Colorful and delicious. Photo courtesy Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery.

It couldn’t be easier to make this bite-size apricot morsel, which can be enjoyed with cocktails or with after-dinner coffee. All you need is dried apricots and a log of fresh goat cheese, with optional chopped nuts and whole nuts for garnish.

You’ll need two dried apricots for each “sandwich.”

 
This recipe is courtesy Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery, one of our favorite cheesemakers.

Find more of our favorite cheeses and recipes in our Gourmet Cheese Section.

A no-bake savory basil cheesecake. Photo
courtesy WisDairy.com.

Still looking for a smashing dish for New Year’s Eve? You’ve got plenty of time to make an irresistible savory cheesecake.

What’s a savory cheesecake?

Using a base of cream cheese—just like dessert cheesecake—it’s a nonsweet cheesecake that combines savory ingredients: herbs, vegetables, seafood and/or other cheeses. It creates a spread for party bread and crackers; or a first course or cheese course consisting of a slice of cheesecake eaten with a fork. (We serve ours on a plate with a mesclun salad and vinaigrette.)

Try these delicious recipes, courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, representing the dairy farmers who create some of the world’s best cheeses. Just take a look at the photos: You’ll want to make them all!

Find more appetizer recipes in our Hors D’Oeuvre & Appetizers Section.

We topped a rice cracker with roasted
red pepper, a bocconcino (mozzarella ball)
and pesto. Photo by Melody Lan THE NIBBLE.

Deck the “hors” and be sure to include some red and green hors d’oeuvre* at your holiday party. Some crowd-pleasers are very easy to make.

Add your own ideas to this selection and deck the hors!

*The French spelling places the plural “s” at the end of “hors,” not “d’oeuvre.”

Here’s another way to have fun with salad. It’s charming for everyday meals as well as special occasions.

Build a layered salad in individual juice glasses or goblets. The recipe is easy:

Express your creativity with a miniature
layered salad. Photo by Sarsmis | IST.

This recipe is so versatile, you can make one every day of the year with different combinations. If your family members don’t like large, leafy salads, it’s a way to get them to eat a little bit of raw veggies. Who knows—they may ask for seconds.

Find more of our favorite salad recipes in our Gourmet Vegetables Section.

Make this BLT bruschetta with more“L”
when you serve it in endive or romaine
instead of on bread. Photo courtesy
National Pork Board.

Bruschetta has become a popular hors d’oeuvre and snack. It’s delicious and supplies veggies, but it would be even better for you with less bread.

While slicing the bread thinner is one alternative, here’s a healthier, crunchier one:

Serve the bruschetta topping in hearts of romaine or endive leaves. You can pre-fill the leaves and arrange them on a platter or present a bowl of bruschetta topping with a basket of leaves and let guests help themselves.

Bruschetta Recipe
Here’s a basic bruschetta recipe. You can freestyle and add your favorite ingredients, from artichoke, capers and onions to mozzarella, garlic and anchovies. You can switch out the basil for oregano or other favorite herb.

Eat as many romaine/endive bruschettas as you like—they’re low-calorie and good for you!

Discover our favorite low-calorie foods in the Diet Nibbles Section.

Find more bruschetta recipes.

A jar of artichoke dip creates elegant snacks
or canapés. Photo by Evan Dempsey |
THE NIBBLE.

We hasten to say these are elegant cream cheese dips and spreads. KC Classic Cheese Dips and Cheesecake Fondues have nothing to do with a “queso,” the melted cheese dip enjoyed with tortilla chips.

KC Classic cheese dips are seasoned cream cheese spreads—both savory and sweet varieties—that make entertaining or serving specialty dishes easy. You can warm them up to serve as dips, drizzles and sauces, or spread them on any variety of foods.

The savory flavors—Artichoke Leaf, Chipotle, Green Olive & Pimento, Raspberry Jalapeño and Pineapple Jalapeño—are a treat and a flexible ingredient that can go from canapé to sandwich to snack or wine complement.

The Cheesecake Fondues—Chocolatey Cherry Amaretto Cheesecake, Luscious Lemony Cheesecake and Vanilla Cheesecake—are delicious with muffins, as French toast fillings and cupcake icings, and to make cookie sandwiches. Eating them as “cheesecake in a jar” is a delightful experience.

The jars are a high-perceived-value mini-gift. Recipients of one or two will be very happy.

Read the full review.

