What’s more fun than an appetizer party? I love an evening of all “finger foods” where no utensils are needed. Appetizers that you can nibble and snack on throughout the night are great. An appetizer party is much more casual feeling than a dinner party. I think without the formal sit down meal the party guests are free to walk around, socialize with more people and feel much more at ease.
New Year’s Eve is a great time for an appetizer party. I’ve included a few of my favorite appetizers and “finger foods” here.
I hope you have a wonderful New Year filled with health and happiness! Welcome 2015…..
A classic veggie tray served with some more unique selections is always a smart choice. It provides a lot of color and it is nice to have a healthy choice on the table. I try to provide a healthier dip choice as well. there are several good choices on the market now made with Greek yogurt and fresh herbs.
These are English cucumbers filled with tzatziki sauce (or cucumber sauce). The cucumbers are cut into 1 inch thick rounds with the center seed portion carefully scooped out making a little bowl to hold the sauce. They’re then sprinkled with paprika and chopped green onions.
Spinach tortellini skewers with cubed fresh mozzarella and grape tomatoes. They’re drizzled with a basil pesto vinaigrette. The colors are perfect for a holiday gathering and they’re very satisfying, like a mini meal on a stick.
Edamame hummus is a delicious alternative to traditional hummus as it’s made with edamame (soy beans) instead of chick peas. Plus I love the green color; it’s beautiful served with veggies and pretzel or pita chips.
Roasted grape bruschetta, three words that will change your life and I’m not kidding. I created these last year at holiday time and they were hands down the hit of the season! Again, at this year’s holiday party they were the most talked about food item. People absolutely love them. The combination of flavors is perfection. The fig balsamic drizzle is the star ingredient that brings it all together. Don’t miss making this one, it will make you a rock star!
Ham wrapped asparagus spears are yummy and decadent. Par boiling the asparagus makes them a bright green. They’re then wrapped with a slice of ham that’s been spread with cream cheese and baked in the oven so the cheese gets melty and the ham golden browned. Wow, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Ham wrapped asparagus spears
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Asparagus spears wrapped in ham slices that have been spread with cream cheese. They're baked in the oven melting the cheese and browning the ham. Yummy!
Author: Lisa
Recipe type: Appetizer
Ingredients
- enough asparagus spears for each guest to have 2 spears (or maybe 3)
- 1 slice of deli ham for each asparagus spear - sliced medium-thick
- 1-2 tubs of onion and chive flavored cream cheese - I use a whipped cream cheese from my bagel shop
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Fill a large spaghetti pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add 2 pinches of Kosher salt to the boiling water.
- Trim the asparagus spears to remove the hard ends.
- Cook the asparagus spears in the boiling water for 4 minutes.
- Remove the asparagus from the water and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Spread the cream cheese in a thin layer onto each slice of ham.
- Gently wrap the ham slices around the middle of each asparagus spear.
- Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 8-10 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and the ham browns slightly.
These are stuffed cherry peppers. The peppers are from Trader Joes. They come in a jar and are both hot and sweet. They’re perfectly shaped for stuffing. Here I have put some whipped veggie flavored cream cheese into a small Ziploc bag. I trimmed the bottom corner of the bag and piped the cream cheese into the peppers. They’re simple to put together and taste really good. You could also stuff them with blue cheese or goat cheese. They sell for less than $3.00 a jar. What?! Now that’s an economical appetizer!
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