Comments on: Watch & Win: Successful Holiday Appetizer

By: Greg Hageli

Greg Hageli — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:34:07 +0000

I love this italian loave that has been passed down my family for generations.
It starts with a homemade pizza crust filled panzarotti style with parmigiano reggiano, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, parsley, ham, italian sausage, prosciutto, egg, salt and pepper! It can be served warm or cold. It is amazing!!!

By: Elizabeth Hagans

Elizabeth Hagans — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:26:26 +0000

My favorite holiday appetizer is a warm brie spread with fig preserves. I use a crock-pot little dipper to heat a round of brie in, top it with a healthy amount of fig preserves and turn it on about 15 minutes before guests are ready to dig in. I offer an assortment of crackers or hearty bread pieces. Just make sure you turn off the pot before the cheese gets too bubbly.

It’s my favorite because, with everything else going on, it’s one thing I can just plug in and leave. I can then concentrate on fixing the rest of the holiday dinner, or actually enjoy spending time with my guests.

If you’re serving a large crown and one round of brie isn’t enough, then buy two and layer them in the little dipper with the fig preserves.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:03:19 +0000

I have never gone wrong with Butternut Squash Turnovers! They always please and are so delightful in the fall!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:31:04 +0000

this one is my favorite because it’s so simple. I use a mini crockpot and leave it out on the counter throughout the day so everyone can help themselves whenever they want. First put in a wheel of Brie, then spoon apricot preserves over the top. Leave a plate of crackers and a butter knife close by for serving. If you want to make it a bit more complicated, add some roasted garlic cloves to the pot.

By: Marcia

Marcia — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:31:23 +0000

The best appetizer is shrimp dip. Sour cream, cream cheese, seasonings, minced onion, small shrimp cut into 2-3 pieces, a few shakes of hot sauce, and horseradish. It can get hotter the next day so I don’t put much hot sauce in it. I used to make a triple batch for Super Bowl too. An assortment of crackers are nice, but my late husband just used soda crackers.

It is a variation on a shrimp dip we had many years ago in Charleston, SC on vacation.

By: Carri

Carri — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:13:08 +0000

Baked brie in a sourdough bowl. This stuff is better than crack! Bowl must be strategically placed in the family room or as far from the kitchen as possible. It’s the only thing that works to lure people out of the kitchen so I can actually finish making Christmas dinner. I swear- it’s like hearding sheep in my family. But always very entertaining to see them all fight over the bread bowl carcass once we’re out of chopped bread pieces! Definetly a Kodak moment!

By: Meghan

Meghan — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:20:24 +0000

I always get a variety of Wisconsin artisan cheeses to wow my guests.

By: K.

K. — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:23:37 +0000

Fried sauerkraut, fresh polish sausage, and cherry pierogi – these are staples at our Polish family Christmases. At one family reunion around the holidays we also shared opłatki, or Christmas wafers, in which you break off a bit of the large, rectangular wafer and share a blessing with the person siting next to you. Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2009!

By: Becca

Becca — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:25:37 +0000

One of my FAVORITE Holiday party dishes is my version of Baked Brie. It is very easy to make and always disappears before anything else on the table. All the ingredients are available at Whole Foods.
You will need:
2-3oz of Brie Cheese per person (I like the American version because it is cheaper than most others and still packs a great flavor, but you can use any Brie)
Whole Wheat Filo Dough – found in the frozen foods section
Carmel Ice Cream topping
One yellow onion – Cooked over low heat with olive oil until very soft but not brown
One egg – beaten

Step one:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step two:
Lay out 3-6 layers of Filo Dough on top of one another a smooth surface.
Step three:
Place a medium thin layer of caramel on the middle section of the Filo squares.
Step four:
Place the cooked onions on top of the caramel.
Step five:
Place the Brie cheese (minus the white outer coating – you can keep it if you like, but it makes cutting the Brie easier if it is removed prior to cooking) on top of the onions.
Step six:
Wrap up securely but carefully so the contents are covered but the Filo does not tear.
Step seven:
Place seal side down in a metal oven safe cake pan.
Step eight:
Brush the surface with the beaten egg (this will make a nice golden color when it is finished).
Step nine:
Cook until the melted cheese is just coming out of the bottom and the egg is fully cooked (about 15 minutes).
Serve HOT! with either sliced baguette or whole wheat crackers. ENJOY!

By: Vicky

Vicky — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:58:07 +0000

My favorite holiday appetizer is Greek spanakopita – my grandmother’s recipe. I use fresh spinach and form the spanakopita in triangles. A generous amount of butter should be brushed on the top of each pastry to enhance flavor and add to browning in the oven.