Let’s talk quick and easy appetizers for the holidays.
Foods that can be eaten in one bite are always good.
Dress-up a plate of appetizers with fresh herbs, fresh vegetables (like cherry tomatoes, radishes, green onions), berries or grapes, dried fruits, and nuts.
Use uncured meats whenever possible.
Here are some ideas to work from-
- Mixed nuts
- Practically any kind of chips with dip. Everyone loves them.
- Brined or oil-cured olives. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, add lemon or orange zest, and a little thyme or marjoram. Warm them if you like.
- Crackers with cream cheese and hot pepper jelly.
- A cheese board with nuts and fresh fruit or dried apricots, dates, and/or figs.
- Cooked shrimp with dip and lemon wedges.
- Salami, cut into thin slices lay flat and slightly overlapping on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake 350° until crispy (check after 10 minutes – depends on thickness). Serve with a dollop of sour cream mixed with dijon.
- Pizza made on pita and cut into 4 pieces – feta and olive (and maybe shrimp), sausage and pepper, sautéed mushroom and add seared steak pieces (after the pizza has cooked)
- Popcorn seasoned with olive oil and herbs.
- Dried apricots topped with a little cream cheese and a walnut, pecan, or almond.
- Thinly sliced ham wrapped around a fig
- Thin slices of baguette topped with tapenade (green olive, black olive, artichoke, or sun-dried tomato) and feta crumbles.
- Vegetables pieces with dip.
- Slice of Claussen pickle (must be Claussen) patted dry, topped with cream cheese, and some folded up corned beef (from the deli) – toothpick it.
- Pickled okra wrapped with thin ham slices.
- Julia Reed’s Hot Cheese Olives.
- For appetizers on this website, click here.
- I’ll be posting more on appetizers later.