- Hey guys.
So we all have those moments during the holidays
when we get so overwhelmed planning the meal,
that we forget about the hors d'oeuvres.
I've been there myself, I totally get it.
So this time I wanted to share with you
three quick and easy party appetizers that are as simple
as it gets and always make a big impression.
And if you're not already a subscriber,
be sure to subscribe, hit that notification bell
and that way you won't miss any of my holiday recipes.
Okay, first up, let's tackle the baked brie.
So there's really two ways to make this appetizer.
You can make it in a puff pastry, which is really delicious
and in fact I have a recipe on this channel for that
and I'll leave you a link in the description
if you wanna go that route.
But if you're running out of time and you want something
even easier, you can actually bake it
without the puff pastry and serve it
with little baguette toasts
and it's really fantastic that way too
and 10 times easier.
To begin, we're gonna toast our baguette.
So just go ahead and slice it into maybe half inch slices,
place it on a baking sheet and then pop it under the broiler
for just a few minutes until it's nice and golden brown
and toasted on both sides.
Then you can pull it out and set those aside.
The brie is gonna be so warm and hot
that the toasts actually don't need to be hot.
They're fine at room temperature.
So I'm working with an eight ounce wheel of brie,
which fits perfectly into one of those little six inch
Lodge cast iron skillets.
So if you have one of those, that's a good way to go,
or you can also just put it in any oven-safe dish.
Now on top of the brie you're going to spread
two tablespoons of fig jam and on top of that you wanna add
a tablespoon of minced rosemary.
Then on top of that I also like to add some dried figs
in addition to the jam,
because it'll add a nice texture as well.
And then you also wanna add a tablespoon of chopped pecans.
You really could use any nut,
I just like the pecans with figs,
but you could also use almonds, walnuts, whatever you have.
Then you're going to place this in
a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for just 15 minutes,
is all it takes.
Then when your brie is ready, you can go ahead and place it
on a wooden charger or a cutting board,
just because that little skillet is gonna be hot.
Then I like to decorate the outside of it
with some fresh grapes,
which is a really great flavor combination
with the warm brie and it looks really pretty too.
Then you can place your toast on the charger as well.
Stick a little cheese knife in the brie
and let everybody serve themselves.
And you will see how delicious it is
between that warm, gooey brie, fig jam, the nuts,
the rosemary and of course one or two of those fresh grapes.
Now, if you're roasting your holiday meal in your oven
and you can't use your oven for an appetizer,
you could also go the route of a party dip.
And a sour cream and onion dip is a classic,
and watch how easy it is to make from scratch.
You don't need to go buy any of those little spice packets
that you see at the grocery store.
You'll be much happier with this instead, I promise.
And the only thing you have to really cook
are the onions.
So in a large skillet you're going to add a tablespoon
of olive oil.
To that you're gonna add a cup
and a half of diced, yellow onion.
And you just wanna cook the onions down
until they're translucent and fragrant.
And then you can season them with a little salt and pepper.
And at this stage I also like to add a teaspoon and a half
of balsamic vinegar.
It'll sweeten those onions up
and also give them a nice color.
Then you can transfer them to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Then in a medium-size bowl,
you're going to add 16 ounces of sour cream.
Then for a little creaminess I also like to add
two tablespoons of mayonnaise and then for a little kick
I like to add two teaspoons of prepared horseradish.
But if you couldn't find that
you could also use Dijon mustard.
Then for a little freshness we're going to add a quarter cup
of freshly snipped chives and then you can season
to taste with a little salt and pepper.
Then you can whisk that all together until it's nice
and smooth and then go ahead and add those onions in,
and that's all you have to do.
You can cover and refrigerate this until it's time
to serve, and then when it is time to serve,
you can transfer your dip into a serving bowl.
Now I think that dips look extra fancy
when you can put them in something that's stemmed and high.
It just takes a simple dip from ordinary to,
ooh that's fancy.
Then to keep this dip super simple you just can serve
this with some potato chips.
But go for the kettle chips
because I think they're a little bit fancier
for the holidays and they look so pretty too.
Now if you're looking at these two appetizer ideas
and thinking, well that looks great
but I don't even have time for those two things,
this is even simpler.
This is the ultimate set it and forget it idea.
Just take out a large cutting board
and on top of it you wanna place the biggest wheel
of blue cheese you can find,
or you could use some different wedges.
I like the big entire wheel
because I think there's something that looks really festive,
especially for the holidays and it feeds a crowd.
Then I like to add a collection of honeys.
I think there's something really delicious
about the combination of honey and blue cheese.
And I recently discovered this company online,
it's called Bee Seasonal.
And I love honey, but I have to admit,
this is the best honey I've ever tried.
It is fantastic and the packaging is so beautiful,
all you have to open the jar and leave it right out there.
It looks so pretty and then I also like to add
these little honey dippers that are the perfect size
for the jar,
which makes the honey super simple to serve.
And I'll leave you a link in the description
of where you can find both online.
Then you can round out this board with some sliced pears.
I like to get the mini pears because I think it's easier
to place on a cracker.
Then you can also add a few handfuls of walnuts.
Then fill a small bowl with an assortment of crackers.
It's such a fun, interactive appetizer for your guests,
that took hardly any effort.
Now if you want another easy appetizer idea
that makes a big impression,
then you should click on this annotation
and I'll show you how to make a tarte au soleil,
another winner that always gets rave reviews.
I'll see you over there.