Appetizers

Last Minute New Year’s Eve Party Tips

December 31, 2024 No Comments Appetizers

The end of the year is here. Again. And, if you’re like me, you’re not going out for the evening but rather, staying in and inviting others to join you! Per our usual style, we are inviting our family and a few friends over to enjoy an evening of delicious foods, sparkling cocktails, and board games while we wait to ring in the New Year together. Need a few last minute ideas to throw together the best New Year’s Eve party in a pinch? Look no further! Watch my recent spot with KATU’s Afternoon Live and read below for my tips!

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Fun & Festive New Year’s Eve Tips

For my last segment on KATU’s Afternoon Live in 2024 I shared some tips on how to ring in the New Year with style (and ease). Read on for some tips to throw together a last minute end-of-year soiree!

Last Minute NYE Party Tips

I feel like the entire year of 2024 has been last minute and behind. And, this year is no different. While I have a strong plan for tomorrow, my actual preparation time has been limited by work, life, and all the things that can get in the way of these things. But, by 6 PM on the 31st, ready or not, I’ll have a house full of people who don’t really care about much of anything other than getting to spend time together celebrating and having a good time. I’d still like to wow them a bit, and I’m sure you feel the same when people come to your home!

Decadent & Easy to Make Bites for New Year’s Eve

One of my favorite things to do for a NYE party is to serve an evening full of delicious appetizers and finger foods. I love to make them a bit fancy. Suggestions include:

steak crostini with horseradish – recipe by Lena’s Kitchen
blinis with caviar – recipe by my friend Kate who previously wrote the blog Fork & Vine
oysters with tabasco shaved ice – sharing my tips on this!
cranberry prosciutto goat cheese bites – delish, festive, and easy!
salmon and caviar bites (as shared on KATU)

Do some of these rich and decadent appetizers with a great charcuterie board, vegetable platter, and a selection of sweets and you’re set for your last-minute New Year’s Eve menu needs.

Layer on the Sparkle and Shine for NYE Decor

My favorite thing about New Year’s Eve is the excuse for sparkle. I mean, to be fair, I don’t need an excuse. But, what I love about this holiday is EVERYONE enjoys the sparkle. Gold and silver, sequins and mirror balls, twinkle lights and candle lights… it all goes!

Household Items to Gather for Last Minute NYE Decor

Dig into your holiday decor and pull out all the white lights, white/gold/silver bulbs and baubles, and any and all tinsel available! No need to go out and buy new things, dig into your holiday decor and I bet you find a few things that’ll pile together to make great elements to set your New Year’s Eve party apart.
Find every single clock in your house and pull them together. The thing about NYE is that everyone is counting down to one single time. Midnight. Bring out all your clocks and utilize them throughout the party space.
Utilize white, silver, gold, and black linens and paper goods to layer together a cohesive look.
Cut off the top of balloons and slip them on stemless glassware to give glassware a custom look. You can then write on then balloons with a paint pen to mark glassware!
If you want to add in another color —DO IT! Use all the tips above to add in some fun color.

New Year’s Eve Cocktails

Whether you are spending the evening with kids and celebrating with the best mocktails available or with friends enjoying a great cocktail… New Year’s Eve is the time to bring out the drinks! My favorite tip to make sparkling cocktails or sparkling mocktails even more sparkly and delicious is to garnish them with a stick of rock candy*. It adds a special and sweet twist to a traditional drink. Need cocktail ideas? Check out these great recipes!

NYE Cocktail Recipes

Bourbon Apple Punch: A good punch is fantastic for a NYE party with friends at home. They can serve themselves and still get feeling of having a crafted cocktail!
Spiced Negroni Cocktail: This cocktail is tart and spicy and delicious. It is not for the weak. If you need a lighter cocktail, for sure cut this one with soda water!
Rosemary Bliss Cocktail: A gorgeously balanced cocktail that has a fantastic seasonal flair.
Classic Manhattan: The classics are classic for a reason. This one is perfect for the new year. Subtle, sweet, and nuanced. Search for your word of the year deep in one of these!

Hopefully this post serves as a helpful tool for a.quickly thrown together ( but who would know that!?) NYE celebration. Wishing you and yours the best in the new year!

A Well Crafted Pantry

End of Summer Appetizer: Peach & Corn Bruschetta

August 27, 2024 2 Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

Celebrate the end of the summer season by highlighting the best of the produce from this special time of the year. This produce grew sweet and delicious in the heat of the Summer sun and tickles the taste buds with memories of summer fun even as the evenings get cooler. This appetizer is an easy-to-assemble dish that is perfect for your next dinner alfresco or impromptu meal with friends.

If you’ve followed my blog for long you know I like EASY recipes that are more assembly situations than full days of cooking. I do sometimes get involved in my meal plans (for instance my 7 course Italian dinners!) but, especially while entertaining at home, I really value quick to assemble, delightful dishes that don’t take all my time and energy. Let’s be real, you know I’m cleaning the house until the very last minute anyways. This peach and corn bruschetta dish is inspired by my favorite flavors from the end of summer and the desire for quick to assemble!

