3 Easy Appetizers for New Year’s Eve

Can you believe we are only 5 days away from 2019? We are looking forward to another year filled with growth, family and traditions. There are many different traditions for the new year. We always celebrate with family fun and delicious food. Instead of a large meal, we simply do a mix of finger foods that can be eaten throughout the evening. This year we wanted to share a few of our favorites. These 3 recipes are easy and tasty without a lot of clean up.

Bacon Bites

When combining cheese and bacon, you can never go wrong. We love these easy and picturesque Bacon Bites. We suggest microwaving or baking your bacon for a quick and easy clean up. If you’re making other dishes with bacon, you can easily cook then crumble up the bacon ahead of time and store it in an airtight container to place in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes, drained (can use plain if you want to avoid spiciness)

2½ cups Broadbent bacon, crumbled

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

8 ounces softened cream cheese

45 frozen phyllo pastry cups, thawed (you can use the sheets and cut circles with cookie cutters if you can’t find cups)

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the drained tomatoes, bacon pieces, swiss cheese & cream cheese in a bowl till blended. Spoon mixture into thawed phyllo cups. You want them mostly full. I filled them about ½” above the cups. Place filled cups onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated and cheese is melted.

Sausage Balls

This is one of our family favorites! The recipe is super simple and easy, they are quick and kid friendly. Feel free to let the kids help and get hands on in the kitchen.  We serve our sausage balls as they are but many families enjoy serving dipping sauces along side. If you prefer try dipping sauces such as honey mustardspicy catsup, or one of the several other options floating around Pinterest.

Ingredients

1 lb. Broadbent Breakfast Sausage, thawed

2 C. Broadbent biscuit mix

1 lb. Cheddar cheese, Shredded

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine sausage, biscuit mix and cheese. You can do this with a fork or utensil, but hands usually become the easiest as you want it mixed very well. Form walnut size balls (1 inch), then place on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and sausage is cooked all the way through. (No pink) To prevent sticking, you can move the balls with a spatula about halfway through the cooking process.

Loaded Baked Potato Rounds

Potatoes are a comfort classic, but we are stepping away from the table making them travel ready. This recipe is easy to put together and you can customize it by adding any of your favorites such as a small dollop of sour cream. Potatoes are also a filling food that is budget friendly, the chives add color and make them feel extra festive. These are perfect for picky eaters!

Ingredients

5-6 baby red potatoes, sliced about ¼ inch thick rounds

Olive Oil, enough to brush potatoes

2 c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

8 strips Broadbent Hickory Bacon, cooked and chopped

3 chopped chives

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line backing sheets with parchment paper. Trust us, it will make clean up a breeze and avoid tearing the potato rounds. Lay the potato rounds out in a single layer across both sheets then brush with olive oil. Bake about 30 minutes, flipping the potatoes halfway through for even baking. Remove from oven and top with cheese, bacon and chives. Return to oven about 10 minutes. Before removing, make sure the cheese is melted. Add any extras (cold sour cream) and serve warm.

How does your family celebrate the New Year? Share in the comments below.

Broadbent B&B Foods
manager@broadbenthams.com

Broadbent B & B Foods, have been producing Old Fashioned Country Hams since 1909. A Truly American Food that has been on this continent since colonial days, it was a staple that sustained many of our first settlers as they moved west. The climate had to be just right to cure hams in the days before electricity, and Kentucky's climate fit the bill! Therefore, the Broadbent family brought those traditions with them and used them to dry cure and preserve their pork. Today, we are still dry curing Country Ham, Bacon, and Sausage like our forefathers did. In modern cuisine, country ham is far from a Staple. It is found on the menus of ritzy restaurants across The United States. While it is still, in fact, Country Ham, it is often cut paper thin, and labelled as Prosciutto; which is used as the center piece for many Charcuterie Boards.