appetizers and snacks, Spring and Summer Recipes

Shrimp and Olive Spread

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Lately, we have been all about the small bites at my house. Our schedules have been super hectic through the week and dinner just isn’t ready as early as it used to be on weeknights.

As tempting as it is, I refuse to fall back into the habit of regularly hitting the drive-thru windows! Ok, to be perfectly honest, some nights the crazy schedule wins and we grab a bucket of chicken or a bag of tacos. But, mostly I still make an honest effort to cook a healthy dinner for my family, even when we are short on time. 

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So, I had to find a way to take the edge off of the impatient, cranky, hungry people (both big and little) I live with until dinner is done. I generally just need about 30 – 60 fuss-free minutes until that casserole or chicken comes out of the oven or the frying pan!.   

The answer to our weeknight time crunch was kind of an obvious one: appetizers!

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Now, my mother used to hold on to a steadfast rule against snacking before dinnertime, but I see things a very different way ( plus whining drives me bananas!). I can earnestly testify that offering just a simple variety of pre-dinner snack foods sure keeps people smiling while they wait…and when I say simple, I mean simple.

I tend to offer easy peasy starters like chips and salsa, fruit and cheese, crackers and cheese, veggies and ranch dressing and pita chips and hummus… anyhoo, you get the picture.  But, every once and a while I’m organized enough to offer a munchie, like this shrimp and olive spread, that really raises some eyebrows and shakes things up!  

I knew we had some long days on the schedule last week, so I made this flavorful spread a day ahead and refrigerated it for the next evening. Once my hungry crew came pouring through the door, all I needed to do was add crackers and few lemon slices and she was ready to roll.  

Just F.Y.I., this was one appetizer I had to chase Evan away from because he seriously wasn’t going to have room for dinner!

Happy snacking y’all!

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Shrimp and Olive Spread

Recipe by Marcelle at A Little Fish in the Kitchen Course: Appetizers, SnacksCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8+

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Chill time

30

minutes

This simple shrimp and olive spread is perfect served with melba toasts, crackers or fresh veggies!

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature

  • 7 oz. cooked shrimp, shells removed and coarsely chopped

  • 6-8 pimiento stuffed green olives, finely chopped

  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced or chopped

  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/2 -1 teaspoon hot sauce (to taste, I used Cajun Chef brand)

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

  • Mix all ingredients together and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until read to serve.
  • Serve with assorted crackers or snack breads. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Recipe as published on A Little Fish in the Kitchen at www.alittlefishinthekitchen.com. All content is owned by Marcelle G. Bolton. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

12 Comments

  1. We often have a snack of cream cheese and olives so I now want to try your recipe with shrimp added to the mix, it sounds great.

  2. Dear Marcelle, it had never occured to me to make a dip/appetizer with shrimp – this recipe of yours sounds just wonderful and I love the fact that you can prepare it in advance and keep it cold until you are ready to serve it. Very nice recipe!

  3. what a unique spread–i can see this being the highlight of any party! πŸ™‚ my husband doesn't get home til 7 or so but i'm ready to eat by 6 so i always nibble for that hour. πŸ™‚

  4. Appetizers are a great idea to keep everyone happy until dinner's on the table. I totally relate to how hard it is to put dinner on the table when you get home from work!

  5. Hi David! Nibbles are the best thing ever lately! πŸ™‚ Yes, fast food takes a lot of mental pressure off of us at times, but I'm never thrilled about it. I sure hope you and Mark enjoy the dip! Thank you!! :):)

  6. Hi there Cheri! It was definitely a nice change of pace for us on a Thursday night! πŸ™‚ thank you!

  7. Hi Angie, it's good stuff! Thank you πŸ™‚ I hope you enjoy it!

  8. Marcelle- when we drove across country and moved to Tucson, we decided to give up al fast food. It has stuck pretty much now for 11 years, but every once in a while, a good taco beckons. We have decided there is good fast food (tacos and your shrimp & olive dip) and bad (the other stuff!). And we always nibble while we cook! Can't wait to try your dip!

  9. Hi Marcelle. what an interesting combo, I bet this is delicious. Since I am such a big snacker there are many times I barely eat much dinner, this dip would probably be one of those times;)

  10. That looks really delicious. I have never had a dip made with shrimp…can't wait to give this one a try. Thanks, Marcelle!

  11. Hi John, thank you! We really enjoyed it! πŸ™‚

  12. What a neat recipe! This is loaded with flavor — I'd love this. Only danger is I'd eat this instead of dinner. πŸ™‚

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