Posts tagged: Parties
The Perfect Antipasti Platter
My ultimate go-to holiday party item is always a huge antipasti platter. I love all the different flavors and textures. You can really have a lot of fun with it! The real bonus is it requires very little effort and it always looks stunning.
The Ultimate Hot Chocolate Bar with Crockpot Hot Chocolate
Nothing screams the holidays to me more than a huge glass of hot chocolate. Of course you can't forget the marshmallows. And a side of cookies too. :) I love hosting a hot chocolate bar around the holidays.
Gingerbread Spice Cocktail
December is the one month every year that I feel like I can truly celebrate gingerbread. I will devour anything gingerbread-related, whether it’s cookies, cakes, or candy. This year, in anticipation of the holiday parties I knew I would be hosting, I decided the ultimate way to enjoy gingerbread would be a cocktail. Genius, right?
Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Bacon
Spinach and artichoke dip is my ultimate go-to whenever I go out to eat. The one thing I always feel is missing from those spinach and artichoke dips is BACON (I mean really, what couldn’t be improved with a bit of bacon?). This version of the classic dip is packed with chopped Pig of the Month bacon and it really makes this dip ten times better. Plus the whole recipe comes together in less than a half hour!
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Eggs
Easter brunch wouldn’t be complete without these chocolate covered strawberry eggs on your dessert table! Chocolate covered strawberries may look difficult, but with the melting wafer they have out now, you don’t even have to worry about tempering the chocolate. You just melt, dip and decorate!
Foil-Wrapped Cheesy Potatoes
Have you broken out your grill yet? If not, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you to kick off grilling season with! Foil-wrapped cheesy potatoes! Whether you are grilling or heading out on a camping trip, these cheese potatoes are AWESOME. Wrapped up tightly in foil they can cook over any type of grill or straight over the campfire. They are bursting with all the flavors you love from cheesy potatoes, with just the right hint of spice to balance out that ooey gooey mess.
Trio of Fruit Mini Skillet S'mores
S’mores is my favorite dessert EVER. So much so that you’ll find me heating up the gas burner on my stove in the dead of winter, just so I can get that perfectly toasted marshmallow. But what’s even better than a perfect s’more...
Cranberry Sangria
Cheers to the holidays, friends!
Christmas is next week! How did that creep up so fast? If you're anything like me, you're frantically planning your holiday get togethers, trying to find the perfect (and easiest) recipes to serve your family and friends. When it comes to cocktail hour, my family takes their drinks very seriously. Instead of stocking an entire bar, this year I'm going straight for buckets of sangria to serve.
Any holiday festivities you have planned NEED this sangria. It's full of the traditional holiday flavors you know and love, plus it brings an extra festive element to any get together with the fresh cranberries and cinnamon sticks floating about.
You'll be hard pressed to find anyone who will turn down a second glass... Or third.
INSTRUCTIONS: Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher ad refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours before serving (ideally overnight).
Recipe & Photos by Meghan Bassett
Boozy White Hot Chocolate
It's beginning to look a lot like winter! The temperatures are dropping, the snow is starting to fall, and it's about time to start snuggling up under blankets next to a roaring fire every night. Nothing goes better with a snuggly night in than a giant mug of warm hot chocolate, spiked with a little booze of course. :)
This Boozy White Hot Chocolate is a fun way to shake up your usual hot chocolate routine, featuring indulgent white chocolate and spiced rum for just the right touch of much-needed extra warmth.
Holiday movie marathon? Oh yea, this'll do the trick better than that tired ol' egg nog.
INSTRUCTIONS In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, chocolate chips and vanilla. Stirring constantly, heat the mixture until the chocolate is melted and the mixture begins to simmer, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Divide evenly between two large mugs and serve with marshmallows and whipped cream.
Recipe & Photos by Meghan Bassett
The Pig's Top Turkey Tips
Thanksgiving is ONE WEEK AWAY! It always sneaks up on us and no matter how well-prepared we think we are, there are some last minute questions that always come up. We're rounding up our top Thanksgiving tips for you this year to make sure you're on your game! Look no further pig-lovin' friends, we've got your Thanksgiving covered.
Don't forget how long defrosting a turkey actually takes! You can thaw your bird either in the refrigerator or cold water. If you're using the refrigerator, use the equation of 1 day to thaw for every 4lbs of meat. Short on time? No problem. Cold water thawing is much faster at a rate of 30 minutes to thaw for every pound.
No one likes lumpy gravy... Bust out the sieve or strainer! This will get all those gross lumps right out. You can also use your good ol’ blender to puree the lumps outta there.
Did you mail-order a Pig of the Month BBQ Feast, Whole Turkey, or Smoked Turkey Breast? First off, high five for being a Thanksgiving genius. You just made your life SO much easier. Now that you've got the main attractions covered, it's time to think sides that go with all the POM deliciousness. If you want to make something extra, go for the veggies. For a quick fix, grab your fav veggies, chop them up and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder or chopped garlic. Roast on a lined, rimmed baking sheet at 400 degrees until tender. Have everyone else bring the rest of the fixings and kick up you feet to watch the Thanksgiving parade.
Come on, you can do better than plain ol' canned cranberry sauce. We'll solve this with one word – ORANGE. Add about 1 tsp of orange zest and 1/2 Tbsp of orange juice (or more if you prefer). This will brighten up that plain old canned cranberry sauce so much that your guests will be asking for the recipe. Shhhhh, we’ll keep the secret for ya!
Aren't Thanksgiving leftovers the BEST? Answer = YES. The best (and safest) way is to cool everything down. Pack leftovers in shallow containers instead of big deep containers so they cool faster. Yes, it’s a bit of work with all those containers and playing refrigerator Tetris, but the small containers will help your leftovers stay fresh and take up less space in the fridge!
This is the tip that will save you countless times in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. Chicken stock is your ultimate Thanksgiving savior. Simply keep a large saucepan of chicken stock warm on the stove throughout the day. It can rescue dry stuffing, too-thick gravy, dry turkey, and countless other emergencies that pop up at the absolute worst time. Anything you have leftover can be stored or frozen for later use, or use it as a base for leftover turkey soup! Who's ready to conquer Thanksgiving? You are! Don't forget to check out our mega list of 50+ Thanksgiving tips for even more turkey day wisdom! If it's all too much and you're tired of basting a bird for 6+hours, let us do all the work and order you smoked turkey today! Ships free with code "novship"
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