Need ideas and recipes for holiday menu of appetizers and finger foods?

These are all tried and true recipes. The first are appetizer tarts - you can easily use a refrigerated packaged pie crust for them instead of making a crust.

PISSALADIERE (onion tart)

For crust:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons (or more) water

For filling:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 pounds onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 small bay leaf

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon drained capers

For Topping:

20 Niçois olives

16 anchovy fillets (I suppose these are optional, but it isn't a true Pissaladiere without them)

Make crust:

Mix flour and salt in processor. Add butter and oil. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Using on/off turns, mix in enough water 1 tablespoon at a time to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 2 hours.

Make filling:

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, bay leaf and thyme; stir to blend. Cover and cook until onions are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Uncover and sauté until most liquid evaporates and onions are golden, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in capers. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Cool completely; discard bay leaf. (Dough and filling can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep dough chilled. Cover and chill filling. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly oil large baking sheet. Roll out dough on floured surface to 11-inch round. Transfer dough to prepared sheet. Crimp edges of dough to form stand-up border. Spread filling evenly over dough. Arrange olives and anchovies decoratively atop filling.

Bake pissaladière until crust is crisp and golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer to platter and serve.

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WILD MUSHROOM TART

Pastry dough for 1 crust - favorite recipe or packaged

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 lb mixed fresh wild mushrooms such as cremini, oyster, and chanterelle, quartered lengthwise

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup crème fraîche

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 whole large egg

1 large egg yolk

Make shell:

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round and fit into 9x1 inch tart pan, with removable bottom, trimming excess dough. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights (or dried beans). Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom is golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 15 minutes.

Make filling while shell bakes:

Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, shallot, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender and any liquid given off is evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Whisk together crème fraîche, heavy cream, whole egg, yolk, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl until combined.

Fill and bake tart:

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Scatter mushrooms evenly in tart shell and pour custard over them. Bake tart in pan on a baking sheet until custard is just set and slightly puffed, 35 to 45 minutes.

Cool tart in pan on rack at least 20 minutes, then remove side of pan. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

notes:

- Tart shell can be baked 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and kept in pan, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

- Baked tart can be made 2 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature. Serve at room temperature.

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And here's a very different and delicious finger-food appetizer. It's always a hit at parties.

Spanish Devils (these use pre-cooked Chorizo - for eating as opposed to for cooking as was explained to me at the Spanish store)

24 Medjool dates (approx 1 lb. package)

2 ounces dry chorizo, skinned and finely chopped (1/3 cup)

3 ounces Italian Fontina cheese, shredded ( 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350°. Make a small slash in each date and remove the pits, keeping the dates intact. Mix cheese and chorizo together in a bow. Fill each date with chorizo and cheese, pinch them closed and set them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted. If they are large, cut each date in half crosswise, transfer the Spanish devils to a platter and se

You can make a turkey! Listed below are step by step directions. You won't have to taste it .... 1) Remove giblets and crap from inside turkey 2) Preheat oven to 475 3) You want to melt some butter and rub between the skin and the turkey breast 4) If you want mix some dried parsley in the butter -- if not no biggie 5) Sprinkle salt and pepper on the skin of the turkey 6) Place turkey in a roasting pan, cover with aluminum foil and bake on 475 for 20 min. 7) After 20 min is up you want to reduce the heat to 20 min! Keeping it at a high temp will overcook it. 8) Cook on 250 for 20 additional minutes per pound 9) When turkey is done cooking you should let it rest for 20 minutes before cutting so that the juices redistribute themselves back in the turkey making it juicy. Other than that maybe stuffing, a potato of some sort or rice, gravy, veggies, and a bread/roll. Good Luck!

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Pretzel Bark

1 cup chopped pretzels

1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans

1 1/2 pkg. (8 squares each) semi-sweet chocolate, melted

stir pretzels and nuts into melted chocolate and spread onto a waxed paper covered baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Can be made with any nut you like.

