The holidays are as much about good food as they are celebrating, gift giving and spending time with family. After all, what yuletide or New Year gathering DOESN’T include delicious appetizers, main courses and desserts? They all do!

It’s probably the best time of year to sample a wide array of different dishes too, since holiday get-togethers often revolve around a “pot-luck” theme where everyone brings something to share. If you’re on the list this year to bring a dish as you celebrate with friends and family, you’ve come to the right place for ideas.

Apps are a snap!
Every big meal surrounding the holidays begins with appetizers. Cheese trays, veggie assortments, crackers, dips – a lot of choices. To stand out from the crowd on the appetizer table, give this crunchy and savory morsel a try:

Blue Corn Tortilla Toppers
These are so simple to prepare and because they look so inviting and taste so good, they won’t stick around for long. So make a lot!

Start with blue corn tortilla chips. No broken ones! You want the full triangle. Spread each chip with chive cream cheese and top that with a bite-sized piece of Morey’s Smoked Salmon Nuggets. The sticky cream cheese will keep the salmon firmly in place for each creamy, crunchy bite.

Crabby Dip
Another house favorite in the app department is this delicious crab dip served in a big hollowed-out bread bowl. Here’s all you need:

1 pound of Morey’s Imitation Crabmeat (flake style)

1 stick butter

Chopped green onions

Chopped parsley

2 Tbsp flour

1 pint cream

1/2 lb grated Swiss cheese

1 Tbsp sherry wine

Salt and red pepper to taste

Melt butter in a heavy pot and sauté the onions and parsley. Blend in flour, cream, and cheese until the cheese melts. Add your other ingredients and fold in the Morey’s Imitation Crabmeat. When you hollow out the bread bowl, place all the chunks of bread around the bowl for dipping. Then fill the bowl and watch it disappear. The best part? By using Morey’s instead of expensive crab, you won’t go broke serving this appetizer.

On to the holiday main course
Salmon is special in many homes and cultures for holiday meals. In the past, preparing a marinated salmon dinner took quite a bit of time and effort. But how times have changed! Now it’s as easy as picking up Morey’s at the grocery store and having a gourmet experience minutes later.

Of all the vibrant salmon flavors available, one of the most popular is Morey’s Seasoned Grill Atlantic Salmon. Its spice and seasoning blend was developed by some of the finest culinary experts and perfected through extensive taste tests.

The way to prepare Morey’s frozen fillets is a matter of choice. All the healthy goodness and marinade is right in the vacuum packed, individual-sized package. So even fast microwave cooking is foolproof. Baking, sautéing and grilling are all excellent ways to prepare the fillets and impart their own unique charms.

Some sure-fire sides to accompany your salmon are fresh green beans, asparagus, broccoli and squash. A terrific starch accompaniment is wild rice for a truly memorable dining experience. And finally, help unite all the celebratory flavors with a nice glass of pinot noir.

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!