Roasted Pepper Cheese Bites Recipe and 6 Holiday Party Planning Tips

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Are you hosting a Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas party this year? Throwing an amazing holiday party doesn’t have to be hard or stressful. Nor does it have to take all of your energy or empty your wallet.

With a little careful planning, and a few tricks and tips, you can throw a holiday party that everyone will remember – and one that you can enjoy just as much as your guests!

For example, using easy and delicious recipes that can be made ahead of time is one of the best ways to save time and reduce stress.

This recipe for Roasted Pepper Cheese Bites is one such example, and it makes a great appetizer while guests are waiting for everyone to arrive!

I’ve got lots of deliciously good Thanksgiving Recipes, fun Thanksgiving crafts and more for you to try out – right-click and open these other Thanksgiving goodies for kids and adults in a new tab so that you can read them after this one!

Don’t miss the rest of my tips and tricks for an enjoyable holiday party below the recipe!

How to Make Roasted Pepper Cheese Bites

This simple, yet delicious Roasted Red Pepper Cheese Bites recipe takes mere minutes to make but tastes as though it took hours! Don’t worry, it’ll be our secret!

Oh, and to make things even easier, I’ve included a free, printable version of this recipe, where you will find the complete ingredient amounts and instructions, towards the end of the post.

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links for products or services I think you’ll like. This means if you make a purchase from one of these links, Bullock’s Buzz will make a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY FIND HELPFUL

• medium bowl
• hand mixer or countertop mixer
• butter spreader knife

ROASTED RED PEPPER CHEESE BITES INGREDIENTS

All you need for this easy appetizer recipe is:

• cream cheese
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• RITZ Garlic Butter crackers
• thinly sliced, mixed roasted red and yellow peppers (I chose to roast my own, but you can buy them in jars).
• fresh chopped basil

INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE ROASTED RED AND YELLOW PEPPER CHEESE BITES

This scrumptious appetizer is so fun and festive. Best of all, it is extremely easy and quick to make. So, if you need a last-minute dish to bring to a holiday dinner or party, this one will work great!

STEP ONE: PREP

• Preheat the oven to 350°F

STEP TWO: COMBINE CREAM CHESE AND MOZZARELLA

• Mix the cream cheese and mozzarella in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.

STEP THREE: TOP CRACKERS

• Spread this topping onto the crackers, be generous!
• As you finish topping each cracker with the spread, go ahead and place it on a baking sheet

STEP FOUR: ADD RED AND YELLOW PEPPERS

• Now, top the crackers with the red and yellow peppers.

STEP FIVE: BAKE

• Place the topped crackers in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes.

STEP SIX: ADD BASIL

Once the have finished baking, remove from oven and sprinkle each cracker with basil.

And that’s it! See, I told you it was easy!

Don’t they look delicious?!

And they taste delicious, too!

6 Easy Holiday Party Planning Tips

Now, as promised, here are some more holiday party planning tips and tricks to help you throw a bash party everyone will love and remember!

1. Decide What Type of Party You Want

Before you can begin to plan, you need to decide what type of party you want to host. Are you wanting a casual gathering like a cocktail party with some light foods and drinks, or would you prefer a sit-down dinner? Casual or formal? Large or small? Once you figure out exactly what you want, it’s time to start planning the details.

Tip: To make everything more organized, get a small notebook and dedicate a few pages for each detail including the guest list, the menu, decor you will use, and a schedule of what needs to be made and when. This way everything is in one easy- to-locate spot, and you can also keep any special notes – such as a guests’ food allergy – where you will be sure not to forget.

2. Put Together a Guest List and Invitations

Next, determine the date, time, and guest list. Then, once you have your guest list together, decide how you’re going to get the word out. Are you going to send out invitations via snail mail, or send out emails, or just call everyone?

Tip: Send out the invites at least four weeks in advance, as calendars fill up quickly during the holiday season.

3. Select the Menu

Selecting foods that can be made ahead of time, preferably the day before, will save you time and stress. Be sure to include one or two simple appetizers for guests to nibble on while waiting for everyone to arrive.

4. Decide on Decor

Whether setting up a buffet-style table or designing a holiday tablescape for a sit-down dinner, think small as you want to save space for the food which will also be the main focus. For example, create a low arrangement of blooms instead of a large centerpiece. Then use small accents, such as votive candles, to fill any empty spots on the dining or buffet table.

Tip: For an easy and pretty food presentation, use oven-to-table serving ware instead of glass or metal baking dishes. This looks nice and keeps the food warm, plus it saves a lot of time on both set up and clean up.

No more worrying about which food should go on what serving platter, or where each item should go on the table. If you don’t have these types of dishes, another trick is to label what you are using ahead of time, so you know exactly where everything goes when it comes out of the oven.

5. Prep Ahead of Time

The day before, start making the foods and drinks that can be made ahead of time. Also, for those dishes that cannot be made ahead of time, get as much of the prep work done as you can. This way, on the day of the party, all you will have to do is set up the already-made food and finish up the remaining steps of the food that has to be prepared the day of.

The day before is also when I set out my decor, and lay out the table settings including the plates, napkins and silverware.

Tip: On the day of the party, add at least one extra hour to your prep time for any last-minute emergencies. This will also ensure you have time to get ready without rushing, and to relax before guests arrive.

6. Enjoy!

Now all that’s left for you to do is sit down and relax. Be proud of yourself and enjoy your wonderful creation!

Tip: About 5 minutes before your guests begin to arrive, set out those quick and easy-to-make appetizers we talked about above.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NABISCO Cookies and Crackers. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have any special holiday party planning tips, tricks or ideas? I’d love to hear about them! Share with us below!

Happy Holiday Planning