I know many of us do lots of entertaining during the Christmas season and the usual menu consists of finger foods. These are always fun for social gatherings and mingling, however sometimes difficult to get it all out before your quests arrive so I have a few yummy things to make with most of the work being done the day before or ahead of time so you can enjoy the party as much as your guests!! I had the girls over on a week night and made these 4 dishes, it was so simple with the make ahead tips :).
Cream Cheese Won Tons
1 package cream cheese
1 package square won tons
Vegetable oil
Sweet and Sour sauce
I got the idea for these from my friend Briana, who is 17 years old and I had to idea she liked to cook until I went to her house and she whipped up all these delicious little bites, she always amazes me with her many talents! Anyway back to the food, I love this appetizer because it has so little ingredients and most of the prep can be done ahead of time.
Cut your cream cheese into squares and place in the middle of your won ton wrapper then with your finger or pastry brush dab a little water along the edges.
Then fold all the corners up and pinch together. There are several ways to fold them up, this one is my favorite but use your imagination!
At this point they can be placed on a cookie sheet sprayed with pam or brushed with a little oil to keep from sticking then covered with a damp paper towel and place in the fridge overnight. All this prep the day before will save you a ton of time.
Either the morning of or a few hours before your party place them in a large pot or deep fryer and cook for a minute or two with the oil between 350 and 375. Make sure they are submerged in the oil and take them out when they begin turning golden brown. Place them on a paper towel lined cookie sheet to drain and they can stay like this for several hours. Bake them for 5-7 minutes at 350 to warm them back up right before your guests arrive and they are ready to be plated!
Serve with your sweet and sour sauce for dipping!
Cheddar Bacon Pull Apart Bread
Loaf of sour dough for french bread (I used two smaller ones here)
1 packet ranch seasoning
1 stick of butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 strips bacon
I saw this on pinterest and never actually read the recipe so this is what I came up with. It was super easy and so yummy...how can it not be with butter, bacon and melted cheese though??
The day before your party cut the bread across both ways but do not go all the way through. Then place them in a ziplock bag to keep them fresh. For the bacon you can do it two ways, cut the bacon before you cook it into small pieces and brown, or cook the whole strip then crumble. I like the first method personally. Place on a paper towel and cover, this can be done the day before and left out over night. Then an hour or so before the party you can assemble these beauties; melt the butter and mix with the ranch packet then brush or spoon it in between all the cracks. Sprinkle in the shredded cheese and top with your cooked bacon. Then a few minutes before the party pop it into the oven and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until everything is warm and cheese is melted!
Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Bites
3 tbs finely chopped green onion
(you can use the chive and onion cream cheese in place of this and regular cream cheese)
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup cooked crumbled bacon
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
1 package puff pastry
These little bites you can actually make completely the day before and just reheat right before your party. Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Lay the puff pastry out and cut into small squares that will fit into a mini cupcake pan. Place each piece of pastry in the pan and spoon in the filling. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes, remove right when they begin to brown. Place back into the oven before your ready to serve them for 5-7 minutes. If you want to fully cook at one time back 12-15 minutes.
Mini Spinach Dip Cups
1 tube crescent rolls or bread dough
2 tbs olive oil
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
First heat your olive oil in a pan and add the spinach and garlic, it will cook down very fast. Transfer the spinach to a bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Roll out the dough and if your using crescent rolls pinch the seams together then use your rolling pin to smooth it out. Use a small round cookie cutter (or the rim of a small glass) to punch out your bread rounds. Then place in a mini cupcake pan and make sure the dough goes up the sides a little. Fill each cup with a little of the spinach mixture and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. If you would like to make them the day before you can do the same thing as the above recipe and just cook most of the way then finish them off the day of. You will only get about 12 out of this recipe so I would suggest doubling it for more then a few guests.
I don't have a picture for this one, by the time I remembered to take one we ate them all!
