5 2-Ingredient Easy Holiday Appetizers

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5 2-ingredient Easy Holiday Appetizers

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Every year, when we decorate our Christmas tree, we make a buffet of appetizers to keep us fueled throughout the evening. This is something I did with my family when I was growing up, and it’s now a tradition I’ve carried into adulthood and continue doing with Dave. While we have a rotation of favorite bites we like to make, for the most part we like to stick to a few simple tried-and-true classics. In the middle of the busiest season of the year, it’s comforting to have a few 2-ingredient easy holiday appetizers that you know you can count on to be simple, delicious, comforting and crowd-pleasing. Some of them hardly need a recipe, most of them you probably have the ingredients on hand for, a lot of them you’re probably familiar with but may have forgotten about them over the years an all of them are perfect to serve all holiday season long, from Thanksgiving straight through to New Years!

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// Whipped Feta

1

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces feta cheese

• 1 tablespoon honey {for en extra festive touch use an infused honey, such as truffle}

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, blend the feta and 1/2 tablespoon of honey for 90-120 seconds, or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick, or you want it to be a bit creamier, you can also add a splash of olive oil while blending.

2. Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with the remaining honey and sprinkle with plenty of fresh ground pepper. You can also garnish with fresh herbs, like rosemary or thyme. Serve with crackers, crostini and/or sliced apples and pears.

// Pastry Dogs

2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 9-ounce sheet of puff pastry dough, softened to room temperature

• 12-ounce package mini hot dogs or sausages {plain or flavored}

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat and set aside.

2. Cut the puff pastry sheet into 24 even strips. Wrap each hot dog with a piece of dough, then place it on the baking sheet.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the hot dogs are sizzling.

4. Transfer to a serving dish and pair with mustard, aioli and/or ketchup. To elevate these even more serve with flavors sauces, like a spicy ketchup or honey mustard.

// baked brie

3

INGREDIENTS

• 1 9-ounce sheet of puff pastry dough, softened to room temperature

• About 1/2 pound of brie {for an extra elevated touch, use a flavored one, like truffle or herb…my favorite is the mushroom one from Trader Joe’s}

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wrap the cheese securely in the puff pastry dough, being sure to seal the edges firmly. Place on a lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer for about 10 minutes, or until the oven is ready {the freezer step isn’t necessary but it does help keep the cheese in the dough while it bakes and it also helps make the dough extra flaky and golden brown}.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.

4. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately with crostini, crackers and/or fruit.

// Wrapped Apricots

4

INGREDIENTS

• Prosciutto

• Dried apricots {I like to use Turkish apricots that have not been treated with sulfur}

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wrap each apricot with a piece of prosciutto {I use 1 sheet of prosciutto to wrap 6-8 apricots, depending on the size of the apricots} and place on a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.

3. Bake for 5-7 minutes or just until the prosciutto gets slightly crispy around the edges. You can serve these as is or dress them up with a drizzle of honey, a sprinkle of fresh herbs or alongside mustard for dipping.

// Cream CHEESE LOG

5

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese

• 1/4 cup pepper jelly ( I get mine at Trader Joe’s)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the cream cheese on a serving dish. Top with pepper jelly. Serve with crackers.

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