TWO OF MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY APPETIZERS...

I normally do not post too much about food or recipes here but I figured with the holidays upon us I would share a few of my favorites...you know, because food plays such a huge part in all of our holiday celebrations.

The other day I shared my secret ingredients in two of my most requested holiday side dishes, which you can check out HERE...in case you missed it... and today, I want to share two of my favorite holiday party appetizers or as some call them, hors d'oeuvres.

Around the holidays it seems there is no shortage of get togethers, parties or pot lucks that we need to take a dish to.  If you are like me you oftentimes get into the rut of taking the same ol' thing to all of them and that's usually because they are easy or inexpensive and because they are also comfort food type dishes that everyone loves.  Sometimes though I like a little bit of a change

While there's nothing wrong with taking the usual crockpot of BBQ meatballs because they are truly delicious, I was getting a little bored with them.  Has that ever happened to you?  By the time you get to about the fifth holiday party or so and have eaten about 50 of those little BBQ meatballs they just kind aren't that exciting anymore. It's like YAWN!!, right?...and that's why I reinvented the standard meatball appetizer.

They have gone from sweet and BBQie to savory and sophisticated.  The best part is they can be used as an appetizer or served over rice or noodles for more of a pot luck dish and, they aren't any harder or more expensive to make than the BBQ ones.  Here's the recipe if you would like to take something different to your next holiday party...

SHEILA'S SAVORY, CREAMY MEATBALL HORS D'OEUVRES

2 16 oz. packages frozen meatballs (the low fat turkey meatballs are equally delicious in case you are counting calories!)
1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 c. cold water
1/2 c. milk

Directions:  Pour frozen meatballs into crockpot and set the temperature to low.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the contents of the brown gravy packet and water until there are no lumps.  Slowly whisk in the cream of mushroom soup and milk until smooth.  Pour mixture over meatballs and cook in crockpot on low, stirring occasionally until hot. Serve and enjoy. 

I hope you will try these.  They are REALLY delicious and I think you will enjoy the change.

My other favorite holiday appetizer is something I never tire of.  It's a true holiday tradition for my family.  If we didn't have it, it would surely be missed. It takes less than five minutes to prepare and there is no cooking involved.  Now that's what I call easy.  It's a big ol' loaf of rye bread and creamy dill dip.

Lots of times I buy dill dip right from the grocery store but there have been occasions when there isn't any left to be had.  When that happens I make my own and it's really easy...you just whisk together a few ingredients and it's done.

CREAMY DILL DIP

1 c. Hellmann's mayonnaise
1 c. sour cream
2-3 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tbsp. minced onion flakes
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. seasoning salt

Directions:  In a mixing bowl whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Serve.

It doesn't get any easier than that and it's delicious to boot.

So, if you want to take something a little different to your holiday get togethers this year, be sure to try my savory, creamy meatballs.  They are sure to please, I promise!! And, if you have never tried dipping rye bread in creamy dill dip your taste buds are truly missing out. Try it, I know you will LOVE it.

Anyway, those are just two of my favorite holiday appetizers.  I hope you will try them and enjoy.

Happy hors d'oeuvre days from my home to yours.