Appetizers - The Everyday Hostess

Appetizers February 18, 2019

St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn

We’re just a few weeks away from St. Patrick’s Day, so today we are getting all ready and preparing our home before the Leprechaun arrives and making our favorite treat – St. Patrick’s Day Popcorn!

This is the perfect treat to send your little Leprechauns to school with or to serve at your St. Patty’s Day party! This sweet and salty festive snack will be thoroughly enjoyed by kids and adults alike and only requires a few simple ingredients – your favorite popcorn (I usually opt for Skinny Pop to save on those cals somewhere-ha), white chocolate, green food coloring, green sprinkles, and the green candy of your liking! Green M&M’s is always a favorite, but this year I opted for green candy corn that I picked up at our local Central Market (I also found some on Amazon here).

Appetizers August 26, 2016

How to Create a Mediterranean Style Antipasto Platter

View More: http://cottonwoodroadphotography.pass.us/theeverydayhostess

When it comes to hosting a dinner party, I’m pretty sure there is nothing better than starting the evening off with a giant antipasto platter to kick the night off! I mean what is more welcoming than providing an abundant platter of delicious bites for your friends and family to gather around and enjoy while waiting for dinner? It immediately creates an intimate and relaxed atmosphere plus it buys you a few extra minutes to finish preparing the rest of the meal or beverages!

rp_The-Everyday-Hostess-Teepee-Camp-Out-Date-Night-49-1024x768.jpg

I absolutely love filling my antipasto platter with only the freshest of Mediterranean style ingredients that are just as beautiful as they are delicious! And the best part of this course is that it is simple and quick to throw together! Most of the ingredients can be store-bought, so all you need to do is arrange it on the platter, cover and refrigerate, and then bring it out when your first guest arrives! Easy peasy!

So we know this is super easy to throw together, but let’s talk about what we should actually include on the platter!

Keep it simple and colorful and offer a large variety of sliced meats, cheeses, and marinated vegetables. Some of my favorite additions to a Mediterranean style platter are:

Marinated artichokes
Hummus
Roasted red bell peppers
Sun-dried tomatoes
Marinated feta cheese
Marinated olives
Sweet Pickles
Roasted almonds
Dried fruit
Fresh Mozzarella
Roasted vegetables
Assorted deli meats (salami, turkey, prosciutto)
Tabouli

Oh and don’t forget the most important part! A large selection of pita breads, breadsticks, and crackers for dipping! YUM!

View More: http://cottonwoodroadphotography.pass.us/theeverydayhostess

Antipasto platters are the perfect way to get people mingling and the conversation rolling. Incorporate one into your next dinner party or gathering and I promise you will not be disappointed!

Appetizers August 20, 2016

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

View More: http://cottonwoodroadphotography.pass.us/theeverydayhostess

Hummus is an absolute staple in my household! I mean, I literally LOVE it! I am always sampling different types in the store, so I finally started experimenting with it in my own kitchen. And let me tell you – it is way better homemade and even easier to make than you would expect!

Appetizers June 8, 2016

Bacon Cheeseburger with Crispy Onion Ring Sliders

The Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer Soiree

These Bacon Cheeseburger with Crispy Onion Ring Sliders are one of my all time favorite summertime recipes! They are so incredibly juicy and delicious and are just perfect for an outdoor BBQ party with your friends or a tasty family dinner at home.

We have taken a classic cheeseburger and topped it with our favorite Sweet Baby Ray’s Brown Sugar Sauce to give the perfect saucy sweetness to the dish and topped it with our crunchy thin onion rings and bacon! Could this get any better? I am craving it just thinking about it, so it may need to make another appearance on our dinner table tonight!

Appetizers April 14, 2016

Lemon Caprese Chicken and Avocado Chopped Salad

02.07.16-24

I don’t know about you all, but I could eat caprese all day every day. I love caprese sandwiches, pizzas, salads, and if there was a way to incorporate it into a dessert, I’d probably have it on the table tonight (but seriously, if you know of a caprese dessert, please let me know)!

I just cannot get enough of this delicious fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato blend. My mouth is starting to water just thinking about it now!

