Holiday Antipasto

Holiday meals should always start with a good antipasto. The word means before pasta in Italian however it could come before any meal, whether Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham. The problem is  there are so many different dishes. What goes well with a full meal? What happens if your guests get stuffed on them and not the main meal? There are some easy solutions.

A true antipasto usually consists of cold cuts and cheeses along with the dressed vegetables. You can have all of this  if you serve small amounts. Most first courses have a wide array of meats from prosciutto to mortadella, Instead of having five or six varieties of cold cuts have one or two such as a salami and maybe a thinly sliced ham. Have a green and black olives along with thin,crunchy bread sticks..A nice touch is artichoke hearts as well along with some peppers.

If you're having a bigger crowd, then think about serving a bigger antipasto. Many cooks offer up a plate of easily made devilled eggs along with stuffed celery. At this point you can also serve more meats and even tuna if you want (although some diners my question this with their turkey).You can also take chicken and turkey livers and make a pate .Put different kinds of breads on the table along with crackers for simple sandwiches. Cruets of oil and vinegar can also be added, to be poured onto the meats or any raw veggies you may have set out for guests.

A holiday antipasto is a nice way to introduce the Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham. You can make it either as simple or elaborate as you want, depending on your dinner and guests. Try different plates for fun and variety.