Turn One Store-Bought Ingredient Into 3 Easy Apps
Start with a store-bought ingredient like frozen shrimp, puff pastry or a wheel of Brie and you’re on your way to easy holiday entertaining.
Your Favorite Ingredients, Many Ways
These staple holiday ingredients are a lot more versatile than you might think. Go beyond shrimp cocktail and turn these store-bought items into fun holiday appetizers.
Brie: Baked Brie with Cranberry-Pecan-Bacon Crumble
This easy melted-cheese dip is a crowd-pleaser, so you might want to double the recipe to have a backup ready! Feel free to change up the dried fruit — cherries, raisins, dates and figs would all work nicely.
Brie: Fried Brie with Salsa Verde
Bright, crisp and briny, salsa verde is just what you need to cut through the richness of creamy fried Brie. You can find cornichons (pickled mini gherkins) in the pickle aisle of your grocery store, or use slices of dill pickle.
Brie: Honey-Peppercorn Brie Dip
A little bit sweet, salty and peppery, this five-ingredient dip is great solo or as an addition to a party cheese platter. Be sure to take your time and stop to scrape down the side of the mixer bowl — that’s the key to making the dip smooth and light.
Puff Pastry: Simple Fig and Walnut Tart
This impressive tart is great for a holiday crowd. Bake the shell a day ahead, then top and finish in the oven when you’re ready to serve. This recipe can easily be doubled — use a large skillet for the onions and allow for more cooking time. Spring for some quality honey (like acacia), and use a fork to drizzle it on for greater and more even coverage.
Puff Pastry: Puff Pastry Pepperoni Pizza Roll
Puff pastry stands in for dough in this pizza-inspired appetizer. The recipe easily doubles and is great for a potluck or crowd: Bake the roll a few hours in advance, refrigerate wrapped in foil and reheat in a 350 degree F oven.
Puff Pastry: Smoked Salmon Puffs
These little bites look impressive, but they aren’t hard or expensive. Because the cream cheese filling is so flavorful, you need only a small amount of smoked salmon. The pastry can be baked ahead (and even frozen for up to a month).
Frozen Shrimp: Creamy Shrimp Scampi Dip
This rich, garlicky dip caused a feeding frenzy in the Food Network test kitchen. We’ve taken a beloved shrimp-and-pasta dish and made it into a creamy, crowd-pleasing appetizer. You can make it ahead to take to a nearby potluck, then ask your host if you can borrow some oven space to quickly bake it.
Frozen Shrimp: Sesame Shrimp Toasts
Enjoy a Chinese dim sum favorite with your party guests. The shrimp paste is easy to make, and the deep-frying doesn’t require a big time commitment. Look for very thinly sliced white bread in the grocery store — if you can’t find it, regular sliced bread can be thinned out with a quick pass of a rolling pin!
Frozen Shrimp: Shrimp and Tomato-Ginger Chutney Bites
Chutney is the real star of these party bites (which can be warmed up slightly before serving, if you like). We use a combo of oil and butter to replace ghee, a kind of toasted clarified butter common in Indian cooking. For the best flavor, make sure your whole spices haven’t gone stale — especially the cumin seed.
More from Food Network:
Elegant Holiday Appetizer Recipes
