Hostess Gift Basket Idea + Ham And Swiss Crostini

It's entertaining season which means chances are you're likely doing a combination of hosting friends and family in your home, and being invited as a guest. That means you need a go-to appetizer recipe and a great hostess gift idea so you're covered for playing both the role of hostess and guest. Don't worry, I've got you covered. I decided to take traditional ham appetizers up a notch and developed a new crowd-favorite.

I like to keep my recipes really simple, especially when entertaining. There's always so much to do to prepare for guests that I never try to complicate things in the kitchen. But during the holiday season I do like to offer guests something just a little more special than normal. So when Maille asked me to partner with them, I was so excited to come up with a new simple, yet elevated, appetizer recipe.

It's a basic ham and swiss crostini (which even the littlest guests will enjoy), but elevated with fresh herbs and Maille mustard. On top of each piece of bread, I spread on a layer of Maille Black Truffle Mustard with Chablis White Wine–SO DELICIOUS. It tastes like a familiar ham and cheese appetizer, only so much better.  (The full recipe is at the bottom of the post).

Maille also makes a fabulous hostess gift or gift for any foodie in your life. I added a jar to a hostess gift basket for a holiday party I was invited to. Any host or hostess would be happy to receive this–holiday season or anytime! And if you have a foodie in your life that you're shopping for, a gift basket like this will certainly be appreciated.

To make a thoughtful Hostess gift basket, include a few entertaining essentials you know they'll use and add in an extra special jar of Maille. In this basket I included: A patterned dish towel, a set of 4 mini cheese boards, small appetizer bowls, meat and cheese knife set, and a jar of Black Truffle Mustard with Chablis White Wine. I also printed out this recipe for the ham appetizers (below) and included it with my gift. You can't go wrong with this gift basket! And honestly, the mustard stands alone if you want to gift just that.

Happy entertaining season! I hope you enjoy this recipe and gift idea.

Check out Maille for more giftable ideas.