Smoky Cheese Straws are old-fashioned Southern cheese straws made with smoked cheddar. They’re a big party favorite.
Holiday Entertaining should be relaxed, comfortable, and enjoyable for both the hosts and the guests – and that comes with organization and planning, from the guest list to the music to the menu — and everything in between. Not planning and thinking things through makes for a stressed-out host and that’s no fun.
Of course, one of the most important elements of holiday entertaining is the menu. It can be challenging to make everything from scratch and it’s often too expensive to buy everything or have it catered. I find it best to create a well-balanced menu that’s easy on the pocketbook and respectful of prep time.
Smoky Cheese Straws are super easy to make and everyone loves them! Read on for how to make them!
Easy Hors d’Oeuvres
A selection of homemade nibbles is always welcome, but many of us don’t have time to make everything from scratch. Consider swapping out some dishes for ready-made hors d’oeuvres from your local market.
A well-planned party menu needs to be a balance of dishes: some that can be made ahead like these Smoky Cheese Straws, some freshly assembled or prepared, and some basic dishes that are perhaps as simple as opening a jar.
Let the guests help themselves; there’s no need to stuff, spread, and frantically fill your way into a tired tizzy!
Drinks and Cocktails
Now that the menu is set, it’s important to consider drinks and cocktails when entertaining during the holidays. A full bar can be expensive, so decide if hard alcohol will be served or simply wine. A bit of bubbly is always welcome at any party and it’s important to have zero proof choices, as well.
Top 5 Entertaining Tips
- Plan the party budget from the beginning because if the host is stressed about spending too much money, then no one will have a good time.
- Alcohol is the most expensive party element. Instead of offering a full bar, consider limiting the choices. Anticipate 1 drink per hour for most imbibing adults. Each cocktail contains 2 ounces of alcohol so you can do the math. And, if you’re serving wine, one 750 ml bottle pours six or seven glasses, depending on the pour. You don’t want to run out and you also don’t want to overbuy.
- Set your buffet with empty serving platters and bowls and mark the locations with sticky notes. This serves several functions: you know that the serving pieces will fit and how many you need for your menu. And, best of all, when someone asks, “May I help you?” you can smile and say, “Would you please put this on the table where the note is?
- Consider an afternoon open house that is not timed around a meal but around small snacks. Guests generally drink less during the day and an open house indicates a drop-in sort of event as opposed to lunch, a dinner party, or a cocktail party at night.
- Always start a party with a clean dishwasher, empty trashcans, and recycling bins, and a spotlessly clean kitchen.
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Virginia Willis
Smoky Cheese Straws
Ingredients
- 8 ounces naturally smoked Cheddar
- 16 tablespoons 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 2 to 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- ½ cup pecan halves optional
Instructions
- Grate the cheese and the cold butter together in a food processor. Switch from the grating blade to the metal blade, then add the flour, salt, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper. Process until the dough just begins to come together and looks moist and grainy. With the motor running, drizzle in the buttermilk until the dough begins to pull away from the sides and form a ball.
- Cut two lengths of waxed paper, divide the dough into two portions, and place each one on a waxed paper length. Form these into two logs and roll them tightly, pressing in to form nice solid logs. Twist the ends like a candy wrapper. Refrigerate the logs for at least an hour before baking, but you can refrigerate them for 2 days or freeze them for 3 months.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the rolls from the fridge and slice into medium-thick wafers, about ¼ inch each. Flatten with the tines of a fork, if desired, for decoration. Or, top with a pecan half.
- Place them on the baking sheet with a little room to spread, and bake until golden around the edges and firm on the top, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the pans for a few minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool.
Nutrition
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