Grammy’s cocktail party menu

The Grammy after parties in Hollywood pull out all the stops with expensive Champagne and delectable catered bites, but you don’t have to spend top dollar to throw a Tinseltown-worthy bash at home.

Here are a few ways to get your Grammy Awards party rockin’:

• Give your guests a reason to pull that little black (or red!) dress out of the back of their closets by requesting cocktail attire. You’ll feel like you’re live on the red carpet.
• If designer gowns aren’t your thing, have guests come as their favorite artist. Why wait for Halloween to wear a costume?
• Create a playlist of songs by your favorite nominees to play before the awards.
• Make predictions for the winner of each Grammy category and reward the guest who has the most correct guesses with a bottle of bubbly.
• If your guests are really feeling loose, how about a little karaoke? Sing along with top nominees like Adele, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

Of course, we can’t forget about the food and drinks, usually the most important part of any party. Keep it simple but elegant with Champagne cocktails and updated twists on classic appetizers.

Makes 24

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets refrigerated pie dough
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided use
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut out nine (3-inch circles) from each pie dough sheet. Gather together left over dough and reroll. Cut six more circles out.
3. Place dough circles into a muffin tin, and then press bottom and sides out and up the sides of the muffin cups evenly, thinning the dough slightly. (Dough will not come all the way to the top of the muffin cups.) Prick sides and bottom of dough with a fork. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until slightly browned. Remove and reserve in muffin tins to cool.
4. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pan. Add onions, vinegar, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Saute onions until caramelized, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. When onions are done, combine goat cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere, heavy cream, eggs and thyme in a food processor. Run until mixture is completely smooth. Add caramelized onions and pulse to combine and chop slightly.
6. Spoon onion mixture into baked tartlet shells (there may be some left over, depending on how the shells baked). Sprinkle remaining Gruyere over the tops of tartlets. Bake for 15 minutes, until set and slightly brown on top.
7. To make ahead and reheat, bake according to directions and leave at room temperature until ready to serve. Reheat in oven at 300 degrees F for about seven minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tablespoon lemon juice
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 pounds large raw shrimp, tails on
• Jalapeno-mustard dipping sauce, see recipe below
• Chili-cilantro dipping sauce, see recipe below

Directions:

1. Combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a large ziptop bag. Place shrimp in bag and ensure all shrimp are coated in marinade. Refrigerate for one hour.
2. Meanwhile, soak bamboo skewers in water.
3. When ready to grill, thread shrimp onto skewers. Heat grill to about 400 degrees F. Place skewers on grill and cook about three minutes per side. (Time will vary depending on size of shrimp.)
4. Serve immediately with dipping sauces on the side.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 2 ounces amaretto liqueur
• 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
• 4 maraschino cherries
• Champagne

Directions:

1. Cut lemon into four wedges and lime into eight wedges. (You will only use four lime wedges.)
2. Squeeze one lemon wedge and one lime wedge into each Champagne flute. Add 1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar and 1/2 ounce amaretto to each glass and stir well.
3. Top with Champagne and drop in a maraschino cherry to garnish.

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