Holiday Party Pleasers

Crowd-favorite finger foods that are healthy too!

I love all the rich, traditional holiday foods this time of year—the butter cookies, fried latkes, cheese-y dips, and more. But I also know that food doesn’t have to be heavy and rich to be festive and satisfying. In fact, I have noticed that party fare which offers a fresher, lighter counterpoint is often what everyone craves most and devours first. These three recipes are a few of my go-tos for when I am hosting a holiday gathering or asked to bring a dish. They are healthful, easy to make and sure crowd-pleasers. I bet they’ll become your go-tos as well.

Wishing you a joyful and healthy holiday season!

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Tapas-Style Turkey Meatballs

Photo by Tom McCorkle and food styling by Bonnie S. Benwick for The Washington Post

These Spanish-style mini-meatballs in a smoky, tangy tomato sauce are toothpick friendly so they make for a perfect party food, but they are also a satisfying meal served in a bowl with a simple side salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Using a mix of white and dark meat turkey keeps these meatballs lean and well in the healthy zone, but insures they are also quite moist and tender.

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Holiday Vegetable Platter with Herbed Avocado Dip

Photo by Goran Kosanovic and food styling by Bonnie S. Benwick; for The Washington Post

This party platter is my go-to dish to bring to a holiday pot luck. It is a stunning assortment of green and red vegetables arranged decoratively around a bowl of herb-flecked avocado dip so the whole thing looks like a holiday centerpiece. It’s as compellingly delicious as it is beautiful. It always thrills me to watch it get gobbled up so fast.

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Figs with Goat Cheese, Pistachios, and Mint

Photo by Tom McCorkle and food styling by Marie Ostrosky; for The Washington Post

This is the festive nibble everyone will be talking about. It’s so easy to make too. Plump dried figs are halved, then molded a bit to form bite-size cups, then each is filled with a dollop of soft goat cheese (or you could use ricotta) and a jewel-like pistachio. The filled figs then get a glistening drizzle of honey seasoned with orange essence, and a shower of fresh mint leaves. The presentation is fun and elegant, and each mouthful is a sensation of sweet, earthy, fresh, chewy and creamy.

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