Christmas Appetizer Recipes

Easy Christmas appetizer recipes will make your Christmas party tasty for your guests and fun for you to prepare.

Bruschetta is easy to prepare and bursting with flavor. Bruschetta makes a great appetizer because you can vary the toppings, and flavors, in so many ways.The red and green color makes this a perfect Christmas appetizer recipe.

Begin by preparing the bread. You can do this a day in advance if you choose. Purchase French or Italian-style bread. For appetizer-sized "bites" you will want loaves that are small around.

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees F. Slice the bread into 1-inch slices. Brush one side of each slice with extra virgin olive oil. Place the slices oil-side down on a flat baking pan. Bake until just golden brown. Watch carefully. Cool and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Make A Basic Topping:

• 10 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
  
• 
3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 
3/4 cup fresh coarsely-chopped basil leaves 

• 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Coarse salt and coarsely-ground black pepper to taste

Serve the tomato mixture in a bowl with a spoon.Place the bowl at the center of a large plate. Surround the bowl with your toasted bread slices.  

*You can add other bowls of topping ingredients like shredded meat, tiny sausage slices, sliced olives, shredded cheeses, or whatever you and your guests like.

Easiest Christmas Appetizer Recipes

Sliced Apples with Salted Caramel Dip - Slice apples into even slices. Place them in a bowl of water with 2 tsp. of lemon juice added to avoid browning. Carmel dip: Use any purchased caramel sauce, warmed. Add a couple of pinches of salt. Arrange apple slices on a tray with a bowl of dip in the center.

Stuffed Red Bell Pepper Halves - Halve each red pepper and remove seeds. Stuffing - Fill each half with purchased whipped cream cheese. You can find many varieties that have additions like chives. You can also add whatever you have on hand like chopped sun-dried tomatoes, diced cucumber, minced green onion, etc. 

Stuffed Medjool Dates - Pit the dates and fill them with chopped pecans or dollops of nut butter.

Flax Crackers with Assorted Toppings - Spread crackers with whipped cream cheese varieties (see above) or small slices of a variety of hard cheeses, pepperoni slices, and bits of ham.

Filled Mushroom Caps - Rinse and pat dry the mushroom caps. Fill with purchased guacamole or make your own with the recipe below.

Guacamole Stuffed Romaine Leaves - 1 Bunch Romaine Lettuce. Guacamole: - 2 avocados, mashed; 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced; 1 clove garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons fresh lime or lemon juice; 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder; 1 tablespoon minced red onion; salt & pepper to taste. Spread guacamole on rinsed and dried lettuce leaves. Roll and arrange on a plate. 

Traditional Christmas Appetizer Recipes

Cheese Ball - A cheese ball surrounded by a variety of tasty crackers is always a popular appetizer. Cheese balls are available for sale ready made however they are very easy to create. Here is how to make your own cheese ball.

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, or Monterey Jack cheese -- or a combination of several.
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions: Mash cream cheese in a medium - large bowl. Add the dressing and mix well into the cream cheese.  Add your choice(s) of the other cheeses (shredded) and mix again. Shape the mixture into a ball. Roll the ball in the chopped nuts. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Serve with a variety of crackers.  

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