Easy Appetizers That Look Great

!±8± Easy Appetizers That Look Great

Easy appetizers will help make your party a success. This does not mean they have to be cheap tasting or bland. You can make simple appetizers a day or two before your party from real ingredients that not only taste great, your guests will be impressed when they see them on the platter.

You may be shaking your head at this idea, but it is true. Serve some of these delightfully easy appetizers for parties, dinners, or holiday gatherings. Your family and friends will love the food and you will feel great. Why not try toasting pecans with a honey chipotle sauce or make some fancy olive tapenade to serve with crackers or toast points? These appetizers look like a professional made them and they deliver big on flavor.

Finger foods are fun for all ages, so why not make them look as great as they taste? Dips, baked brie, and so many other tasty foods are just waiting for you to make them. Take baked brie, for instance. There are many ways to serve this tasty, melted cheese. Top it with cranberries or nuts and Kahlua. Savory toppings also taste great wrapped with the cheese in puffed pastry. Try making these simple appetizers and see what you think. A trial run is a great way to test out recipes. Make some for a movie night that you can enjoy while you try them out.

Recipe for Baked Brie Topped with Caramelized Onions

This savory combination is delightful served with baguette slices, crackers, or crudites.

What You Need

2 Tablespoons butter 8 cups sliced onions (4 large onions) 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, minced 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 teaspoon sugar Salt and pepper to taste 1 8-inch French Brie 2 French baguettes, sliced How You Make It

Place butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they are tender; about 6 or 7 minutes. Keep stirring them so they do not burn. Add the thyme and reduce the heat to low. Stir frequently, for about 25 minutes. Add garlic and let it saute a couple of minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the wine, stirring until it almost evaporates. Sprinkle onions with sugar and continue cooking for around ten more minutes. Add the remaining wine, again stirring until it almost completely evaporates. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the onions cool. (This portion of the recipe can be made up to two days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Unwrap your Brie. Carefully cut away the top of the rind, leaving the rest intact. Place the Brie on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Spoon onion mixture on top of the Brie. Bake until the cheese begins to melt; about half an hour.

Remove Brie from the oven. Lift it by the parchment paper and transfer it to a platter. The paper can be trimmed once the cheese has been moved. Surround it with slices of baguette and serve warm.