Insanely Easy Holiday Snacks
The older I get, the faster the holidays seem to flash by. In the past, I would obsess over creating the picture-perfect dish for a holiday party and spend hours slaving away in the kitchen. Now, I have enough quick but dependable recipes in my repertoire to enjoy the season without spending it all alone in the kitchen. Here are two favorite recipes of mine that can be whipped up in no time at all and are still picture-worthy.
Holiday Tomato Puffs
These uber simple tomato puffs made the perfect addition to a holiday cheese board I assembled last season. I used holiday cookie cutters to cut them into festive shapes and served them with an array of cheese spreads. They’d be delicious topped with soft cheeses, spreads, pimento cheese, or even pesto.
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed according to directions
- coarse salt
- 10 – 15 red grape tomatoes, thinly sliced
- cheese spread
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Prep a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or cooking spray. On a well-floured surface, roll out your puff pastry until it’s about half thickness. Cut into festive holiday shapes and place on your baking sheet. Top with tomato slices. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown around edges. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and let cool. Serve with cheese spread.
Seafood Salsa
Instead of shrimp cocktail, try serving this seafood salsa at your next holiday get-together. It’s as addicting as any salsa, and the addition of shrimp and crab elevate it enough for fancier shindigs. I love pairing it with blue corn chips.
Ingredients:
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 jalapen����os, finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked shrimp, finely chopped
- 1 cup imitation crab meat, finely chopped
- 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 2 tsp lime juice
- pepper to taste
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Taste and add more salt or pepper as desired. Enjoy!
