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10 Halloween Party Foods At Aldi For Under $10
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Don't let inflation scare you off from hosting a Halloween party this year. Supermarket chain Aldi has shoppers covered with plenty of party-ready finger foods and snacks available at low prices to fit every budget.
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GOBankingRates scanned the Aldi website and was able to find 10 Halloween party foods for well under $10 that are worth adding to your grocery list. And with the exception of one item, nine of these foods are available for less than $5.
Here's what made the cut for the top Halloween party foods under $10 to shop at Aldi.
©Aldi
Clancy's Restaurant Style Tortilla ChipsAldi shoppers will want to grab a bag (or two) of Clancy's restaurant style tortilla chips for their Halloween festivities.
These chips are so popular with Aldi customers that they were voted one of the tying winners in the "DoorDash Delights" category for the 2024 Aldi Fan Favorites survey. Pair them with a delicious dip or bake up some nachos for guests to enjoy.
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©Aldi
Park Street Deli Southwest Fresh GuacamolePark Street Deli's Southwest fresh guacamole is the first of two dips to make it onto this list. (Every great Halloween party needs a few dip options.)
Each 10-ounce container retails for $3.29 and comes loaded with Hass avocados, roasted corn, black beans and tomatoes. Enjoy with chips or a spooky good finger food like chicken taquitos.
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©Aldi
Casa Mamita Restaurant Style SalsaOur second dip shoutout goes to Casa Mamita restaurant style salsa.
Guests will love the taste and you'll love how inexpensive it is compared to other salsa brands. At Target, the in-house Good&Gather restaurant style salsa retails for $3.19 for a 16-ounce jar.
©Aldi
Clancy's Pretzel SticksIt's a win for every party guest when you shop for Clancy's pretzel sticks at Aldi. At $1.75 per bag, shoppers receive one pound of pretzel sticks, which is a great value for the price.
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©Aldi
Clancy's White Cheddar Cheese PopcornPlaying horror movies at your Halloween party? Don't forget Clancy's white cheddar cheese popcorn!
Each 8.5-ounce bag is loaded with 100% wholegrain popcorn and priced substantially less than what you'd pay for pre-popped name brands like Smartfood.
©Aldi
Appetitos Assorted Mini QuicheIt takes only a few minutes to cook and serve Appetitos assorted mini quiche to your Halloween party guests.
Inside every box are 15 mini quiches in cheese and onion, spinach florentine and Lorraine flavors. When we crunch the numbers, Aldi shoppers pay about 28 cents per quiche.
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©Aldi
Casa Mamita Chicken and Cheese TaquitosWe have a pretty good feeling all the ghouls and goblins invited to your Halloween party will gobble up Casa Mamita chicken and cheese taquitos fast. Each box contains about 15 taquitos made with tender white meat chicken, pinto beans and Monterey jack cheese.
©Aldi
Kirkwood Honey BBQ Chicken WingsAt close to $9 a bag, Kirkwood honey BBQ chicken wings are the most expensive Halloween party food on this list. Given the 22-ounce bag sizing, however, GOBankingRates found their price to be mostly pretty competitive compared to name-brands like Tyson. Remember to keep frozen until it's time to cook.
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©Aldi
Bake Shop Pumpkin Sliced Loaf CakeNo Halloween party is complete without desserts. Revel in the spirit of pumpkin-flavored everything season with Bake Shop's pumpkin sliced loaf cake.
Each package includes eight slices of pre-sliced loaf cake. For $4.29 altogether, you may find yourself buying a few packages to ensure every guest gets a slice.
©Aldi
Little Debbie Fall Party CakesMuch like how we included several dip options into this roundup, we wanted a few desserts on deck for the Halloween party.
Add a box of Little Debbie fall party cakes to your Aldi shopping cart. Each box contains 10 cakes in individually wrapped packaging. Include them alongside other party desserts or wait until the end of the night to pass out to guests as a treat before they head home.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.Com: 10 Halloween Party Foods at Aldi for Under $10
62 Holiday Finger Foods To Nosh On All December Long
Whether you're hosting an ugly sweater party, organizing your family's annual Secret Santa or watching Christmas movies with friends, there's one thing that every celebratory gathering needs: snacks. The cheesy (see: goat cheese and honey bites), the savory (ahem, mini nachos) and the sweet (looking at you, churro bites with chocolate sauce) all belong on the menu.
