14 Quick and Easy Last Minute Party Recipes

 

Having a last minute get-together for the New Year?  ... or maybe you just want to add something to your planned menu.... here are some great little quick and easy  Hors'dourves recipes to consider...

Bacon Wrapped Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives Horseradish Dip ... takes minutes to prepare.. and will always be a hit with your guests







Antipasto Party Skewers









Baked Crab Rangoons









Smokies in a Blanket









Mini Spinach and Bacon Quiches








Caprese Skewers

Sausage Cheddar Balls









Garlic and Herb Cheese Bundles











Taco Bites










Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Chili Cheese Dip









Spinach and Artichoke Dip









Onion Dip

Fabulous New Year's Day Brunch Ideas

I love celebrating the holidays... what could be better than celebrating with family and friends... whether it's a breakfast for two or twenty... breakfast or brunch can not only be fun but also easy. There are so many recipes to consider... from foods kids love to adult favorites... many are easy and can be either prepared in advance or at least partially in advance to make the holiday fun and relaxing for the cook too.

Here are some great suggestions for you to consider.. from sweet to savory... there's something for everyone... for sure!


You may want to start off with a little holiday cheer... see some great recipes under the Alcoholic Beverage label and for those of you that want to be alcohol free there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverage recipes to choose from under the Beverage label.








Impossibly Easy Mini Apple Sausage and Cheddar Pies









Grilled Mascarpone and Apple Breakfast Sandwich - this knife and fork breakfast sandwich combines the wonderful flavor of apple with dulce de leche, a caramel like sauce ... a perfect combination!







Provencal Eggs - this savory dish is not only beautiful and delicious...it's easy too! Make the base ahead of time and when its time to make it... reheat it and bake it with the eggs... fool-proof and stress-free! Serve this with a savory muffin and coffee... and you're all set!






French Toast - use fresh bread from the bakery and slice it thick... soaked in a custard-like batter...this classic is always a favorite with kids and adults alike.










Poached Eggs - you can do so much with poached eggs... Eggs Florentine... Eggs Benedict ... served on toasted English muffins with endless varieties of sauces... they make a fabulous presentation... making them in large quantities with an egg poacher is a challenge... so the answer is bake them in a muffin tin... see my post How to Poach Eggs in the Oven for instructions





Southern Sweet Potato Pancakes - you have to love Southern cooks... they have hundreds of family favorite recipes and this is one of them... these light and fluffy pancakes have just a hint of sweet potato flavor.. just heavenly with some maple syrup drizzled over them.






Eggnog French Toast Casserole - what could be better for the holidays than an Eggnog French Toast Casserole? The wonderful flavor of Eggnog and the convenience of a prep ahead breakfast casserole... make sausage or bacon while it bakes.. maybe some scrambled eggs too... a wonderful way to start your holiday off right.







Southwestern Potato Egg Bake - maybe a southwest set of flavors is more your style.. try this easy egg bake.. serve with breakfast potatoes and maybe a sweet and you have yourself an impressive little brunch.






Banana Bread French Toast - Does your family love banana bread? Treat them to this over the top french toast casserole... just delicious!









Cheddar and Chive Scrambled Eggs in a Pastry Shell - want to impress? This recipe maybe the ticket - believe it or not this is a truly easy and foolproof recipe... what a presentation!









Asparagus and Crab Quiche - a quiche is always a great choice to add to a buffet.. they're easy to make and are so pretty.. everyone will think you spent hours in the kitchen...





Quiche Lorraine - maybe a Crab and Asparagus quiche is not a family favorite... don't give up on the quiche idea... just make a different kind... pick flavors your family likes... Quiche Lorraine with ham and Swiss is a universal favorite.

Deviled Eggs - use a decorator gun to make these look just perfect... so pretty...these are not only easy but a prepare ahead food... make it and store it in the fridge... a stress-free addition to a buffet.




Piña Colada Dip for Fruit












Breakfast Bruschetta with Mascarpone & Blueberries







Banana Foster Waffles

Cheese Strata

Spinach Bacon and Onion Frittata




Seasoned Oven Browned Potatoes







Home Fries

Potatoes O’Brien

Consider adding a delicious coffee cake or muffins to the menu... after all... there's always room for a little sweet!



Peach Upside Down Muffins

Easy Sugared Doughnut Bites - these yummy doughnut bites are always a welcome addition to any brunch table









Sausage and Cheese Muffins - Decide on southwestern foods for your menu? Add these muffins to your food assortment... they go perfectly with savory foods.

Cranberry Buttermilk Cake - A truly great breakfast cake... you can prepare the batter the night before and just pop it into a baking dish and bake it in the morning.







Sweet Cornbread - this wonderfully sweet cornbread is not only easy to make but a delicious side to eggs.. another plus.. this makes a 9 x13 size pan of cornbread... perfect for a crowd






German Apple Cake - this delicious breakfast cake... loaded with plenty of apple and cinnamon flavor is a perfect addition to any brunch menu.











