The holidays are always a busy, bustling time of the year filled with family, friends, and most of all—food. During this holiday season, you’ll undoubtedly be spending a lot of time in the kitchen figuring out what dish to bring to all of your events. To make it easier on you, we’ve made a list of seven of our favorite (and easy) recipes to bring to every type of event that you’ll be joining in on this season.
1. Sophisticated Samplers for the Office Cocktail Party
When you are looking for something to bring to the office cocktail party, you want something easy to munch on with a touch of elegance and a good mixture of flavors that will blend well with a good glass of wine. This recipe for warm figs with goat cheese, pistachios, and balsamic glaze are a guaranteed hit with all of your coworkers and even your notoriously picky boss. Not only do these appetizers taste great, but they’re also a cinch to make (even though they look impossibly sophisticated).
Photo courtesy of the Culinary Ginger
2. A Savory Side Dish for your Neighbors’ Last-minute Get Together
There’s always a great chance that you’ll be invited to something during the holidays that’s a last minute get together. Rather than going to the store and buying something frozen, try this recipe for roasted parmesan carrots, which is made out of carrots, olive oil, parmesan, garlic, and panko crumbs—items that you most likely already have in your pantry. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes and voila: you have a side dish.
Photo courtesy of I Heart Naptim
3. Small Bites for your Girls Get Together
Whether you’re getting together for a gift-wrapping party or you are in for a night of commiserating about all of the millions of things you have to do during this busy season, you’re going to need a killer appetizer for your friends to enjoy. These gruyer, mushroom, and caramelized onion bites are perfect for your girls’ night in because they’re simple, go great with a glass (or two) of wine, and are guaranteed to be a much welcomed break from eating kid-friendly cuisine all the time.
Photo courtesy of The Little Spice Jar
4. Fun and Filling Appetizers for your Church Potluck
When it comes to feeding a crowd, you don’t want to overly complicate the food. These baked ham and cheese rollups are simple to make, but they have a touch of unexpected flavor with the Worcestershire sauce and mustard. These are perfect to sit amongst a table full of all different kinds of foods and can be enjoyed by both young and old palettes.
Photo courtesy of High Heels & Grills
5. Kid-friendly Cuisine for a Holiday Movie Night
One of the best traditions of the holiday season is watching all of the holiday specials—both the classic and the new ones that come out every year. If you are hosting a movie night for friends or friends of your kiddos, put these pigs in a blanket on the list of party foods. This recipe calls for Andouille sausage instead of hot dogs and creole mustard, which gives the classic party food a delectable twist.
Photo courtesy of Taste and Tell Blog
6. Delectable Dip for Christmas Eve Munching
Christmas Eve is typically a more relaxed food occasion than the more formal and traditional Christmas Day meal. Focus on the presents, the fun Christmas movies, and of course, the casual snacking that goes on in the evening in anticipation of Santa. This lemon goat cheese dip is light, fresh, and is perfect for working up your taste buds for the ham or turkey the next day.
Photo courtesy of Country Living
7. Simple Snacks for a Class Party
If you have kids in school, it seems like it’s always a constant stream of preparing class snacks for this and that event. If your kiddo has a holiday party coming up, this salted caramel popcorn recipe is sweet, savory, and sure to please even the tiniest of food critics. Best of all—it’s simple that even the chefs with the least amount of skills can do it.
Photo courtesy Cookies and Cups