The key to any successful holiday side dish is simplicity. This is never
Holiday Edition
Get these toothpick hors d'oeuvres a little more into the holiday spirit by getting a white cheese instead of
Get the Kids Involved
Toothpick food is an incredibly kid-friendly recipe from start to finish. Little hands will make this job go quickly with help stacking, arranging, and tasting!
Shape makers, or tiny cookie cutters, are the perfect way to dress this snack up and kids love to use them. Select leaf and pumpkin shapes for a more fall-centered holiday presentation, while holly leaves and candy canes would make a cheerful winter-holiday plate. Any leftover cheese you have from punching shapes will surely get gobbled up by your little helpers.
Another great task for the kids is to have them stack and skewer the snacks as you cut the various items. Take a quick second to arrange the plate on the way out the kitchen door, and you have most of the work taken care of by your little holiday helpers.
Variety
As with anything in life, a little variety is good! Mix and match with what cheeses you have on hand or swap out the olive for a cocktail onion for an interesting and crunchy combination.
Another interesting swap out could be for a different type of sausage instead of kielbasa. A sweet or spicy sausage would work just as well in place of this and would offer an interesting flavor combination to the toothpick horderves.
These can easily be made vegetarian friendly by leaving off the sausage and subbing it for an apple or pear slice or a piece of farmhouse bread. Toothpick food is a great way to open up your table to anyone with food avoidances or intolerances.
Convenience
In addition to this being a very simple snack to put together for a party at the last second, but these toothpick appetizers are nearly effortless to shop for, as well, with ingredients available at practically any small grocery or large convenience store. Assembly and presentation is a snap and you can dress this up with a nice plate and fancy toothpicks and really impress a crowd.
Print
Toothpick Appetizers
- Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- Toothpicks
- ½ pound fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 (10 ounce) jar red or green maraschino cherries, drained
- 1 (5 ounce) jar small green olives
- 1 (8 ounce) package processed cheese food, cubed*
Instructions
- Onto each toothpick, place one piece of sausage, one cherry, one olive and one cube of cheese.
- Arrange them neatly on a plate for serving.
Notes
If you have more time, use fall-themed small cookie cutters to shape cheese.
- Prep Time: 5