5 Recipes for Holiday Entertaining

December 5, 2025

December brings warm gatherings and time spent with loved ones. And central to these gatherings is, inevitably, food! We especially enjoy the kind of food that can be enjoyed casually (cocktail-style) as it allows movement and socialization as folks nibble away.

Since cheese is kind of our thing, we've compiled a list of our favourite cheesy appetizers that are great for sharing with friends and family during the holiday season.

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks' Island Brie & caramelized onion pinwheels arranged in a low stack on a plate with evergreen decorations

Caramelized Onion & Cheese Pinwheels

We used our Island Brie for these cheese & caramelized onion pinwheels, but they are equally delicious with an aged hard cheese like our Mt. Moriarty.

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks' Island Brie with a creamy melty texture after being baked with a cranberry topping

Warmed Brie with Cranberry Almond Honey Crunch Topping

This warmed Brie is soft and dippable all the way through. The topping, inspired by the toasty almond topping on a bee sting cake, is nutty and buttery with a honeyed sweetness. The addition of cranberries lends a lovely flavour and seasonal flair.

Crostini with fig jam, prosciutto, rosemary, and Little Qualicum Cheeseworks' Island Brie

8 Pairing Ideas for Crostini

The halfway point between bread and crackers, crostini combines the best of both worlds. We enjoy them for their crunchy texture, substance, and simple prep as an appetizer. With so many pairings to choose from, there are endless ways to prepare crostini - here are some ideas to get you started!

Crispy jalapeno bacon cheese bites, homemade using Little Qualicum Cheeseworks' Mt. Moriarty cheese

Jalapeño Bacon Cheese Crisps

It's no secret that we like cheese crisps. They're easy and fast to prepare, and add great flavour & texture to so many things! They can stand alone as an appy (with or without a topping) or add a fantastic crunch to a cheeseburger. In any case, you're bound to enjoy this tasty, spicy, cheesy treat.

Cranberry Almond 'Pinecone' Cheeseball

All it takes is Fromage Frais and a handful of almonds to make these cutie pinecones come to life! And how festive they look. We used our Cranberry Pepper Fromage Frais for a seasonal touch and a lovely complement to the almonds. Be sure to add some evergreen boughs to complete the presentation.

Slices of brie served on baguette. The Brie is "stuffed" with a cream cheese filling, studded with dried apricots and chopped hazelnuts.

Apricot Hazelnut Stuffed Brie

We first explored the concept of stuffed brie for an event, where we served 800+ helpings of it! There are so many versions of this we'd still like to try, and we tested out a few--but we ended up choosing the apricots and hazelnuts for how beautifully they complemented our buttery mild Brie.