Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Crescent Rolls with Gruyere

Holidays are all about memories of family traditions, carrying forward those traditions or starting your own. Family gatherings mean lots of delicious finger foods. Take a look at the Sun-dried tomato and basil crescent rolls with gruyere. Easy and wow with flavor.

Christmas Eve was spent with just Mom and Dad and myself. After the tortuous task of making sure every dish was clean and in the cupboard after our roast beef dinner, we were finally ready gather around the tree and open presents. My Mom would set out a snack bowl of pickles, olives, celery and radishes while we opened gifts. She always used my Grandmothers’s cut crystal Depression Glass bowl that she saved for special occasions.

This is a sponsored post by Mezzetta products. And speaking of presents and memories, Mezzetta is encouraging you to share your Holiday memories and by doing so, you’ll be entered into the  #MezzettaMemories Giveaway,  for  a chance to win this Mezzetta Gift Basket for the entire 31 days of December! (2014) The basket includes:

100% Italian Estate Grown Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Golden Greek Peperoncini
• Garlic Stuffed Olives
• Castelvetrano Olives
• Pitted Greek Kalamata Olives
• Roasted Marinated Red & Yellow Sweet Bell Peppers
• Cocktail Onions
• 1 Apron (from House Party contents)
• 1 Metal Olive Spoon (from House Party contents)
• 1 Tote Bag (from House Party contents)
• 1 Ceramic Bowl 

Hooray for the Holiday appetizer plate. It’s fresh, exciting and the life of the party. Over the next few weeks you’ll either assemble a few or most certainly find yourself hovering over and nibbling from one. Whether it’s the first thing you eat at a party or the last, that plate full of small bites is never left untouched.

Cheese, olives, pickles and crackers…the options for building one is endless. I like to balance sweet and salty flavors and creamy and crunchy textures. I always include some vinegary excitement. For this platter, I decided to upgrade my party plate and add an easy to prepare hot appetizer for the center attraction.

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Crescent Rolls with Gruyere. Warm and inviting, savory and cheesy and so simple to prepare. Just open up a tube of purchased crescent rolls, separate and smear each piece with 2 teaspoons of Mezzetta Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Everything Spread and then sprinkle with a tablespoon of grated Gruyere cheese. Pop them in a 350 degree oven until golden in color, about 10 to 15 minutes, and be ready to share the recipe, because everyone will ask.

Sturdy and crispy on the outside, they’re an easy, no fuss finger food. Mezzetta offers several flavors of their Everything Spreads so you can create all kinds of cheesy combinations for this appetizer. The next time I make these I’ll pick up a bottle of  their Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Chipotle and add some Monterey Jack cheese. Yum!

Bright and bold Castelvetrano olives are always a delicious and show-stopping addition. And in the background the sharp flavor of Cornichons will spice up any party tastebud.

Don’t be afraid of pickled vegetables, a small bowl of Giardiniera is delicious alongside a creamy sweet cranberry studded white cheese. Choose better crackers. A sturdy plain flavored flat bread is a great platform smearing and holding all those small bites.