NEED TO FEED A CROWD THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Farm Rich for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

'Tis the season for friends, family, and food!  Are you ready to feed them all? Today I wanted to share some of my favorite appetizers with you, both for our family and for get-togethers. 

One of my go-to party foods is meatballs, and since a friend shared it with me years ago, this has been my favorite meatball recipe.  I make them every Christmas Eve for a party in our home, every summer for the teachers at Vacation Bible School, and for many fellowships that we attend.  Even though I consider them "party food", my kids even requested them for dinner a few weeks ago!

It couldn't be easier, and you only need three ingredients.  Start with a bag of frozen Farm Rich Meatballs.  I usually use the original beef, but tried turkey this time.  They're both delicious, and if you or your guests have diet concerns, any of the meatball varieties are gluten-free.  Farm Rich products are easy, fast, convenient food made with 100% real cheese, 0 trans fats, and are good sources of protein and calcium, so you can feel good about feeding them to your family even when you're in a hurry.  

Along with the meatballs, you'll need some italian salad dressing and apricot preserves.  That's it!

  

For this 28 oz. bag of meatballs, you'll want to use about 1/3 to 1/2 of the 16 oz. bottle of dressing and about 1/3 to 1/2 of the 18 oz. jar of preserves.  Your measurements don't have to be precise, just eyeball it.

Usually I use a crockpot, but this time I was in a hurry so I heated everything up in a big pot on the stove.  The meatballs don't need to be thawed out, just put them in your pot, pour the dressing over them and spoon the preserves on top. 

Give it a quick stir and heat on medium until the meatballs are thawing out, then let simmer on low.  I kept the pot covered and stirred occasionally.  The preserves will melt and combine with the dressing for one delicious sauce!  On the stove, it took about 45 minutes for them to get nice and hot.  You'll want to give them some time for the sauce to soak in as well. If you're using a crockpot, it will take a couple of hours for them to be ready.  

You can certainly leave the meatballs on the stove or in the crockpot and allow guest to dip out a few, or you could plate them with toothpicks.  Aren't they cute in these mini-baking cupcake liners?  I think the foil liners would be even better, but I used what I had on hand. 

  

I promise, your guests will be coming back for more!

I have one more little entertaining tip to share with you.  In the South, I know there's no question that the tea is sweet, but where we live people are given a choice.  So, one of my favorite tricks to use while hosting a party is to label the tea pitchers with a dry erase marker!  It's quick, the guests know exactly what they're getting, and it wipes right off when you're ready to clean up.  

So, with delicious food and drink covered, who's ready for a party?

If you're looking for a quick, delicious party food or even an everyday snack for your family, there is a wide variety of Farm Rich Snacks to choose from, including the Loaded Potato Skins and Pepperoni Pizza Bites... I think my kids would live on pizza bites if I'd let them.  We also love the mozzarella sticks. You're sure to find something that will make everyone's mouth happy!  

Be sure to click here to get $1.50 off 2 Farm Rich snacks  before you head to the grocery store.  These products are easy to find at Wal-Mart, or check Farm Rich Product Finder for your closest store. You can also find more great recipe ideas with Farm Rich on their Facebook or Pinterest page.

This post is sponsored by Farm Rich, but all opinions are mine.  We really do use and love these products, so I was happy to partner with Farm Rich to spread the word.