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Brokers Open Houses... TREATS!

By
Real Estate Agent with Jane Haas Photography

What do you love to serve at Broker's Open Houses?

I love to cook and come up with some great recipes!

I always keep mini philo cups in my freezer for really quick appetizers on the fly. They can be filled with anything from chicken salad and topped with a thin slice of celery; to ice cream topped with whipped cream and a chocolate chip or strawberry slice; one of my favorites is raspberry preserves in the bottom of the cup and dark chocolate mousse topped with a little magic shell (pop in the freezer for a few seconds after adding the magic shell chocolate!).  You can add pumpkin pie mix, Chocolate Pudding, quiche, cheesecake mixture, summer berries with whipped cream, let your imagination run wild! 

Super quick, easy transport, easy for the agents to grab and run - and best of all... Delicious!

In the winter, making chili or soup in a crock pot with to-go cups is great and super easy too!  Nice hot treat on a cold, icky day. 

Janes Chicken Baked Ziti

 

1 package of chicken

1 jar of sweet roasted peppers

1 jar of ragu

1 small package mozzarella, shredded

Package of Ziti noodles

Olive oil

 

Cook chicken and roasted peppers in a pan in olive oil

Use a food processor to shred chicken and roasted peppers a little bit at a time into chunks

Cook ziti

Coat the bottom of a pan with marinara, then spoon the chicken mixture over it

Add the ziti noodles and a ½ cup of marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella and mix well

Top with shredded mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top

Bake until mozzarella is melted and lightly golden on top, and 35 - 45 minutes

Enjoy with wam Italian bread!

 

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Jane's Mexican Smothered Chicken

 

*4 chicken boobs, cooked with quesadilla mix and salsa (mild, medium or spicy - whichever you prefer) - shred mixture and cool

Shredded Mexican cheese

Sour cream

8-inch flour tortillas

Refried beans

 In an 8-inch spring form pan, layer tortillas with chicken mixture, cheese, sour cream and black beans. Top layer should be sour cream then cheese (I dot some salsa on it too).

 Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until cheese it bubble and lightly browned.

*You can also use olives, chilies, corn, rice, guacamole, and you can replace chicken with beef or flank steak cooked with onions and beef quesadilla mix and not shredded.

 

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Outrageous Brownies

 

1 pound unsalted butter

1-pound semisweet chocolate chips -- (2 2/3 cups)

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips -- (2 cups)

6 ounces bitter chocolate

6 extra-large eggs

3 tablespoons instant coffee granules

2-tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups flour

1-tablespoon baking powder

1-teaspoon salt

3-cups walnuts -- chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350F.   Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1 inch baking sheet (if your pan is smaller, use it, and adjust baking time, it will work, as long as you do not over bake the brownies)

 

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the bitter chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water.  Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

 

In a medium bowl, sift together 1-cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt.  Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 coup of flour, and then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

 

Bake for 20 minutes, and then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

 

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

In small bowl combine:

2 c oatmeal

2t baking soda

½ t salt

1 c all purpose flour

 

In large bowl cream:

1 Stick (1 cup) butter flavor Crisco

1 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter

1 c brown sugar

¾ c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (I almost always use Madagascar vanilla - they always have it at Williams Sonoma, but can use the regular)

1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

 

- Slowly add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients.  It will be very thick.  Fold in chocolate chips.

 

- Roll tablespoonfuls of the cookie dough and place on ungreased cookie sheets, and then lightly press with spoon to flatten.  Bake @ 375o until golden brown (16 minutes in convection oven, 20 minutes regular oven). 

 

- Let cool about 10 minutes on a cooling rack and enjoy!

AZ Mortgage Broker: Michael George
Arizona Wholesale Mortgage Inc. - Phoenix, AZ
AZ Mortgage Rates

I'm getting hungry!  4:17PM in Arizona.  Nice post, but my stomach is growling now!

By the way, GREAT PICTURE Jane!

Apr 09, 2007 11:18 AM
Erika Dewar
Zip Realty - Orange Park, FL
Oooh little to-go cups!  Thats a GREAT idea!
Apr 09, 2007 11:50 AM
Jane E. Haas
Jane Haas Photography - Davenport, FL
Haha  Aaron - I think it might be a VERY VERY long drive just to come to an open house! lol
Apr 09, 2007 12:06 PM
Jane E. Haas
Jane Haas Photography - Davenport, FL
Thanks for the compliment on my picture!  I'm actually a professional photographer - I used my camera with a wireless remote, and a white background - just layered the CB Sold sign in the background!  ;) 
Apr 09, 2007 12:08 PM
Bob Sloop, Consultant, Indianapolis, IN
RS Mortgage Consulting - Indianapolis, IN
Jane, yes the picture is geat.  Now for the food, mmmm when do we eat?  Great idea for a greart post.
Apr 10, 2007 12:36 AM
David A. Podgursky PA
THE PODGURSKY GROUP @ Re/Max Direct - Boynton Beach, FL
THE PODGURSKY GROUP - Make the Right Move!

