Whether you can believe it or not, the holidays are just around the corner. For those who frequently host parties in their homes, planning in advance helps to keep the stress at bay. There’s a lot to get done to prepare your home for a family gathering or holiday party, but at the top of the list is deciding on a menu.
A great way to get the party started and keep your guests’ tummies full until the main course is prepared, is to serve appetizers. You already have a lot on your plate, so rather than trying to choose appetizers that are too complicated or costly, keeping it simple and tasty is key. Below are a few examples of easy but delicious appetizers for the holidays (or any time really) that your guests can enjoy.
Mini-Meatballs
Meatballs might taste great on pasta and sandwiches, but they also good alone. They’re very easy to prepare and you can make various flavors to your guests’ liking. You can go with traditional meatballs made from ground beef with your choice of seasonings and marinara sauce. Or, you can switch things up and make chicken, turkey, and even pork meatballs with various sauces. Swedish meatballs or buffalo chicken meatballs are a surefire hit at your holiday party.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Want to add a bit of elegance to your holiday party cuisine? Stuffed mushrooms are always a hit. All you need are baby mushrooms and your favorite stuffing combination (breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, parmesan cheese, parsley, and thyme). Cut the stem off the mushrooms and add the mixture of the stuffing mix to the center. Then, place them in the oven until they’re nice and brown and top them with some grated cheese on top.
Fruit Salad Cups
Fruit is a great appetizer to have for the holidays. It’s a sweet but healthy appetizer everyone can eat. Grab your favorite fruits in season from the produce aisle. Cut them into small sizes, place them in small cocktail cups, and add a bit of fresh-squeezed lemon or lime just to keep them from turning brown. A great treat would be to add some honeycombs to the mix. If you’re wondering what to do with honeycomb all you have to do is crumble them on top of the fruit salad as a garnish. It adds a bit more flavor and gives the salad a nice crunch.
Chips and Dip
Chips and dip are the perfect snacks before a nice holiday meal. The best part is, there isn’t much to it. You can purchase a variety of chips including nacho, blue corn, and pita chips and a few dips including ranch, sour cream and onion, nacho cheese, and pico de gallo.
Bruchetta
Here’s another popular holiday appetizer to serve your guests. Bruchetta is very easy to make. All you need is some fresh Italian bread, olive oil, and salt. Cut the bread into small portion sizes and grill them until they get a bit crispy. Then, sprinkle a bit of olive oil and salt on them. You can even have a few toppings for the bread that includes pico de gallo, chickpea spread, or cheese.
Pigs in a Blanket
What’s a holiday party without pigs in a blanket? These easy to make appetizers are sure to keep your guests coming for more. All you need are mini hot dogs and some crescent roll dough. Take the hot dogs and roll them in the dough. Then base them with a bit of butter and bake until they’re golden brown. Then, add a few condiments to the mix for dipping like ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, or cheese.
Loaded Potato Skins
Last but not least on the list of easy and delicious holiday appetizers to consider for your party are loaded potato skins. All you need is a bag of potatoes, some cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream. Cut the potatoes into small sizes leaving the skin intact. Then, you can fry the skins, add some cheese, bacon bits, and chives to the center and put them in the oven for a few minutes to melt. Or, you can take the healthy route and bake the potatoes adding all the toppings in advance and placing them in the oven until they’re golden brown.
Don’t stress yourself out this holiday season by trying to go above and beyond with your menu selections. As you can see from the list of recipes above, there are plenty of delectable foods you can serve your guests that require very little preparation, ingredients or cooking time. Now that you’ve got that out of the way, it’s time to figure out what you’ll serve for the main course.
