Appetizers: Crockpot Hot!

I’m an appetizer lover.  Sometimes I go to restaurants and order just an appetizer for my meal.  Either it’s that good, or I’m in the mood for greasy & yummy, or I know I’ll never get it as just an appetizer because that’s a budget buster most days.  So here is the first in a 3-part series on the appetizers I love.  These are the ones that are incredibly simple, yet crowd pleasing at the same time.  Oh, how I love my crockpot.  And the disposable liners they make now for them!

Mini Hot Dogs ‘n’ Meatballs – This is a male crowd pleaser for sure!

36 frozen cooked Italian meatballs (1/2 oz each)

16 oz pkg little smokies (I like the new turkey ones – can’t tell a difference!)

3.5 oz sliced pepperoni (again, I go with turkey)

26 oz meatless spaghetti sauce

18 oz BBQ sauce

12 oz chili sauce

In 5-qt crockpot, combine all ingredients.  Cover & cook on low for 3 hrs or til heated through.  Serve with toothpicks (or forks).

Little Smokies

2 16 oz. pkgs little smokies

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Heat in crockpot & serve.  (My mom always did a mixture of grape jelly & chili sauce, which sounds super weird but basically just turns out to be mostly a BBQ sauce.  So I just go straight to the BBQ sauce!)

Chili Cheese Dip

2 cans Hormel chili without beans

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes

Tortilla chips

Combine chili and cheese in crockpot; cook on high, stirring regularly until cheese melts.  Doesn’t take long.  Keep warm to serve.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Queso Cheese Dip

2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

Tortilla chips

Combine tomatoes & cheese in crockpot; cook on high, stirring regularly until cheese melts.  Doesn’t take long.  Keep warm to serve.  Serve with tortilla chips.  (This can also be done easily in the microwave.)

And here’s a new one I’m dying to try at the next opportunity:

Glazed Kielbasa

3 lbs. fully cooked Kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1-inch chunks (Hillshire Farms has a good low fat Polish sausage I use regularly)

½ C packed brown sugar

1 ½ C ginger ale

Place sausage in 3-qt crockpot; sprinkle with brown sugar.  Pour ginger ale over the top.  Cover & cook on low for 4-5 hrs or until heated through.  Serve with a slotted spoon.