Cheese Olive Balls (takes a lot of prep time and you freeze first but omg they are my all time ever fave!)
Drain and THOROUGHLY DRY approx. 48 green olives.
Blend 2 c. grated sharp cheese and 1/2 c. soft butter or margarine. Stir in 1 c. flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. paprika.
Wrap 1 tsp. of dough around each olive.
Freeze till firm. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min. Don't thaw first. Serve hot.
Hot Cranberry Punch (not food but a holiday fave for a few years now... my ex BIL calls it "the candy drink")
8 cups hot water
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups cranberry juice (cocktail okay)
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
12 whole cloves
1/2 cup red-hot candies
1. In a 5-qt slow cooker, combine water, sugar and juices; stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. If desired, place cloves in a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag (or use a tea strainer). Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Before serving, discard spice bag and stir punch.
ONION TARTS (my recommendation based on your situation; you can make the onions the morning of and just spread, bake, and cut when people are there)
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 1999
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups thinly sliced onions
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 pound goat cheese, crumbled
1 sheet (15 by 10 inches) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions start to wilt, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool completely. In a mixing bowl, combine the onions and cheese. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. With a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut 24 rounds of the puff pastry. Place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet, prick each round randomly with the tines of a fork, and brush with the beaten egg. Spread a tablespoon of the onion mixture on each round, leaving a 1/8-inch border. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve warm.
And another family fave: The cream cheese-shrimp stuff. Soften an 8 oz. block of cream cheese and spread in bottom of serving bowl/dish. Cut up as many of those small frozen shrimp (that have been thawed) as you want and add to about half a bottle of chili sauce (I prefer the Heinz brand to the Del Monte), along with about a tsp. of horseradish. It's best to chill that mixture for a while to blend flavors and get it cold. Serve with crackers, obviously. (LOL this was an emailed "recipe" from my mom years ago when I first moved in with DH!)