by Jeanette
I have to admit that appetizers are my favorite part of the meal, whether we’re eating at a restaurant or going to a holiday party. I just love being able to taste little bites of this and that. In fact, I’d rather eat a bunch of appetizers than eat a whole meal. The only problem with appetizers during the holiday season is that they’re often very rich, so the calories and fat start adding up quickly.
So, to help with holiday menu planning, whether you’re throwing a holiday party or just entertaining your own family, I’ve put together an enormous list of healthier, light holiday appetizers. I’ve categorized this huge list into Nibbles, Finger Foods, Skewered and Stuffed Appetizers, Bean Dips and Hummus, and Salsas and More to make it easier to pick and choose your favorites.
Cocktail Party Menu Planning Tips
How Much Food To Make For A Cocktail Party
I’m always worried I won’t have enough food, so here are a couple of tips for how much food to make for a cocktail party:
- Make 5-6 different appetizers
- Choose 3-4 appetizers that can be made ahead of time and either served cold, room temperature, can be easily reheated or assembled last minute
- Include a few dips or a cheese platter that can be placed out as soon as guests arrive while you attend to last minute details
- Count on 8-10 bites per person (e.g., For a party of 10, that means 80-100 bites total. So, if you’re making 5 appetizers, make 16-20 pieces of each appetizer, erring on the side of more rather than less
- Put out a few bowls of nuts and nibbles (Trader Joe’s has a nice assortment of spiced nuts if you don’t want to make your own)
Tips For Organizing A Cocktail Party
- Write down the menu and print out the recipes
- Test all the recipes ahead of time (my family loved eating appetizers for dinner as I was testing out recipes for our cocktail party)
- Jot down any garnishes you want to include with the appetizers (e.g., lemon slices for Roasted Shrimp Cocktail platter, banana leaves to line the platter for Thai Chicken Skewers, chopped chives and red bell peppers for Endive Stuffed with Old Bay Crab Salad)
- Make a shopping list and shop a few days before the event (you will almost always have last minute items to pick up, but try to get most of the shopping out of the way earlier)
- Take out serving platters the day before
- Write down a schedule of what needs to be done the day before and the day of the party, and anything that needs to be done right before the party. I’m a little anal, so I even write down what needs to be done hour by hour the day of the party, backing up from the time the party starts.
Sample Cocktail Party Menu
- Spicy Tuna Avocado Cucumber Bites with Pickled Ginger – tuna seared ahead of time; cucumber rounds cut ahead of time; sauces made ahead of time; assembly done last minute
- Roasted Shrimp Cocktail – shrimp roasted ahead of time; sauce made ahead of time
- Thai Chicken Skewers with Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce – chicken marinated the night before; sauce made ahead of time; grilled on panini press last minute
- Thai Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce – chicken marinated the night before; sauce made ahead of time and reheated; grilled on panini press last minute
- Endive Stuffed with Old Bay Crab Salad – endive separated into leaves ahead of time and kept refrigerated in container using paper towels between layers; crab salad made ahead of time; assembled right before guests arrived; replenished throughout party
- Prosciutto Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates with Balsamic Vinegar Glaze – assembled ahead of time and refrigerated; removed from refrigerator 1/2 hour before guests arrived
- A snack tray with veggies, assorted nuts, cheese cubes, and other little nibbles
Take a look around and let me know if you try any of these recipes. I know I’ll be referring to it through the New Year.
