Today’s recipe share is more sentimental than anything. It’s old school and so good.
OLD SCHOOL FAVORITE APPETIZER
WHO GREW UP WITH THIS OLD SCHOOL APPETIZER? A big block of cream cheese covered with spicy cocktail sauce, often topped with shrimp or crab. Growing up, we had this every single New Year’s Eve and most parties. It’s still a family favorite today!
Show of hands…how many of you grew up with this and love it?
This appetizer takes about two minutes to throw together. It isn’t fancy and won’t be winning a beauty contest or any fancy prizes, but dang it’s good and a winner in my book.
Now if you want to get all fancy, you can spread the cream cheese in a bowl or on a plate and add some tiny shrimp or crab meat. I like to keep it simple – just cream cheese and cocktail sauce.
I’ve been eating this since I can remember (born in the 70’s) and plan to continue the tradition for decades to come.
PINNABLE IMAGE
Old School Cream Cheese and Cocktail Sauce Spread
Ingredients
- 8 oz block of cream cheese
- 1 jar of cocktail sauce – 12 ounces (you can make your own – see link below)
Directions
Sharing this recipe at Weekend Potluck.
On my blog you will find my favorite recipes along with tried and trues from cherished cookbooks and admired sites and magazines.
Omg yes!!! Literally have this every holiday get together or football game!! We call it Crab Ball! Add in a can of crabmeat to the cream cheese mix together let chill add the cocktail sauce! Always serve with chicken in a biscuit crackers and Enjoy!!
also good with Wheat Thin crackers and topping the cream cheese with steak sauce or pepper jelly, the jelly is really pretty at Christmas time because you can get the jelly in red or green.
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Cream cheese 1/2 block and can of tuna drained with a sprinkle of pepper stirred all together served on club crackers amazing and cheap
We still do this but now it’s with Trappers hot pepper jelly! OMG SO GOOD❤️
I think just about anything on cream cheese is fantastic. Mom used chili sauce over her cream cheese. She bought Homemade Chili Sauce brand sold in a round jar. I can taste it now. Lots of great ideas from the comments! My favorite way to serve it is to pour Robert Rothschild Ginger Wasabi sauce over the brick.
Thanks for the memories!!
Yes! My mom would “treat” herself with these little shrimp cocktails every once in a while. And the little glasses; as young kids, we used those for our beverages at dinnertime. Memories, for sure!
I kept the jars and I still have them. I use them for my younger grandkids, they are small and fit their tiny hands really well. ☺
Try using red pepper jelly instead of cocktail sauce, also yummy and easy!
Di, Yes! That is so good!
We also used strawberry preserves over 8oz of cream cheese and served it with crackers
I mix the cream cheese with a can of crabmeat and a small onion! My favorite and easiest appetizer!
Try Cream Cheese and Pickapeppa Sauce (it’s with all the hot sauces & tabasco sauce) – It’s amazing and addictive.
Love Pickapeppa Sauce
In the old days you could buy coctail sauce with shrimp in it! It came in little jelly like jars that people would collect! Memories!!!!
At first, when I saw this, I thought the sauce was crushed strawberries. 🙂
Honey and red pepper flakes, the best
Picante Sauce, yes!
Instead of cocktail sauce I use hot pepper jelly
I use 2 Blocks of cream cheese, one can of small shrimp, one can crab meat, 2Tbls whorchester 1tsb lemon juice, mix well form a ball
top with cocktail sauce
I love this! I made it for Christmas. My variation is 2 blocks cream cheese – softened, 3/4 cup Duke's mayo, small minced onion. Stir well. Spread in pie plate. Pour a jar of cocktail sauce over it. Sprinkle 2 cans drained minced clams over the top. Refrigerated. I actually used one can minced clams with one can tiny shrimp.
Add minced clams.
Instead of cocktail sauce, try Tabasco brand pepper jelly. It's fabulous!
Try this the Sweet Thai chili sauce, yum
Thanks so much for linking to our Cocktail Sauce recipe Mary! Can't wait to try this recipe!
I found a chipotle/raspberry sweet marinade that is to die for. Dip with crackers or chips. Delicious!😋