Baked Parmesan Cracker Crisps and Burgundy Sangria

Looking for easy to prepare party fare or a great appetizer to offer your guests?  Baked Parmesan Cracker Crisps and Burgundy Sangria make a fabulous pair and a memorable opener!

As a bonus, these appetizers won’t bust your holiday health goals either.  The Baked PArmesan Cracker Crisps are low-carb and the Burgundy Sangria has been tweaked for low-cal.

Baked Parmesan Cracker Crisps

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp almond flour or meal
Seasonings or herbs as desired (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, toss together the ingredients until well blended. Place even sized piles of mixture (size depends on how big you want the crackers) two or more inches apart on the baking sheet, flattening each pile slightly.

Put in preheated oven for 4 to 6 minutes or until melted and starting to get golden brown. Remove and let cool undisturbed to keep their shape.

If you want to turn them into little bowls, you can place them, while still warm, over an inverted muffin tin or cups. When cooled completely, these crackers can be used to serve dips, spreads, or as a cheesy cracker snack. (Note: Any hard cheese will work, like Romano or Asagio. You can use softer cheeses, like cheddar, but the result will be softer as well. Almond flour or meal helps the cheese smooth out while baking, but you can actually make these with just the cheese.)

Burgundy Sangria

2 cups Burgundy wine
2 cups seltzer water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, washed and sliced in thin circles
1 lime, washed and sliced in thin circles
1/4 to 1/2 cup Splenda (more or less for taste)

In a large bowl or pitcher, put all the ingredients and chill in refrigerator.

When ready to serve, pour over ice in tall glasses. You can replace the Splenda with sugar if desired, but the carb and calorie count will go up. Always start with the least amount of sweetener (regardless of what kind you’re using) and add more only after tasting.

You could also replace the Splenda with a diet powdered drink like Crystal Light, using a lemonade or other similar flavor.