No matter which bite-sized appetizer you decide to serve, your guests are guaranteed to be impressed. Without further ado, here are 62 of my favorite holiday finger foods to nosh on all season long. They're easy enough for newbies to master, just right for satiating a crowd and some can even be made ahead.
The 85 Best Christmas Party Appetizers, Hands Down, No Contest
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Serves: 16
Seven ingredients (including store-bought puff pastry) make this crowd-pleaser a total breeze to prepare. "They may look fancy but take all of ten minutes to put together," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen states. "And they'll disappear from your party in even less time."
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Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Serves: 4 to 6
You won't need to brave a spitting vat of oil to make impossibly crispy chicken wings at home. "The trick is to dredge them in baking powder before popping them in the oven," Gillen explains, "which reacts with the skin and jumpstarts the browning process. You can make them even crispier by baking them on top of a wire cooling rack, but a sheet pan works fine, too."
Get the recipe
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Serves: 24
When in doubt, you can never go wrong with a batch of classic chocolate chip cookies. "These mini chocolate chip cookies are meant to be eaten in multiples (or, better yet, by the handful)," Gillen writes. "As an added bonus, this is a one-bowl situation, because I'm far more interested in eating cookies than doing dishes."
Get the recipe
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, kid-friendly
Serves: 6
Odds are you already love cauliflower. (Like, a lot.) Work even more of it in your life with these cheesy, crunchy bites that taste just as good as their potato-based predecessors.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
Serves: 6
Bye, naked tortilla chips—hello, holiday finger food. This ingeniously designed, sized-down version of nachos lets you enjoy cheesy goodness (along with chicken, black beans and all the fixings) in every bite.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
What's better than mac and cheese? These poppables, obvi. The gooey baked bites are crispy on top yet tender and chewy on the inside. Picky eaters are no match for their deliciousness.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 6
Apple cider adds a seasonal touch to your holiday finger food display—and also happens to make the mini doughnuts impeccably moist. They taste like you got them from a local farm (and I won't tell if that's the story you give your guests).
Get the recipe
ERIN MCDOWELL
Time Commitment: 55 minutes
Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Serves: 6
All the flavor of the O.G., minus the mess—and the boiling noodles. Instead, the recipe suggests using crispy wonton wrappers in place of pasta for maximum convenience (and crunch).
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, Paleo-friendly, gluten free, dairy free
Serves: 30 pieces
Soft pretzels are my weakness, and these nutty gems are just right for gluten-free and Paleo guests alike. The dough is made from cassava flour, coconut milk, honey and a few pantry staples.
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Serves: 8 to 10
Think of it as savory monkey bread. All you need are five ingredients (including easy store-bought pizza dough) for this unconventional, elegant-yet-casual crowd-pleaser.
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Well Plated
Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? No, the answer is no—and your picky kids will agree. Dip 'em in ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing or hot sauce.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 12
You love French onion soup. Now, imagine it baked into bite-size bowls of puff pastry with a ton of gooey Gruyère. Swoon. Did I mention you'll only need nine ingredients to pull 'em off?
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PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 20 cheesecakes
These lightened-up bites are the perfect way to indulge in dessert without going overboard. (Thanks, Greek yogurt.) The pretty topping is pomegranate arils swimming in pomegranate molasses.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Serves: 6 to 8
These treats are shockingly easy to make at home. Serve them with plenty of hot fudge, raspberry sauce or dulce de leche for dipping (or heck, serve all three and let the compliments roll in).
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
Serves: 6
These baked quinoa chicken nuggets are crispy, moist, ready in 30 minutes and way tastier than the frozen kind. Your kids won't mind the tender quinoa, since it turns into a crispy breading once it's baked. Pass the honey mustard.
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Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
Serves: 6 to 8
Never trust a person who doesn't like mozzarella sticks. (It's fried cheese, people—what's not to love?) Stick them with toothpicks and serve them alongside plenty of marinara (or pesto, if you're fancy) and napkins for easy grabbing.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
Serves: 40 bites
I should warn you: These Brie-stuffed pretzel bites won't last long. Top them with flaky salt and dunk them in honey mustard or fig jam to make it the ultimate holiday finger food.
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Damn Delicious
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, kid-friendly
Serves: 4
Cute, compact and, dare I say, better than regular sized pizza. They'll last about 30 seconds on the kids' table, IMO. Go wild with additional toppings, like black olives, mushrooms and pepperoncini.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 8 to 10
Dish these sprouts up with tangy dipping sauce and toothpicks, then watch them vanish before your eyes. They're breaded in Parmesan-spiked panko breadcrumbs for good measure.