My partner does broker opens with his Realtors - he does Sushi usually - gets a couple boats...

it is usually good for a few people...

My wife's a chef so whatever she makes, people are happy

Apr 10, 2007 03:38 AM
Matthew J Blum - (retired from the business)
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Gee i went to Costco and got the Cookie.. Just kidding sounds great.. even better post
Apr 10, 2007 05:18 AM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel
Recipes sound delicious. Not many agents serve home baked cookies . But Broker's open houses are so disappointing. Turn out is so poor. Only some of your friends show up.
Jun 18, 2007 11:49 PM
Dan Homan
Coldwell Banker Ellison Realty, Inc - Ocala, FL
Thanks for the recipes!  If the market slowa any more I have all I need to cater for other agents.
Jun 19, 2007 05:51 AM
Chris DeSimone
DFW Fine Properties - Southlake, TX
CRS, GRI, Realtor
Thank you for the sweets recipes.  With my husband's sweet tooth, I am always looking for new ideas.  YUM!
Jul 05, 2007 06:45 AM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel
Thanks for the recipes. I love the idea of making it easy to be able to take it with them.
Sep 24, 2007 12:47 AM
Shannon Aldrich
Keller Williams Coastal Realty - Rye, NH
NH & Maine Real Estate Seacoast

 Love the phyllo cup idea - that one I will definitely use. Thanks for the tip!

In my area Lobster Rolls always brings out a crowd

Jan 30, 2008 10:15 AM
Kevin O'Shea
Coldwell Banker - White Plains, NY
White Plains, NY Real Estate

Hi All,

Want the easiest way to have food at your open house.  Call a mortgage broker and ask if he/she will bring Lunch and you will introduce them to all your associates.

We have been doing that in this area for years and it is very effective, you meet good mortgage brokers and you get lunch!

All the best!

May 14, 2008 06:30 AM
Kim Busk
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Woodbridge, CT

I've never had food at an open house - brokers open, yes, but not the public.  To my knowledge no one around here does either. How do you feel it works for you?  People stay longer and chat, is that the idea?  You get known for being the Realtor with great food and people want to come to your opens? I'm going to try this for my open on Sunday.  Do you serve drinks as well?

May 14, 2008 07:23 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

I staged a home for a Realtor friend of mine and helped her cater her broker open.  We called it a "Taste of Tuscany" on the invite.  I decorated with grapes and long loaves of bread.  We had pasta salad with feta and olives, chicken salad, bread and dipping oil, variety of cheeses.  I made an olive spread served with crusty bread.  Her mortgage guy brought the dessert tray.  We even served wine...but it was actually carbonated apple juice in wine glasses.  We had quite the turnout.  I've learned that food is very important in determining attendance at opens in my area.

May 14, 2008 07:35 AM
Pacita Dimacali
Alain Pinel - Oakland, CA
Alameda/Contra Costa Counties CA

I used to have my broker's tours catered. But found that to be very expensive. Then I started ordering sandwiches from the local delis. That wasn't much better either.

Then I discovered a really good dim sum place in downtown Oakland where I can go in the morning, simply point that I want 2 dozen of this, 2 dozen of that, and pretty soon, I have a big selection of dim sum and enough food to feed 50 or so hungry agents.

The dim sum has become so popular that people in my area know that every time I have a broker's tour, they will eat dim sum. And the turn out is always so good it's like having a party every time.

Dec 14, 2008 05:23 PM
Connie Lou Barnett
Real Living/Home Realty - Owensboro, KY
GRI,CRS,CRB,SRMM,ARA,PRS,SFR,QSC

Hi Jane,

     Sounds like you treats your Realtor agents really well at your open houses.  We serve a lot of different things. We do Moonlite Bar-B-Que, chips & drinks, sometimes we do finger sandwich etc. The fact remains if you feed them they are more likely to come.

Connie Lou

Sep 07, 2009 04:43 AM
Maya Thomas, Broker
Tampa, FL
Please see my client recommendations.

I host wine and cheese open houses on week nights, I grill steak and serve with fresh veggies and salad and Saturdays and have coffee and chocolate chips on Sundays.

Thank you for the recipes.  It may be time to try something new!

Jul 01, 2010 09:44 AM
Regina P. Brown
MBA Broker Consultants - Carlsbad, CA
M.B.A., Broker, Instructor

Looks like some yummy recipes, can't wait to try them!  I love the idea of chicken soup ladeled into cups on a cold winter day.

Nov 19, 2011 08:16 AM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

I always try to bring food when i have public open houses. I do myself brownies or if i have no time, I just buy cookies and bottled water( it is very hot here in Cali, water is always appreciated:)

I also have candies for kids.

Almost everyone smiles when they see homemade brownies:) Even if they don't want to try, they still become 'warmer':))

May 02, 2012 05:41 PM