If you’re anything like me, the fall lineup of holidays, family outings, and birthdays leaves little time for throwing weekend dinner parties. The fall season has me switching to Sunday hangs, sometimes with a little sports going on in the background, sometimes just a spontaneous group of friends looking for some relaxing downtime with thought-provoking convos around the dining table.
When I first started Sunday hangs a few years ago, I found I needed to find recipes that could be pulled together quickly, and frequently with items already on hand. That way, if someone called early and said “let’s hang!” I could pull it all together with no stress in under two hours. However, these can all be prepped the night before and even assembled then in most cases. That leaves more time to spend with friends! And since these gatherings are typically brunch time, I focus on lighter, small plate bites.
Most folks think of skewered food as tasty Middle Eastern kebabs. But let’s have some fun and put an Italian spin on it with Cheese Tortellini Skewers. This recipe uses 6” skewers. If you’ve got kids involved, I use coffee stirrers, flat with no sharp points for would-be fencers.
Tortellini Skewers
Cooked tortellini (2 per skewer)
Grape tomatoes (2 per skewer)
Basil leaves (2 per skewer)
Mozzarella ciliegine (1 per skewer)
Balsamic glaze
6” Skewers
Cook the tortellini and let cool. Stagger them on the skewer starting with tomato, then tortellini, basil, ciliegine, basil, tortellini, and tomato. For presentation, you can drizzle on the glaze, but my crowd prefers to drizzle to their own taste.
But wait, there’s more!
Use those skewers for a fun twist on a fruit plate. As long as a fruit can be skewered, it’s fair game. The caveat is to try to keep the pieces on the skewer about the same size, and bite size for the melons, if they’re a bit chunky.
I’ll mix it up seasonally as well, as prices get higher for fresh berries, I’ll switch to pears, figs, apples, and plums. Summertime finds me using pineapple, banana, and mango, with a sprinkling of coconut on top.
Fresh Fruit Skewers
3 or more fruits of your choosing
Dip optional, recipe follows
Some combinations: Strawberries, Honeydew, and Cantaloupe; Apple, Fig, and Pear; Mango, Banana, and Pineapple.
Fruit Dip
1 cup sour cream
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 apple, shredded
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Beat sour cream and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve chilled.
On to the canapes!
My good buddy Diana is the source for these two recipes. We’ve been enjoying these at each other’s homes for over 20 years. The cucumber topping can be made the night before. Keep refrigerated until time to use. The North Stars should be cooked just prior to serving. I think you'll find they are both keepers!
Cucumber Bites
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cucumber, peeled and divided
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 loaf French baguette
Combine cream cheese, sour cream, dill and lemon zest, mix until completely blended. Add in about 1/3 of the cucumber (peeled, seeds removed, chopped into small pieces). Refrigerate until ready to use.
Slice the remaining cucumber into 18 or more thin slices. Slice 18 thin pieces of French Baguette.
To assemble, lay 1-2 slices of cucumber on top of bread, scoop a dollop of cream cheese mix on, then top with half a tomato, and sprinkle with more dill weed.
North Stars
Serves: 4 as appetizer
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning mix
1/2 cup red pepper chopped small
1/2 cup green pepper chopped small
18 thin slices of French baguette
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, and seasoning. Stir until well combined.
- Drop a tablespoon of mayonnaise mix on the bread slice, top with pepper pieces, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly crisp.
- Serve immediately.
Need more ideas for holiday party food? Join our hands-on Irresistible Appetizers on Sunday, November 2 at 11am. This hands-on class will teach you all you need to create elegant appetizers to wow any crowd.
We'll also have holiday appetizer ideas at our annual Customer Appreciation Day on Friday, November 14. Watch our chefs demo delicious hors d'oeuvres you can easily re-create at home, savor samples of holiday-friendly wines, get new gift ideas for your favorite host or hostess, and enjoy 20% off all retail merchandise and 10% off wine and spirits!