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Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Serves: 24 tortillas
Warm, fresh homemade tortillas kick the store-bought kind to the curb. And guess what? They're incredibly easy to make (with four ingredients, including water), and the filling possibilities are endless. Teeny-tiny tacos, anyone?
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
Serves: 8
Confession: Sometimes, I get a little lot nostalgic for a classic Hostess snack cake, specifically coconut-encrusted Sno Balls. Luckily, they're easy to make from scratch, even for newbie bakers.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 3 hours and 25 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
Serves: 16 pavlovas
These light-as-air meringue bites are begging to be shown off on your Instagram. They're crowned with fresh cardamom whipped cream, crunchy pistachios and ruby-red strawberries.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, high protein
Serves: 8
Oh, hi, mind-blowingly easy sammies. No one needs to know they're filled with rotisserie chicken and store-bought Buffalo sauce. The crumbled blue cheese gives them a from-scratch appearance, so no one will be the wiser.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegan
Serves: 40 pieces
A vegetarian version of a timeless holiday finger food that never gets old. Even kids won't mind the carrots taking over for cocktail weenies here, thanks to their familiar doughy exterior. Pass the green goddess dip, please.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 6 to 8
Confession: I love potatoes in all forms. Add to that list this miraculous recipe that reinvents its classic namesake. They have all the essentials of a baked spud, only with a delightfully crispy base.
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Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 6 to 8
This classed-up version of jalapeño poppers will fit in at any holiday party. In case you need more convincing beyond their looks, you'll only need four ingredients to pull them off, including store-bought pimento cheese.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 12
Fact: No one can turn down a miniature dessert, including these picturesque pastries. What a delicious way to celebrate citrus season. It's definitely OK to devour two (er, five) in rapid succession.
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Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Serves: 36 cookies
The most adorable, bite-sized cookies you've ever seen. Eat your heart out, Oreos. The creamy filling is tangy (shoutout to you, cream cheese), rich and kissed with vanilla, but I wouldn't blame you for adding a touch of salt to the mix.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
Serves: 30 crostini
As sophisticated as it is incredibly simple to make. Now, would you like one with smoked salmon and whipped cream cheese or dried cranberries, roasted almonds and crème fraîche first?
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Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Serves: 24 pies
Want a dessert that looks impressive but is ready in under an hour? These decadent cuties will do the trick. They're finished with a simple caramel sauce made from store-bought candies, so you won't have to do too much extra work for the garnish.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
Serves: 8
Outback Steakhouse has nothing on this shrunken version of its signature appetizer. Make a second batch of the garlicky horseradish aioli to spread on sandwiches, drizzle on chicken wings or serve with steak.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
Serves: 6
A medley of fresh herbs, dry spices and flaky sea salt transforms this old-school bar snack into an appetizer worth sharing. Use whatever combination of nuts you'd like, although I'm partial to whole almonds, pecan halves, walnut halves, cashews and pistachios.
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Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Serves: 6 to 8
Salty prosciutto meets store-bought pizza dough and sharp grated Parm to create an irresistibly savory holiday finger food. Dunk them in ranch dressing, marinara sauce or nothing at all.
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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Heath Goldman
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why I Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 8
It's not like this autumn gourd is suddenly out of season after Thanksgiving. These crispy fry alternatives will be ready in just 40 minutes to boot, and they look much more impressive than spuds, too.
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Erin McDowell
I'm betting you have just about all the necessary ingredients to make these crunchy creminis in your kitchen right now. Fresh herbs, sherry vinegar and a few pantry staples take the 'shrooms way over the top with minimal effort.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Serves: 6
Top anything with a quartered fig to make it look a million times fancier in an instant. (Even better, these are cooked in maple syrup and bacon fat to make them doubly delectable.)
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegan, beginner-friendly
Serves: 6
This root vegetable is at peak deliciousness in the winter. Show the turnips some extra love by baking them to crispy perfection and dusting them with Old Bay seasoning before doling them out.
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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Heath Goldman
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 14
These cuties straddle the line between appetizer and dessert. Not only does the recipe call for a mere six ingredients, but the bites will be ready in 15 minutes flat.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Hanukkah or not, no one can turn down a shatteringly crisp potato pancake. Serve them with lots of applesauce and sour cream, but they're drool-worthy even without condiments, TBH.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, vegetarian
Serves: 24 quesadillas
Psst: Wanna know how to get the world's crispiest quesadillas? Swap tortillas for easy wonton wrappers, then lightly fry them until they're shatteringly crunchy and golden-brown on both sides. Ta-da.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 12
This one hits me right in the childhood every time. Slather mayo on the white bread before placing the grilled cheese sandwiches in the pan for an extra crispy exterior.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly
Serves: 8
These blow standard chicken fingers way out of the water. Drown me in the tangy, spicy, umami-kissed dipping sauce, please. (It offers a generous dose of complex heat, courtesy of canned chiles in adobo and gochujang.)
