Four Fab Appetizers for New Year's Eve

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: 

I usually save recipes for Sundays, but today I'm going to share with you my hacks for super quick and super easy appetizers. Why? Because it's New Year's Eve. You're going out to a party. You're having friends in. Maybe you just want something fun and a little elegant to go with the Champagne or Prosecco you and your sweetheart are going to enjoy while watching Rockin' New Year's Eve 2020 or New Year's Eve or just streaming The Mandalorian because really, you can't have too much Baby Yoda.

I love him so much!!!!

Maybe you're one of those fab hostesses/hosts who plans the evening starting with the appetizers, and so you've been all set for days, with a tray of homemade quiches waiting in the refrigerator. If so, this is not for you. This is for the rest of us, who know what the main dish is, and we have most of the ingredients, but we suddenly realize while in the booze aisle of the grocery store that people expect to eat something with their cocktails. Or those of us who didn't call the hostess soon enough to be assigned one of the easy dishes to bring (bread, salad in a bag) and are stuck with the starters. 


You don't have time to wrap bacon around scallops; you need a dish with three ingredients, something you can whip up in fifteen minutes after getting home from work. Ten would be better. I've got you, fam.

Looks fancy to bring: Cream cheese dip with chutney
Ingredients: 
Cream cheese with chives, 1 or 2 containers depending on the size of the crowd.
Jar of chutney (If they have it in my rural Hanneford, you can find it at your grocery store.)
Salted peanuts for garnish (skip this if anyone might be nut-allergic, obvs.)
Fancy crackers.

Spoon the cream cheese into a really nice looking, shallow cut glass or china bowl. Smooth it out. Spoon the chutney over the top. Sprinkle the peanuts on to make it look like this actually took time. Serve with the fancy crackers. 




Oh, no, there are vegans at the party: Bruschetta with fake homemade hummus
Ingredients: 
Baguette
Container of hummus
Jar of sun-dried tomatoes
Bunch of fresh parsley (Italian if you can get it) chopped
Olive oil.

Slice the baguette into diagonal pieces and toast in the toaster oven or under the broiler.
While the bread is toasting, scoop the hummus into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and the chopped parsley. Does it look lumpy? Good, people will think it's homemade. 
Take the bread out and drizzle a little oil on each slice before adding a spoonful of "your" hummus. Tell the guests you soak dried chickpeas for 24 hours before making this. 

I need something hearty to counterbalance all the drinks my friends are going to put away: Meatballs on toothpicks with sauces 
Ingredients:
Frozen bag of meatballs (yes, you could make your own, but that would kind of blow the whole "fast and easy" vibe out of the water.)
Toothpicks
1 jar each: Marinara sauce, BBQ sauce and Sweet and Sour sauce.

Cook the meatballs as directed (usually under the broiler.
Stick toothpicks in 'em.
Decant the sauces into bowls and let your guests go to town. If you want to up the heartiness quotient, serve with a basket of small finger rolls and encourage  everyone to dip those as well.

I'm stopping at Target/the grocery store and that's it: Archer Farms individual quiches or Snyders Honey Mustard Pretzel Bits
Seriously. I served the Archer Farm quiches as an appetizer for my Christmas dinner. I hid the boxes they came in (12 per box, which I think is a nice amount) and everyone loved them. As for the honey mustard pretzel bits, they are simply irresistible. I don't know what it is, but I have yet to see anyone who can stop themselves from reaching into a bowl.


Okay, Dear Readers, what are your hosting hacks? And do you have plans to ring in the New Year tonight?