Well, it is official, the holidays are knocking at the door, and entertaining and family gatherings will soon be at their peak. If you are looking for easy to prepare appetizers (perfect for adults and families), have no fear, we have got you covered!

The holidays are all about food, family, and friends. Whether you are the courteous hostess or the gracious guest, our 27 favorite quick and easy appetizers are elegant enough for any occasion.

Entertaining does not need not be stressful or difficult, so we have taken the guesswork out of “What appetizer shall I make for…?”. Follow along as we share our favorite finger foods, dips, and spreads, etc., all made with our award-winning mustards, tasty jams and jellies, sweet-hot peppers, and savory seasoning blends.

We wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Thank you for visiting.

Comment below and let us know your favorite!

Shrimp Ceviche Shooter Recipe- Featuring Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning.

Fig and Herbed Brie Cups Recipe- Sweet and savory in one mini morsel, featuring Brie cheese, Thyme, and Cherchies® Fig Preserves.

Herbed Antipasto Skewers- These easy herbed antipasto skewers are the perfect balance of flavor and the perfect snack or appetizer, featuring Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz Seasoning.

Tomato Basil Cups Recipe- Bacon, tomatoes and Swiss Cheese, all bundled up with Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz.

Champagne Asparagus Roll-Ups Recipe- Grace your holiday brunches or gatherings with these tasty, buttery, asparagus, ham and cheese roll-ups, featuring Cherchies® Cranberry Mustard.

Tuna Pinwheel Recipe- Buttery, savory, melt-in-your mouth tuna bites, featuring Cherchies® Champagne Mustard or Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard.

Baked Coconut Shrimp With Spicy Apricot Sauce Recipe- featuring Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend.

Pepper Jam Cream Cheese Appetizer- Unexpected company? No problem! Keep your pantry stocked with Cherchies® Hot Pepper Jams or preserves and serve over cream cheese for an amazingly quick appetizer!

Garlic Krispies Recipe- A lovely snack or appetizer with a surprising crunch. Serve alone or with your favorite cheese plate, but beware...set some aside for yourself...they will get devoured!

Marinated Cheese Recipe- Always the "big cheese" at any party, but grab some for yourself, because this appetizer will disappear before your eyes! This recipe features Cherchies Pretty Hot Peppers and Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning.

Seared Citrus Cilantro Scallops Recipe- Impress your guests with these elegant savory gems, featuring Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend.

Herbed Dip Recipe- Whether it's a refreshing dill or garlic, or a spicier cajun or mexican flair, our seasoning blends make a tasty dip for all seasons! Serve vegetables and dip in shot glasses for a festive party display.

Champagne and Apple Endive Recipe- The crispness of the endive, combined with the tartness of the apples and the robustness of the Roquefort cheese, come together as an explosion of flavor in your mouth. And it is made with our favorite mustard, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard!

Cheesy Hot Pepper Jam Thumbprints Recipe- Cheesy, savory, sweet appetizer bites. Prepare an assortment of thumbprints with our Hot Pepper Jams or sweet preserves. Festive, easy, and fun!

Hot Pepper Jam and Brie Cups Recipe- Seriously the easiest and most delectable bites to make and are suitable for any occasion. Try all three of our pepper jams, fruit butters, or preserves in this recipe.

Hot Pecan Spread Recipe- Perfect enough for a crowd! We dare you to try just one bite! This recipe features Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and Cherchies® Pretty Hot Peppers.

The Best Layered Taco Dip Recipe- Loaded with refried beans, creamy guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, black olives, green onions, and cheese, it is our secret ingredients, Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend and Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, that take this recipe from ordinary to extraordinary.

Hot Pepper Cream Cheese Recipe- Cherchies® Pretty or Pretty Hot Peppers make an excellent appetizer when served over cream cheese. They're perfect in eggs, casseroles, salads, crab cakes, dips, and so much more.

Apple Butter BBQ Smokies Recipe- Frankly speaking (pun intended), these simple and easy cocktail wieners are a definite must for your next gathering. This recipe features Cherchies® Apple Butter Spread.

Sweet and Savory Ham and Cheese Pinwheel Recipe- Featuring Cherchies® award-winning mustards, leftover holiday ham, and Cherchies® Apple Butter Spread. We dare you to eat just one!

