SEASONAL SNACKING
Make-ahead treats let party hosts enjoy festivities
’Tis the season to gather with family and friends!
Pairing simple, make-ahead appetizers with items that require minimal preparation, like a veggie tray or cheese platter, means you can spend a lot more time mixing and mingling instead of slaving away in the kitchen.
Our meatballs are served with an apple cider glaze that brings some of the familiar flavours of a holiday dinner into a scrumptious bite. Turkey meatballs flavoured with fresh garlic, Italian parsley, fennel seeds and nutmeg are dressed in a sweet and tangy glaze made with apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and Dijon mustard.
The meatballs can be made ahead and frozen, then reheated and tossed in the warm glaze just before serving.
Bite-size toasts are a cinch to make and a great way to use up a baguette that is just starting to go stale. Try using a flavoured olive oil or sprinkling on some dried herbs for even more variety.
Use these crostinis as a component of a cheese or charcuterie board, or as a base for a standalone appetizer such as our avocado mousse toasts.
The light, festive mousse packs a punch thanks to the lime, cilantro and serrano pepper in the recipe. And the tangy saltiness of a feta cheese helps to balance out the tart and spicy mousse.
Calgary-based ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen has been providing advice on food, cooking, recipes and other household topics for more than 80 years. Their cookbooks include Everyday Delicious and From the Grill.