Shakin & Bakin Foodie Blog

When it comes to entertaining friends and family at various get-together's that I host every year...I like to prepare easy recipes that taste delicious. Just like my party guests, I want to enjoy my party and not spend 2 or 3 days making all of the food. With that said, these 4 recipes are super easy to prepare and make great appetizer spreads served with a variety of your favorite crackers.

Three of these 4 cracker spread recipes need to be refrigerated for a few hours before serving them to allow the flavors to infuse. The fourth recipe is best served warm fresh from the oven.

Green Pepper Cracker Spread Recipe

2 large eggs, beaten
1 Tablespoon butter, softened
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened
1 green pepper, chopped

In a double boiler pan, combined the eggs, butter, granulated sugar and vinegar and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from burner to let cool and then pour mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in the softened cream cheese and chopped green pepper and stir until they are well mixed in to the other ingredients. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

Artichoke Cracker Spread Spread Recipe

1 (16 ounce) can artichokes
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Drain artichokes, rinse and then slice them into quarters. In a medium mixing bowl combine together the sliced artichokes, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder until mixture is creamy. Spread mixture into the bottom of a 9" round pie pan and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving it. If there are any left-overs, promptly refrigerate them in an air-tight container.

Cream Cheese Cracker Spread Recipe

1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened
1 cup walnuts, removed from shell and crushed
1 to 1 1/2 cups plump raisins

In a small bowl, combine together the softened cream cheese, crushed walnut pieces and the raisins using a rubber spatula until all three ingredients are combined. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Cheesy Spinach Cracker Spread Recipe

2 boxes frozen chopped spinach
2 cups low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
1 (8 ounce) bag cheddar cheese, shredded

Remove spinach from freezer 30 minutes before preparation. Once it has thawed, rinse, drain away the water and place it into a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir in the low-fat mayonnaise, chopped onions and cheddar cheese. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.