Want to Be the Hit of the Cocktail Party Without Dancing on the Table? This Easy, No-Cook Appetizer is Sure to Give them Something to Talk About!

Eat, drink and be merry. The holiday season might just as well be called the party season.  Whether I am attending a holiday party or hosting one, I have a way of wowing the guests.  I'm not implying that I dance on the table or wear a skimpy outfit.   I prefer to contribute something to an event other than water cooler conversation for the next work day.

I used to provide a shrimp cocktail platter when hosting or attending parties.  Like holiday parties, seeing a large tray of shrimp on a buffet spread doesn't happen all that often so it's always a hit.  People swarm to shrimp and devour it like seagulls to unattended french fries..... and then they're gone.  No shrimp for you if you're fashionably late.  Maybe it's devoured quickly because it's a bit of a luxury in this economy.  That being the case, being the hit of the party can be quite pricey. 

I remember sampling a shrimp dip at a party many years ago. It was made with canned, baby shrimp and jarred cocktail sauce.  It was a clever, inexpensive alternative to a shrimp platter, but it definitely lacked the wow factor.   I liked the idea so I came up with my own version - one that always gets rave reviews.  I call it the Shrimp Cocktail Ball which, over the years, has become my signature party dish.  It's inexpensive, easy to make and goes a lot further than a shrimp platter does.  Never have I served this appetizer without people asking me for the recipe. 

Shrimp Cocktail Ball Spread (serve with a variety of crackers)

1 lb of cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp - chopped
2 18 oz packages of reduced fat cream cheese.
1 tablespoon of prepared horseradish

Cocktail Sauce
2 cups of ketchup
1/3 cup of prepared horseradish (or to taste)
2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Allow cream cheese to soften at room temp for 15 minutes.  Prior to chopping, rinse cooked, peeled shrimp and strain in a colander.  In a large bowl, combine cream cheese shrimp and 1 tablespoon of horseradish (you can use a spoon, but using your hands works best); form it into a ball and place in a smaller bowl.  Keep chilled in fridge.

Combine ketchup, 1/3 cup horseradish (or to taste) and lemon juice in a bowl and store separately in the fridge.
Just prior to serving, place shrimp ball on a platter and generously spoon cocktail sauce over ball (completely covering it).  Store extra cocktail sauce in fridge, adding more later if needed.
Serve with crackers.  *If you're bringing this dish to an event, you'll need to assemble it there.

Why not serve this appetizer at your next event?  Your guests will enjoy the shrimp cocktail taste without compromising your holiday budget.