Hors D’oeuvre: Salami, Horseradish Cheese, and Sweet Oatmeal Crackers

It’s that time of year again. Christmas is only a couple weeks away and the New Year is coming soon. Undoubtedly, you have been invited to several holiday parties; between family gatherings, work parties, neighborhood events, and your best friend’s annual Christmas party, your calendar is probably booked solid for the next few weeks.

It seems if you attend enough holiday parties, you start to notice a trend with the appetizers. First of all, there is a cheeseball at every party. EVERY PARTY. Nothing wrong with cheeseballs. In fact, they are pretty good, but it seems that around Christmas is the only time of year that you see them at parties. There are also the stand-by veggie and fruit trays, maybe even some sweet & sour meatballs and cocktail wieners– if you’re lucky. All of these things are great, but sometimes, you just want something different.

So here is an interesting spin on a traditional meat and cheese tray: dry salami bites & small wedges of horseradish cheese, served with sweet oatmeal crackers. The tang of the salami goes so well with the slightly hot horseradish cheese and is well-rounded out with a sweet oatmeal cracker. I arranged them on one tray in sections, but could be just as good stacking the salami and cheese on individual crackers. This is kind of a nice change of pace on its own, but it would work well served along with hummus.

Most grocery stores have a large cheese section and also have several gourmet-style crackers there as well. Get creative and pick some different cheeses. If you don’t know what something will taste like, ask for a sample.

Remember, if you are going to several holiday parties, you may want to buy a larger block of cheese that can be used for more than one event (**Money Savvy Tip: typically, the larger blocks of cheese are less expensive, if pre-packaged)

Here are some other great appetizer ideas for New Year’s Eve:

1- Snowman Cheese Ball

2- Sausage & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

3- Teriyaki Shrimp, Steak & Chicken Kabobs

4- Pimento Cheese

5- Cranberry Salsa

6- Pomegranate Pork Belly Crostini

7- Salami, Horseradish & Cheese Hors D’Oeuvre

8- Basil & Olive Oil Caprese Bites

9- Bacon Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Ball

10- Hot Cheesy Spinach & Red Pepper Artichoke Dip

11- Crockpot Spinach & Artichoke Dip