Easy Holiday Appetizers

Over the holidays, hosting festive gatherings is a wonderful way to celebrate with friends and family. Whether it’s an intimate Christmas dinner or a lively New Year’s Eve party, success comes from creating a cozy atmosphere and serving tasty dishes. To make entertaining simple and enjoyable, start with easy holiday appetizers, they’re the true stars of the show.

Festive Charcuterie

Just use what you have at home, add a few sprigs of rosemary for decoration, and you're all set. This is one of the most charming charcuterie boards.

Ingredients

• one pound seedless green grapes

• one pint raspberries

• 5 sprigs rosemary

• Boursin mini (fine herb and garlic)

• jar of green olives

• jar of black olives

• walnuts

• crackers

• aged white cheddar (cut into 1-inch rectangles)

• mini pepperoni sticks

Holiday Brie

This is a fun recipe and it is very easy. Just find a star cookie cutter make your imprint, layer on the jelly and bake. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 (8oz) round brie

• 1 jar red pepper jelly

• rosemary for garnish

• baguette, crostini or crackers for dipping

Preparation

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. Slice wheel of cold brie in half

2. Place one half in a small, shallow, oven-proof dish.

3. Lay the other half of brie on a cutting board. Using cookie cutter on one half make a star shape in centre and carefully remove the cut cheese. (eat or discard)

4. layer jelly (as much as you like) on cheese in oven dish, cover with star cut layer of brie

5. Bake 15-20 mins until brie is soft

6. Carefully remove from oven, add sprigs of rosemary around dish for decoration.

   
   

   Serve with freshly sliced baguette, crostini or crackers

Jumbo Garlic Shrimp Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 8-10 jumbo shrimp fried (deveined)

• 3 tbsps butter

• 3 cloves of garlic chopped

• 1 (250ml) jar seafood cocktail sauce

• 1 green bell pepper diced

• 3 green onions diced

• 1 large tomato, seeded and diced

• 1 1/2 cups shredded marble cheese

Preparation

1. Melt butter in pan med-high heat

2. add garlic

3. add shrimp

4. Remove shrimp from pan, cool. Remove tails. Chop into bite-sized pieces.

5. In a medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese and sour cream (mix well)

6. In a 9x9 square dish for presentation add combined cream cheese and sour cream

7. Layer cocktail sauce over cream cheese mixture

8. Layer cooled, chopped shrimp over sauce

9. Sprinkle with cheese

10. Layer Chopped green pepper

11. Layer chopped seeded tomato

12. Layer chopped green onion

    
    

    Serve with crackers for dipping.

This is a delicious cocktail or mocktail. Your choice. I served mine with Baltic Brothers Harvest Plum Vodka from a local distillery here in Winnipeg. Add a splash of fizz with blood orange-flavoured San Pellegrino and a fancy ice cube and voila.

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Baltic Brothers Harvest Plum Vodka

• 3 oz. San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa (blood orange)

(ice cube infused with cranberry juice and a slice of orange)