Cherry Hot Pepper Bruschetta Recipe- Cherries, blue cheese, and Cherchies® Cherry Hot Pepper Jam all piled atop a lovely toasted baguette. Substitute cranberries and Cherchies® Cranberry Hot Pepper Jam for the holidays.

Cheesy Corn Dog Bites Recipe- These savory wieners, enveloped in a super moist, cheesy, corn muffin and tinged with Champagne Mustard, will score a touchdown with your gang; but, grab a few for yourself because they will disappear right before your eyes.

Fig Prosciutto Goat Cheese Crostini Recipe- This quick and easy mouth-watering recipe hits all the flavor notes, it comes together in minutes, and is perfect for any occasion. This recipe features Cherchies® Fig Preserves With Cinnamon.

Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread Recipe- Philadelphia’s Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread. It is chock full of vegetables, fresh herbs, is a fraction of the cost to the store-bought brand, and I have to say, this recipe is pretty darn close to the original.

Sweet and Spicy Asian Meatballs Recipe- There is something so darn comforting and fun about meatballs. These quaint little globes are simple to make; the flavor combinations are unlimited, they can be served with your favorite sauce over noodles or rice, or piled into sandwiches, or served as tasty appetizers with toothpicks. Quite the versatile little ball! This recipe features Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning Blend.

Cocktail Meatballs Recipe- Place meatballs, Cherchies® Cranberry Preserves or Cherchies® Cranberry Hot Pepper Jam and chili sauce into a crock pot, turn it on low and walk away! Meatballs will be ready when guests arrive!

Pretty Crab Cake Recipe- Make this recipe, except roll the crab cakes into miniature cakes and serve with Peach Salsa Dipping Sauce. The products featured are Cherchies® Pretty Hot Peppers, Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa, and Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend.

Lemon Dill Smoked Salmon Spread Recipe- Entertain in style at your next cocktail party, brunch, or game day gathering with this easy-to-make, festive, homemade smoked salmon dip/spread featuring Cherchies® Lem’n Dill Seasoning.

Mini Herbed Cheeseball Recipe- Individually portioned and perfect for social distancing, these tasty, colorful morsels are easy to make and pop in your mouth as you open the bubbly. They feature some of our favorite Cherchies® Seasoning Blends.

Salmon and Dill Rollups Recipe- These festive salmon and dill rollups, featuring smoked salmon, spinach, Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning, etc., are the perfect snack for cozying up by the fire or a fancy enough appetizer you and your significant other can share over a bottle of wine.

Yum

Champagne Asparagus Roll-Ups Recipe

April 22, 2019appetizers, snacksSheri SpalloneComment

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

We love it when friends from across the country send us recipes using our gourmet products. This quick and easy asparagus recipe comes to us from Sharon Brookover, in Chester Springs, PA, and it features our award-winning Champagne Mustard. This appetizer comes together in minutes and can be made early in the day and baked at the last minute.

Grace your Spring brunches or gatherings with these tasty, buttery, asparagus, ham and cheese roll-ups. Make sure to grab a plate for yourself, because these delicious morsels will disappear in minutes!

Try this recipe with all three of our mustards and comment below on your favorite combination!

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Ingredients

6 asparagus spears, blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes
6 slices soft white bread
6 Teaspoons (tsp) softened butter ( 1 tsp. per slice of bread)
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) softened butter
6 slices ham, thinly sliced, cut in half
6 slices Swiss cheese, cut in half
2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (using 1 teaspoon (tsp) per slice of bread). (or, try this recipe with our Hot Banana Pepper Mustard or Cranberry Mustard)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium skillet, add enough water to cover the asparagus. Blanch asparagus for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, drain, cool, and set aside.

Remove crust from bread with a sharp serrated knife and roll out until very flat and thin.

Spread each slice of bread with 1 teaspoon (tsp) butter and 1 teaspoon (tsp) of Cherchies® Champagne Mustard.

Cut each slice in half. Place a thin slice of ham on six slices of bread and six slices of Swiss cheese for the other six slices of bread.

**Note, the original recipe called for this method. I personally prefer to add both the ham and cheese. (Unless, your guests are vegetarians or have a dairy intolerance, then consider doing it this way).

Cut the cooled asparagus in half. Top the ham or cheese slices with one half of each asparagus.