Peach & Corn Bruschetta Appetizer

This recipe makes around 30 individual bruschetta bites. This is dependant of course on the size of your baguettes and portions on your toasts. Like I said, I’m more of an assembly gal! 😉 But, it does make a hearty amount!

Ingredients:

2 Peaches
4 ears of corn (or 16 oz of corn)
Tablespoon of butter or oil
1 cup of heirloom cherry tomatoes (or any ripe cherry tomato will do)
2-3 large balls of burrata – I used 3 because I like burrata!
basil shredded
pesto
olive oil
balsamic glaze
salt & pepper
Ciabatta Bread or baguette sliced into small bite sized pieces and toasted. I did around 2 inch wide and 1/4 inch depth on my cuts. To toast, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and toast in a 400 degree oven around 10 minutes.

Directions:

Dice up peaches.
Dice up cherry tomatoes.
Slice corn from cob and then cook in pan with a pad of butter or tablespoon of canola oil. Let the corn sit in the pan with infrequent stirring so that it can get a good char on it. A good shortcut here is to buy frozen corn or frozen pre-charred corn that you simply. have to heat! Trader Joe’s has a great frozen Charred Corn.
Mix the corn, peaches, and cherry tomato in a bowl. It is okay if the corn is a touch hot.
Top toasted bread with a spoonful of the above mixture. Repeat until all are topped.
Break up the burrata and top each of the bruschetta bites with burrata. (This is a messy job, but so worth it!) Get a good amount on each piece.
Mix two tablespoons of pre-made pesto with 2 tablespoons of good quality olive oil. Drizzle on each burrata topped bruschetta bite.
Drizzle balsamic glaze over all of the appetizers.
Sprinkle shredded basil on the top as a garnish!

These peach and corn bruschetta bites are surprising, sweet, and all of the best of Summer. If you make them, please let me know what you think! And, stay tuned for more peach-inspired recipes coming soon!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Italian Salad Chip Dip Recipe

May 21, 2024 3 Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

There is a fairly new trend that I’m 1000% behind, and it is basically creating finely diced salads that are eaten with chips. I mean, best of both worlds, right? The viral Green Goddess Salad was the first one I saw and tried, but I’ve now tried several salads this way and it has become a favorite twist to a weeknight meal or healthy addition to a party appetizer menu. This Italian Salad Chip Dip Recipe would work for either a main meal (lunch anyone?) or an appetizer! And, the best part? It is completely customizable depending on your tastes!

The ingredients for this Italian Salad Chip Dip are completely customizable!

I’m one of the weird people who read recipes for fun and then take a bunch of ideas and my preferences and make something up. I know that not everyone is that way, so I do practice and test recipes for the blog. But, I also like to work on recipes that are adjustable to a person’s preferences when possible. And, this one fits the bill! Don’t like the cheese? Sub a different one? Don’t eat meat? Sub in some great vegetables! I’ll share suggested substitutions below, but have fun with this one!

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A great twist on a traditional chips and dip recipe, eat your salad with your chips!

Italian Salad Chip Dip Recipe

This recipe makes approximately 3.5 cups of chip dip. This is a hearty recipe so it will serve quite a few people for an appetizer or potentially 4 people for a good lunch.

Chopped Italian Salad Chip Dip Ingredients:

8 ounces of ham (I used a thicker cut deli ham)
3.5 ounces of salami
2 cups of parmesan cheese shredded
2.25 ounces black olives sliced
Parsley (You’ll end up wanting around 1/2 cup once chopped)
16 oz Roasted Red Peppers
10 Pepperoncinis
1/2 Large Red Onion
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 Teaspoon salt (as it is being served with salty chips and there is salt in the salami and ham, you don’t need much!)

The biggest tip for making a salad into a chip dip is chopping everything as small as possible!

Directions:

Take all of the ingredients other than the cheese, spices, oil and vinegar, and chop into as small as pieces as you can get. This takes some time, but the smaller the better! You want your guests to be able to get as many of the ingredients on one chip as possible.
In a mixing bowl, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and spices. Whisk until incorporated. (When oil and vinegar incorporate they get a slightly creamy look to them!)
Add in all of your chopped ingredients and cheese. Mix with a spoon.
Serve with your favorite chips! I liked this salad with Salt & Vinegar chips* as well as Parmesan Garlic chips*!

Customize this Italian Chip Dip to your tastes!

Ways to Customize:

Want it even more salad like? Add in a hearty romaine! Serve directly after adding in the romaine as it will not keep as well as a salad without it.
Change out the meats for roasted Zucchini and Eggplant.
Add in Italian tomatoes for a bright pop of flavor.
Trade the black olives for your favorite green olives!
Change out the Parmesan for Provolone, Asiago, or Mozzarella!

How would you customize this dip? Share in the comments below!