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Serves: 12
Thanks to store-bought pizza dough, these come together faster than you'd think. Spruce up the filling with crumbled Italian sausage if you'd like to make them more filling or flavorful.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Serves: 8 to 10
You know how the crispy corner pieces of cornbread are the best part? That's basically what every one of these bites is like—the cheese and pancetta are just a bonus. (Oh, and there's goat cheese, too.)
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 2 hours and 10 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Serves: 8
No meat, no problem. Swap honey for agave in the marinade to make it vegan; just don't skip the cornstarch or pressing all the excess liquid out of the tofu, which are key steps in ensuring the bites' crisp exterior.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, one pan, beginner-friendly
Serves: 15
This just might be the most low-lift slider recipe of all time. Simply assemble the sandwiches, brush them with butter and bake until the cheese melts. Go the authentic route by piling on Cuban-style roast pork, too.
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Recipe Tin Eats
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 8
Prediction: These delectable rolls will be gone ten seconds after you set them out. Chalk it up to crispy bacon and gooey provolone—people can't help themselves.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 4
This verdant spin on traditional latkes incorporates everyone's favorite holiday veggie and only one potato. In case you need help shredding the sprouts, this handy guide has you covered.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 12
Uh oh, your guests are arriving in ten and you don't have an appetizer planned?! Not to worry: Frozen puff pastry will save the day once again, and it'll only take you 20 minutes from start to finish. Crisis averted.
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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 2 hour and 50 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Serves: 12
You only think this holiday classic is outdated. Recipe developer Erin McDowell gave it the update it deserves with a few wintry ingredients and a fun-sized package. It puts the dry store-bought stuff to shame, trust.
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Jenny Huang/Korean American
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, make ahead
Serves: 12
Consider this a super-exciting spin on a somewhat tired classic. Most importantly, this holiday finger food recipe only calls for six ingredients, so you won't have to waste the day grocery shopping to prepare it.
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The Modern Proper
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, high protein
Serves: 4
It doesn't need to be game day to whip up these babies. With crispy bacon and salty Parm, there's no doubt in my mind that your guests will be craving seconds of this spicy, creamy appetizer.
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Edamam
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, low sugar, vegetarian
Serves: 16
Chocolate and avocado? These two ingredients may seem like an unlikely duo but they actually play together perfectly. The creamy avocado makes the brownies fudgy and moist—just the way I like 'em.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why I Love It: no cook, low sugar, paleo, gluten free
Serves: 24 cups
Paleo-friendly and super satisfying, these dessert bites are a total step up from the Hershey classic. The creamy outer coating is nothing but melted bittersweet chocolate and coconut oil.
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Spoon Fork Bacon
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Serves: 16
This simple, sweet and savory number will only take you 15 minutes to whip up. Just don't forget to add the white pepper right before plating—it makes a difference, promise.
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Photo: Liz Andrews/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook
Serves: 6
These delightful sammies are so colorful and undeniably a fan favorite. But best of all, they require no cooking to come together. They're small, too, so seconds and thirds are a must, if you ask me.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, high protein
Serves: 8
This simplified version of the classic Middle Eastern dish is surprisingly easy to make at home. And again, they're small, so you can eat as many as you want and pile on the tangy yogurt sauce with abandon.
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Carlsbad Cravings
Time Commitment: 4 hour and 15 minutes
Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, kid-friendly, high protein
Serves: 12 to 16 taquitos
Sweet, spicy, and made in the slow cooker? Count me in. Serve them with a green salad for a main dish or solo (preferably with queso, sour cream or guacamole) as an appetizer. You can even freeze them to reheat later.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, pescatarian
Serves: 8
So classy, but so easy (the chive garnish really does it for me), you may think summer has an exclusive claim to these handhelds. But I promise your guests, relatives or roommates will scarf them down any time of the year. Make the filling ahead and toast the buns right before serving.
