tongs so guests can take one at a time.

*Mash chopped vegetables into cream cheese and fold it burrito-style into slices of dried chipped beef.

*Mix it up. Serve the usual dips with new dippers such as fresh snow peas, asparagus stalks, and jicama sticks. Or, serve traditional scoopers with daring new dip recipes using unusual cheeses or hot sauces.

*Toaster waffles, cut in wedges, make a good base to fill with creamy toppings such as crab salad.