Appetizers & Sides

An Easy Cheese & Charcuterie Board

How to Build the Ultimate, Yet Simple, Winter Cheese & Charcuterie Board
December 26, 2015
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Appetizers & Sides

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   Winter Cheese & Charcuterie Board Inspiration from Waiting on MarthaWinter Cheese & Charcuterie BoardNew Year's Black Eyed Peas and Cheese + Charcuterie Board

What better way to round out the stretch of gluttony that comes with the holidays than the ultimate, abundant cheese & charcuterie board?  Turn to this easy, no-cook appetizer to serve at your New Year’s cocktail party as guests gather round to mingle and nibble on these tasty bites.

Though you really can’t go wrong with a plate of any cheeses and meats, you can consider a few rules of thumb when creating your board.  Always have at least one stinky, one hard and one soft cheese.  Some of my absolute favorite, if you can find them, cheeses are Cypress Grove’s Midnight Moon, anything from Cow Girl Creamery  and Rogue Creamery.  

Also always keep in mind how your guests will enjoy everything you’ve prepared.  I live by the entertaining rule that you shouldn’t have to set down your drink to grab bites from the board, so simplify the presentation for guests to easily enjoy with libation in-hand. 

And for the accompaniments?  Think sweet and savory options, with a nod to seasonal fruits (fresh and dried).  In this winter cheese & charcuterie board I stacked salted salami and paper-thin prosciutto. Dried apricots and figs. Vibrant pomegranate. Drunken, pickled tomatoes. A variety of olives and a rich tapenade.  Cocoa-powdered corn nuts and candied ginger to cleanse the palette. And of course, black-eyed peas for good luck! Truly, MKR

P.S. We’re helping take the guess work out of New Years by teaming up with some fabulous Ladies ( Emily McCarthy, Womanista, Mrs. Lilien, Lavin Label, Eat, Chef Made Pizzazzerie, Fancy Ashley, & Libbie Summers) to create an entire NYE menu.  We’ve obviously got your cheese and charcuterie board taken care of, but make sure you to click on everyone’s Blog for a whole slew of cocktails, apps, entrees, and desserts.

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All images are original to Waiting on Martha | Our Cheese & Charcuterie Board Was Created as Part of Womanista‘s New Year’s Eve Cocktail Party Menu 

Menu Participants Include: Emily McCarthy | Lavin Label | Eat, Chef Made | Pizzazzerie | Fancy Ashley | Libbie Summers

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Homemade Holiday Chex Mix

An Easy Snack Recipe to Enjoy While Holiday Lounging
December 23, 2015
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Appetizers & Sides

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Homemade Holiday Chex Mix

Now let me start this by saying I’ve made it my mission to perfect my holiday Chex mix recipe (or rather my grandma’s holiday Chex mix) for years.  After receiving my grandmother’s original recipe way back when, I’ve made batches of this super easy snack for just about everyone in my life to enjoy. It’s always been a winner; a batch was even cleared out within a single day at The Mr.’s office.  It’s perfect to have around the house during the holidays, to gift to neighbors and co-workers, and I love that you can make it your own with a few simple additions (we like ours with a little heat).  

And this year I’m proud to bring you my best batch of holiday Chex mix yet.  The secret to this year’s amazing batch:  bake it “low & slow.”  Year’s past I was baking at too high of a temp and the Chex was burning rather than crisping and instead of using a standard cookie sheet (like I did for years), I brought out my turkey roasting pan.  The pan allows you to properly mix the ingredients without making a big ole mess.  And lastly make sure to pay attention to step 4, this is key.  After an hour, and a few stirs later, you’ll have the perfectly crunchy Chex mix to rival my grandmother’s. Truly, MKR

P.S. This is absolutely NOT just a holiday dish, and I would eat this pretty much every day if I could.  It would be perfect if you’re hosting a little Super Bowl get together, plus you can easily make it gluten-free to make practically everyone happy.

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Photography, Rustic White

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A Twist On The Thanksgiving Classics

Walnut, Cranberry & Herb Dressing + Cranberries with Orange Peels & Cinnamon
November 20, 2015
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Appetizers & Sides

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A Twist on the Thanksgiving ClassicsThanksgiving Recipes via Waiting on Martha A Twist on the Thanksgiving Classics via Waiting on Martha Thanksgiving turkey and monogrammed turkey platterThanksgiving stuffing with cranberries and pom seeds

You know, there’s really not much straying from the usual dishes on Thanksgiving (turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, etc.) but every year, I try to do a different take on the classics.  Especially when it comes to the stuffing and the cranberry sauce (I’m really obsessed with cranberries right now).

I always really enjoy a good crunch with soft bites, and I’ve found that Thanksgiving stuffing is the perfect dish which to add a little crunch.  By adding cranberries, walnuts, plenty of fresh herbs and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds to the stuffing, the dish welcomes another depth of  flavor and texture. 

But I’m sure you have someone around the table that wants their dishes how they like it, year after year, no changes (in my case: my entire family).  Luckily, my Thanksgiving stuffing recipe doesn’t change much even with my addition of cranberries and pomegranate seeds.  Per the recipe those are added at the end making it easy to incorporate those to just half of the dish, while leaving the other classic. 

A quick way to elevate your cranberry sauce, another Thanksgiving classic, is to add freshly grated orange peels, juice from the orange and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  The cinnamon adds a level of warmth while the orange adds a new crisp bite of citrus.  And I like to think my cranberry sauce is even more gorgeous atop with fresh orange peels.  Don’t the colors just pop!? 

This year I also traded out our standard dinner rolls for the buttery, melt in your mouth, croissant roll.   And no I didn’t slave away for hours in the kitchen making them from scratch, instead I opted for the taste-like-made-from-scratch-but-really-they’re-frozen croissants from Williams Sonoma.  These guys, including the chocolate, have always been a Christmas morning tradition for my family so I thought why not enjoy them on Thanksgiving as well.

Lastly, I’ve found that pre-cutting your turkey to serve makes it so much easier for guests to help themselves (not to mention it’s such a more gorgeous presentation!). After all, nobody wants to stare at a turkey carcass while they dig in for seconds. Oh, and a brass serving set and fresh eucalyptus from Trader Joe’s (for only $5) instantly elevates the turkey platter to impress everyone around the table.  TRULY, MKR

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Photography, Rustic White 

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