Christmas Party Menu

This post is about the menu Ben and I planned for my parents' Christmas party. Not to brag, but I think it was a nice variety of food. This is also the party where the gingerbread men and Christmas tree cookies were served. I'll add pictures of the food and table decorations later when I find where I saved them. Without further ado, here's the menu:

Festive Sausage Balls with Mustard-Mayo Dip

Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
• 8 ounces finely shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3 cups biscuit baking mix
• 1/2 cup finely minced green onion
• 1/4 cup finely minced red bell pepper

Preparation
Combine all ingredients and mix well. This can be done by hand, with a heavy duty mixer, or in a large food processor. Shape into small balls and place on a baking sheet (with sides). Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until browned on bottoms. If desired, serve with Mustard-Mayo Dip. Link here.

Mustard-Mayo Dip

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 to 3 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon dillweed

Preparation

Combine all ingredients. Serve with sausage balls. Makes about 1 cup of dip. Link here.

Applelicious Sandwiches

Prep: 20 min., Cook: 21 min. Makes 14 appetizer sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 gala apples
  
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
  
• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (4.4-oz.) container blue cheese crumbles
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• thin bread slices
• 1 (5-oz.) package arugula, thoroughly washed
• 2 tablespoons butter

Preparation

Thinly slice apples. Heat chopped walnuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Combine cream cheese, blue cheese crumbles, honey, and toasted walnuts until blended. Add freshly ground pepper to taste. Spread 1 side of each of 28 thin bread slices with 1 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture. Divide 1/2 of the arugula among 14 bread slices. Top with apple slices and remaining 14 bread slices, cream cheese mixture sides down. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter on a griddle over medium heat. Cook 7 sandwiches 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden and cheese is melted. Repeat procedure with 1 Tbsp. butter and remaining sandwiches.

Tip: If you don't have a griddle, omit butter, and cook sandwiches, in batches, in a lightly greased large nonstick skillet 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden and cheese is melted. Link here.

Tortellini Kebabs

Ingredients

• red and green dyed, cheese stuffed tortellini noodles
  
• whole black olives
• cherry tomatoes
  
• Italian dressing
  
• wooden kebab sticks cut in half
  

Preparation

Prepare the noodles as directed on the package. Put noodles in a bowl and add Italian dressing until desired taste. Arrange kebab sticks alternating between tortellini, olive, tortellini, tomato, tortellini. Refrigerate until time to serve.

Olive Pecan Spread

Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (5 oz.) jar sliced green olives, drained
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• baguette or other type of bread to serve with the spread

Preparation
Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, olives and pecans in a bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Slice the bread. Link here.

Hot Crab Spread

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (approx. 7 oz.) crab, drained, cartilage removed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup silvered almonds
  

Preparation
Heat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, crab, sherry, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce. Mix to blend well. Spoon crab mixture into a small shallow baking dish; sprinkle almonds evenly over top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve with a sliced baguette. Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Link here.

This menu was definitely fun to prepare, but sometimes a challenge because of a lack of oven space. I tried to prepare what I could the night before (noodles, dips, olive spread, etc.) then preparing the rest the night of the party. I used Southern Living, a Southern Appetizers website, and just googled for ideas and pulled everything together. I hope this has all made sense and is easy enough to follow.