The holidays are here and for most that means lots of shopping, gift-wrapping and gift giving (which I do as well), but for me, the holidays really are a cause for gathering my family and friends around good food and celebrating together. We are big-time foodies in our home and truth be told, most of the things we celebrate throughout the year always revolve around what food we want to serve!
For this Christmas, we are so excited to be getting the first-try at the new PC Insiders Must-Try Collection. I have been a PC (President’s Choice) shopper for years. I purposely only shop at grocery stores that sell PC products because I absolutely love just about everything they offer. So you can imagine how tickled pink I was when they asked if we could host a little party with their newest holiday items!!
Today I wanted to share with you some of the goodies that we tried – what our favorites were and a special recipe straight from the PC kitchen! Whether you want to try all of these items or even pick up a couple, PC has made the holidays that much easier by preparing these delicious, quick-to-make foods to suite any party style! So let’s get to the goods!
Let’s start off with the charcuterie board that I built, because if you know anything about me, you know I have a crazy soft spot for cheese and meats! We tried two of the PC cheese: 5 Year Aged Canadian Cheddar and the Smoke Flavoured Cheddar Cheese. When I say that these melt in your mouth, I really mean it! The flavour in the aged cheddar is so buttery while the smoke taste in the second is just right and pairs well with the meats we tried! The PC Splendido Antipasto Misto is the perfect way to serve a variety of meats without spending a small fortune. It includes prosciutto, Coppa di Parma and mild Genoa salami and it’s all absolutely delicious! You could also add the Honey & Sea Salt Flavour Naturally Smoked Bacon to this board and it would be amazing! Add in any kind of dips, spreads, olives or nuts to this charcuterie too and I guarantee every guest will be asking where you got these delicious items!
Let’s move onto my favourite hot appetizers from this must-try collection. The Dry-Rubbed Hardwood Smoked Chicken Wings were absolutely my favourite with the smoky-sweet maple dipping sauce! By far some of the best chicken wings I’ve ever had! I find at almost all holiday parties I go to, there is ALWAYS an Asian platter of some sorts. But I’ll be honest, most times, I don’t love all of the little hors d’oeuvre’s. That’s why I was SO impressed with the PC Asian Hors D’oeuvre’s collection complete with crisp vegetable spring rolls, pork dumplings and chicken wontons. And let me tell you, every single one was great!
Next we have the sweets and while many of the items were all fantastic, my absolute, surprising favourite were the Candy Cane Cheesecake Lollipops! I’m usually not a huge fan of mixing cheese, chocolate and mint, but let me tell you, this is a winning combination on a stick and the perfect way to end your feast with friends! Add then into a small vase and display it like it’s a bouquet to add an extra layer of awesome of your spread!
Finally, I wanted to share with you one of the best punch recipes I’ve ever had – PC Sparkling Pomegranate Brunch Punch! I was able to try it at the PC Cooking School event I went to a couple of weeks back and I knew I had to remake it for this brunch, using the PC Pomegranate Arils from the Holiday Collection (talk about a game changer with having the hard work already done for you with those arils!) You can add in some alcohol if you’d like as well as any garnishes and I’m telling you, your guests will keep asking for more! Save this recipe below!
- 4 cups ice cubes
- 1 bottle PC Sicilian Lemon Italian Soda
- 1 bottle PC Blood Orange Italian Soda
- 2 cans PC Pomegranate Cranberry 100% Sparkling Fruit Juice
- 1/2 cup frozen PC Pomegranate Arils
- Half orange, thinly sliced into rounds
- Fresh mint, for garnish
- Place ice in 3-L (12 cup) pitcher. Add lemon soda, orange soda, juice, frozen pomegranate arils; stir to combine.
- Add orange slices and mint.
- Serve and enjoy
- Chef's tip: Swap out one of the bottles of Italian soda for a 750-ml bottle of sparkling wine for an added adult-beverage!
Overall, I’m blown away with how amazing and delicious this PC Insiders Holiday Collection is – from the delicious taste to the ease of preparation to the price points – PC really knocked it out of the park with this must-try list! Make sure to grab a few (or all) for your holiday party this year!
Happy Eating!
Love & Blessings,
Note: This post was sponsored by PC Insider’s Collection where I may have received free product and/or compensation in return for my honest opinions. As always, all the reviews are 100% my own!
