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Last-Minute Entertaining Snack Options (Hasty Host)

This post has been sponsored by Loblaws. Although they have provided me with financial compensation and products, my opinions and words are all my own. I am in partnership with Loblaws and will be bringing blog posts and recipes throughout the rest of the year, and all partnered posts will be marked as sponsored.

The holidays are one of my favourite times of the year. As someone who loves to cook and bake, and also someone who loves to host and entertain, Christmas and all the festivities make it the perfect time of year for me. (Not to mention the fact that Toronto is beautiful when it’s snowy).

I typically like to plan out when I’m going to be hosting but I try and keep the home ready for last-minute visitors and friends who want to drop by for a coffee and a chat.  

Accommodating a few guests for a coffee though is much easier than a few friends who you’ll need to be feeding, which is why I have a trusty notebook of last-minute appetizer and meal ideas for when I may be caught off guard. 

That being said, even the most seasoned host gets caught with almost no ingredients in the fridge and almost no time before everyone is about to drop by. So, what do you do then? You get creative! As a Food Lover, I know that you can make something delicious and well-liked out of nearly any ingredient. So when I received this month’s #FoodLoversUnite challenge from Loblaws to develop a few recipes with 5 ingredients or less that take 20 minutes or less, I knew this was my chance to create a few ideas that will hopefully save you in a last-minute sprint to get everything together! 

But where do you even start? Well, this time I started at my neighbourhood Loblaws for a little inspiration.

After wandering the aisles for a little while, I knew I was going to have to make a few recipes that would use some common ingredients, and would be things that most people would have in their home already (or at the very least, were inexpensive items to pick up on the way home). 

With my items picked, I headed back home and went straight to the drawing board and I ended up with three recipes I am very happy with! Mini Smoked Salmon Sandwiches, Mini Cheesy Quiches, and Mini Bacon Cheddar Potato Skins!

Mini Bacon Cheddar Potato Skins

Ingredients: 

  1. 12 PC Golden Little Gems Yellow Mini Potatoes- halved
  2. ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese
  3. 1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
  4. 8 Pre-cooked bacon strips, crumbled 
  5. ½ cup Sour cream 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 475F
  2. Using a spoon, scrape some of the insides of the potatoes out so there is a well for your ingredients 
  3. On a parchment-lined baking sheet with the prepared potato halves, sprinkle parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese and bacon in each potato (don’t be afraid to be generous here, any of the cheese that missed the potatoes will melt into cheddar and parmesan crisps on your tray)
  4. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until everything looks cooked and crispy (you’ll be able to tell by looking at it)
  5. Let cool slightly, and top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh chives if you have them.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

Mini Cheesy Quiches 

Ingredients: 

  1. 1 Package of Frozen Mini Pie Dough (these should have 8 premade shells)
  2. ¾ Cup 3.5% milk
  3. 1 Large egg
  4. ¾ Cup shredded cheddar cheese 
  5. 1 Medium bell pepper, diced

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 375F
  2. Place shells on a parchment-lined pan
  3. Whisk egg and milk together and set aside
  4. Sprinkle half of the cheese into the mini pie shells and top with the diced pepper
  5. Pour egg mixture into the pie shells, and top with remaining cheddar cheese
  6. Bake for 15 minutes
  7. Let cool slightly and serve with fresh chives or sour cream if available. 

*This recipe also works nicely with bacon instead of the peppers in you’re looking for a saltier treat*

Mini Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

Ingredients:

  1. 1 Package PC Tramezzini White Crustless Bread
  2. 1lb Smoked Salmon Slices 
  3. 250g Softened Cream Cheese
  4. ½ Cup Sour Cream 
  5. ⅓ Cup chives, chopped

Instructions: 

  1. Mix cream cheese, sour cream and chives together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside
  2. Place one slice of the bread on a cutting board and smear with ¼ of the cream cheese mixture and top with ¼ of the smoked salmon
  3. Repeat by placing another slice of bread on top of the smoked salmon and starting again with ¼ of the cream cheese mixture and ¼ of the smoked salmon. Repeat until finished, ending with one slice of bread on top
  4. Use a serrated knife, cut the edges to square off any edges without mixture and carefully cut into even-sized strips before cutting again into bite-sized squares
  5. Serve and enjoy!

*This recipe also works nicely with some zested lemon in the cream cheese mixture*

If you want to make this and have any questions, feel free to DM me @JackDHarding on Instagram, and if you make it, please tag me and show me your creation.