The holidays are winding down but the final hurrah is quickly approaching! New Year's Eve! Whether you are hosting or attending, or perhaps venturing out on the town there's bound to be a plethora of tasty nibbles and celebratory cocktails. Maybe you will just pop the champagne with your chosen & preferred in the quiet of your home as the clock strikes midnight. Whatever your plans are, have a safe & happy night as we welcome 2014. Tonight I will share some of my favorite party nibbles as well as ones I have yet to try. So pull up a chair, pour yourself a libation, and share your favorite party treats!
Little sausages such as "Lil' Smokies" are always a favorite at parties. It's easy enough to dump a package into a small crock pot and add some barbecue sauce then just heat them up. Serve with toothpicks and the crowd will devour them. However, this is my new go-to recipe that is a huge hit every time. Just be careful to check on them frequently as they can burn very easily!
Sugared Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment. Preheat the oven to 375°.
Take a large package of Lil' Smokies and drain them.
Take a package of bacon and cut the slices into thirds.
Wrap each smokie in the bacon and secure with a toothpick.
Place them on the baking sheet and then sprinkle liberally with brown sugar.
Bake until the bacon is crispy and the sugar has caramelized.
Serve immediately. They will disappear quickly and you may get some outrageous compliments.
These little cups filled with a spicy cheese mixture were a hit at my Super Bowl shindig last year.
Rotel Cheese Cups
from here
3 pkgs. mini fillo shells {in the frozen aisle}
1 can Rotel, drained almost all the way (if you can't get Rotel, just look for a can of diced tomatoes with chilies, most of the major brands now offer this)
1 bag real bacon bits {or make your own}
1 1/2 cups shredded colby & monterey jack cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
In a large bowl combine the Rotel, bacon bits, and mayonnaise. Stir in the shredded cheese until it's well combined.
Fill the shells with about a teaspoon of the filling until you have filled them all. If there is leftover filling go back and top off the shells until it's all gone.
Place on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 350° oven for about 15-20 minutes until the filling is hot & bubbly and the shells are lightly golden brown.
Serve and try not to eat too many:)
Another tasty one made easy with store-bought crescent roll dough.
Jalapeno Cream Cheese Crescent Poppers
from here
1 package Cream Cheese (8 Ounce Package)
4 ounces, weight Canned, Diced Jalapenos
1 Tablespoon Sugar
8 ounces, weight Tube Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Cut your cube of cream cheese and throw about 3/4 of it into a bowl. Now take about half of your jalapenos from the can and throw in with your cream cheese. I like to add a little more than half, maybe 3/4 of the can, but I like a little kick so it’s up to you.
To your bowl with your cream cheese and jalapenos, add your Tablespoon of sugar. To me, this sugar addition is important. I like the sweet, spicy taste. The sugar is not overwhelming, it’s just the perfect accent. I mean really, anyone can add cream cheese and jalapenos to a crescent roll, but not everyone adds sugar. It’s our little secret.
Set your bowl of cream cheese jalapenos aside for now.
Open up your tube of crescent rolls and place on your cutting board.
Separate them into two rectangles. Now pinch together the perforations to create two nice rectangles. Sometimes I like to use my little mini rolling pin afterwards, to make it a nice and smooth rectangle.
With the back of your spoon, spread half of the cream cheese mixture onto one of the rectangles. Save the other half of the mixture for the other rectangle. (You will have TWO rectangles per tube of crescent rolls.)
Once you’ve spread your half portion of cream cheese on one of your rectangles, start with the LONG end of the roll, and get to rolling.
Once it’s all rolled up, you will need to cut your log into 16 pinwheels.
Get a sharp knife. Really sharp if you have one.
Cut your log right in half. Now you should have two logs. Then cut those two logs in half, and now you should have four logs.
So now you should have four logs.
Now, cut these dolls in half and now you have eight smaller logs.
Now of course, last but not least, cut these little sweet-ums in half.
You now have 16 pinwheel poppers.
Note: This is where you could refrigerate these little guys if you wanted to make them ahead of time. Then just bake them right when the gang is getting antsy.
Place your 16 poppers, laying face up, on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam. Don’t forget this step cause you sure don’t want to be prying off your stuck-on poppers in front of your guests now do ya?
Make sure you face them up, with the cream cheese facing upward.
Pop these into the oven for about 13 minutes until they are golden brown. Keep an eye on them, as each oven varies.
Once your first batch is in the oven, get to spreading and rollin and cutting and cooking the other rectangle.
Once they are done, immediately slide them off the cookie sheet, onto a plate, walk that plate into your crowd of hungry guests, and hear the oohhs and ahhs.
Dips are always a good thing to have and if you have guests that ask "what should I bring?" inevitably someone brings chips of some sort. Tortilla chips & salsa seem to be a pretty standard thing among my friends. So why not have some non-traditional dips on hand to surprise the crowd?
Here's two that I have not tried yet, but sound yummy!
Dill Pickle Dip
recipe from here
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1- 1 1/2 cups chopped dill pickles (I used my mini food processor - it was a snap!)
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2- 4 tablespoons pickle juice (use less for thicker dip or more for thinner dip)
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Use a wooden spoon to press into the cream cheese then stir until loosened up and smooth. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients until evenly distributed. Transfer to a serving dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Crab Rangoon Dip
from here
2 cans crab meat (here in the Pacific NW it's easy to get fresh, just remember to pick through for any bits of shell)
16 oz. cream cheese, soft
1/2 c. sour cream
4 green onions, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
6-12 drops of hot sauce (depending on your preferred spice temp)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the chopped onions with the crab meat. Place the soft cream cheese in med size bowl. Add all ingredients to the cream cheese. Stir until well mixed. Pour into (I used a round cake pan) a pan and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot with chips.
You could probably place this in a crock pot after it's baked to take to get-togethers and parties.
Now, how about those cocktails?
Here's a few I want to try:
Caramel Apple Martini
Cranberry Rosemary White Christmas Sangria
The Persephone
Well, I know I have some great ideas for this New Year's Eve. What about you? Do you have favorites or something traditional every year? Share your party favorites in the comments.