Winter & Holidays Food Ideas

Holiday hospitality often means sharing sweet treats and good eats with visiting friends and family. Keep the fridge stocked with basic ingredients that can be put together in a hurry for last minute entertaining as well as for a quick bite between shopping trips and the hustle and bustle. 

Delight your guests with these make-ahead, winter & Christmas themed savory and sweet recipes--cheerful additions to the traditional holiday spread.

Savory

Cream Cheesy Christmas Tree

Spread some holiday cheer—on a crispy cracker round. Pesto and red peppers transform an ordinary block of cream cheese into a delectable decoration that just might upstage the real thing.

Servings: 8 servings, 2 oz
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Refrigerate up to 3 days

• Kitchen knife or other long-bladed knife
• Spoon
• Serving tray

• 8 oz. (1 pkg) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup chopped red peppers, fresh or roasted
• 1 stick cheese twists
• Cracker rounds

1. Cut the block of cold cream cheese diagonally in half.
2. Arrange halves with points together on serving plate into a triangle for Christmas tree.
3. Cut the cheese twist into a 2-inch piece to make the tree trunk.
4. Place at bottom of tree for the trunk.
5. Spoon the pesto over cream cheese
6. Sprinkle with peppers.
7. Serve with crackers rounds.

From www.KraftRecipes.com

Olive Penguins

Arranged in rows on the serving tray, adorable “marching” olive and cheese penguins are perfect for winter entertainment, whether the company is young or just young at heart.

Servings: 18 pieces
Cook Time: 35 mins
Refrigerate up to 3 days

• Paring knife
• Spoon
• Toothpicks

• 18 whole jumbo black olives, pitted
• 8 oz. (1 pkg) softened herbed cream cheese, or mozzarella ball
• 18 small black olives, whole
• 1 carrot, peeled
• Roasted red peppers (optional)

1. Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive.
2. Carefully spoon one 1 teaspoon of cream cheese or mozzarella ball into each olive.
3. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds and then cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet, reserving both the notched round and the sliver.
4. Cut a little slit into the small olive and insert the carrot sliver into the center of each small olive to form the beak.
5. Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up.
6. Skewer with a toothpick to secure all parts.
7. Optionally, wrap the roasted red peppers around the penguin’s “neck” to create scarves.

Use blue cellophane on your serving tray, then cut foam board or Styrofoam into "icebergs". If using Styrofoam, wrap in clear cellophane before serving.

From allrecipes.com

Mozzarella Snowman

Servings: 36 Snowmen
Advance prep: Morning of party, store in an air tight container
Last-minute prep: None

• Paring knife
• Melon baller
• Toothpicks

• 2 pound block of fresh mozzarella
• 1 jar of roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 36 large black olives, pitted
• 18 small black olives, pitted

1. Cut a 1/8 inch slice from the widest part of each large black olive to create the brim of his top hat.
2. Cut each small black olive in half to create the top part of his top hat.
3. Use the melon baller to scoop 36 medium and 36 small mozzarella balls with flat bottoms.
4. Put the medium-sized mozzarella ball flat side down.
5. Loop a roasted red pepper strip to look like the AIDS awareness ribbon.
6. Push a toothpick through both strips where it crosses itself, then push the toothpick straight down the center of the medium mozzarella ball.
7. Push the center of the flat side of the small mozzarella ball down onto the red pepper strip.
8. Put the large slice of the black olive over the toothpick, followed by the small black olive half, end first.

Note: You may also want to marinate the mozzarella balls before assembling to add more flavor.

Wrap ‘n Stack Sandwich Tree

Wraps provide a quick yet substantial snack or lunch that rolls up the holiday flavor into a satisfying bite that can be festively arranged in the shape of a Christmas tree.

Servings: 20 pieces 
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Refrigerate up to 1 day

• Spatula
• Serrated knife
• Star-shape cookie cutter
• Toothpicks

• 16 oz. cranberry sauce
• 4 large (9- or 10-inch) spinach-flour tortillas or flat breads
• Mayonnaise--gourmet for enhanced flavor
• 3/4 pound deli sliced Monterey Jack or American cheese
• 3/4 pound deli sliced smoked turkey
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, coarsely chopped
• Toothpicks
• Red and yellow bell peppers
• Cocktail onions, for garnish

1. Spread tortillas lightly with mayonnaise with a rubber spatula and top each with a layer of cheese, then turkey. Leave a margin of about an inch around the tortilla.
2. Spread cranberry sauce on the other layers and cover with lettuce.
3. Roll tightly and tuck loose edge underneath.
4. With a serrated knife, cut the roll tortilla into 1 1/4-inch-wide pinwheels and secure each piece with a toothpick.
5. Arrange the rolls in a pinwheel pattern to create the Christmas tree.
6. Half the bell peppers and remove the stems and seeds. Using a small star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out shape in the pepper halves.
7. Place pepper-stars on the tree as ornaments and cocktail onions as lights.

