For a Christmas appetizer or as a side dish to the main meal, you can't go past this cheesy, pesto Christmas tree pull apart bread. Make it ahead of time and freeze or bake fresh on the day.
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Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
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Bacon Hock and Vegetable Soup (slow cooker and instant pot)
Hearty, healthy bacon hock soup using a bacon or ham hock or bones and and any vegetables you have on hand. Make it in the slow cooker or instant pot and serve with fresh bread for a warming winter meal!
Bacon hock soup is a classic winter soup and is a fabulous way to pack loads of nutrition into one bowl. It's also one of those recipes that everyone makes just a little bit differently - the way my Mum and Granny make it is different to how Josh's Mum and Nana make it and then I make it slightly different again! But that is the joy of a soup like this, it is never exactly the same twice and you can change it up to suit your families tastebuds!
Try as I might, soup just doesn't pass as dinner for my meat and veg loving husband (although my Mexican Chicken Soup just scrapes through!) so we save this one for weekend lunches, served alongside a buttered piece of fresh sourdough or no-knead bread.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]Ingredients
- Bacon hock - the bacon hock (also called a ham hock in some places) is like a mini ham and is perfect to use in this soup as you will get plenty of meat off the bone. You can also use bacon bones which is what I usually use as this is what we get with our homekill pork.
- Soup mix or split peas - this is what bulks up the soup and makes it super thick and filling. I prefer to use a pre bought, unflavoured mix of lentils, split peas and barley.
- Vegetables - this soup is a fantastic way to clear out the fridge of all the odds and ends of vegetables that need to be used. I like using onion, garlic, carrot, celery, grated kumara or pumpkin, silverbeet or spinach, but anything goes!
Instructions
- Slice, dice or grate all vegetables into desired size. Because I have kids of various ages, I prefer to very finely chop or grate my vegetables making it easy for them to eat (and not as obvious how many vegetables are hiding in there!)
- Add all soup ingredients to your slow cooker or instant pot/pressure cooker. Cook for time specified in recipe card.
3. Remove bacon hock or bones from the soup and shred the meat.
4. Add the shredded meat back into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir through fresh parsley.
Hint: Grating vegetables makes them almost disappear into the soup which is a great way to get kids to eat a whole lot of veggies that they might otherwise turn up their nose at!
Storage
Cooked soup keeps in the fridge in a sealed container for 1 week. Any leftovers can also be frozen and will keep in the freezer for 6 months.
Top tip
I like freezing soup in individual portions for a quick, healthy meal for myself during the day or if I'm home alone for dinner. Empty plastic peanut butter jars or margarine containers are excellent for this! Or freeze portions in silicone muffin tins (see them in action here), pop them out and transfer to a large snaplock bag or freezer proof container.
FAQ's
Can I use other types of meat in this soup?
Definitely! This method works really well with beef shin bones or chicken too or with the leftover Christmas ham bone!
Where is the best place to buy a bacon hock?
We get ours with our homekill pork but you can easily pick them up from the supermarket or ask at your local butcher.
Does this soup freeze well?
It freezes extremely well, I like freezing it in individual portions for a quick lunch or lazy dinner!
Are there any vegetables I shouldn't use in this soup?
I have used almost every vegetable in this soup at one stage or another and they have all been good! My favourite ones to use are actually anything that is left in the bottom of the fridge looking a little sad - such a great way to use them up!
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Bacon Hock and Vegetable Soup (slow cooker and instant pot)
Hearty, healthy bacon hock soup using a bacon or ham hock or bones and and any vegetables you have on hand. Make it in the slow cooker or instant pot and serve with fresh bread for a warming winter meal!
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 232kcal
Ingredients
- 500 grams bacon hock or bacon bones
- 3 cups vegetables grated or finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups soup mix lentils, split peas, barley
- 8 cups water
- Salt & pepper
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Add bacon hock or bones, vegetables and soup mix to the inner pot of a slow cooker or instant pot or to a large stockpot on the stove. Cover with water and place the lid on.
