Cheap Holiday Party Appetizer Ideas

Easy, Elegant, and Inexpensive Finger Food for Christmas & Hanukkah

Oct 28, 2008

For budget friendly party finger food options, try mock baked brie, fried ravioli with pesto and marinara, caramelized onion bruschetta, or jazzed up deviled eggs.

Elegant holiday parties for Christmas and Hanukkah are a blast, and everyone loves festive plates of appetizers. However, shrimp, caviar, and other expensive finger food treats are not in everybody's budget. Fortunately, with a little creativity, simple and inexpensive treats can be jazzed up to become elegant and delicious holiday party appetizers. By skipping the prepackaged stuff and making these simple treats from scratch, holiday party hosts can save a bundle.

Mock Baked Brie with Apricot Jelly

For a quick and elegant alternative to this popular French treat, purchase a few rolls of prepackaged crescent rolls. Separate each triangle, and add a generous dollop of soft cheese. Goat cheese, processed cheese spreads, or even solid cream cheese will do -- or use an inexpensive supermarket brie. Add a small spoonful of apricot jelly, and then neatly fold the triangle into an appetizer-sized bite. For added pizazz, score the sides with a fork. Bake the triangles according to the crescent roll package directions. Serve the triangles with a tasty dipping sauce, like apple chutney.

Fried Ravioli with Pesto and Marinara Sauce

This recipe can be simple or complicated, as the host can purchase prepackaged ravioli and sauces or make them by hand. To fry ravioli, simply cook them completely and then pan fry them in vegetable oil until they are crispy -- a process that just takes a few minutes. Then decorate the ravioli with green pesto and red marinara sauce for a Christmas effect.

Caramelized Onion and Cheese Bruschetta

Caramelized onions taste gourmet, but they're very easy to make, and, of course, very cheap. Simply cook onions for about half an hour with a little brown sugar and vinegar until they are soft and almost spreadable, and then season them lightly with salt and pepper. To make bruschetta, slice small pieces of a baguette on an angle, brush with olive oil, and if desired, add some fresh or roasted garlic. Bake the bread in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes until they are toasted. Then top the toasted bread with onions and sprinkle with Gorgonzola or shaved Parmesan cheese. For a Christmas touch, sprinkle on some fresh basil and finely diced red pepper.

Jazzed Up Deviled Eggs

The traditional way to make deviled eggs more upscale is to use caviar, but cheaper ingredients work just as well. Start with a good deviled egg recipe, and pipe in the filling with a pastry bag for a fancier effect. Then sprinkle with an elegant topping, and for a Christmas effect, use a combination of red and green ones. Some topping choices include:

Of course, not all caviar is outrageously expensive, so consider using a small dollop of less expensive red caviar on the deviled eggs.

Creative Party Food Planning on the Cheap

Elegant parties don't need to be expensive. Use your creativity to make over everyday favorites into delightful party food, or try out some simple recipes that use budget-friendly ingredients. Party-goers will appreciate the thought regardless of the price tag.

The copyright of the article Cheap Holiday Party Appetizer Ideas in Appetizers/Finger Food is owned by Naomi Rockler-Gladen. Permission to republish Cheap Holiday Party Appetizer Ideas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.