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Easy Holiday Party Ideas with Michigan Apples

We all love a good holiday party, but sometimes being the host can be stressful. These easy holiday party ideas, tips, recipes, and easy decorating ideas that include Michigan Apples will help you keep things simple, so you can enjoy your guests during this special time of year.

6 Tips to Host an Easy Holiday Party:

1. Prepare a menu and make it easy on yourself

Everything does not have to be made from scratch. Look for convenient items like precut veggies to reduce time in the kitchen. Also, look for recipes that are quick and easy to prepare, like our Michigan “Apple-tizers” below.

2. Create a schedule and work ahead

The week before your event, create a list of to-dos and complete tasks you can do before your event. Set out serving trays, dishes, and utensils. Purchase napkins, make your centerpiece, etc. This will help keep you from rushing at the last minute.

3. Batch out drinks

Make a punch, they’re festive! Or set up a bar and let people mix their own beverages. Make sure you have appropriate glassware, mixers, tools, garnishes, and beverage napkins conveniently located. Make sure to include mocktails and other non-alcoholic beverages.

4. Stations are key

Set up appetizer and dessert stations and let guests help themselves.

5. Engage the senses

Light a holiday candle, play soft seasonal music, and enjoy natural decorations like evergreens.

6. Do the math

Plan on two drinks per person for the first hour, and one drink per person for each additional hour. For appetizers, one and a half to two appetizers per person should be fine.

Try These Healthy Apple-tizers

Slow Cooker Apple BBQ Meatballs

INGREDIENTS:

• • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Michigan Apple, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. In the bowl of the 3-quart slow cooker, stir together applesauce and barbecue sauce.
   2. Place the egg in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
   3. Add apple, beef, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes.
   4. Mix with hands until just combined. Do not overmix. Using your hands, gently form the mixture into meatballs just smaller than golf balls.
   5. Place meatballs in the bowl of the slow cooker and gently stir to cover the meatballs with sauce.
   6. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until meatballs are cooked through.
   7. Stir mixture well, then transfer to a platter and serve garnished with parsley, if desired.

Creamy Blue Cheese and Honey Apple Topped Crostini

INGREDIENTS:

• • 1 cup (8 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves, plus 18 small fresh basil leaves for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • Pinch of ground black pepper
  • ¾ of a French baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/3-inch thick pieces (you should have 18 pieces)
  • Olive oil
  • 2 Michigan McIntosh or Northern Spy apples, cored and thinly sliced (18 slices

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, blue cheese, chopped basil, honey, and pepper.
   2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
   3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   4. Place baguette slices on a rimmed baking pan and lightly brush one side with oil.
   5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven; let cool.
   6. To serve, top each baguette slice with a heaping tablespoon of cheese mixture, 1 apple slice, and 1 basil leaf.

Apple and Prosciutto Puff Pastry Pinwheels

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1sheet puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 ounces prosciutto
• 1 small Michigan Apple, very thinly sliced (such as Gala or Honeycrisp)
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère or sharp white cheddar cheese

SERVING SIZE:

Makes 15 pieces

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. In small bowl, whisk egg and water until well combined.
2. Unfold pastry sheet on work surface so that the crease lines run vertically. Spread mustard evenly over pastry. Evenly layer prosciutto over mustard. Arrange apple slices horizontally over prosciutto in a single layer (you may have a few slices left over for a snack). Evenly sprinkle cheese over apples.
3.  Starting at the bottom edge, roll pastry sheet up like a jelly roll. Using a serrated knife, cut roll crosswise into 3 pieces, using the crease lines as a guide. Then cut each section crosswise into 5 pieces, for a total of 15 pieces.
4. Carefully transfer pieces to prepared baking pan and gently re-form into circles if needed. Brush pieces with egg mixture.
5. Transfer to oven and bake 15 to 17 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Watch them carefully towards the end of their cooking time, as they go from golden brown to burned on the bottom pretty quickly. Transfer pan to wire rack and let pinwheels cool 5 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature

Holiday Wreath Apple-tizers

If you don’t plan on decorating the apple slices right away, then first soak them in a bowl of lemon water (ratio of 1 cup water to 1 tablespoon lemon) for 3-4 minutes to keep them from browning.

Recipe from myheartbeets.com

INGREDIENTS:

• • Michigan Apples, cored and sliced
  • Almond butter or another type of nut/seed butter

TOPPINGS:

• • Pomegranate arils
  • Slivered almonds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Dried cranberries
  • Chocolate chips
  • Coconut shreds
  • Crushed nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios)
  • Raisins
  • Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. Spread nut or seed butter on top of the apples (or add the nut butter to a zip-top bag and snip a corner to make spreading easier).
   2. Decorate with toppings of choice!

Holiday Decorating with Michigan Apples

You can’t call it a true holiday party without decorations. Red, green, and white are, of course, easy colors to coordinate when picking out tablecloths, napkins, plates, cups, and utensils. Consider lining the windows with bright red poinsettia, or decorating your mantle with twinkling lights and greens. Including shiny Michigan Apples in your décor is also a simple, colorful, and inexpensive way to add natural beauty and interest to your holiday décor.

On the counter

Add holiday greens to a large bowl and fill with Michigan Apples

On the table

Make place cards for guests – add a green sprig with a leaf name tag

On the door

Include Michigan apples in your wreath

Find even more easy holiday recipes with Michigan Apples!