Rosemary Spiced Candied Pecans and Pita Chips for A Cheese Party

Want to throw a cheese party? I have got you covered with my recipes for Rosemary Spiced Candied Pecans and Cashews, the best homemade Pita Chips, sweet Pomegranate Mocktails and the most DELICIOUS cheddar cheeses! And while I am at it, why not throw in some festive homemade holiday centrepiece using candles, fruits and herbs!

I’ve got a treat for you today! I’m talking Rosemary Spiced Candied Pecans and Cashews along with Pita Chips, sweet Pomegranate Mocktails and the most DELICIOUS cheddar cheeses! It’s the perfect way to throw a party for your friends. Plus, I’ve also got you covered with a simple Holiday and Thanksgiving centrepiece using your good old fruits and herbs!

Why these Rosemary Spiced Candied Pecans & Pita Chips are the perfect party food: 

Super excited to share this post with you, because it’s a PARTY post!! Yes! We all need that. But we need it to be easy and relaxing. This is probably one of the easiest parties to throw.

Today’s party recipes for candied pecans and homemade pita chips are seriously delicious, and can be prepared a few days in advance! But there’s more to a party than just snacks, right?

I wanted to lend a festive Holiday look to our cheese party without spending all day in DIY projects or breaking the bank with all the expensive decor.

 So along with some delicious recipes, I’ll also walk you through this festive-looking decor made from mostly fruits and herbs. Table decor does not get any more budget than this! 

Before I chat about the candied pecans and pita chips, I wanted to mention that I picked up a collection of these divine Kaukauna® Cheeses at my local Walmart in the specialty cheese aisle.

It was like LOVE at first bite. So smooth, so cheesy, so pure rich cheddar tasting with a touch of crunch from the almond coating. I’ve certainly found my “go to” cheese for snacking, gatherings, and even more, for everyday deliciousness!

They’re made with 100% real Cheddar, and the best part is—you absolutely TASTE that!

I’ve picked the Sharp Cheddar Kaukauna® Cheese Balls and the Double Cheddar Kaukauna® Cheese Logs. The Kaukauna® Cheese also comes in cups.

I love finding goodies like that since they make a great addition to my entertaining table on heir own or part of a recipe. For today’s party, we’ve spread them on some herb pita chips, and topped that with fruits and veggies—SO good!

And we’ve been secretly scooping the Kaukauna® Cheeses with the rosemary spiced candied pecans too—pure LUSH!

How to throw the best cheese party: 

Now let’s get this cheese party started with some spicy candied pecans, fruity pomegranate mocktails as well as some awesome homemade table decorations made with fruit and herbs.

How to make Rosemary-Spiced Candied Pecans and Cashews: 

These are not your regular sweet candied pecans – these are kicked up with some heat and freshened up with a touch of rosemary. Plus they are not as thickly coated with sugar as your good old candied pecans.

So it’s basically these five ingredients—chilli flakes, brown sugar, salt, olive oil and rosemary. Additionally, you can throw in some orange zest, but that’s optional.

Toss all the ingredients and roast the pecans for just 10 minutes. The hardest part is keeping yourself from munching on these delish candied peans before the party even starts!

How to make Pita Chips: 

These pita chips were made a day in advance. A mixture of herbs (parsley, oregano or your favorites), olive oil, paprika and salt is slathered over a loaf of Greek Pita bread.

Cut the bread into wedges (size of your choice—I’ve made 8 wedges out of each pita) and bake for 8 minutes till crispy. Once cooled, these pita chips can be stored for a week in a ziplock bag. So GOOD! 🙂

You can totally make the candied pecan and pita chips on the day of your party, but I really preferred making them in advance so all I have to do on the day of my party is the drinks and setting the table!

How to make Pomegranate Mocktails: 

My pomegranate mocktails here are inspired by a drink I had in Maine last month and it was the talk of the restaurant. Simply mix pomegranate juice, lime juice and some ginger ale.

The secret here (again inspired by the same drink I had) is a touch of sumac—a fresh tangy lemony Mediterranean spice. The spice is added to the drink and glass rims. Amaaazing!

How to make a festive table centrepiece with fruit, candles and herbs: 

Let’s chat about the simple yet vibrant table decoration. I’ve gathered some Holiday greenery from my garden (or you can pick them at Walmart while you’re picking up the Kaukauna® Cheeses!) and used those as my table runner.

Also, I added some gorgeous pink pomegranates, some deep purple plums, some green chilli peppers and some rosemary stuffed oranges. For making these cute orange rosemary trees, I simply cut a tiny slit into the centre of the orange (or clementine) and then inserted a sprig of rosemary.

