2 Keto-Friendly Christmas Party Recipes
Two make-ahead party recipes that keep the holiday spread low-carb: bacon-wrapped bell pepper bites, and a warm feta, spinach and olive dip.
Christmas time is the pinnacle of the year's social gathering, and starting the party right doesn't have to mean starting the new year with extra pounds to lose. Both recipes below are finger food you can make ahead and reheat, so you're not stuck in the kitchen when guests arrive.
Jump to Bacon-Wrapped Bell Pepper Bites ↓ · Jump to Warm Feta, Spinach, Olive and Cream Cheese Dip ↓
Bacon-Wrapped Bell Pepper Bites with Horseradish Cream Cheese
This recipe riffs on the cream cheese and bacon jalapeno bites in our Thanksgiving appetizers roundup. This version is slightly less spicy, subbing bell peppers for jalapenos and kicking it up with tangy, zesty horseradish. If you serve these alongside the spicy jalapeno version, choose a different color of bell pepper so it's clear which is hot and which is not.
Bacon-Wrapped Bell Pepper Bites
Cream cheese and horseradish stuffed peppers, wrapped in bacon and baked until crisp.
Ingredients
- 10 slices bacon
- 20 strips red bell pepper, about 1 inch thick and 2.5 inches long
- 1 package full-fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup jarred, prepared horseradish
- 1 shallot, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Let the cream cheese sit out at room temperature until it's soft enough to work with.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 3
Combine the cream cheese with the sour cream, shallot, Worcestershire sauce and prepared horseradish, and mix well.
- 4
Scoop about 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture into each strip of red pepper.
- 5
Wrap each one with half a slice of bacon, secure with a toothpick, and place on a baking tray.
- 6
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crisped to your liking.
- 7
Set on a layer of paper towels to cool, then serve warm.
Warm Feta, Spinach, Olive, and Cream Cheese Dip
Spinach dip goes Greek while keeping it low-carb. This tangy, savory dip is a heat-and-eat take-along for holiday parties: serve chips, crackers or sliced baguette for the non-low-carb eaters, and sliced veggies or pork rinds to keep it keto.
Warm Feta, Spinach, Olive, and Cream Cheese Dip
A warm Greek-style spinach and feta dip, baked until bubbly.
Ingredients
- 2 (8 oz) packages full-fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup full-fat mayonnaise
- 1 package feta cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1 small can pitted olives
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Remove the cream cheese from its package and place it in a Pyrex dish to soften. Bring the feta to room temperature at the same time.
- 2
Thaw the frozen spinach in the microwave, then press it through a strainer to remove the water.
- 3
Use a fork to smooth out the cream cheese, then add the mayonnaise, feta, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and mix well.
- 4
Drain and chop the olives, add them to the mixture, and season again with salt and pepper.
- 5
Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warm and bubbly.
- 6
Remove from the oven, stir in the fresh chopped parsley, and serve with pork rinds, keto crackers or veggie sticks.