Sweet

Santa Hat Brownies

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Invite Santa to hang up his hat for moment to partake in this festive dessert that is sure to get everyone in the holiday spirit.

Servings: 12-16 brownies
Cook Time: 1 hour (using pre-made brownies)
Refrigerate up to 3 days

• Small round biscuit cutter
• Paring knife
• Icing bag and piping tip (star or round tip)
• Stand mixer w/ paddle attachment OR whisk

• 1 pan of brownies, cooled and round cut
• Whole strawberries, washed and dried
• Vanilla-mascarpone buttercream (recipe below)

Vanilla-Mascarpone Buttercream

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

1. Beat butter and mascarpone cheese until light and creamy, about 2 minutes with a stand mixer using a paddle attachment.
2. Add in vanilla extract, salt, and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Add the rest of the sugar 1/2 cup at a time to ensure smooth mixing and prevent a dust-up.
4. Add more sugar to taste or desired consistency.
5. Cut the green portion of the strawberries off to create a flat surface.
6. Pipe a dime-sized dollop of buttercream frosting in the center of each brownie, then place the strawberry on top to secure.
7. Pipe a ring around the outside of the berry.
8. Top the berry with a small dot to finish off the Santa hat.

From daisysworld.net

Reindeer Cookie Pops

The gingerbread flavor and cute reindeer design make these cookie ball pops an adorable holiday entertaining surprise.

Servings: 30 cookie pops
Cook Time: 1 hour (refrigerate overnight)
Freeze up to 1 month, or refrigerate up to 1 week
Defrost frozen pops 24 hours in refrigerator before serving

• Gallon-sized resealable plastic bag and rolling pin OR food processor
• Cookie sheet or cake pan (must fit inside freezer)
• Wax paper
• Saucepan
• Mixing spoon
• 2 forks
• Crockpot (optional)

• 8 oz. (1 pkg) cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/4 cups ginger snaps, finely crushed
• 16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted
• 1 1/4 cups candy-coated chocolate pieces (M&M’s)
• 1 cup small pretzel twists, broken in half
• Bag of straight pretzel mini sticks, or lollipop sticks

1. Crush up cookies into crumbs. No-Mess Method: Add the cookies to a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin until crumbly. Quick Method: Add cookies to a food processor and pulse a few times to crumble.
2. Blend cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well mixed.
3. Make into 30 compact 1-inch balls.
4. Place the cookie balls in single layer on cookie sheet or cake pan (must fit in freezer).
5. Freeze for 10 min.
6. While waiting for the balls to cool, melt the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. As the chocolate melts, stir continuously to heat evenly--getting the chocolate too hot will make it crack as it hardens on the cookie ball. Keeping it over low heat also prevent the chocolate from becoming too thick to dip in. Tip: if the chocolate becomes too thick, add a half teaspoon of vegetable oil to thin it while stirring until the proper consistency is reached. If using a microwave, stir every 15 seconds. Optionally, pour the chocolate into a crockpot set on low to keep warm while dipping.
7. Dip cold cookie balls in melted semi-sweet chocolate using 2 forks.
8. Place in single layer on waxed paper-lined pan or cookie sheet and let stand until firm.
9. Coat a straight pretzel or lollipop stick with chocolate, then insert into each ball.
10. Decorate with candies and pretzels to create eyes, nose, and horns.
11. Lay flat and refrigerate 1 hour until firm.

From www.KraftRecipes.com

Crunchy Snowman Pretzels

With colorful sugary candy scarves and top hats, these stylish and easy-to-make snowmen are sure to enliven the tastebuds at your holiday gathering.

Servings: 24 pretzels or more
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Store up to 5 days

• Saucepan
• Rubber spatula OR plastic spoon
• Wax paper

• Bag of 8-inch pretzel rods
• 1 c. white chocolate chips
• Mini chocolate chips
• Orange food gel
• Fruit leathers/rolls
• Gummy rings
• Gumdrops

1. Melt 1 cup of white chocolate chips over low heat just until warm.
2. Dip one end of an 8-inch pretzel rod in the melted chocolate, spreading the chocolate two thirds of the way down with a rubber spatula or plastic spoon.
3. Set the pretzels on a sheet of waxed paper and press on mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons. Use orange food gel to add a “carrot” nose.
4. When the chocolate has hardened, tie strips of fruit leather around the pretzels as scarves.
5. For each hat, stretch a gummy ring over the narrow end of a gumdrop and secure it on the pretzel rod with a dab of melted chocolate.