Bacon Water Chestnuts

12 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise and cooked but still soft

1 can of whole water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup Miracle Whip dressing

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chili sauce

heat oven to 350 degrees

wrap bacon around water chestnuts, secure with a wooden toothpick place in a shallow baking pan.

mix remaining ingredients, pour over water chestnuts.

bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Hot Broccoli Dip with Sourdough Bread

1 round sourdough bread about 1 1/2 pounds

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red peppers

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound (16 oz box0 Velveeta cheese product

1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thaw and drained

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary leaves

few drops of hot pepper sauce

heat oven to 350 degrees

cut thin slice for the top of the bread. Leaving a one inch shell remove the bread from the crust, save the bread to use as dippers. spread the pieces on a baking sheet place the top and the shell as well. Bake for 15 minutes. cool slightly.

Cook and stir celery, red peppers and onions in the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat until tender. Add Velveeta, cook on low until melted stirring frequently. Add broccoli, rosemary and hot pepper sauce. cook until heated through stirring constantly.

pour into the bread shell just before serving. Serve with the bread pieces and or crackers and fresh veggies.

The dip can be made earlier then reheated just as the guests arrive.

Christmas Wassail (Hot punch)

4 cups apple cider (not juice) 4 sticks cinnamon

2 cups orange juice 8 whole cloves

2 cups cranberry juice

combine all ingredients in a crockpot and heat on high until warm. turn down to low for serving. The longer it heats the better it gets. You can use ground cloves and cinnamon and heat on the stove.

Christmas Punch (cold)

2 12 oz cans frozen lemonade, thawed

2 cups cranberry juice cocktail 1 2 liter bottle 7-up

1 quart cold water 1/2 cup sugar, if needed

mix well and chill before serving over ice.

how about some egg rolls, pinwheels and lots of cookies.

Merry Christmas.

I've done quite a few appetizer parties and they're always great fun. The first link is a bunch of really good appetizer recipes, there's something in it for pretty much every taste anyone could want. The second link is some hot drink recipes, they're all great for holiday gatherings. Hope it helps!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2416980/b...

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2429748/h...

I made this punch for my sister's baby shower.

1 lg. can frozen lemonade

1 lg. box frozen sliced strawberries

1 lg. can well chilled Hawaiian Punch

2 qts. well chilled ginger ale

Partially defrost the lemonade and strawberries. Pour ingredients into a punch bowl, adding the ginger ale last. Strawberries, mint leaves and pineapple chunks can be frozen in a ring of Hawaiian Punch and floated in the center of the bowl for a special touch. Makes 30 cups.

she really enjoyed it.

as far as finger foods/appetizers i always make stuffed mushrooms. they are so good. spinach, bacon, cheddar cheese...yummy.

meat and cream cheese rolls.

i also make a 7 layer dip that always goes over very well. a can of refried beans down on platter, then mix sour cream and taco seasoning...put that on top of bean layer. then add lettuce, tomato, cheese, black olives, green onions.

Jumbo shrimp cocktail or deep fried shrimp...cocktail sauce for dipping.

Jumbo garlic sauteed scallops

Deep fried scallops...tartar sauce for dipping.

Garlic Bread topped with cheese

Bruschetta bread

Cheese fondue with crispy baguette for dipping.

Deep fried mushrooms or zucchini.

Honey barbecued back ribs...cut up in singles.

Barbecued steak, cut up in little strips.

Bite size pizza bits.

Escargot, sauteed in garlic butter.

Meat balls with Barbeque sauce dip

Deep fried bite size bacon wrapped calves liver & pineapple...sound horrible, but it is amazing.

Chicken fingers with plum sauce for dipping.

Tiropita...small cheese pitas

Asparagus or artichokes with hollandaise for dipping.

Dolmodos..Stuffed vine leaves.

Hot apple cider adds a delicious welcoming aroma in the house for Christmas.

If you want recipes for any of the above, e-mail me.

Have a great time.

Pig in a blanket--little smoked pre cooked sausages --thake the small can bisquits wrap around one of the small sausage --cook til bisquit is done

stuffed mushrooms

make a box of stovetop stuffing

stuff mushrooms bake on 350 until top is brown