Amaretto Peach Tart










Linzer Torte Bars











Mini Cheesecakes










Bite Sized Fruit Pies







Coffee and Tea..

Coffee and Tea Buying Guide for a Crowd

Tips for Making Coffee for a Crowd

Or even better... end with a specialty coffee drink...

Tia Maria and Coffee Aka Calypso Coffee

I hope you and your family have a fabulous New Year!

Champagne Tips

I thought it would be a good idea to include some information on champagne with New Year’s just around the corner. I hope you find the information helpful.







These tips are from the Korbel website….

Store your champagne in a cool, dark area and keep the bottle on its side. Champagne remains good for up to three years.

How much to buy?

Allow six very generous glasses per standard 750 ml. bottle. For a toast or dessert, allow one glass per person. For cocktails or as an aperitif, you may need two per person. For an entire evening, plan on ½ bottle per person.

How to chill champagne

For a large party, you may want to chill your champagne in a bucket of ice cubes instead of a refrigerator. The champagne will chill faster in a bucket or container that is half filled with ice and water and it is considered the best cooling method. It will chill in 30 minutes as opposed to an hour in a refrigerator.

Champagne that has been chilled does not need to remain chilled. As long as the bottle is stored on its side, it can be placed back in the wine rack until ready to be chilled again.

How to open a bottle of champagne

“The popping of a cork may sound festive and exciting, but it does waste champagne. The pop may also be dangerous if it causes the cork to fly. The recommended Korbel way to properly open a bottle is to ease the cork out slowly, with the sound of a gentle sigh.

For the best results in opening, follow these steps:

1. Avoid shaking the bottle. Remove the foil and wire muzzle, keeping your thumb on the cork to prevent it from shooting out of the bottle. Or, wrap a towel around the neck of the bottle, covering the cork.

2. Tilt the bottle at a 45 degree angle while holding the cork firmly with one hand and the base of the bottle with the other. Be sure to point the bottle away from your guests.

3. Do not twist the cork. Rather, twist the bottle slowly while letting the cork glide out gently, emitting a gentle sigh.

4. Never use a corkscrew. A champagne cork is highly compressed. If a corkscrew is inserted at an angle, you may have an exploding bottle in your hand. Exercise caution!”

Recipe: Sausage and Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe for Sausage and Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms is adapted from my Crab Stuffed Mushrooms... both are excellent and easy to make.... great for a party or even just an appetizer before a meal.

TIPS

I use breakfast sausage.... the breakfast sausage you use is up to you... there are numerous options out there... "regular" breakfast sausage... spicy breakfast sausage... chicken or turkey flavored sausages... just remember the predominant flavor will be the sausage.. so pick one you like.

Be sure to use sharp cheddar cheese ... it really adds flavor.. the milder cheddars get lost in all the other flavors.

I chop the onion in my mini chopper to get it finely chopped.

I used a good non-stick pan I have... if you don't have a good non-stick baking pan... line your pan with non-stick foil.

Recipe:  Sausage and Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms

All you need:

About 15- 20 stuffing mushrooms or about double that amount of regular size mushrooms

1 box Stove Top Stuffing Savory Herb flavor

1/2 pound bulk breakfast sausage, cooked drained and crumbled

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

¼ cup chicken broth

1 stick butter, melted

Butter flavored cooking oil spray

All you have to do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line 2 9x13 pans with non-stick foil.

Clean and remove the stems of the mushrooms.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients… mix well.

Stuff each mushroom… pressing the stuffing into the mushroom.

Place on foil lined pan.

Spray the mushrooms lightly with butter flavored cooking spray.

Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Recipe: Sausage Cheddar Balls

These Sausage Cheddar Balls are so easy  to make... are great as an addition to party snack tray or just by themselves.... perfect for a party or just watching the game... best of all... they won't keep you slaving in the kitchen.

TIPS

The breakfast sausage you use is up to you... there are numerous options out there... "regular" breakfast sausage... spicy breakfast sausage... chicken or turkey flavored sausages... just remember the predominant flavor will be the sausage.. so pick one you like.

Use sharp cheddar in this recipe.... because the sausage .. any kind of sausage ... has a strong flavor.. anything less than sharp cheddar will get lost.

You use the breakfast sausage raw.. you don't need to cook it in advance.

I chop the onion in my mini chopper to get it finely chopped.

There is a "heart healthy" Bisquick that will work just as well as the regular Bisquick... so you might as well use it.

The dough is extremely thick and sticky... wet hands help make rolling the balls easier.

I used a good non-stick pan I have... if you don't have a good non-stick baking pan... line your pan with non-stick foil.

You can make them a few hours ahead and refrigerate them until you need them.

Recipe:  Sausage Cheddar Balls

All you need:

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage

2 cups Bisquick

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 finely chopped onion (See *TIPS)

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients well.

Roll the mixture into small 1 inch balls (about the size of a walnut)

Place on a non-stick baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.