10-minute apps
Fancy bites for hungry guests are easy-pleasy
The holiday season is upon us, and with it come unannounced visits from relatives, friends, neighbors and more relatives. Along with this never-ending stream comes the need to entertain them with food and drink. Be prepared for unexpected (as well as expected) guests by keeping a few key ingredients in your cupboard ready to turn into a dazzling spread of bite-size holiday cheer. Each of these six sophisticated holiday appetizers can be created in 10 minutes or less (plus cooking time), leaving plenty of time to enjoy a glass of wine in solitude before the first ring of the doorbell.
Say cheese, please
Dress up a holiday cheese spread by making bite-size miniature cheese balls, decorated with a variety of tasty coatings.
Start with a base of cream cheese and then flavor it up with cheeses such as cheddar or blue. Form into bite-size balls and then roll in your choice of Italian parsley, dried cranberries or crispy crumbled bacon. It’s as easy as shape, roll and serve.
Get your flambé on
Become a culinary superstar at your party by preparing an appetizer right in front of your guests. Plus, there are flames!
Shrimp, tossed in a squeeze of fresh lime juice, olive oil and chopped cilantro meet tequila for a show-stopping and fast appetizer presentation.
Peel and devein large raw shrimp, keeping the tails on for a prettier presentation. After a quick 5-minute marinating, the shrimp are ready to be thrown (carefully) into a hot pan. Let cook a few minutes, then carefully deglaze the pan with a few tablespoons of tequila.
The tequila will flame, finish cooking the shrimp and create a round of applause. Be sure to have a lid handy to squash the flame if needed.
The tequila shrimp can be served two ways. Wrap a bright green blanched pea pod around each shrimp and secure with a decorative toothpick, or serve with guacamole (storebought or homemade). For a restaurant-quality presentation, visit a local party store and grab some plastic appetizer spoons. Place a generous teaspoon of guacamole on each spoon and then top with a shrimp.
Dip it
Dips make easy fillers for an appetizer party. Instead of opening up a purchased dip, make your own.
Chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) should be in your cupboard at all times. A can of these trusty legumes will add protein and crunch to everything from a simple salad to a batch of pasta. With a few added ingredients and a quick turn in the food processor, they can be transformed into a homemade dip in less than 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pop them into a food processor. Add some plain Greek yogurt, minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt, white pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Don’t forget some chopped roasted red bell pepper for a little color. A Moroccan-inspired hummus dip is ready to welcome that box of artisan crackers you carefully hid in the cupboard from your spouse and kids.
Kick up the presentation by serving the Moroccan hummus in mini-martini or shot glasses. Add some holiday sparkle with a garnish of pomegranate arils. No double-dipping problems at this party.
Warm, crispy bites
Crostini, thin slices of French bread crowned with a variety of toppings, are an easy go-to for an impromptu appetizer party. Spread slices of lightly toasted baguette with a mixture of marinated artichoke, Parmesan and garlic and top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese. A quick visit under the broiler, and they’re ready to greet your hungry guests.
A box of puff pastry in the freezer can be a welcome friend during the holiday season. A single pastry sheet can be quickly filled and formed into sophisticated appetizers that look as if they took hours to prepare.
Palmiers, a traditional French offering, can be made in both sweet (with cinnamon sugar) and savory (with meats and cheese) versions; with baking, they take on a heart shape.
Thaw the frozen pastry in the refrigerator overnight. Brush the pastry with a thin coating of Dijon mustard, followed by a layer of sliced smoked ham and grated Swiss cheese. To get the traditional palmier look, proper folding of the dough into logs is required.
Slice each puff pastry log into 1⁄2-inch pieces, place on a parchment-lined sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned and puffed.
Palmiers are also the perfect make-ahead appetizer. The unbaked filled pastry log can be wrapped in aluminum foil and either refrigerated for a day or frozen up to 3 months. Just let
the frozen log thaw 15 minutes, then slice, bake and serve. Get nutty
Resist the easy way out. Don’t just open a can of nuts and pour them into a bowl. Make a mixture of cashews, walnuts and pecans warm and herbaceous by tossing them in a buttery maple and rosemary mixture.
Spread nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and give them a quick 3-minute roast in a 375-degree oven. Meanwhile, melt unsalted butter in a small skillet. Add maple syrup and chopped fresh rosemary. Toss the two together and season with a pinch of sea salt.
A word of warning: These nuts are slightly addictive, so make sure to hide a few for those late-arriving guests.
On-the-fly entertaining essentials
Having a couple of well-thought-out ingredients in-house can move your appetizer on- the-fly party from a bag of chips and dip to an elegant set-up that will wow even that most finicky relative.
Be prepared by stocking your kitchen with some appetizer party essentials. Ingredient basics Stock up on a few shelf-stable staples, such as:
A jar of mixed olives ready to be flavored with a dash of olive oil and some dried herbs.
A few cans of mixed nuts to warm up and toss with maple rosemary butter.
Quick dip ingredients like chickpeas, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red bell peppers and sun-dried tomatoes
Packages of unusual crackers available at specialty food stores. Freezer stash Hit the freezer aisle for these appetizer essentials:
Par-baked frozen baguettes; tuck a few away in the freezer, for transforming into quick crostini.
A package of puff pastry ready to thaw for a batch of sophisticated appetizers.
Individual phyllo cups, which make the perfect receptacle for store-bought crab or shrimp
A few bags of shredded cheese.
Raw shrimp — stock up during the next grocery store seafood special. If the shrimp aren’t shelled and deveined, do the dirty work before you pop them in the freezer. The shrimp can be quickly thawed in a bowl of ice water. Visit a party store Spending $15 at your local dollar or party store will be well worth the expense.
Grab a few packets of cocktail napkins and disposable appetizer plates.
Glam up your appetizer presentation with individual plastic martini glasses and appetizer serving spoons. Gather them up at the end of the party and hand wash them. Store them back in the cupboard for future party action.
Pick up a roll or two of holiday ribbon. Intertwine ribbon around an appetizer display for a festive touch.