12 Days of Christmas ~ Day 1 ~ How to Master High~Low Decorating for the Holidays
December 1, 2018
12 Days of Christmas ~ Day 3 ~ Holiday Style
December 3, 2018
Day 2 ~ Let’s Eat!
I’ll be honest… I can’t cook. What I can do is make appetizers for some reason!
I actually enjoy making them but more importantly, I love eating them!
Here’s what’s on the menu for my holiday party’s this year!
***Click Photos for Links To Original Recipe Sources***
Fig + Blue Cheese Bruschetta
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 baguette, sliced into 16 slices
2 tablespoons fig spread or preserves (or you can use plum, apricot, etc.)
4 ounces blue cheese, cut into chunks
Torn fresh basil, for garnish
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the baguette slices and toast on both sides until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool, then spread with a little fig spread/preserves. Top with blue cheese chunks. Sprinkle on some basil.
Charleston Cheese Dip
Ingredients
1/2 cup sour cream
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 dash cayenne pepper
8 butter crackers, crushed, such as Ritz
Corn chips, crackers or bagel chips, for serving
8 slices prosciutto, cooked and crumbled
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish, such as a 9-inch pie pan. Top the mixture with the cracker crumbs and bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and top with the prosciutto. Serve immediately with corn chips, crackers or bagel chips.
Lydia’s Indonesian Chicken Skewers + Peanut Sauce
***Photo from Wellplated.com***
Directions
Blend peanut butter, garlic, hot water, lime juice, and soy sauce, in a blender until smooth.
Preheat grill to high. Thread chicken onto 16 skewers and place in 1 layer on a baking sheet. Brush both sides of chicken with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until cooked through, turning once, about 4 minutes total. Serve immediately, or at room temperature, with peanut sauce on the side.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
16 extra-large white mushrooms
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2/3 cup panko crumbs
5 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the cream cheese and continue cooking until the cream cheese has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.
- Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.
I hope all of your gatherings this holiday season are filled with family, friends, love and lots of great food!
What’re you serving this year?
XO
DS
