Are you hosting a holiday party this year and stumped on how to not be boring? Have no fear—I’ve got you covered with some of my top favs! If you’re like me, you LOVE a good appetizer spread. Whenever I’m out to dinner or at a party, I’m almost always devouring the appetizers with no thought to the main course. And I love to have an appetizer night with a few different finger foods once a week for dinner. Here are some of my favorites:
Infamous Deviled Eggs
It’s not a holiday dinner without some deviled eggs on the table, right? I like to lean more towards the vinegar-y/mustard-y tasting eggs.
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1½ tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles
- 2 teaspoons pickle juice from dill pickle jar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Paprika for garnish
Put eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes and remove immediately from heat. Place eggs in an ice bath to cool for 5 minutes, then peel. Slice eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks to a separate bowl. Mash yolks with mayonnaise. Stir in pickles, pickle juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Spoon (or pipe) mixture into egg whites. Top with paprika.
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pinwheels
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
- 2 packets ranch dressing seasoning
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 (4.3 oz) pack of bacon crumbles
- 3 stalks of green onions (chopped, green part only)
- 6 small flour tortillas
Combine cream cheese with ranch seasoning until smooth. Mix in cheddar cheese, bacon, and chopped green onions. Spread evenly over tortillas. Roll tortillas tightly and slice into 1-inch rounds.
Holiday Cranberry-Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip
INGREDIENTS:
- 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
- 4 stalks of green onion (chopped, green part only)
- 2 fresh jalapeños
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 16 oz. cream cheese (whipped)
Finely chop cranberries. Note: it’s best not to use a food processor due to liquifying cranberries, but you could use something like a Slap Chop. Combine green onion, jalapeños, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add chopped cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt and stir until incorporated. Cover and let sit in fridge overnight to “marinate.” Take mixture out of fridge and strain off any liquid. Whip cream cheese in a separate bowl until smooth (about 2 minutes). Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a serving dish and top with cranberry mixture. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove, minced (~1 teaspoon)
- 2/3 cup shredded parmesan
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1½ cups spinach
- Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray. In a bowl, stir together cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, parmesan, mozzarella, and pepper. Add chopped artichoke hearts and spinach. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish. Bake in oven for 20 minutes.
Note: I like to serve this with freshly-made crostini. Slice fresh baguette into 1/4″ slices, brush with olive oil, and lightly salt. Toast on a baking sheet at 425° for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Bacon-Wrapped Smokies
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb. of bacon (not thick sliced)
- 1 package little smoked sausages
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bacon strips into thirds. Wrap a piece of bacon tightly around one sausage. Place seam down on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bacon and sausages. Sprinkle brown sugar over tops of each. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until bacon is crispy.
Cranberry-BBQ Sauce Meatballs
INGREDIENTS:
- 28 oz. bag frozen meatballs
- 14 oz. can cranberry sauce
- 18-20 oz. bottle of BBQ sauce of your choice
Stove Top Method:
Combine sauces over medium heat in a large deep skillet. Cook until bubbly. Add meatballs in a single layer and stir to coat completely. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until meatballs are heated through (about 15-20 minutes for frozen meatballs, 10 minutes for thawed).
Crock Pot Method:
Stir sauces together in crockpot. Add in meatballs and stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours, or until heated through.
Charcuterie Board
You can’t go wrong with a good charcuterie board, and it can be throw together in a pinch! I like to buy 4–5 fresh cheese wedges, 2–3 meats, 2–3 different crackers, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 1–2 nuts, 1 chocolate of some sort, and at least 1 fruit spread. I start by placing my cheeses around the board and adding meats in between. Next, I arrange crackers along the outside, and fill in the empty spaces with the rest of my items.
