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I’m throwing a pre-Thanksgiving party for some of my girlfriends. It seems like we all get bogged down by the holidays and don’t get to see each other until January so before the November-December rush hits I decided to have a few of them over for appetizers and cocktails. I made these yummy Cheesy Ritz Potato Balls and they were the hit of the party!
Before I give you this recipe for these deep fried pillows of cheesy potatoes I want to share with you a few of my party planning tips and tricks so things like this get-together and the upcoming holidays are a little less stressful.
Party Planning Tips and Tricks
We all know that trying to put on a party at the time sounds like a great idea until you feel like you are running around stressing about it then you ask yourself why you wanted to do this in the first place. First take a deep breath no one expects you to be Martha Stewart. She has a team of thousands you only have yourself so relax and realize everyone will have a good time because it’s you throwing the party and they love being with you, that’s what’s important. (Besides they will just be glad it’s not them throwing the party and that makes anything better 🙂
Don’t Procrastinate – Start early don’t wait until the day of the party to do everything, doing a few things each day will make it not so stressful. This way you know you won’t forget anything and that in itself will take some stress off.
Make a list- List out everything you need to buy and do before the party down to the smallest thing like putting out plates and napkins. This will relieve your mind from having to remember things and you can just check them off your list one by one. Everyone loves a crossed out list anyway right? You can use my shopping list printable to make it easier. Nabisco wants to make sure you get the best deal for your party planning and right now at Publix you can save $0.55 when you buy one package of Oreo Cookies and save $0.55 when you buy one box of Wheat Thin Crackers or Triscuit Crackers.
Lay out everything that is non-perishable the day before- Items like wine glasses, plates, napkins etc. I even lay out the serving platters and utensils I intend to use for each appetizer to make sure they all fit on my buffet and I have what I need.
What wine to buy for a party – Buy a few bottles of nice wine to start the party with then buy cheaper wine for back up cause we all know once you have a glass or two you don’t really care what it tastes like after that.
What to serve at your party – Don’t feel like everything you serve has to be homemade. Make one or two things then supplement with things like fruit, cheese and crackers (my favorite are Triscuit crackers we like to dip them in salsa instead of corn chips) For this party I made these potato appetizers, a store bought cheese ball and fruit and my buffalo style pumpkin seeds.
If you’d like more tips on throwing the perfect holiday party, you should visit NABISCO Party Planner, it’s where I found the recipe for these Cheesy Ritz Potato Balls. They have lots of great tips and recipes for you to plan the perfect holiday party.
This potato ball appetizer is really fun to make and super easy. I use premade mashed potatoes in the refrigerated section of Publix when I make them. First you mix cheese, mashed potatoes, grated onion and 1 cup of finely crushed Ritz Crackers with one beaten egg.
You will notice the mixture is more wet than dry. 
Then you take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and form little balls. Roll each ball in crushed Ritz Crackers and place on parchment. 
Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and then deep fry them at 350 degrees until golden. Before dipping mine in the deep fryer, I rolled them one more time to get a better ball shape. You can keep them in a 250-degree oven to keep them warm until you are ready to serve. I served them with a dip made from applesauce and horseradish sauce which was the perfect fall accompaniment for this Thanksgiving Appetizer. I will be making them again for Thanksgiving day.
- 1 cup cooled mashed potatoes
- 1/2 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated onions
- 1 egg beaten
- 40 Ritz Crackers finely crushed, set aside one cup.
- 2 cups oil for frying
- Dip
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 tsp. horseradish sauce
- Mix the mashed potatoes, cheese, onion, 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers and beaten egg together in a bowl.
- Shape into 1 inch balls using about 1 tablespoon for each and roll in remaining cracker crumbs until evenly coated.
- Place on parchment-covered rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a medium sauce pan to 350 degrees.
- Add potato balls in batches and fry for one minute or until golden brown.
- Use a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel covered baking sheet to drain.
- Mix applesauce and horseradish sauce and place in a bowl for dipping to serve
I made some cute pumpkin pics and a fun and festive paper ball garland to jazz up my buffet as well which just makes it a little more special.
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