One thing every holiday party needs is a kickin appetizer. Well, how about 5. Here are 5 easy holiday appetizer ideas and recipes.
I’ve gotten several new subscribers here to Farmhouse 1820, so I’d love to let you in on a little known fact about me: I love to entertain. Like, it’s my favorite thing ever. I love to create a fun and festive environment for friends and family, and see the smiles on their faces in return. Cocktail parties, dinner parties, outdoor parties, you name it, I enjoy them all whole-heartedly. Although I haven’t mastered a dinner party for a crowd of more than 10, I have mastered the art of a successful cocktail party, complete with homemade appetizers, and with a little help from the grocery store along the way.
One thing I have learned when hosting cocktail parties, is that guests really enjoy variety, and better yet, a variety that is contained on one small vessel. I love to provide appetizers that are more like grab and go. Though the list of apps that I like to serve is always lengthy, there’s one thing I have noticed when hosting a cocktail party – women are not known for standing around the appetizer table and noshing. It’s just not in our nature and I’m not sure why. Regardless of the reason, I found a solution to have a three or four little bites all contained in one small container, like THESE BAMBOO CONES. Charcuterie cones, I call them.
How To Make Grab And Go Appetizers
To each cone, I added roasted asparagus, one slice of red bell pepper, smoked gouda wrapped in salami, and a couple pretzel sticks along with a cracker for crunch. You can find the bamboo cones HERE!
Displayed on a PLEXI PLATTER each cone contained a little of what is typically served on a charcuterie board. You can find the plexi platter HERE!
Whenever I host a party and serve these cones, everyone loves them, and enjoys everything in them, and the best part is that they eat at their own pace. There’s no need to keep walking over to the appetizer table to get another bite, everything is right there in their hands. And, if the guests would like another cone, no one is counting.
Sometimes while entertaining, there simply isn’t the space for an appetizer table. So, in that case, group the small bites together as I had have done here. These cones are easy to hold even while holding a cocktail or glass of wine.
4 More Easy Appetizer Ideas For Holiday Entertaining
Here are four more appetizer ideas to serve at your holiday party.
Homemade Cheese Ball
Second only to those mini pigs-in-a-blanket things, which happen to be a party favorite no matter how fancy of a reception you’re attending, is my homemade cheese ball. A group of cheeses and other ingredients all rolled into a ball and served with crackers on the side, it’s a crowd pleaser. You can find my cheese ball recipe HERE!
Rosemary Almonds
I always have a bowl or two of Rosemary Almonds placed around for guests to enjoy. Easy peasy and popular. You can find the rosemary almonds recipe HERE!
Herbed Goat Cheese With Sun Dried Tomato Salsa
For me, cheese makes the world go round. I find that I have at least two appetizer dishes where cheese is the star of the show. My Herbed Goat Cheese with Sun Dried Tomato Salsa is no different. I love to serve this as an hors d’oeuvre before brunch. Delicious. You can find the recipe HERE!
Roasted / Grilled Shrimp Cocktail
Shrimp cocktail is always a favorite at my cocktail parties. I like to amp up the boiled shrimp and grill them instead. Intense flavor at its finest. You can find the Shrimp Cocktail recipe HERE!
These are 5 holiday appetizer ideas and recipes that would certainly be a big hit when you entertain. Give them a try, even if you make them for a party of two.
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