In our house, we honor the tradition of cocktail hour. And fabulous hors d’ouevres are as essential as our libation of choice. On commuting nights, admittedly, fresh food can be a challenge. We have a few standard items that keep well in the pantry/freezer/fridge that are a lifesaver to have within reach when you arrive home too late or too exhausted to run to the store. These ingredients work beautifully together to create a fun array of simple hors d’ouevres you’d be just as proud to serve to unexpected guests as you are content to nibble with a sip of something next to the fire…..in your slippers….after a long drive.
Frozen hors d’ouevres have their use, but for us, that is typically in an absolute emergency. We prefer the ritual of slowing down, the pace of preparing a bite to eat while gathered around the counter, the kitchen activity, and warm smells that make us feel at home. The standard ingredients we keep in stock can vary by season. But right now? These seem to be our go tos.
The Basics
- Chevre: We like the 5 oz. logs and typically have two or three on hand. They can last (unopened) for months and are easily found in small, rural groceries. We avoid seasoned versions since plain is most flexible as an ingredient.
- Cream Cheese: Keeps (unopened) for a month or two. Just check the dates. We like the low-fat version because it is so soft. It spreads easily on bagels directly from the fridge and mixes effortlessly with other ingredients without needing to soften.
- Pitted Noor Dates: The smaller cousin of Medjool. Incredibly versatile dried fruit. They can be used in savory and sweet dishes. Although a bit firmer than Medjool, we prefer the smaller size and like the chewiness. But really, keeping either on hand is perfectly fine. Stored in a cool, dry place? They’ll last for months. In the fridge, even longer.
- Feta Cheese: We prefer fresh feta in a brine for much of our cooking, but this can sometimes be challenging to find in rural markets. Blocks of feta are still quite useful to keep around and make a perfectly acceptable ingredient for many dishes. They also last (unopened) for a month or so.
- Water Crackers: We like the versatility of water crackers as well as the fact that they don’t come in an enormous box and can stay fresh (unopened) for months. We keep multiple boxes on hand in the pantry and open one per visit. They are also relatively easy to find in rural grocery stores. And if you can’t? There are always Triscuits!
- Shelled Pistachios: We often favor nuts in a cycle. Currently, we’re leaning into pistachios. But in all of the recipes we’ll share here? Pecans would work beautifully. I’m guessing so would cashews.
- Mike’s Hot Honey: Honestly, any honey is fine. We like heat and the ease of having pre-made hot honey, so we always have Mike’s at the ready.
- Stonewall Kitchen’s Hot Pepper Jelly: There are other versions. And in the interest of full disclosure? We’re not able to buy this at any grocery store in or near our upland town. However, there are a few little gift shops that still sell it, and when I see it, I buy a few to keep in the pantry.
- Fresh herbs frozen on their stalks: We harvest our hardy herbs (rosemary, thyme, & sage) at the end of summer and store them in freezer-safe bags so we can grab what we need throughout the year. If you don’t grow them? Not a problem, just freeze leftovers whenever you have them on hand.
These simple ingredients can elevate many entrees, to be certain. But on their own? With nothing else in the fridge? Can work together to create an impressive choice of hors d’ouevres we’ll call this winter’s Easy Eight. Tap on each for the recipe. And don’t stop there; we’d love in the comments to hear if you have similar go-tos that you keep on hand for whatever reason!
The Easy 8: Standy-by Hors d’Oeuvres (Winter Edition)
Baked Feta with Herbs & Hot Honey: Pre-heat oven to 400°. Pat feta dry and place into a lightly oiled baking dish. Drizzle feta with olive oil. Bake for 8-10 min. Remove from oven and switch oven to Broil. Drizzle with hot honey and minced rosemary or thyme. Return to oven under broiler for 5-6 min. or until top begins to brown. Top with a few grinds of pepper and serve hot with crackers.
Chevre-Stuffed Dates with Hot Honey: Preheat oven to 375°. Slice each date from end to end on one side only to create a pocket. Stuff each date with chevre. Drizzle with Hot Honey and place in a lightly oiled baking dish. Bake for 8-10 min. or until chevre begins to bubble. Sprinkle with flake salt and serve warm.
Chevre Log with Crushed Toasted Pistachios & Pepper Jelly: Pre-heat oven to 325°. Chop a handful of shelled pistachios and place onto a baking sheet. Toast in oven for 7-10 min or until they smell fragrant; don’t overcook. Roll chevre log onto chopped pistachios to coat the log. In a small bowl, warm 1/4-1/2 c. Pepper Jelly in microwave with perhaps 1Tbs water. warm in short bursts until the jelly thins out a bit. Once to a desired consistency, pour evenly over pistachio-crusted chevre and serve with crackers.
Chevre Rosemary Spread: In a small bowl, place crumbled log of chevre, 1-2 Tbs. Olive oil,, 1-2 Tbs minced fresh rosemary, cracked pepper & salt to taste. Stir until spreadable. Add more olive oil if needed. Serve with crackers.
Cream Cheese with Hot Pepper Jelly: The OG of quick, reliable and beloved nibbles. Simply place a block of softened cream cheese on a plate, cover with pepper jelly (we use about 3/4 a jar typically) and serve with crackers. It may not be the most stunning hors d’ouevre you ever make, but it may become your favorite..
Hot Honey & Rosemary Roasted Pistachios: Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, toss a handful or two of shelled pistachios with 2 Tbs or so of hot honey. Add 1-2 Tbs minced fresh rosemary and stir to coat evenly. Lightly oil a baking sheet and spread the pistachio mixture into a single layer onto the sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Pull from oven, move onto cooled, lightly oiled plate, and top with a generous sprinkle of flake salt. Allow to cool so that they crisp nicely (will only take a few minutes) and transfer to a serving bowl.
Whipped Feta: In a small food processor add 1 block of feta, crumbled + 4 oz. of cream cheese, softened + 1 Tbs olive oil. Pulse until creamy and light. Add more olive oil if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl, leaving a well in the middle. Drizzle a good amount of hot honey into the well and garnish with fresh minced rosemary, a pinch of flake salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Serve with crackers.
Sautéed Dates: Heat 1/4 inch olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the desired amount of dates and cook, turning as you go. You just want these to be warmed through and you’ll need to watch that they don’t burn, which can happen easily. Remove dates from pan and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with a generous pinch or 3 of good flake salt. Perfect with martinis! And the leftovers last a few days….we serve with chunks of good chocolate for dessert.