Nibbles
Pictured left to right, top to bottom: Honey Mustard Roasted Cashews (The Law Student’s Wife), Warm Rosemary Olives (The Kitchen is my Playground), Falafel-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas (An Edible Mosaic)
Finger Foods
Pictured left to right, top to bottom: Spicy Tuna Bites (Food Faith Fitness), Caprese Bites (Cooking On The Front Burners), Coconut Shrimp with Thai Chili Ginger Sauce (Joyful Healthy Eats)
- Easy Asian Salmon Cucumber Appetizers, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Spicy Tuna Avocado Cucumber Appetizers with Pickled Ginger, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Spicy Ahi Tuna Avocado Tartare Bites, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Roasted Old Bay Shrimp, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Roasted Shrimp Cocktail, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- The Best Spanish Garlic Shrimp, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Red Curry Meatballs with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Za’atar Meatballs, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Assorted Tartines, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Pink Salmon Quinoa Patties, The Bitter Side of Sweet
- Spicy Tuna Bites, Food Faith Fitness
- Zucchini, Tapenade & Feta Bites, Cook The Story
- Crispy Millet Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Cook The Story
- Garlicky Red Quinoa Patties with Mango Black Bean Salsa, An Edible Mosaic
- Spinach and Feta Quinoa Bites, Aggie’s Kitchen
- Red Lentil Patties with Spicy Tomato Jam, Crumb
- Coconut Shrimp with Thai Chili Ginger Sauce, Joyful Healthy Eats
- Caprese Bites, Cooking On The Front Burners
- Spicy Barbecue Beer Shrimp, American Heritage Cooking
- Crab Puffs, Seasonal and Savory
- Southwestern Sweet Potato Rounds, A Cedar Spoon
- Roasted Cauliflower Bruschetta, The Law Student’s Wife
- Sweet Potato Bites, The Law Student’s Wife
- Mini Caprese Polenta Pizzas, Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Butternut Squash Pomegranate Goat Cheese Crostini, Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Easy Grilled Polenta with Fresh Mozzarella and Balsamic Tomatoes, Two Healthy Kitchens (with indoor broiler option)
- Mini Hummus & Roasted Pepper Phyllo Bites, Cookin’ Canuck
- Skinny Pesto Pizza Crostini, Cookin’ Canuck
- Skinny Coconut Shrimp, Skinnytaste
- Shrimp Salad on Cucumber Slices, Skinnytaste
Stuffed and Skewered
Pictured left to right, top to bottom: Greek Salad Skewers (Karen’s Kitchen Stories), Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms (Aggie’s Kitchen), Party Animals (The View From Great Island)
Bean Dips and Hummus
Pictured top to bottom, left to right: Hummus Dip with Kalamata Olives and Capers (Jeanette’s Healthy Living), Fresh Basil Hummus (The View From Great Island), Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (A Cedar Spoon)
Salsas and More Dips
Pictured top to bottom, left to right: Black Bean, Pomegranate and Avocado Salsa (Two Peas and Their Pod), Smoked Salmon Dip (An Edible Mosaic), Cowboy Caviar (From Valerie’s Kitchen)
- Cranberry Apple Chutney Pecan Brie Appetizer, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Cranberry Pistachio Mint Goat Cheese Appetizer, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Crab Avocado Tomato Basil Appetizer with Wasabi Soy Dressing Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Skinny Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Warm Artichoke and Hearts of Palm Dip, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Greek Feta Yogurt Dip, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- A Healthier Crab Dip, Jeanette’s Healthy Living
- Black Bean, Pomegranate and Avocado Salsa, Two Peas and Their Pod
- Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip, Two Peas and Their Pod
- Goat Cheese Spread with Roasted Tomatoes, The Creekside Cook
- Tomato, Garlic and Basil Bruschetta, Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Harvest Sweet Potato Salsa, Farm Fresh Feasts
- Butter Chicken Dip & Homemade Naan Bread, Food Faith Fitness
- Smoked Salmon Dip, An Edible Mosaic
- Healthy Roasted Garlic and Chive Cottage Cheese Crema, An Edible Mosaic
- Festive Greek Dip, Neighborhood Food
- Corn, Edamame and Quinoa Dip, Two Healthy Kitchens
- Black Eye Pea and Three Pepper Salsa, The Domestic Front
- Creamy Roasted Corn Avocado Dip, Petite Allergy Treats
- Homemade French Onion Dip, Crumb
- Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip, Seasonal and Savory
- Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip, Tasty Yummies
- Creamy Dill Greek Yogurt Dip, A Cedar Spoon
- Guilt-Free Jalapeno Artichoke Dip, Dizzy Busy and Hungry
- Cowboy Caviar, From Valerie’s Kitchen
- Roasted Garlic Chive Dip, Dinners Dishes and Desserts
- Skinny Avocado Dip, Yummy Healthy Easy
What are your favorite healthy holiday appetizers? Do you have any cocktail party menu planning tips you’d like to share?
Source: http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/healthy-holiday-appetizer-recipes/