My go to holiday appetizers are quick and easy and SO TASTY! I promise your guests will love them! Happy Holidays!
Palm Beach Cheese Puffs
Ingredients
- 10 white bread slices
- 1/2 stick butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- Minced fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- With 1 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut rounds out of slices of bread.
- Add garlic butter to melted butter.
- Place bread rounds on baking sheet and brush with butter.
- Bake bread rounds in oven for 15 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and cool.
- Mix mayonnaise, cheese, onion and chives in a small bowl.
- Place heaping spoonful of mayonnaise mixture on each round.
- Bake for 6 – 8 minutes or until the tops turn golden brown. Place on serving plate and sprinkle with minced chives. Serve hot.
Smoked Salmon Tortilla Bites
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons non-peril capers
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Zest 1 small lemon
- 3 burrito size flour tortillas
- 8 ounces smoked salmon
- Chopped fresh dill and lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
- Place cream cheese in mixing bowl.
- Add dill, red onion, capers and lemon juice. Stir with rubber spatula to combine all ingredients.
- Place one tortilla on a baking sheet.
- Spread one-half of cream cheese mixture on the tortilla, spreading cream cheese all the way to the edges of the tortilla.
- Place 4 ounces smoked salmon evenly on top of the cream cheese.
- Place the second tortilla on top of the smoked salmon and press lightly.
- Spread the tortilla with the rest of the cream cheese and top with the remaining 4 ounces of smoked salmon.
- Top with the third tortilla, pressing lightly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one to two hours or until thoroughly chilled.
- Remove baking sheet from refrigerator and uncover.
- Cut tortilla into fourths. Cut each fourth into 10 small squares. Place tortilla squares on a serving plate.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill and garnish plate with lemon slices. Serve chilled.
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound bacon
- 2 (8 ounce) cans whole water chestnuts, drained
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl.
- Cut bacon strips in half. Wrap one half slice of bacon around each water chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Arrange water chestnuts in a 9" x 13" baking dish.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 – 15 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure bacon grease does not splatter in oven.
- Remove water chestnuts from the oven. Drain off some of the bacon grease from the baking dish.
- Pour ketchup mixture evenly over the water chestnut wraps.
- Bake until bacon is crispy and sauce thickens, 30 – 35 more minutes. Watch carefully so bacon does not burn and bacon grease does not splatter in oven.
Cheese Dreams
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 15 slices crisp bacon, cut into fourths
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (available at Fresh Market in the spice section or labeled "ground mustard" at Kroger in the spice section)
- 2 tablespoons Clark and Hopkins Chesapeake Bay Pepper Sauce (available at Wine Gourmet or on-line)
- 1 16 ounce package firm white sandwich bread slices (such as Pepperidge Farm sandwich bread)
- Spanish paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Beat in heavy cream and next 5 ingredients.
- Cut crusts from white bread slices; cut each bread slice into 4 squares.
- Spread cheese mixture on half of bread squares (about 1 teaspoon per square).
- Top the cheese mixture with 2 small pieces of bacon and top bacon with remaining bread squares to make petite sandwiches.
- Spread remaining cheese mixture over top of sandwiches.
- Place sandwiches 1 inch apart, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.
- Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
