Margherita® Offers Easy, Attractive Italian Appetizer Ideas for Your Holiday Season

LISLE, Ill., Dec. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Through the sometimes chaotic holiday season, Margherita fine Italian Meats is making it easy for you to prepare impressive and delicious appetizers so you can spend more time with your friends and family.  Margherita, part of the John Morrell Food Group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, has selected three crowd-pleasing appetizers to serve-up now through the New Year that take just 35 minutes or less to prepare.

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The easy-to-prepare appetizers all feature Margherita's fine Italian meats diced and sliced in unique ways that will add distinctly delicious flavor to your menu. These recipes also allow for any holiday party host to look like a professional chef without the hours of preparation or styling.  The three different and unique appetizers include:

• Sun Dried Tomato & Salami Bruschetta, a new twist on traditional Bruschetta.  This recipe has a total preparation to serve time of 25 to 30 minutes and serves us to 12 people.
  http://www.margheritameats.com/recipe/sun-dried-tomato-salami-bruschetta
• Salami Rosettes.  This simple starter is an attractive and contemporary approach to salami.  The preparation to serve time is only 20 minutes and will serve up to 12.
  http://www.margheritameats.com/recipe/salami-rosettes
• Italian Stuffed Mushrooms, an elevated approach to stuffed mushrooms, using Margherita Pepperoni. In only 35 minutes you can prepare and serve a warm appetizer that will serve 12.
  http://www.margheritameats.com/recipe/italian-stuffed-mushrooms

"The holiday season is meant to be spent with family and friends," said Elizabeth Di John, Brand Manager, Margherita. "That is why we have selected three appetizers that are quick to prepare, but also offer a unique and contemporary approach to entertaining classics. These are three of the best solutions to enjoy your holidays both in and away from the kitchen."

In addition to appetizers, Margherita also offers recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The brand features over 35 different offerings fine Italian Meats that are popular not only during the holiday season, but throughout the year.  To view more recipes, or for more information about Margherita, visit www.Facebook.com/MargheritaMeats

About John Morrell Food Group
With over a century and a half of experience, John Morrell Food Group brands have become respected and well known for providing premium-quality meat products to families across the United States. With products ranging from lunchmeat and franks to smoked sausage, bacon and pepperoni, the John Morrell Food Group is an important part of consumers' mealtimes. The John Morrell Food Group offers several national and regional brands including Armour^®, Eckrich^®, John Morrell^®, Curly's^®, Patrick Cudahy^®, Carando^®, Healthy Ones^®, Margherita^® Kretschmar^® and LunchMakers^®.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $13 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook's®, Gwaltney®, John Morrell®, Kretschmar®, Curly's®, Carando®, Margherita®, and Healthy Ones®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and www.smithfieldcommitments.com.

SOURCE John Morrell Food Group