02.07.16-22

Since this is clearly a staple in my household, I’m always looking for new ways to put a twist on a traditional caprese salad. With that, I present to you my new all-time favorite dish: Lemon Caprese Chicken and Avocado Chopped Salad! Sounds incredible doesn’t it? I assure you it is. It’s fresh and light, yet still filling and incredibly decadent. This versatile salad is just perfect for all your formal summer soirees or casual family dinners! Everyone is sure to enjoy!

02.07.16-26
PS! This homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing, is definitely something to write home about! So do yourself a favor and double the recipe, so you have more for other salads later in the week!

Appetizers March 20, 2016

Tea Sandwiches

easter-109

One of the best parts of this Alice in Wonderland themed tea party that I hosted is that it had all of the magic of a tea party (both real and imaginative) that I had as a little girl. Part of that magic is that you get to eat with your hands.

Besides the fabulous company of course, my favorite part of any tea party is the tasty variety of finger tea sandwiches. I mean what is better than sitting down for a formal soireé and still getting to eat with your hands?

easter-115

For our recent Easter Alice in Wonderland themed tea party I made a selection of tea sandwiches including a Lemon Dill Cucumber Sandwich, Pimento Cheese Sandwich, and a Chicken Salad Puff Sandwich and served them on a traditional three-tiered tray. There are a wide variety of popular tea sandwiches, but I find that with this classic combination every guest is sure to be pleased.

Check out all of our favorite recipes below for your next tea party!

Lemon Dill Cucumber Sandwich

2016-03-22 21:08:03

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

15 min

Prep Time

15 min

Ingredients

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup chopped dill
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 large cucumber
12 to 16 slices white sandwich bread

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, stir the softened cream cheese until creamy. Add dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper and mix until fully combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Once the spread has completely chilled, remove it from the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to assembling sandwiches. This allows it to spread more evenly.
Thinly slice the cucumber.
Spread a thin layer of the Lemony Dill Spread on each slice of bread and arrange cucumber slices on top.
Place an additional piece of bread on top of each cucumber bread slice creating a sandwich. Using a serrated knife, cut the crust off the bread and then cut the sandwiches into preferred shapes (triangles, squares, rectangles, etc).
Garnish tops with additional fresh dill. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 2-3 hours in an airtight container

The Everyday Hostess https://www.theeverydayhostess.com/

Chicken Salad Puffs

2016-03-22 21:18:04

Yields 2

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

20 min

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

20 min

Puff Dough

1 cup water
4 oz. unsalted butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Chicken Salad

1 cup chicken breast, poached and chopped
1/2 cup of finely chopped celery
1/2 cup diced apple
1/2 cup diced red onion
2/3 cup red grapes, halved
1/3 cup Craisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds or walnuts
¼ cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice\
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp of ground black pepper

For the Puffs

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil.
Remove the pan from heat and add the flour all at once. Mix the flour in to form a ball a dough, then stir in each egg one at a time until completely incorporated.
The dough should be smooth and satiny.
Pipe the dough or or form into rounded 1-inch balls and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the puffs are puffy and golden. Turn off the oven and allow them to cool in the oven with the door slightly cracked for 3-5 minutes.
Remove from the oven let cool on cooling rack.

For the Chicken Salad

While the puffs are cooling, combine all of the chicken salad ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir until fully combined,

To Assemble

When the puffs are cooled, slice the tops off horizontally.
Scoop some salad into each puff and cap with the puff top.

The Everyday Hostess https://www.theeverydayhostess.com/

Pimento Cheese Sandwich

2016-03-22 21:23:15

Yields 1

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

10 min

Prep Time

10 min

Ingredients

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 oz) jar sliced pimentos
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated yellow onion
12-16 slices white sandwich bread

For the Pimento Cheese

In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
Spread on 6-8 slices of white bread and top with the remaining 6-8 slices of bread.
Using a serrated knife, remove the crust and slice the bread in the preferred shapes (square, rectangle, triangle).

Adapted from Ten at the Table

The Everyday Hostess https://www.theeverydayhostess.com/

Just one more little tip! While all three of these sandwiches can be served on a simple white bread, I like to mix up the breads and the shapes of the sandwiches so that the serving tray is a little more appealing to the eye. You can easily cut these little bites into rectangles, triangles, squares or make different sizes of the puffs for a little variety!

