Holiday Entertaining Tips + 2 Appetizer Ideas!

Ahhh…..Christmas is in the air! There are defintely no shortage of holiday parties to attend this time of year! Every weekend you’re bound to have some sort of gathering to attend and have multiple chances to stuff your face. In todays post, I am going to share with you a few tips to make any holiday party you throw a raging success!

Keep it simple

If you are the host of the party, the last thing you want to be doing is running around cooking and not being able to enjoy your company. It is a must that you have a few no-cook appetizers that you (or a willing pair of extra hands) can assemble in no time. One of my classic favorites is a Caprese Salad on a stick!

On an appetizer stick, layer miniature fresh mozzarella balls, a slice of salami, and a cherry tomato. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, olive oil, and basil and arrange on a platter. So easy, fresh, and delicous!

Minimal ingredients

The fewer ingredients you have around cluttering your fridge the better it is when you are fixing a ton of dishes. You can make amazing crowd pleasing hors d’oeuvre with minimal ingredients. These Orange Chicken Bacon Bites are so tasty and you probably already have most of the items needed!

1 pound of bonless chicken breasts

20 slices of bacon (not thick cut)

1/4 orange marmalade

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the chicken in thin bite sized pieces. Place marmalade in a bowl and microwave on 30 seconds to thin it out a bit. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken pieces as the bacon itsself is pretty salty. Slice the bacon in half vertically wrapping one half around each piece of chicken, and place on a foil lined baking sheet for easy clean-up. Brush the tops of the chicken and bacon with half of the marmalade and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip over, brushing the other side with remaining marmalade (you can microwave it again if it has thickened up.) Return to the oven and roast for an additional 13 minutes until crispy and delicious!

Utilize the grocery store

You know what people love? Cheese. If you need to find me at any party, go ahead and check by the cheese tray first. Here are a few guidelines that I like to stick to in order to create the perfect platter.

Texture– I like to have at least one cheese from every category: aged, soft, firm, and blue.

Aged: Gouda, Cheddar

Soft: Brie, Camembert

Firm: Parmigiano Reggiano, Manchego

Blue: Gorgonzola, Stilton

Accompaniments 

• Sliced bread, crackers
• Olives
• Jams, Preserves
• Cured meats

Lable each cheese and the accompaniments

Provide a seperate knife for each cheese

Arrange in order of flavor strength for easier selection

If you don’t already have a cheese board, I love this one!  Soap stone is beautiful, it doesn’t absorb flavor, and you can write the name of the cheese with chalk!

Hope this helps to ease your stress during the holidays. Have a fun and tasty Christmas!