Whip Up A Meal In No Time This Season!
And while we LOVE our family, friends, neighbors, and other parents, this is typically the season when they all tend to stop in, unexpectedly. Have some snacks on hand to pull out and look like you always have your hostess hat on! Easy, Peasy!
Pair one of these recipes with our 'Paint From Home' Kits and make some art, spend time with loved ones, and have so much fun!
****----**** SNACKS FOR GUESTS ****----****
(*Keep these items on hand all season long to whip up a snack for anyone!)):
(Pantry Staples):
-- Olive Tapenade: Serve in a little bowl with a side of crackers or grilled bread, top baked chicken or fish, mix into Light cream cheese and serve with veggie crudite, mix with fresh chopped parsley or basil leaves and serve on crostini.
-- Canned Garbanzo Beans: Rinse and drain a can of these then toss with olive oil and coarse salt and roast at 425 for 15 minutes or until crispy. Add nuts, flaked salt, or chopped fresh herbs after roasting for extra flavor, like this. Or, turn into a veggie dip by mixing with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and veggie broth in a food processor or blender until smooth.
-- Marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, Peppadew peppers, or mini pickles (cornichon / Gerkins).
Plate any or all of these up with some salami and chunks of Parmesan cheese and you have yourself an Antipasto Platter.
(Fridge Staples):
-- Soft goat cheese: Stuff into Peppadew peppers or cherry tomatoes, roll a log in chopped fresh herbs and serve with crackers, drizzle a chunk with honey and serve with crostini, or mix with chopped sundried tomatoes and stuff into chicken breasts or pork chops for an easy entree.
-- Parmesan cheese (or another hard cheese): Break into small chunks and serve with salami and any of the marinated items mentioned above, or grate and melt over slices of baguette for crispy Parmesan toasts.
-- Salami or Prosciutto: Wrap around olives, dates stuffed with goat cheese, or slices of melon then hold together with a toothpick.
Store-bought hummus or bean dip: Serve with warmed pita bread, pita chips, cucumber slices, or carrot sticks. Or, spread a little on crostini and top with crumbled feta cheese and a fresh parsley leaf.
(Freezer Staples)
-- Baguette Slices: Buy a couple baguettes and thinly slice them on a diagonal, then store the slices in freezer-safe plastic bags. Whenever you need crostini, pull out some slices and place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper and toast at 350 for 8 minutes.
-- Peeled, De-veined Shrimp: Thaw these under running water, then bake at 400 for 2-3 min and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Or, skewer and marinate in olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic, then grill for ~3 min and serve.
-- Pre-made Cookie Dough: Either homemade or store-bought, make sure the dough is separated into cookie-size pieces before you freeze it, so you can just pull out the number of dough chunks you need, plop them on a cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes.
****----**** MEALS FOR THE FAMILY ****----****
-- Simplest Chicken Noodle Soup
During the holiday season, you’re short on time, you’re short on patience, and you’re short on fridge space. That’s where this two-ingredient (okay four, if you count salt and water too) chicken noodle soup is perfect.
https://food...n-noodle-soup
-- Stovetop Mac & Cheese With Garlic Powder & White Pepper
This quick and easy mac and cheese recipe will appeal to your entire family for a weeknight or weekend dinner, and it won’t take you any time at all to prepare.
https://food...powder-recipe
-- Baked Ziti
The beauty of baked ziti is that you can make it ahead, it’s guaranteed to warm you up on a cold winter’s night, and it feeds a crowd, which is perfect for when your in-laws show up a week early for a holiday surprise.
https://food...d-ziti-recipe
-- 3-Ingredient Veggie Burgers
These veggie burgers are easy, and we mean really easy, to make. All it takes is chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and marinated artichokes for a more flavorful vegan patty.
https://food...burger-recipe
-- Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Enchiladas may seem like a labor of love to make, but these veggie-packed tortillas are quite simple. The payoff is a flavorful combination of bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, onions, and jalapeno peppers in a family-friendly cozy casserole dish.
https://food...le-enchiladas
-- Crispy Cheesy Broccoli Soup
There’s no way that a three-ingredient recipe for broccoli cheese soup that takes less than an hour to come together is good, right? Wrong! Food Editor Emma Laperruque made a game plan that highlights broccoli, grated cheddar cheese, and yellow onions in a way that you’ll have to taste to believe.
https://food...e-soup-recipe
-- Lazy Ratatouille With Pork Chops
Lazy doesn’t mean lackluster when it comes to the flavor found in this ratatouille recipe. Roast a bounty of veggies together, add some dried herbs, and bone-in pork loin chops for a dinner that will make everyone say, “how do they do it?”
https://food...pe-pork-chops
**AND MORE: https://www....liday-recipes