Appetizers March 3, 2016

Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins

02.07.16-7

These Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins are the perfect side dish to your favorite entree. I recently made these as part of our Chili Bar party and have been munching’ on the leftovers for days! I have gotten so addicted, plus they are just so easy to throw in a Ziploc and add to your lunches, so I may have to make an extra batch here pretty soon!

Appetizers January 26, 2016

Cinnamon-filled King Cake

the-everyday-hostess-0107

With Mardi Gras right around the corner, it’s time to bring out all of our favorite Creole and Cajun recipes! Of course, my favorite dish at any party is dessert, so my mind goes straight to a traditional King Cake, which is the perfect way to top off any Mardi Gras celebration!

This coffee-cake like confection is a popular custom and is adorned in purple, green, and gold sprinkles and shaped like a ring. Traditionally, the King Cake started off as a simple ring of dough, but has since evolved to include a variety of different fillings. Each cake has a tiny plastic or porcelain baby hidden inside and the person who gets the slice with the baby in it hosts the next party! Of course, I am always scoping out the cake looking for the baby! Any excuse to host a party is always welcome!

Appetizers December 30, 2015

Hosting a Cocktail Party with Stonefire Flatbread

When hosting a cocktail party it is always important to prepare appetizers that people can eat with a single hand while mixing and mingling. We are all familiar with that awkward situation when you have a drink in one hand, a small plate and a fork in another, and then a friend comes up to greet you and have to re-situate everything that you are holding just to give a simple hug or handshake! How uncomfortable is that?! I literally hate that situation but find myself in it regularly.

Therefore, in order to avoid this at my parties, I like to serve easy bite sized appetizers that can easily be served on a napkin, so you don’t have the extra plate to hold on to. Then once your guests have taken their bite, they can easily crumple up their napkin, and voila! A free hand to shake as many hands as they want with!

I recently started including Stonefire naan into my appetizers at cocktail parties. The pre-made flatbread can be found in the bakery or deli section of your local grocery store and tastes absolutely delicious. You can easily use the naan to transform any of your favorite snacks into small flatbread bites for your friends and family.

I have taken three of my favorite traditional dishes (Cranberry Brie Tarts, Spinach Artichoke Dip, and Caramel Apple Crisp) and put a unique spin on them to make the most delicious and easily “servable” appetizers for any cocktail party! Check out these recipes for my favorite Stonefire cocktail appetizers below!

Cranberry Pecan and Brie Flatbread with a Maple Brown Sugar Glaze

Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Flatbread

Spinach Artichoke Flatbread

These are all so simple to make and are absolute crowd pleasers! So simple that you could easily throw them all together last minute for your NYE bash tomorrow! Once you have made the delectable flatbread, all you have to do is slice it into even bite sized pieces and serve! No longer do your guests have to balance a plate and silverware while trying to mingle at your party!

Check out these perfect cocktail party recipes and include Stonefire in your own soiree, and I can guarantee that your party menu will be an absolute sucess! Plus, once you have tried these recipes, head on over to Stonefire’s website for even more flatbread recipes that you can make from home!

Enjoy!

Appetizers December 23, 2015

Spinach Artichoke Flatbread

During the holiday season, I love spending winter days on the slopes in Colorado. What is perfect on snowy winter days? (Besides a glass of wine in the hot tub…duh!) Warm and tasty comfort foods! That’s where these Chicken Spinach Artichoke Flatbreads come in!

Spinach Artichoke Dip Flatbread - The Everyday Hostess

One of my favorite “I am freezing and need a warm snack” is, of course, spinach artichoke dip with pitas and fresh veggies! I have been making the same dip for years, so it is about time that I mix up the recipe and put a little spin on this traditional dish! Take the work out of snacks to dip and just put the spinach artichoke dip right on a yummy flatbread!

Spinach Arichoke Dip

This is the EASIEST appetizer and is perfect for a nice little snack at home or can even be dressed up and served at cocktail parties! I’ve used my favorite pre-made Stonefire naan, which can be found in the bakery or deli section of your local grocery store, and added my homemade spinach artichoke dip to create the perfect flatbread! I also personally like to add poached shredded chicken to give the dish a protein boost, but this can easily be left out for any vegetarians out there. Pro tip for the less calorie conscious: bacon would also be awesome!