More often than not, the key to a good party lies in its food, and no Oscars viewing party is complete without its best-supporting snacks. Impress your guests and steal the show at your Oscars party with these recipes from inRegister food columnist Aimee Broussard showcasing red ingredients that make a colorful accompaniment to the world’s most famous carpet. So roll out your red tablecloth, set up that gold décor, and prepare for a night of celebrating film with delicious handheld snacks and drinks that pair sweet and savory flavors with fresh ingredients.
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. seafood seasoning 1⁄8 tsp. lemon juice
2 pkgs. frozen miniature phyllo tart shells 1/2 cup seafood cocktail sauce 30 cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined), tails removed For garnish: green onions, chopped
In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, seafood seasoning and lemon juice. Place tart shells on a serving plate or cake stand. Fill each shell with cream cheese mixture; top with cocktail sauce and shrimp.Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with green onions, if desired.
1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded, membrane removed
Olive oil
Sea salt to taste
1 (8-oz.) pkg. white cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 tsp. Creole seasoning 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place pepper halves on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Roast until skin is blistered, about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove peels, chop, and place in a small bowl. Set aside.
Stir together all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Fold in chopped roasted red peppers. Cover and store in refrigerator. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Ingredients:
10 to 12 tri-color sweet peppers
1 lb. crawfish 10 oz. whipped cream cheese (or regular cream cheese, softened)
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse peppers and cut in half lengthwise, removing seeds.
Use a paper towel and pat crawfish meat dry. Do not skip this step as your dip will be too runny otherwise. Depending on size of crawfish, you may want to also chop.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy and stir in crawfish and remaining ingredients. Stuff pepper halves with crawfish dip. Sprinkle with additional Cajun seasoning. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Prep Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 1½ hours Ingredients:
24 vanilla wafer cookies
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup fruit preserves
Whipped cream topping, store-bought or homemade
Desired fruit for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners. Place 1 vanilla wafer cookie in the bottom of each muffin well.
With an electric mixer on medium-high, or in the bowl of a stand mixer,beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract for about 2 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy. Spoon evenly into muffin cups (about 2⁄3 full). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from muffin tin to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before serving.
Just before serving, top each cheesecake with about 1 tsp. fruit preserves, a swirl of whipped cream, and desired fruit. Garnish with mint and sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar, if desired.
1 (12-oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate
1 ½ cups cold water
1 lb. strawberries, washed, stems removed
6 oz. lime tequila
2 oz. triple sec
Margarita salt or sugar, for rimming
Limes and strawberries, for garnish
In a large pitcher, combine frozen limeade concentrate and water. Place strawberries in a food processor and pulse until puréed. Strain puréed strawberries through a fine mesh sieve and discard pulp and seeds. Add strained strawberry purée to limeade mixture. Add tequila and triple sec and mix until combined.
Moisten rims of 4 glasses. Add salt or sugar to a small plate, and dip rims into salt or sugar, twisting glass. Add ice.
Pour margaritas into glasses over ice, and garnish with lime and strawberries, if desired.
