WOW this is a HUGE category! I HAVE SO MANY FAVORITES! BUT, this really is a SUPER easy topic and category for someone who loves to cook and bake.
Because of our growing family branches with plenty of munchkins being born and in-laws to accommodate, one of hubby’s sister’s family traditions is to celebrate the weekend before as a LARGE group and then be at each respective home for Christmas itself or with their in-laws.
As the family has grown, Christmas dinner even on that weekend before became a larger and larger production. Eventually instead of a “dinner” it became a “cocktail” party with each person bringing an appetizer type dish for 20. So, in essence Christmas dinner became a HAPPY HOUR and it has worked out fantastic over the years. Everyone pretty much has a “signature” dish so we end up with a WIDE variety of everything from homemade Egg Nog to Salads and Chicken Skewers on the BBQ with plenty of tasty fudges and baked goodies too.
A few years back some friends took us to lunch at Jack Allen’s Kitchen when we were visiting in Round Rock, Texas and the food was SOOOOOOOOO good that I bought the cook book and have been experimenting ever since with his recipes.
One of our favorite recipes from the book is for pimiento cheese made from scratch. I now also make it into bite sized balls so you don’t have to mess with a knife and and all the cracker crumbs.
A few other ideas that we often have for “party” nights are:
- TEX MEX BLT’s
- TEXAS CAVIAR & CRACKERS
- CRAB PUFFS
- BEET PICKLED EGGS
- MINI CHEESE PUFFS & HOMEMADE BLEU CHEESE DRESSING
These days with the popularity of charcuterie boards they have been added to the greatest meal category on a busy holiday eve. A charcuterie board to graze on while you work is a truly wonderful thing. 
This time of year can be stressful and super busy so to make things easier we have gone to making charcuterie boards on the “eve” nights of holidays. The word charcuterie sounds a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be.
Charcuterie Boards are suddenly all the rage, but the culinary art of preparing charcuterie boards dates back to the 15th century. The person who prepares the charcuterie board is a charcutier which literally means “Pork Butcher” in French. The original process/meaning was intended as a way to preserve meat before the invention of refrigeration, especially pork products.
The revived comeback of the charcuterie board brings it front and center to our tables and has been born out of the necessity of our busy lives as well as our love for farm to table and deli style meals that are also quick and easy.
Since the original meaning dealt with preserved meats, adding fermented, farm to table, home canned and prepared foods just falls into place along side the meats.
One of the best things about serving a charcuterie board at your own party is that there are NO RULES! It’s yours for the making – make it as simple or as sophisticated as YOU like. One of the greatest aspects of a charcuterie board is that you can mix it all up to fit EVERYONE’S taste.
You can make these as simple or as sophisticated as YOU like. For us it is ALL about favorites and yummy satisfying and filling “bites” of food. Below is a list of some suggestions for building your own charcuterie board for your next party.
I will be doing a “DESSERT” charcuterie board for a New Year’s Eve party we are going to.
- Breads & Crackers – Crostini with toppings, Artisan Breads, Crackers, Fruitcake
- Spreads – Jams, Chutneys, Dips, Flavored Mustards, Sauces, Dressings, Flavored Honeys, Flavored Horseradishes
- Fermented/Pickled – Stuffed Olives, Pickles, Green Olives, Giardiniera, Peperoncinis, Pickled Carrots, Baby Corn
- Cheeses – Cheddar, Havarti, Brie, Baby Swiss, Gouda, Pimiento Cheese, Manchego, Bleu Cheese
- Meats – Salami, Roast Beef, Pancetta, Prosciutto, Pepperoni, Ham
- Nuts & Seeds – Pistachios, Walnuts, Pecans, Macadamias, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Almonds, Chocolate covered raisins
- Dried fruits – Dates, Prunes, Apricots, Golden Raisins
- Fresh fruits – Grapes, Oranges, Berries, Apple slices, Pears, Grape tomatoes, Kiwi, Starfruit
- Decorations – sprigs of Rosemary, Thyme or Basil