Antipasto Appetizer
SHOP (Noshing for gatherings up to 12+)
Spanish Olives – 1 jar (half drained)
Black Olives – 1 can drained
Pepperoncini – 1 small jar (half drained)
Hearts of Palm – 1 can drained & cut into bite size pieces
Marinated Artichoke Hearts (1 large jar – NOT drained)
Marinade – 1 large jar of any Italian Vinaigrette
Salami – 1 large tube
Cheese - Colby/Jack Marbled - 1 block cut into small cubes
Bell Peppers – 2 to 3 each different colors & cut to bite size
Fresh Mushrooms – cleaned (cut if larger than button size)
Broccoli Crowns – 2 large ones separated into bite size pieces
Cherry Tomatoes – 1 basket or package (remove any stems)
PREP (20 minutes
Place ingredients in a large Tupperware type container and add the dressing. Cover with a tight seal lid, refrigerate and rotate the container several times for about an hour (2 hours maximum) before serving at room temperature.
ACTION (10 minutes)
Spoon onto a large platter creating a mound (discard the marinade). Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Poke several fancy party toothpicks into the mound and place a supply of them near the platter in a holder. Smart & Final has great party picks with fancy quills.
Variations:
Baby Corn - One can drained and cut into bite size pieces
Kalamata or other variety of olives
Tortellini - One package (quickly cooked in boiling water then cooled)
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Balls - Marinated or Plain
Hebrew National Sausage or another type of meat
NOTE: Crowds huddle around this very interactive appetizer so you may want to divide it onto a couple of platters to better distribute the goods and facilitate mingling.