Slow cooker
- Cook for 8 hours on low or until the meat is starting to fall off the bone.
Instant Pot/Multi cooker
- Ensure the valve is in the sealed position and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure.
Stovetop
- Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 2 hours or until the meat is starting to fall off the bone.
All methods
- Use tongs to transfer the cooked bacon hock or bones to a chopping board. Use forks to remove all meat from the bones and shred. Discard the bones and return the shredded meat to the soup and stir through.
- Taste the soup and season well with salt and pepper and stir through fresh parsley.
- Serve immediately with fresh bread.
Notes
- You can use any combination of vegetables you like - I love using onion, carrot, celery, kumara, pumpkin and silverbeet or spinach.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 6 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 4809mg | Potassium: 627mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4742IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 2mg
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Christmas Cheese Ball Wreath
A quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer that can be made in advance! Serve with crackers for the perfect way to feed a crowd!
Disclaimer: This post is a paid partnership with Countdown Supermarkets. All content and opinions are my own.
There is nothing like Christmas Day for spending time with family and friends, especially after the year we have had!
But if you’ve just remembered that you’ve forgotten about a Christmas Day appetizer, don’t panic - my Christmas Cheese Ball Wreath is exactly what you need.
All of the ingredients can be bought from Countdown in advance and you can even make the wreath and store in the fridge for a few days before you need it, meaning more time on Christmas Day for eating and spending time with family and friends.
Not only does it look the part, it’s a real crowd pleaser and thanks to Countdown’s great range of own brand products, it is a very affordable and easy way of providing snacks for a big group of people. Perfect for Christmas!
The cheese ball mixture is cream cheese, feta, toasted pistachio nuts, dried cranberries, lemon juice & zest, balsamic vinegar, garlic and pepper.
Mix it all together and form into a wreath using a lined ring cake tin if you have one, or directly on the serving plate with a small bowl turned upside down in the center to create the middle. Chill it in the fridge for a few hours or for a couple of days until you are ready to serve it.
I used chopped fresh parsley and chives, dried cranberries and rosemary sprigs to make it look just like a wreath, but use whatever you like to make it your own. You can also play around with what you add into the cheese ball - I have a sneaking suspicion that a bit of bacon wouldn't go astray!
Christmas Cheese Ball Wreath
A quick, easy & delicious Christmas appetizer that can be made in advance! Serve with crackers for the perfect way to feed a crowd!
Servings: 15
Calories: 217kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup pistachio nuts
- 450 grams cream cheese (2 x blocks at room temperature)
- 400 grams feta
- 4 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- Ground black pepper to taste (be generous)
To decorate
- ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley & chives)
- 2 Tablespoons dried cranberries (or red pepper, finely chopped)
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Line a ring cake tin with glad wrap and set aside. If you don't have a ring tin, you can place a small bowl upside down in the middle of the serving platter you will use and create the wreath around the bowl.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F and place the pistachio nuts on a baking tray.
- Bake for 8 minutes (keep a close eye on them around this time as they can burn quickly) and remove from the oven. Chop the nuts coarsely (or use a food processor) and set aside.
- Using a stand or hand held mixer (or a bowl and wooden spoon) beat the softened cream cheese and feta until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients and combine.
- Spoon the cheese ball mixture into the prepared tin. Spread into an even layer using light pressure to ensure the mixture holds together. Cover and place in the fridge for 3 hours (or longer) to chill.
- Remove from the fridge, uncover and invert onto the serving plate. Use a spatula or knife to smooth the edges.
- Sprinkle with the chopped fresh herbs and garnish with dried cranberries, red peppers or pomegranate arils (anything red) and fresh rosemary sprigs.
- Serve with crackers or toasted bread. Cheese ball can be made 4 days in advance and stored in the fridge until needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 409mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 532IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 1mg
