I have an old-time, hand written recipe book with so many of our favorites. One section is dedicated to Christmas menus and recipes. But I do like trying new things out too to add to the collection so for this year’s appetizers, we had something that was an old favorite and tried a new recipe which will be going into the collection because it was a hit!
First up, we have cheesy, bacon puffed pastry squares:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 green onions, finely diced
8 slices of bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 tbsp parsley
Roll the puff pastry dough out into a square (it will make it easier to cut before baking). In a mixing bowl, cream together the cheeses & parsley then stir in the green onions and bacon. Spread the filling evenly across the puff pastry, going all the way to the edges. With a serrated knife, cut the pastry into 2 inch squares. Bring two corners up to meet in the middle and pinch slightly to seal. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy (if you have leftovers, just reheat for a few minutes in the air fryer to heat the filling up again)
On our trip to California this summer, I picked up so many recipes I took home to try. This blue cheese spread with spiced walnuts made a perfect addition to our holiday table (and can be made the day before to let the flavors come together)
8oz cream cheese, softened
4oz crumbled blue cheese
2oz goat cheese*
1 green onion, minced
2 tbsp white wine (I used chardonnay)
Cream together the cheeses. Once they’re well blended, mix in the wine and green onion. Set aside in an air-tight container until serving.
To make the spicy nut mixture, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of chili oil in a pan. Add a cup of chopped walnuts and sauté until they’re golden brown. Add 2 tsp of sugar and stir until the sugar is melted into the nuts. Toss with a spice mix of equal parts (I used about a 1/4 tsp of each, but it wasn’t precise) cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon and ground black pepper. Let the mixture cool completely before refrigerating.
To serve, place the cheese in a serving bowl and top with the nut mixture. Serve with crackers or slices of toasted baguette.
We served one Christmas Eve and one Christmas Day and both were complete hits. What foods mean the holiday to you? No matter what they are, I hope you enjoy them in good health and surrounded by those you love!
Eat well friends!
*I bought clover blossom honey flavored goat cheese, thinking it was plain and it was an absolutely delicious accident!
Michelle Cooks 
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