From my cookbook…Dave’s Cranberry Cream Cheese Appetizer
Merry Christmas! Here’s a tasty and seasonal appetizer to keep your guests satisfied all day.
Be sure to purchase your own copy of the cookbook for your family and friends for the holidays! It’s a gift that keeps on giving for a lifetime!
There are over 300 recipes in my recently published cookbook, Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us (Click on the link in Note 1 to get your own copy). Even in these inflationary times, we can prepare delicious meals for our family and do so in a way that does not break the budget. And it’s all in the cookbook!
An instant holiday classic appetizer
Everyone wants the holidays to be special, and we all put on our best, whether it’s in the kitchen, going to church, or visiting friends. And to me, no food says Christmas quite like cranberries. While this recipe calls for frozen cranberries, I always seek out fresh ones as they are in season this time of year. Use either for your special holiday treat.
Provide plenty of your favorite crackers and watch this appetizer disappear! Everyone loves it!
David Giustozzi’s Cranberry Cream Cheese Appetizer
I love cream cheese appetizers with crackers. David Giustozzi’s Assorted Toppings Cream Cheese Appetizer has several different toppings to mix it up. This one is a little different and I tasted a similar one recently that my wife got from a Bunco partner. I liked it so much I decided to jazz it up a bit with a few additional ingredients.
Also, and this is important, if you are making this around the Christmas holidays, you can utilize the leftover cranberries from David Giustozzi’s Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail. So, while you make a simple cranberry syrup for the drink, you get to save the cranberries and add to your appetizer! I call that a double winner any day!
Make the cranberry sauce a day ahead to save some time, bring to room temperature and add the pecans and optional ingredients just before serving while the cream cheese is coming to room temperature.
Ingredients
· 5 oz frozen cranberries (Note 1)
· 1 ½ cup water
· 1 ¼ cup sugar
· 8 oz. block cream cheese, warmed to room temperature
· ½ cup chopped pecans
· 3 green onions, sliced thin on the bias (optional)
· 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
· 2 tablespoons cornstarch for slurry (Note 2)
· Crackers for serving (Note 3)
Directions
Make the cranberry juice ahead of time. Using 5 oz. frozen cranberries from a 10 oz. bag, place in a saucepan with 1 ¼ cup water and 1 ½ cup sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a slow boil, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries start to break down. Remove from heat and allow to “steep” for two hours.
Thicken as noted in Note 2, return to heat, just bring to a boil and remove from heat to cool.
Add the pecans, onions and jalapeno (if using) and stir well to combine. I sometimes don’t add the onions or jalapenos as they may not be kid friendly.
Place the room temperature cream cheese on a serving platter or bowl, which I like better. Pour the cranberry mixture over the top. Provide an assortment of crackers for diners. Let each diner slice small pieces of cream cheese, combined with cranberries and place on top of crackers. Add more sauce as it is consumed.
Enjoy this delicious appetizer! Get ready, everyone will be asking for the recipe!
Notes
The cranberries come in a 10 oz. bag. If you want to go ahead and use the whole bag, feel free to double the recipe, but it is really a lot.
To make a cornstarch slurry, mix two tablespoons cornstarch with a little cold water in a small plastic storage container. Place the lid on and shake to dissolve the cornstarch and add to the cranberry sauce, off heat. Reheat on low until starting to thicken, remove from heat and cool. There are other things you can use to thicken fruit juice such as arrow root, instant potato flakes and other things. The cornstarch works really well, it just will make the sauce a little cloudy.
I first had this dip with Ritz crackers, but it is also good on Triscuit or Wheat Thin crackers.
Dave’s Cranberry Cream Cheese Appetizer
Afterburner Success Partners
What’s in it for me?
Good eats, that’s what!
Call to Action
Show someone how much you love them by preparing a delicious meal for them. Later, enjoy the time and money you save by relishing your leftovers, either for lunch at work or dinner at home. Take comfort in knowing you are eating healthy food you prepared. All because you made a good decision to follow the recipes and tips in the cookbook I developed just for you.
Besides getting a copy of the cookbook for yourself, it makes an excellent gift for those you love and care for, especially for those with a young family who are looking to save time and money in the kitchen. And learn a few things in the process! What a great idea!
Recommended Resources
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi (Note 1).
Up Next
Back to our regular post schedule.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