P&P Easy Holiday Recipes

Whether you’re hosting or attending a holiday celebration, these decadent nibbles and sips are sure to impress (with little effort on your part!). I’ve curated some of my favorite easy and delicious appetizers and drinks…all 5 ingredients or LESS! Cheers!

1) PEPPER JELLY BRIE BITES

Ingredients:

24 mini phyllo pastry shells thawed
3 ounces Brie cheese rind removed
2 tablespoons red pepper jelly
1 teaspoon sea salt
fresh thyme for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Arrange phyllo pastry shells on a rimmed baking sheet.
Cut the brie into 24 small pieces.
Spoon 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper jelly into each pastry cup.
Top the pepper jelly with one piece of brie in each cup.
Bake for 7-8 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle each cup lightly with the sea salt.
Garnish with a small leaf of fresh thyme if desired.

2) CROSTINI ALLA ROMANA (courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis)

Ingredients:

12 1/2-inch thick slices ciabatta bread
12 slices thinly sliced prosciutto (about 6 ounces)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices
3 tablespoons butter
6 sage leaves
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Place the slices of ciabatta on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden around the edges, about 8 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven. Place the prosciutto slices and mozzarella on the crostini toast and return to the oven to melt the cheese, about 8 more minutes.
Meanwhile combine the butter and the sage leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter is melted and starting to brown in spots and the sage leaves are crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the crostini to a serving plate. Drizzle the crostini with the sage butter and serve immediately.

3) CHRISTMAS MIMOSA (courtesy of Spruce Eats)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces pomegranate liqueur
1 ounce cranberry juice
3 ounces Champagne, chilled
Fresh cranberries, for garnish
Fresh pine or rosemary sprig, for garnish
Instructions:
In a champagne flute, pour the pomegranate liqueur and cranberry juice.
Top with champagne.
Garnish with a few fresh cranberries and a sprig of pine. Serve and enjoy.
Tip:
- Since there is no ice in this cocktail, it's best made with pre-chilled ingredients. You can also quick-freeze the cranberries in your freezer for an hour so they act like fruity ice cubes.
Recipe Variation
It is very simple to transform this Christmas mimosa into a tasty mocktail by replacing the liqueur and wine with non-alcoholic ingredients. Go with a pomegranate juice or pour a pomegranate-cranberry juice blend (it's likely more economical) and top it with a sparkling cider or white grape juice. You get the same great flavors, but none of the alcohol!