Category

Appetizers

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Are you hosting a holiday gathering this year and need a simple holiday appetizer to drive home the flavors of the season, while not taking forever to make? These Prosciutto, Spiced Cranberry, and Goat Cheese Bites take little time to put together and are the perfect holiday bite. These are a perfect QUICK appetizer to make for your New Year’s Eve get-together or any winter event.

First off… DO NOT USE STORE BOUGHT CRANBERRY SAUCE. Okay, fine, if you have to… you can use store bought, just avoid the cranberry sauce that retains the shape of the can. Use something with discernible berries. I do highly recommend taking the time to make the spiced cranberry sauce as it will give just a bit more depth of flavor and holiday flare than store bought. (I created my spiced cranberry sauce while making my spiced cranberry simple syrup by straining the berries from the syrup.)

Second… crisp your prosciutto. It makes a word of difference. While you can absolutely do this with prosciutto straight out of the package, the crispy, salty goodness that comes from taking the time to throw that prosciutto in a pan or airfryer will add to this recipe. You can sub bacon if that is more readily available, but I’d recommend a thin sliced bacon so that it doesn’t overpower the dish.

Cranberry, Prosciutto, Goat Cheese Bites

This is more of an assembly than a recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Log of Goat Cheese – I used a plain goat cheese, however a honey goat cheese would be lovely in this.
  • Approximately 16 oz of Cranberry sauce of choice. The spiced cranberry sauce linked above worked really well with this as it had wonderful notes of cinnamon. However, a traditional cranberry sauce or even my pomegranate apple cranberry sauce would make for a fun addition.
  • 4-6 slices of Prosciutto crisped up in a pan and broken into smaller portions.
  • 1 Box of Fig and Olive Crackers (or a cracker of choice)
  • Fresh thyme for garnish.

Directions:

Take a cracker and top it with cranberry sauce and a spoonful of goat cheese. Top with crispy prosciutto. Sprinkle fresh thyme leaves on finished bites for a pretty and tasty garnish.

It is party season! This year I am dealing with feeling overwhelmed and excited for what the holidays are going to bring. Due to the late Thanksgiving our normal routine for holiday decor, parties, and fun are being thrown up in the air a bit. I’m catching what I can and letting the rest fall aside. Okay, metaphor over… you get the idea though!

So, whether you are hosting a gift-wrapping get-together with friends or an elegant holiday party… you’re going to want something to feed your guests. Explore some of the blog’s most popular holiday appetizers below.

Ginger snap cookies make this appetizer even more delish!

Apricot & Honey Goat Cheese Balls

Goat cheese mixed with honey, apricots, and (optional) almonds is rolled into balls and served on top of ginger snap cookies with a drizzle of honey for this quick Apricot & Honey Goat Cheese Balls appetizer. You can also make this into a log or larger ball and serve on a platter with cookies for an even easier display!

This appetizer is ready to travel! Add in the final touches right before serving.

Caprese Wreath Appetizer

Appetizers for parties often end up being pretty rich and heavy. I always try to serve salad of some sort along with a crudites platter. This Caprese Wreath Appetizer is a good bridge for both and is a fantastic thing to bring to another person’s house!

You don’t have to bring serving utensils (or hope your guests have them) and it travels great! Simply prep everything and wrap in plastic. Add in olive oil and balsamic vinegar after you get to your location and you are done!

A little something for everyone!

Holiday Grazing Table

This picture is from one of my first forays into creating a grazing table rather than just a platter of meat, cheese, crudites, and fruit. I’ve improved since on the display, but I still love this because it was just as impressive in person as I hoped it would be. Our guests LOVED it.

So freaking decadent!

Blinis with Creme Fraiche and Caviar

I have a slight obsession with caviar during the holiday season. I love it so much. It feels so decadent! Often expensive, it is nice to use caviar as almost a garnish for your appetizers rather than the main event. Blinis with Creme Fraiche and Caviar is one way to wow your guests without entirely wiping out your bank. Another way is whipping up a batch of my favorite creme fraiche and chive dip with caviar and serving it with kettle chips!

Scallops and bacon with fig spread make for a festive appetizer or dinner option.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Fig Spread

Figs, bacon, and scallops are rich and wonderful each on there own, but even better together. Use this Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Fig Spread recipe as single bites of heaven or serve on skewers for a more hearty appetizer.

Oysters, ’nuff said.