Roll up and brush with melted butter. Place seam side down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Can either serve whole or cut roll-ups in half to serve a crowd.

Enjoy!

Yum

Shrimp Ceviche Shooter Recipe

May 3, 2018appetizers, lunchSheri SpalloneComment

I am obsessed with small plates or aka Tapas! My hubby and I love to have friends over for an appetizer evening to nosh and talk. I had these cute shot glasses I had purchased a while ago and I took these shooters to a party last weekend. Guess what? They were a huge hit! Our Cherchies®Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning added that nice zing to the ceviche.

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For this recipe, I used frozen shrimp because I was short of time and had it on hand. The idea of ceviche, with all the citrus, is to "cook" the raw shrimp, so feel free to substitute raw shrimp. (I used shot glasses. If you'd prefer to put in martini glasses as an elegant appetizer, then roughly chop all the ingredients).

Ingredients:

1 lb. frozen shrimp, defrosted and chopped (reserve whole shrimp to garnish as many glasses as have)
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 large cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Juice of two limes
Juice of two lemons
Juice of half an orange
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning (more to taste)
1 bunch of Cilantro, chopped (amount according to taste)
A splash of Chardonnay wine (optional)
Several drops of Sriracha hot sauce according to taste

Preparation

In a medium bowl, combine the sriracha, Cherchies®Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, the juice of the orange, the limes, the lemons, and the Chardonnay (optional). Add remaining chopped ingredients (I add the whole shrimp pieces I'm going to use as a garnish) to the marinade. Mix everything together. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Assemble shot glasses. To prevent them from sliding for transport, I used what I had on hand...Crayola's model magic, and I rolled a tiny amount into a ball and placed under each shot glass. When I arrived at the party, I removed the clay.

Fill each glass with a generous amount of the ceviche and garnish with a whole piece of shrimp! Ole!

Yum

Sweet and Spicy Asian Meatballs Recipe

April 20, 2018entrees, appetizers, glaze marinade & sauceSheri SpalloneComment

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

There is something so darn comforting and fun about meatballs. The quaint little globes are easy to make, and the flavor combinations are unlimited. Serve them with your favorite sauce over noodles or rice, pile them into sandwiches, or serve them as tasty appetizers with toothpicks. A versatile little ball, indeed! So let's talk meatballs, friends, particularly these Sweet and Spicy Asian Meatballs featuring Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning Blend, sriracha, and ginger.

I usually make these meatballs and freeze them to be later used as an appetizer for guests, but I needed a quick and easy meal for my family one night and served them over rice with this flavorful sauce. Our Cranberry Spinach Salad and Best Darn Garlic Bread accompanied this dish; as suspected, dinner was a hit.

Everyone loves meatballs, so get the "ball rolling," grab some Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning, Apricot Preserves, and spices, and make these delicious sweet and spicy meatballs today! Your family will ask for seconds.

Comment below if you have made this recipe. Thank you for visiting! Please return for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

CHERCHIES® GARLIC SEASONING
“Best seasoning ever..good for cooking and making dips..will always have in my pantry..a must have…”
“My go-to seasoning for veggies & meat. I keep it on hand at all times.”

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Ingredients

1 1/2 lb ground turkey, chicken, or pork
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon (tsp) tsp black pepper
4 green onions chopped
1 egg
2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon (tsp) freshly grated ginger
Cooked Rice (optional- to serve over)

For Sweet and Spicy Glaze

Drippings from meatballs
1 jar (10 oz.) Apricot Preserves
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) cornstarch
1 teaspoon (tsp) rice vinegar
1 teaspoon (tsp) sesame oil
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) chopped green onions- green part (scallions) only (optional for garnish)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray, and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the meatball ingredients and mix with your hands to combine. Do not over mix the meat. Use a 1 1/2" ice cream scoop to measure out perfectly-sized meatballs and place on the greased baking sheet.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until meatballs are golden brown.

While the meatballs are cooking, add the sauce ingredients to a small sauce pan. Whisk to combine. Turn the stove on low and cook the ingredients, whisking occasionally, until smooth. Turn off heat. With a slotted spoon, remove meatballs from baking pan and transfer to a large skillet. Add the pan drippings from the meatballs, and the sauce to the skillet. Turn the skillet on low and cook for a couple of minutes, or until heated through.