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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Recipes
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2 Minute Boursin Cheese Appetizer

Two minutes. Two ingredients. Okay, three if you count the crackers. This is the easiest “recipe” you’ll ever have for an appetizer and one that is so easy to just always have the ingredients on hand. This boursin cheese appetizer has actually replaced hummus as my go-to! Sorry, hummus. I still love you.

Whenever we’re having people over, I like to have a few things that are super easy to keep the stress at a minimum. A cheese board is always pretty simple when you have a formula, and I love this little tomato and boursin cheese app to add to the mix. You always need to have picky food to get your guests settled while you finish up anything else you’re making!

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Recipes
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3 Ingredient Crackers

Oh yes, you read that right! 3. Ingredient. Crackers. When we’re entertaining, I try not to make everything from scratch and focus on just a few touches where I can invest my time and get the most proverbial bang for my buck. I love adding these quick crackers to the mix, plus, they can be made ahead!

These are so light, too, they’re great for a grazing board to balance meat and cheese and pair so perfectly with a hummus.

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Recipes
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Creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus Recipe

I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made hummus and it just hasn’t worked. I mean, it worked because blending chickpeas, tahini, garlic, salt and olive oil together forms a dip. But it didn’t work, ya know? My hummus just was never as smooth as I wanted it to be and didn’t have as much flavor as I wanted it to have.

But I think I’ve figured out a few tricks to get us that much closer to really flavorful and creamy hummus! For sure, roasted garlic is a must. Roasting the garlic imparts so much flavor to the hummus, but also grating 1 small raw garlic clove (or more depending on your preference) is key. But in my world, you can’t have too much garlic!

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Recipes, Side Dish
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How to Roast Garlic

Oh, how I love roasted garlic! And I promise you, it is incredibly easy! Roasted garlic can be used for so many things, from just using it as a spread on a piece of bread to tossing it into a homemade hummus, it’s a great little extra to add to the table. I’ve even put a head of roasted garlic on a grazing platter – it’s great on a cracker!

You don’t even need a muffin tin for this! But it does help keep them from rolling all over and the way I tuck the foil around them, it makes it a little easier to check. But all you need to roast garlic is heads of garlic with their tops cut off and olive oil. Okay, also foil and an oven. But that’s it!

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Recipes
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French Olive Tapenade Recipe

I am so excited to share this recipe with you today! It’s one that you could always have the ingredients for in your pantry and be ready to throw together in just a few minutes. Who doesn’t love a recipe that’s impressive yet fast to throw together?! And there’s something really elegant about a Provencal tapenade recipe. Makes ya feel fancy!

You all know how much I love salt, which I think is why I love a tapenade recipe – it really is quite salty! You want to serve this with plain baguette or butter crackers so that you don’t compete with the flavor (read: salt) of the tapenade.

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Recipes
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Goat Cheese, Honey, Pistachio Toasts for White Wine Cheese Pairing

Yesterday, I shared my marinated feta and olive recipe that I prefer to pair with pinot noir. Today, I’m sharing these little goat cheese appetizers that I love with a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc or even a rose wine.

You guys know I love an easy recipe, especially an appetizer that feels well thought out but is still easy to keep in your back pocket. Most of the time, I have these ingredients in the house. I’m constantly using goat cheese in an appetizer situation so I typically have it on hand. And aren’t they pretty?! Especially when you’ve got that swirl down!

I also really love a pop of green on this dish with the pistachios! The pistachios are an important part of this appetizer recipe; they really balance the sweetness of the honey and the tanginess of the goat cheese.

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Recipes
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Marinated Feta & Olives for a Wine & Cheese Night Appetizer

I must tell you – I am not a sommelier. I poked around, found some pairings I thought we would enjoy and here we are. So, if you’re going to argue with me that feta and red wine don’t mix, I hear you. But also, I poked around the Internet a bit and did find that a light pinot noir will pair well with feta. And so here we are!

I personally love how the feta and olives pair with a low key pinot noir, but feta also pairs well with sauvignon blanc and rose wine. You’ll want something dry and light as the olives give a salty punch compared to feta on its own.

I love to DIY marinated feta and olives, or really any marinated cheese. It always feels pretty impressive even though, I swear, it’s so. easy.

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Posted on by Hailey Matesic Posted in Appetizer, Recipes
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A Trader Joe’s Charcuterie Board for 6-8 People

Hi, can you please tell me something, anything, better than a charcuterie board? Because I am obsessed. I think it’s the best part of any meal! Putting together an epic and photo-worthy cheese board is so easy, I promise! I’m going to share all my tips and tricks with you to pull together this cheese board, for which I used all Trader Joe’s products. Trader Joe’s is definitely my favorite place for all my entertaining goodies, whether I’m putting together a charcuterie board or need some frozen appetizers to fill in for a menu.

The great thing about a cheese board is that it is totally customizable to your dinner party theme, personal preferences, dietary restrictions, and so on. You can put anything on a charcuterie board!

Okay, let’s dig into all the secrets!

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