Now, how cute are these pomegranates as a candle holder? Use an apple corer for this trick. First of all slice off the top of the pomegranate and scoop out the centre (halfway only) using an apple corer. Now, the candle fits in perfectly.

Another way to get some colors onto your table is by adding plenty of fruits (grapes for example) and sliced veggies (carrots, cucumbers, radishes—and your favorites) around the Kaukauna® Cheese. 

Arrange that on a board or plate, along with the herb pita chips and you’re off to a great party! 🙂

These homemade pita chips are delicious on their own, but especially great paired with cheese or a homemade hummus dip. Talking about hummus, why not top it with some chopped candied pecans?

Delicious food, great company and the enjoying the simple things in life—this is what this party is all about!

Enjoy the tiny things in life with an easy, vibrant and delicious party like this one!

Tips for success: 

• I love preparing the candied pecans a couple of days in advance and store them in an airtight container.
• Homemade Pita chips can be stored in a ziplock bag and will keep for a week.
• Didn’t find sumac? Simply use a 1:1 mixture of salt and sugar tossed with some chili powder and lime zest.

5 from 5 votes

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Rosemary Spiced Candied Pecans and Pita Chips for A Cheese Party

Want to throw a cheese party? I have got you covered with my recipes for Rosemary Spiced Candied Pecans and Cashews, the best homemade Pita Chips, sweet Pomegranate Mocktails and the most DELICIOUS cheddar cheeses! And while I am at it, why not throw in some festive homemade holiday centrepiece using candles, fruits and herbs!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword cheese party recipes, homemade candied pecans, homemade pita chips

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 799 kcal

Author Mahy

Ingredients

For the Kaukauna® Cheese Plate / Board:

• 1 Kaukauna® Cheese Ball —Shard Cheddar or your favorite flavor or more
• 1 Kaukauna® Cheese Logs— Double Cheddar of your favorite flavor or more
• Herb Pita Chips recipe Below
• Black and Green Grapes
• Quartered Radishes
• Baby Carrots
• Sliced Cucumbers
• Chilli Peppers
• Halved plums
• Some Salad Greens

Rosemary Spice candied Pecans and Cashews:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 2 cups raw pecans
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons minced rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chilli flakes more or less depending on how spicy you prefer them
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Herb Pita Chips:

• 5 Pita breads
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons mixed minced herbs Oregano, parsley or your favorite
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch paprika

Pomegranate Mocktails:

• 3 cups Pomegranate Juice
• 1 can Ginger Ale
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons sumac spice divided
• Extra: lime slices and pomegranate arils

Instructions

For the candied pecans:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Prepare the candied pecans by mixing all ingredients in bowl. Spread them on a baking sheet as evenly as possible and roast them for 8-10 minutes until they start to look golden. Be careful not to burn the nuts! Let the nuts cool for half an hour at least before storing them in an airtight container.

For the pita chips:

1. Mix the oil, herbs and seasoning in a small bowl. Using a party brush, brush the tops of the pita bread with the oil mixture and then cut each pita into wedges (I made 8 wedges out of each pita bread). 

2. Place the pita wedges on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake them for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the pita bread) until golden. They will crisp up further as they cool. Once cooled down completely, the pita chips can be stored in an airtight container for a week.
3. Arrange the Kaukauna® Cheese board or plate by spreading the veggies and fruits around it.

For the mocktails:

1. Make the cocktails by mixing the juices together and adding in a teaspoon of sumac spice. Place the remaining sumac on a small plate and dip the rims of your cups in water, followed by the sumac spice. Pour the cocktail into the ready glasses and serve with a slice of lime and extra pomegranate arils if you like!
2. ENJOY!!

Recipe Notes

• I love preparing the candied pecans a couple of days in advance and store them in an airtight container.
• Homemade Pita chips can be stored in a ziplock bag and will keep for a week.
• Didn't find sumac? Simply use a 1:1 mixture of salt and sugar tossed with some chili powder and lime zest.

Nutrition Facts

Rosemary Spiced Candied Pecans and Pita Chips for A Cheese Party

Amount Per Serving (1 cocktail, some chips, cheese and nuts)

Calories 799 Calories from Fat 531

% Daily Value*

Fat 59g91%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Cholesterol 74mg25%

Sodium 879mg38%

Potassium 572mg16%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 27g30%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin A 1150IU23%

Vitamin C 2.6mg3%

Calcium 298mg30%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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