Find more of our favorite dips and spreads, plus recipes, in our Salsas, Dips & Spreads Section.

Celebrate National Salsa Month with Salsa-
Baked Cheese. Photo courtesy
FronteraFiesta.com.

For National Salsa Month, try a new way to use salsa.

This is salsa’s answer to baked Brie: fresh goat cheese or cream cheese topped with a flavorful salsa and baked until warm. It’s from Chef Rick Bayless of FronteraFiesta.com.

Serve Salsa-Baked Cheese with Dirty Martinis, Margaritas or beer.

RECIPE: SALSA-BAKED CHEESE

Ingredients

- ¼ cup pine nuts or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
- 8 ounces soft cream cheese or goat cheese or a combination
- 1 jar (16 ounces) of interesting salsa (suggestions:
Frontera Mango Key Lime, Roasted Tomato or Spanish Olive Salsa)
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Crackers and/or sliced, toasted baguette

Preparation

1. Toast nuts in a 350°F oven until fragrant, 7 or 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Stir in cheese. Shape into a disc and lay in an ovenproof baking dish.

3. Pour salsa over cheese and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with crackers or toasted bread.

Find reviews of our favorite salsas, more recipes and our Salsa Glossary.

A new way to enjoy guacamole! Photo
courtesy FronteraFiesta.com.

Guacamole is popular party fare. But for a sophisticated cocktail party, you don’t want to dip tortilla chips.

Turn that guac into something special with this recipe from Top Chef Masters winner Rick Bayless, owner of Chicago’s Frontera Grill and Topolobampo restaurants.

RECIPE: CHERRY TOMATOES WITH
PUMPKIN SEED GUACAMOLE

Ingredients
- 30-40 large cherry tomatoes
- 3-4 avocados
- ½ cup Frontera Guacamole Mix (or make your own
guacamole recipe)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds) and/or
crumbled cooked bacon

Preparation
1. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the pulp and seeds of each tomato half.
2. Lightly salt the insides of the tomatoes and turn over onto paper towel. Let sit to drain out the liquid.
3. To make the guacamole, cut each avocado in half. Remove the pit and scoop out the flesh from each half. Mash the avocado with a potato masher or fork. Stir in guacamole mix, cilantro and salt to taste.
4. Using a small spoon, fill each tomato half with guacamole. Place on serving tray.
5. Garnish with three pepitas or crumbled bacon. Or, alternate toppings on the tray.

Makes 60-80 hors d’oeuvre.

Find more of our favorite hors d’oeuvre recipes and an hors d’oeuvre estimator: how many pieces do you need per guest.

Hummus glides in a flatbread swan. Photo
courtesy Kabobs.com.

How cute are these hummus swans?

We saw them at Kabobs.com and will have to call to see if they can teach us to fold flatbread into swans.

In the interim, if you need a tasty hors d’oeuvre, combine the same flavors without the swan:

1. Cut squares or wedges of flatbread.
2. Pipe a red pepper hummus “rosette” from a pastry bag.
3. Add a small bit of feta cheese, a slice of kalamata olive and a slice of peppadew.
5. Garnish with a slice of chive.

Find more hors d’oeuvre recipes in our Hors d’Oeuvres & Cocktail Snacks section.

Our favorite deviled eggs: with salmon
caviar. Photo courtesy Red-Caviar.com.

Are you thinking about serving deviled eggs on New Year’s Eve?

Get past the classic recipe and go for flavored deviled eggs. Use different flavorings: Fresh dill, curry, infused tobiko roes and wasabi are popular choices. Just divide the mashed yolks mixture after you’ve added the binder (mayo, dijon, sour cream and salt), and mix different flavorings into the divided yolk batches.

But filling the eggs—even just one flavor—can be a devilish chore. Instead of struggling to spoon in the filling, do what caterers do and put the filling in a pastry bag—or you can use a Ziploc-type bag. Cut off a corner of the bag and simply squeeze the filling into the egg whites.

Now that you know the easy way to fill eggs, here are more favorite flavors to try: bacon (“bacon and eggs”), chopped chives, chutney, crab, crumbled blue cheese, jalapeño, kalamata olives, lemon herb and smoked salmon.

Stuffed eggs were a popular dish as far back as the Roman Empire.

There are many different recipes for stuffed eggs, but the term “deviled eggs” originated in 18th-century England. “Deviled” refers to the use of hot spices or condiments in a recipe—paprika, mustard, hot sauce, horseradish, chiles, etc.