Looking for a quick and elegant appetizer to put on your holiday party table this year. Well, these Spanish Ham and Cured Cheese Bites have all the flavours of elegance wrapped up in a tiny bite. Cubed cured cheese wrapped in an arugula leaf and a small piece of Spanish Serrano ham are the perfect make ahead appetizer for your grown up holiday party.
If you read along, you’ll know my love for all things appetizers and nibbles. On the Blog, I have well over 100 appetizer recipes and you can find something for just about any occasion. Did you happened to see the quick and easy Figs with Goat Cheese and Pecans that I posted this week? Another great idea for a holiday party.
As many regular readers will know, we live in Spain. So because of our location, this type of ham is so easy to get your hands on and we are spoilt for choice. However, when I was home in Newfoundland a few years back, I found it in the local supermarket. So, it’s not as exotic as you might thing. Read on and see if you’d like to add these to a party plate this holiday season.
Here’s What We Need To Make The Spanish Ham and Cured Cheese Bites
- 8 slices Spanish Serrano ham
- 4 oz Spanish cured cheese, I used a old cured goats cheese
- Small handful of arugula leaves
- Cocktail sticks
REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.
How to Put This Easy Party Appetizer Together
- Slice ham – cut the ham into strips lengthways. Trim off excess fat if desired. This isn’t necessary, but just you prefer it not have it.
- Cube cheese – cut the cheese into bite size cubes.
- Assemble appetizers – lay out a strip of ham, top with an arugula leaf and then a cube of cheese. Roll it up and pierce it with a cocktail stick. Repeat for all appetizers.
What is Spanish Ham and Cured Cheese
Okay, so I used Spanish Serrano Ham and Spanish Cured Cheese for this quick and easy appetizer. They will both most likely be specialty items in your supermarket if you are not in Spain. And if you can’t get your hands on them, don’t worry, you can easily substitute other ingredients
Can I use substitutes
- Yes, you can no problem. For the Spanish Ham you can easily use Prosciutto. Both those types of ham are very similar.
- And for the Spanish Cured Cheese you can easily use another type of hard cheese like a mature white cheddar.
Can This Spanish Ham Appetizer Be Made Ahead of time
Yes, you can make this up to about eight hours or more before serving. I’ve made these so many times and usually prepare them in the morning to serve in the evening. Just make sure you cover them properly so they don’t take on other smells of the fridge.
Be sure to check back next week for a new holiday post with the best holiday appetizers and how to put it all together like a pro! Have a great Saturday friends and I see you’ll all in a day or two.
Get the recipe!
Spanish Ham and Cured Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 8 slices Spanish Serrano ham cut into strips
- 4 oz Spanish cured cheese cut into cubes
- Small handful of arugula leaves
- cocktail sticks
Instructions
- Cut the ham into strips length ways and then cut in half. Each slice you should get around 4 small strips. This is just approximate.
- Cut the cheese into cubes and set aside.
- Lay a strip of ham out flat, top with an arugula leaf and a piece of cubed cheese. Roll up and pierce it with a cocktail stick. Repeat for all appetizers.
- Serve straight away or can be covered and refrigerated up to eight hours before serving.
- *OPTIONAL, can drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt just before serving if desired.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!
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