We are exactly ONE WEEK away from Christmas and I am super excited for the big day! While it can get to be a hectic time entertaining friends and family, it can become even more hectic when you have unexpected guests drop by (or invite themselves over last minute!).
Today, I am giving you three of my favourite No-Cook Party appetizers that you can whip up in a flash when you have guests coming by. These are all really simple and can be made with just a few ingredients. Plus, you don’t have to cook anything! Total bonus!
Of course, while these recipes are simple, it’s important to use high quality ingredients to get the best flavour!
Citrus Marinated Olives
My Citrus Marinated Olives can be made right before guests come over or can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge. I use castelvetrano olives in this recipe since they have a nice buttery consistency, and they’re not overpowering in flavour or salt.
To marinate these olives, I add olive oil, orange peel, dried chilis, some fresh rosemary, fried oregano, garlic, and ground black pepper. Just simply toss everything into a bowl and serve!
If you’re looking to go the extra mile, you can serve these olives warm by gently heating up the olives on the stove with the rest of the ingredients. This really helps develop and infuse the flavour faster if you’re on a time crunch!
Herb & Hazelnut Cheese Log
We have all had those classic cheese balls during the holidays, but have you ever had a cheese log?! It’s essentially the same idea, but just formed into a much more manageable and easy-to-slice form!
For this crowd-pleasing appetizer, I use cream cheese as the base, along with cheddar, lemon zest, chives, parsley, and hazelnuts. The combination of flavours is savoury, yet very refreshing with the herbs and lemon zest. I like to serve these with toasted baguette or some fancy crackers.
Brie Bites
These Brie Bites are the perfect recipe for those who don’t like to cook. Simply buy some pre-made (high quality) ingredients and assemble them together! I topped a cracker with a thin slice of brie, my favourite Blueberry-Basil Jam from Salt Spring Kitchen Co., and a fresh sprig of rosemary (dipped in sugar for that extra holiday sparkle). That’s it- no recipe required!
If you are looking for a jam substitute, local honey works well too! Plus, for vegans, you can swap out the brie for a nice nut cheese!