Oysters with Tabasco Shaved Ice

I obviously like seafood over the holidays. My favorite recipes seem to have all types of delicacies from the sea. I know Oysters are not for everyone, but for those who this does appeal to… take your oysters to the next level with flavored granitas or shaved ices. Whether it is a Tabasco Shaved Ice or Champagne Granita your guests will be in awe.

More great appetizer ideas

If you love a good round-up of recipes then for sure jump on over to a previous post with some more delicious holiday appetizers. These were recipes created by friends of mine that are sure to make your holiday party extra special.

What is your favorite go-to appetizer for a holiday party? Share in the comments below!

Photo creds: Two amazing professional photographers are featured above: Mary Boyden (oysters and the featured image of the holiday party scene) and Macey Snelson (blinis). In addition the bloggers that contributed recipes to the holiday appetizer round up are linked within that post. Go check it out!

Cheese boards are having a big moment right now and I’m here for it. I love a good cheese board, charcuterie platter, or grazing table. This grilled peaches and brie summer cheese board is not only a showstopping party dish, but also so easy to put together that it works for a nice weeknight meal!

This post is not sponsored by any of the companies or products mentioned below. There are affiliate links within this post. Purchases made from affiliate links help support this blog without any additional cost to the buyer. Thank you for supporting this blog as it allows me the opportunity to create new content!

I am a part of a Facebook group in which group members are always sharing photos of everything from super simple cheese boards to extravagant platters. I think that this type of dining works so well these days because people are all on different diets and because they can be put together without a ton of cooking skills.

This cheese board was inspired by an email or pamphlet I received from Fred Meyer’s with a recipe for Cedar Plank Grilled Peaches and Brie. I have linked the recipe here and you are welcome to follow it as it is very close to what mine ended up being, but I did make a couple of small changes that I feel like made a nice difference.

I wanted to make a the grilled brie and peaches to go with a few small items to create a nice charcuterie board or cheese board. However, as I was serving it as dinner, I also served a vegetable platter which is why you are seeing the artichokes on the grill in pictures. (I’ll share the vegetable platter in another post.)

Cedar Plank Grilled Brie and Peaches

This is the most labor intensive part of this whole platter and it takes around 20 minutes aside from prepping your cedar plank. Cedar planks are going to be important for two reasons: 1) to impart a nice smokey flavor to your dish and 2) to prevent the peaches or brie from just melting right into the grill. You’ll want to make sure your cedar plank gets a good soak in water so that it doesn’t just burn on the grill.

Grilling brie and peaches on a cedar plank prevents leaking.

Cedar Plank Grilled Brie and Peaches Supplies/Ingredients:

  • 1 Cedar Plank *(Affiliate link) soaked in water for approximately 2 hours
  • 1 wheel of brie
  • 2-3 ripe peaches (not too ripe as they will just get mushy)
  • 1/4 cup honey + extra for drizzling after
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Fresh thyme- approximately 1/4 teaspoon
  • Salt & Pepper to taste (I used sea salt flakes and fresh ground pepper)
  • Grill (an alternative is using your oven and broiler but again, it is essential that your cedar plank has been properly soaked)

Cedar Plank Grilled Brie and Peaches Supplies/Ingredients:

  1. Soak your cedar plank in water. I put mine on a baking dish and cover in water for two hours.
  2. Heat grill (or oven) to approximately 350 degrees F or medium heat.
  3. Slice peaches, discarding pit.
  4. Mix together olive oil, thyme, and honey in a bowl.
  5. Toss your peaches in the olive oil and honey mixture. Remove from bowl and set aside.
  6. Brush your brie with the remaining olive oil and honey mixture.
  7. Place the brie and peaches on the cedar plank and place on grill. If there isn’t room for all of the peaches and brie on the plank then grill your peaches first, and then move to your brie.
  8. Cover the lid of the grill and let cook for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. The cheese will be warm and melted (it will still hold its shape with the rind, but you should be able to see that it might be starting to seep through a bit. The peaches should be warmed through and softened a bit. If using the oven, you can put the broiler on for a moment at the end to help caramelize the peaches a bit.
  9. Place on platter, salt & pepper to taste, drizzle with some honey, and serve!

How to serve grilled peaches and brie

You can do so many different things in serving this dish starting with just adding some grilled bread or tasty crackers and calling it a day. I wanted to add a bit more bulk to the dish so I added prosciutto, blackberries, apricot jam* (affiliate link), and sliced baguette.

What other summer fruit or vegetables would pair well with grilled brie? Share your thoughts in the comments below or @ me @JenniBost!