Entertaining During The Holiday

When planning a meal for a crowd for a special event such as New Years, Valentines day or family events it's important to plan smart when thinking of appetizers. Keeping it simple, can be both elegant and save you money, as well. Over this Christmas season,  I served two items that are both inexpensive to put together, save time and can be prepped ahead.
     The first was Prosciutto Crostini, this dish only requires one loaf of french bread cut into thin slices approximately ¼ to ⅓ of an inch wide. Lay flat on a cookie tray.

Four slices of prosciutto which you will roll and slice in thin strips.

A ¼ lb of sliced provolone or mozzarella.  These you will also stack and cut into strips about ½” wide.

You will need a frying pan with 1 stick of butter and ¼ c of olive oil. Add to this 1 Tbs of chopped garlic. Saute the garlic and add either 1 tsp of Italian seasoning or ½ tsp of pesto for Approx 5 mins. Then take the butter and oil mixture and ladle onto each piece of french bread.

Cook in over for about 7 mins, to toast. Remove from oven.

Use either salsa or diced tomato’s and spread a small amount on each toasted piece of french bread. Then add a few pieces of prosciutto and the provolone.

Sprinkle a little Italian seasoning over top and put in the oven at 325 for 7 mins to melt cheese and heat. Take them out and you're ready to serve.

Your pricing on this for a nice size tray which will feed up to 10 to 15 people will only run approximately $7.00 max. I have also made these with just the fresh tomato from our garden and mozzarella with a little fresh basil on top. This brings your price to make down even further an is slightly more healthy. 

   Another option we tried was bacon wrapped dates. 
I cut the pound of bacon in half and pre cooked it, so it was still soft. You're only going to cook it about half way.
 Then took a bag of pitted dates and wrap each with a piece of  bacon. I put them on skewers so I would be able to throw them on the grill for about 5 mins on high. The  needed cook time is pretty fast and you can plate them quickly as well without tying up your oven.
     My guests were pleasantly surprised by how good they tasted. There were none left, and they went very fast. I buy my dates in a large bag, but which cost about $5.00, you will have many left over. The bacon was around $3.00, and this works great for a group of 10 to 15.
     Entertaining can be expensive so cutting your costs where you can and still putting out a nice meal and appetizers can help. There are also many other ideas out there that have been around for a long time. Pigs in a blanket which will run around $6.00 steamed dumplings you can make yourself or buy the frozen are also in that range. Another one of the great options are dips. If you stick to a simple one you can keep your costing around $5.00 total for the dip and the bread or crackers, to go with it.
     People don't always think about  punches or mixed Sangria’s. Its a great way to include wine with your meal without having to buy a lot to keep everyone happy. Fresh iced tea is just pennies per a glass and many people are delighted to get something other than soda.
     With New Years,  just a few days away you can still be smart and not over spend. In these tough economic times,  most of us are watching what we spend and where we choose to spend our hard earned money. Keep it in your pocket where it will do the most for you.