Party Panache, Cranberry Swiss Almond Holiday Spread

This spread is perfect for the upcoming holidays,
a yummy pre-Thanksgiving nibble
or a colorful red and green Christmas party dip

Saturday we had our first fire of the season
and watched football on the patio with friends and family

HHjr had a pork shoulder on the grill
and we noshed on this dip as it was cooking

It’s full of Buttery Almonds, Swiss cheese, cranberries,
green onions and everyone’s favorite, bacon!

It’s all blended together with whipped cream cheese with chives,
mayonnaise, mustard and a dash of garlic

Once the condiments are blended,
stir in the cheese

Then all the good stuff gets folded in


This recipe is just the right amount to fill a deep quiche or pie dish

The Buttery Almonds are an extra step that is very worth taking
It only takes a few minutes to saute them
with butter, brown sugar and salt
for a sweet and savory treat
{ they’re wonderful on salads and vegetables also!}

Some are blended in with the other dip ingredients
and then more are added on top once the dish is baked

Serve with crackers and a knife for spreading

Buttery Almonds
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced almonds
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- brown sugar
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Saute almond slices in a large skillet in butter and Olive oil over medium heat
- Sprinkle the nuts liberally with brown sugar and Kosher salt.
- The brown sugar will melt and caramelize on the nuts. Stir often and watch carefully so the nuts don’t burn. Don't walk away, this literally only takes 3-4 minutes
- When they have begun to brown turn out onto wax paper or foil to cool. Store in a jar in your pantry or freezer. Makes 2 cups.
Notes
Cranberry Swiss Almond Holiday Spread is adapted from A Taste of Home

Cranberry Swiss Almond Holiday Spread
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese with chives
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- dash garlic powder
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 6 slices bacon, cooked
- 12 oz. swiss cheese, grated
- 2 oz. dried cranberries
- 1 cup Buttery Almonds,* divided
Instructions
- Combine mayonnaise, whipped cream cheese, garlic and mustard in a large mixing bowl
- Add Swiss cheese and mix well
- Add green onions, bacon pieces, cranberries and 1/2 cup almonds
- Place mixture in a greased deep dish quiche pan or casserole
- At this point the dip can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours for baking later if desired
- Bake dip at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until heated through. Serve with crackers or baguette slices
Notes
Party perfect any time of year, but especially for Thanksgiving
and the upcoming December holidays!
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Sundays on Silverado Love Your Creativity
What’s for Dinner Between Naps on the Porch
All About Home/ Common Ground Follow the Yellow Brick Home
Tasty Tuesday Oh My Heartsie Girl Turn About Tuesday
Full Plate Thursday Centerpiece Wednesday Creative Crafts
Comments
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[…] soon as I saw this Cranberry Swiss Almond Spread from The Painted Apron, I knew it was destined to be my Thanksgiving pre-dinner appetizer! It would […]
The cranberries add touches of red perfect for watching Bama football. It looks like UGA may be top dawg this year.
ha, yes you’re right, Georgia is top dawg!
YUM! Pretty and delicious.
Thank you Bernadette 🙂
The variety of tastes and textures is great in this. I’m sure it disappears rather quickly!
Yes, yummy combo!
Cheese, bacon and lots of cranberries and nuts…what’s not to love this festive dip?
My new favorite, thanks Angie!
Not-your-granny’s -cheeseball. – very good!
Thanks Leslie Anne, easy and delicious!
I might have to whip this up for our December Cork Poppers — it looks so festive. I wonder if you could replace (or add) green pistachios instead of almonds to play off the red and green? I’ll experiment! Thanks, Jenna!
This would be great for your Cork Poppers! You could also garnish it with more green onions or parsley if you want more green…
I am trying to include more almonds in my diet to help lower cholesterol. Since the jury is still out on saturated fats, we’ll just assume the bacon is OK.😉This recipe sounds seriously delicious!
Thanks Linda, this is a new favorite!
Loaded with yumminess! Love all the combinations of flavor, crunch and overall seasonal deliciousness! Thank you!
Thanks Nancy, great combo!
Thanks, Jenna. I’m pinning it on my appetizers board, and I think it would be perfect for Christmas with the colors.
Thanks Ricki, I hope your family enjoys!
Sounds ~really~ good, and the whipped cream cheese probably makes it easy to mix too:@)
Yes! I love using the whipped cream cheese because it does mix in so easily and is a little lighter than regular
I really like the sound of this with those ingredients. Great for Saturday football, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Thanks, Jenna, saving the recipe!
Thank you Pam, this is my new favorite!
I’m in! Love every ingredient! Can’t wait to try this! 😋 Thank you!
Thank you Cyndi, it’s a good one!
Beautiful presentation Jenna and I bet yummy. You are so fortunate to have HHjrwho also loves to cook. Lots of great recipes here.
Thanks so much Linda, our kitchen is a busy place 🙂
Yum Jenna! Such a versatile dip too changing out the variety of cheese and nuts. It looks like it’s the perfect weather this week to crank up your outdoor fireplace too. 🙂
My new favorite dip, and you’re right, it would be easy to change it up with different cheeses and nuts.
What a fabulous dip for the holidays, Jenna. I can hardly wait to make this. I make similar almonds and yes, they’re so tasty on salads, too.
Thank you Kitty, this is my new favorite dip!
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us on Full Plate Thursday 563, we featured it! Hope you have a great Thanksgiving and hope to see you soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you Miz Helen!
Oooh, I’m so glad I popped back to a few posts and found this…HAVE TO make the spread…oh, my, my family will go nuts. Happy food time, and holidays! Hugs, Sandi
Thanks Sandi, I hope everyone will enjoy! Merry Christmas!