This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Farm Rich for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
Are you gearing up for the big holiday feast next week? Or maybe you are thinking ahead to the December full of holiday parties that’s coming soon.
A lot of those parties and family events can cause a ton of stress too between the gift giving, scheduling, and the food prep. That’s why I like to plan ahead for these events and get a game plan of how to minimize stress.
This past week, I created several appetizers using Farm Rich Snacks that combine a little homemade with frozen foods. I am typically stuck baking lots of treats during the holidays which leaves very little time for the savory foods. Of course, for most parties you would want to have a good mix of taste and not just simply all sweets.
One of my favorite quick appetizers to take for parties are Cheese & Meatball Skewers. I recently found out too that the Farm Rich Meatballs are Gluten Free! That’s a win for me, even I can eat them! For these skewers, I like to use a holiday themed toothpick, which can be found in the baking section at the store, then I simply slide on a cooked meatball along with a slice of Colby jack cheese. It takes just a few minutes and you have a tasty meat and cheese treat for your guests.
One thing in particular that I love about these meatballs is that I can microwave them, that cuts down on my cook time and one less thing to put in the oven.
Along with my Cheese & Meatball Skewers, I also paired Jalapeno Poppers with my Homemade Sal
Each of these items gave me great appetizer options for a family dinner or party and allowed me to mix homemade with pre-made. They also took just under 25 minutes to put together.
I have 5 little tips I’d like to share too that can help you minimize stress, a few going along with what I’ve already mentioned above.
5 Time Savings Holiday Hacks
- For baking cookies, make the dough in advance then prepare the cookies the night before the event.
- Utilize the frozen foods that you enjoy such as Farm Rich to mix pre-made with homemade.
- Remember that many meals can be made in advance and then frozen and reheated before the big event. Add a few freezer friendly recipes to your menu.
- Plan the menu well in advance to be able to line up what you can make ahead and create a streamlined plan with a realistic time frame.
- Remember to take into account if certain guests have food allergies and plan accordingly so that they also have foods they can eat when they arrive too. This helps to plan ahead so you are not scrambling at the last minute.
What are some of your holiday hacks including tips and tricks you may have to save time while preparing for parties and events this season?
Be sure to stock up on Farm Rich with the coupon, get $1.50 off 2 Farm Rich snacks and find out the locations here, Farm Rich Product Finder. Also, check out their newest products the Loaded Potato Skins and Pepperoni Pizza bites, two of my kids favorites!
Their products are made with 100% Real Cheese plus good sources of protein and calcium, and 0 trans fat!
Be sure to find more recipe ideas on Farm Rich Pinterest page!
Happy ‘Almost’ Holidays!
Comments & Reviews
Yum! Those look great! I love the Farm Rich products and those meatballs with cheese are a great idea!
I love to make things “semi-homemade” like you suggest with the Farm Rich items. Because I try am trying to limit gluten & even eat gluten free lately due to auto immune diseases I’ve found some great ways to combine premade with homemade.
Example – refrigerator cookie dough put into an 8×8 or 9×9 dish, place regular sized Reese cups on top, top with another pkg of cookie dough and bake! I use gluten free dough and it makes a great, easy & delish #gf cookie bar.
I’m all about making things as quick and easy as possible while keeping the flavor and hopefully sometimes even a healthier option.
That is a great idea! I need to try those cookie bars. Those sound so good! Thank you for sharing.