5 Recipe Ideas for Appetizers this Holiday Season
The holiday season is upon us once again. From Christmas feasts to New Year’s Eve parties, your calendar is likely filling up quite fast! As you prepare to celebrate with your loved ones, appetizers can help you keep your spirits bright while the main event finishes cooking.
In this post, we present five mouthwatering appetizer ideas guaranteed to be the highlight of your holiday gathering. Ranging from delectable duck rillettes to bacon-wrapped dates, these recipes offer something for every palate. Let’s get right into it!
Spiced cranberry and brie bites
This is a sophisticated yet easy appetizer. These crispy filo pastry dough cups filled with tart cranberries, creamy Brie, and sweet honey make for a perfect holiday bite. It has sweet and savoury flavours that pair nicely together.
Ingredients
● 2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
● 1⁄4 cup honey
● 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
● 1 (8 ounces) wheel bore, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
● 20 small pillows dough shells (can use mini phyllo cups or tart shells)
Preparation
In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, honey, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until cranberries have softened and released their juices. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 180°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place 3-4 Brie cubes into each phyllo shell. Top with a spoonful of the spiced cranberry mixture.
Bake for 5-7 minutes until phyllo is golden brown and the brew begins to melt.
Cool briefly, then serve warm.
Pesto and sun-dried tomato pinwheels
These appetizing pinwheels include the fresh herbal flavours of basil pesto, the sweet and chewy bite of sun-dried tomatoes, and the salty Parmesan cheese – a mixture sure to excite your guests’ palates.
Ingredients
● Puff pastry
● Pesto sauce
● Sun-dried tomatoes
● Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Spread the pesto then layer the sun-dried tomatoes and cheese. Roll, slice, and then bake to a golden perfection.
Bacon-Wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese
These Bacon-wrapped dates can make for a sweet and savoury bite, with the soft Medjool dates stuffed with tangy goat cheese before getting wrapped in sizzling bacon and baked until perfectly crispy.
Ingredients
● Medjool dates
● Goat cheese
● Bacon slices
● Toothpicks
Preparation
Stuff the dates with goat cheese, then wrap them in bacon. Secure the resultant balls with toothpicks, then bake them until crispy.
Smoked salmon cucumber bites
These unique smoked salmon cucumber bites are crisp slices of cucumber spread with tangy cream cheese and piled with salmon before topping off each tower with a delicate dill feather. Great as appetizers this holiday season!
Ingredients
● Smoked salmon
● Cucumber slices
● Cream cheese
● Fresh dill
Preparation
Spread the cream cheese on the cucumber slices then top it with smoked salmon and a sprig of fresh dill
Caprese skewers
Caprese Skewers offer all the fresh flavour of their origin- Italian- combining cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil leaves threaded onto sticks and finished with a bit of syrupy balsamic glaze.
Ingredients
● Cherry tomatoes
● Fresh mozzarella balls
● Fresh basil leaves
● Balsamic glaze
● Skewers
Preparation
Thread the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil skewers, then drizzle them with balsamic glaze. Enjoy!
We can guarantee that your friends and family won’t be able to resist these diverse and delicious flavours as appetizers. Just a little creativity and patience and you won’t fail to impress. Happy holidays!
