Name: Smoked Salmon Cucumber Appetizer with Cream Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: 5 ounces smoked salmon ((thawed)); 8 mini cucumbers; 8 ounces cream cheese ((unflavoured)); 2 tbsp fresh dill ((and more for garnish)); 1/4 tsp garlic flavoured black pepper

Grilling season is here, and this Smoked Salmon Cucumber Appetizer with Cream Cheese is easy to make, easy to handle and so delicious to eat.

Is the weather finally getting warm where you are? Perhaps you are one of the lucky people that have it year round. I sure wish that was the case here, but unfortunately, it is not. I know I will enjoy easy summer meals like Smoked Salmon Salad for dinner many nights this summer.

Now that summer is peaking around the corner, it’s time to think backyard barbecues and summer entertaining. Lots of easy salads and appetizers will be my main focus for the next few months. I know hubby will want me to make more pickled eggs too.

Summer Cooking and Entertaining

Summer sun, cool drinks, and grilling, my favourite time of year. Salads and easy to eat appetizers top my list for summer eating. Perfect tasty pairings for all those delicious grilled meats and fish. Burgers, steaks, rotisserie chicken, and don’t forget delicious pork and seafood, will be filling the air with great aromas. All they need are simple sides to make a wonderful meal.

Light and easy is the name of the game this summer. I am so excited to finally get a little break from the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time in there. The warm weather allows me to move from my indoor kitchen to my outdoor kitchen. A welcome change of scenery, and since hubby is the BBQ king, a little less workload too. I just might get him to cook the potatoes on the gill for my Smoked Salmon Potato Appetizers. These are party perfect.

Are You A Smoked Salmon Lover?

With summer entertaining, the main thing I find is easy to handle appetizers. One hand is busy holding a nice cold drink, leaving the other hand free to grab some tasty treats.

Cream cheese appetizers are always a hit. Quick to whip up, nice and cool to eat. Smoked salmon is the perfect match for cream cheese.

You can buy ready-made smoked salmon cream cheese in the store, but do you know how easy it is to make? Simple ingredients come together quickly. Customize your favourite flavours and stuff, spread, scoop or dip. Endless ways to entertain your guests.

A few years ago, we attended the One of A Kind Show in Toronto. We came across this wonderful vendor called The Fishery. If you are looking for some really good canned salmon, it doesn’t get better than this. We actually bought a couple of cases, and they even had smoked salmon in cans.

This was really my first time trying smoked salmon. I quickly fell in love with the flavour, and our salmon sandwiches took on a whole new elevated level of deliciousness.

For this recipe I used frozen smoked salmon . I placed it in the fridge overnight to thaw. Using my immersion blender, I easily mixed the salmon with a container of cream cheese. Once that was blended, I seasoned with garlic pepper and fresh dill.

That is it, easy right? A few ingredients and you have yourself a killer smoked salmon cream cheese that is better than anything you can buy in the store.

Appetizers Galore

Ok, so now what to do with this delicious creation. Like I said earlier, the choices are endless. For this recipe, I decided to make stuffed cucumber boats.

Grab some mini cucumbers. Wash and cut in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller, scoop out a bit of the inside flesh to create a groove down the length of the cucumber. Stuff that groove with a nice helping of your delicious smoked salmon and cream cheese creation. Garnish with additional chopped fresh dill and devour!!

Add some crackers, cheese, pickles, or whatever your little heart desires, and you have a fantastic party platter of food with little effort. Perfect for your summer entertaining needs. With a cold drink in one hand, picking up a Smoked Salmon Cucumber Appetizer with Cream Cheese will be easy and totally delicious.

Looking for a few more appetizers? Shrimp in Endive Cups and Guacamole Bites seem to fly off the plate whenever I serve them.

What is your favourite summer entertaining dish?