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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Serves: 60 crackers
Like Cheez-Its, only so much better. Holiday party guests will love noshing on these savory, salty squares made with both cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
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Gimme Some Oven
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, crowd-pleaser
Serves: 30 to 35 meatballs
Who doesn't love a meatball amped up with umami? Stick them with toothpicks so your guests can help themselves, and finish them with a flourish of sliced scallions and sesame seeds for good measure.
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Recipe Tin Eats
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
Serves: 16
Presenting the cutest holiday finger food ever: Teeny-tiny tacos that are equal parts spicy, filling and refreshing. Leave it to adobo chipotle sauce and pico de gallo.
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70 Christmas Eve Dinner Ideas That Take One Hour or Less
Mum Who Nearly Cut Off Engagement Ring As She Couldn't Move It Sheds Three Stone
Jennie Hunter has lost three stone (Image: Lee McLean / SWNS)
A mum who nearly cut off her engagement ring as she couldn't remove it has opened up about her successful weight loss journey which has seen her shed an impressive three stone.
Jennie Hunter, 48, realised the seriousness of her situation during a getaway with her now-husband Neil, when her size 20 figure meant her ring became painfully tight. Fearing she would have to cut the ring from her finger, the 48-year-old pharmacy worker became determined to lose weight instead.
And when they returned home, she embarked on her health journey. The mum then slimmed down to a comfortable size 14 within just ten months.
Jennie at home in April 2023 (Image:
Jennie Hunter / SWNS) Jennie on a family holiday in June 2021 (Image:
Jennie Hunter / SWNS)Jennie said: "The options were to get it cut off or to try and get it off. I couldn't face having it cut off because it was like breaking the symbol of marriage. I sat with a friend we iced my finger for a while and eventually got it off, my husband said we could get the ring made bigger but I said I wanted to be smaller.
"I panicked when it wouldn't come off, it had to come off. I was then really upset because I knew I wouldn't be able to get it back on again." Jennie, who had been eating convenience food and takeaways often while balancing work and taking her five-year-old son to after-school clubs, said she also noticed her gradual weight gain in photographs.
The woman, who is also a stepmum to a 17-year-old boy, decided to swap her diet of fatty fried foods for healthier alternatives, reported the Liverpool Echo. With the guidance of her weight coach at her local Slimming World group, she has mastered the art of planning nutritious meals in advance.
The mum painting her shed in June 2021 (Image:
Jennie Hunter / SWNS) She feels much better after losing weight (Image:
Lee McLean / SWNS)She said: "I knew the weight was creeping on but I couldn't see how big I was getting. I knew I was getting bigger but because I saw myself every day, I didn't really notice it. It was only when I started looking at photographs as I would think 'gosh, I look really big on that photo.' But my friends and family would say it was a bad angle and that I wasn't that big.
"But then I saw another photo of myself and thought I really needed to do something about it." After her successful weight loss journey, Jennie now feels more self-assured and enjoys having her picture taken, having gone from a size 20 to a size 14.
She added: "I feel a lot more confident and I'm a lot happier having photos taken. I've not got lots of photos from before but now I don't feel embarrassed or try to hide. Now when I look at photos, I smile when I see myself rather than hate what I'm looking at. It's the confidence of going out, I can actually think that I look all right now.
She went from a size 20 to a size 14 (Image:
Lee McLean / SWNS)"I'll take the stairs at work now instead of the lift, because my knees won't hurt when I'm walking up the stairs. I also feel happy going swimming, but before I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a swimming costume." Jennie has hailed the planning aspect of her new dietary regime for drastically improving her stamina. She said: "I feel a lot better in myself, like I've got more stamina which is great really."
She said she previously found meal planning challenging - but this has now changed completely. She admitted: "The biggest thing for me was planning. I'm a working mum and don't finish until work until late and then I had to think about what to have for tea while trying to sort out my son."
The cycle resulted in a diet filled with convenience food, which she has now transformed thanks to Slimming World. She said: "We ended up just eating convenience food like breaded chicken and oven fries because I hadn't prepped anything. Now with Slimming World, I've planned my meals so I'm not coming home trying to figure out what I'm having to eat."
Jennie was devastated when she was unable to take the ring off (Image:
Lee McLean / SWNS) Jennie at her home in West Yorks in October 2024 (Image:
Lee McLean / SWNS) Diet beforePorridge with fruit for breakfast
Home-made lasagne using a Slimming World recipe or a jacket potato for lunch
A slow cooker casserole or a Slimming World ready meal for dinner
An allowance for the occasional snack on fruit or a Slimming World Hi-fi bar
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