When it comes to holiday food, I lean toward that which can be elegantly eaten with the phalanges. Unless it's an actual sit-down formal dinner, I like to have pieces guests can grab and walk around with. Mingle. You can't exactly do that with a slab of ham, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Am I right?
So, here is a list of my absolute favorites, from the heavenly deviled egg to those fluffy cream puffs.
Did I mention that these are simple too? If I can grab a can of crescent rolls and a pound of deli ham, I will. I. So. Will.
*Ahem.*
On with the list.
Mini sandwiches - Rhodes frozen rolls, Swiss cheese slices, butter, and a few pounds of deli turkey or ham. (See previous statement about simple.) You can serve them cold or pop them in the oven for a few minutes. Cut the sandwiches in half and stick festive toothpicks through the top. See? Easy.
Veggie tray - I just had to fix that. The first time I wrote it, it said vaggie tray. Mhmm. Yeah. Classy.
Anyway, throwing veggies on a tray is kind of boring. This idea makes it easier to keep your carrots from rolling off the plate, and if you're finicky, the ranch doesn't touch anything else.
Deviled Eggs - My mother makes these with just a few ingredients, but they are always amazing. And they're usually the first thing to go.
6 hard-boiled eggs (can be doubled, depends on how big your crowd is)
1 large spoonful of mayonnaise
1 tiny squirt of mustard
A few shakes of salt
A few more shakes of pepper
Scoop out the yolks and mash them with the mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper. Scoop them back into the whites and sprinkle with paprika.
This is literally my mother's recipe. She doesn't write it down or measure anything. She just adds what she feels like that day. And of course, she shakes a bit of paprika on the top to make them pretty.
Loaded baked potato soup - This can be made in a crock pot and thrown in cups at the last minute. Yummy, warm, and with a few chives and bacon pieces on top, it looks festive too!
Tangy Bean Dip - There's just something about a party that chips and dip have to be involved. This is a tangy twist on the same ol' dip we've loved forever. Add some corn chips or even pita chips and this party is on.
Cowboy Sushi - She. Is. A. Genius. I LOVE dill pickles, and her use for them here is just... Tasty. Observe. Pickle, Buddig ham, and cream cheese. You may be slightly ill from reading that last sentence, but my mouth is watering.
Sweet strawberries - I'm not sure who did this first because we've always done it. Either way, it's lovely.
Cut the stem off the berries. From the bottom, cut twice, making a sort of x. Open them slightly and pipe some frosting (your choice) inside. Try to save some for the party. For me, that is the hardest part.
Fruit dip - This is amazing with almost any fruit, and there are two ingredients.
1 jar of marshmallow creme
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
Fold together. Eat. It's that simple. And it's sooooo addicting. You may never eat grapes plain again. Sorry.
Cream puffs - RasaMalaysia has one of the best recipes for the custard-y filling. The best cream puff recipe I've found is at AllRecipes.com. They turn out just right, and the filling is finger-lick-in-public worthy. Can I get an amen?
I like to melt a little chocolate and dip them in it. It adds tomy waistline the beauty of Le Puff.
Chocolate Crinkle cookies - These are my favorite cookies. Ever. I love these anytime, anywhere. I love the deep chocolate taste surrounded by the light powdered sweetness. To me, they are perfection.
Cake bites - Using your favoritecake mix cake recipe, bake a large sheet cake. Using a small cookie cutter (any shape will do) cut them out and set each piece in a cupcake paper. Pour on some warm sweetened condensed milk, throw on a dollop of whipped cream, and shake on some sprinkles. (Or broken Skor or Heath bars if you've the time.) Delish, cute, and ... Oh, I already said delish.
And that, my friends, is my perfect menu for my dream holiday party.
What would you like on your menu?
So, here is a list of my absolute favorites, from the heavenly deviled egg to those fluffy cream puffs.
Did I mention that these are simple too? If I can grab a can of crescent rolls and a pound of deli ham, I will. I. So. Will.
*Ahem.*
On with the list.
Mini sandwiches - Rhodes frozen rolls, Swiss cheese slices, butter, and a few pounds of deli turkey or ham. (See previous statement about simple.) You can serve them cold or pop them in the oven for a few minutes. Cut the sandwiches in half and stick festive toothpicks through the top. See? Easy.
Veggie tray - I just had to fix that. The first time I wrote it, it said vaggie tray. Mhmm. Yeah. Classy.
Anyway, throwing veggies on a tray is kind of boring. This idea makes it easier to keep your carrots from rolling off the plate, and if you're finicky, the ranch doesn't touch anything else.
Deviled Eggs - My mother makes these with just a few ingredients, but they are always amazing. And they're usually the first thing to go.
6 hard-boiled eggs (can be doubled, depends on how big your crowd is)
1 large spoonful of mayonnaise
1 tiny squirt of mustard
A few shakes of salt
A few more shakes of pepper
Scoop out the yolks and mash them with the mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper. Scoop them back into the whites and sprinkle with paprika.
This is literally my mother's recipe. She doesn't write it down or measure anything. She just adds what she feels like that day. And of course, she shakes a bit of paprika on the top to make them pretty.
Loaded baked potato soup - This can be made in a crock pot and thrown in cups at the last minute. Yummy, warm, and with a few chives and bacon pieces on top, it looks festive too!
Tangy Bean Dip - There's just something about a party that chips and dip have to be involved. This is a tangy twist on the same ol' dip we've loved forever. Add some corn chips or even pita chips and this party is on.
Cowboy Sushi - She. Is. A. Genius. I LOVE dill pickles, and her use for them here is just... Tasty. Observe. Pickle, Buddig ham, and cream cheese. You may be slightly ill from reading that last sentence, but my mouth is watering.
Click here for info.
And now, for the sweets!Sweet strawberries - I'm not sure who did this first because we've always done it. Either way, it's lovely.
Cut the stem off the berries. From the bottom, cut twice, making a sort of x. Open them slightly and pipe some frosting (your choice) inside. Try to save some for the party. For me, that is the hardest part.
Fruit dip - This is amazing with almost any fruit, and there are two ingredients.
1 jar of marshmallow creme
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
Fold together. Eat. It's that simple. And it's sooooo addicting. You may never eat grapes plain again. Sorry.
Cream puffs - RasaMalaysia has one of the best recipes for the custard-y filling. The best cream puff recipe I've found is at AllRecipes.com. They turn out just right, and the filling is finger-lick-in-public worthy. Can I get an amen?I like to melt a little chocolate and dip them in it. It adds to
Chocolate Crinkle cookies - These are my favorite cookies. Ever. I love these anytime, anywhere. I love the deep chocolate taste surrounded by the light powdered sweetness. To me, they are perfection.
Cake bites - Using your favorite
And that, my friends, is my perfect menu for my dream holiday party.
What would you like on your menu?
And now I google frantically to figure out how to get the "bikini party 2001" or whatever off my shotglass collection from school just so I can serve baked potato soup in shot glasses for Christmas Eve and still be invited to Christmas dinner.
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