Slow Cooker Warm Olive Appetizer

📝Shopping list

To make this easy appetizer, you will need these ingredients available in any grocery store:

• olives - can be with or without pits
• extra virgin olive oil
• garlic cloves - peeled
• fresh thyme
• fresh rosemary
• orange zest

🔪Instructions

This great recipe involves a few simple steps:

Preparing Your Slow Cooker

Prepare your slow cooker by adding the olive oil from the recipe in first. Use a pastry brush to coat the inside of the slow cooker with the oil.  There will still be plenty to coat the olives, but this step will ensure an easier clean up.  

Alternatively, you can choose to use a slow cooker liner for even easier clean up.  

Cooking

🔪Place olive, garlic, and orange zest into the oil in your slow cooker.  Stir to make sure the olives are fully coated with oil.  

🔪Lay thyme and rosemary sprigs on top of the olive mixture

🔪Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours.

🔪After cooking time, remove herbs, turn your slow cooker to warm, stir and enjoy!

🍽Serving suggestions

Warm olives can be served in an endless number of ways.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

1. On Crusty Bread: Serve warm rosemary olives with slices of crusty bread or baguette. The bread can be used to soak up the warm olive oil and juices from the olives.  Try toasting the bread for an extra crunchy, olivey bite!  
2. As Part Of A Cheese Plate:  Creamy and tangy cheeses are the perfect balance for these warm, briny, citrus-infused olives.
3. In a Charcuterie Board: These savory olives are a perfect addition to any meat or cheese boards.  
4. With Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, and Tzatziki: I love serving these olives on a toothpick and using them to scoop up my favorite hummus dip!
5. With Cocktails or Wine: This olive recipe is a classic side dish for your favorite drink. The briny flavor of the olives pairs well with a variety of drinks from sweet mixed drinks to dry wine to a craft IPA
6. Tapas or Mezze Spread: Warm marinated olives are perfect as part of a tapas or mezze plate.  They are wonderful alongside dishes such as garlic mushrooms, grilled shrimp, and baked brie cheese.

🔁Substitution ideas

There are lots of ways to tailor your olive recipes to your exact taste preferences.  Here are a few:

• Substitute lemon zest for orange zest.  Or use both or any combination of citrus peel!
• Add a tablespoon or two of red pepper flakes or chile flakes to dial up the heat in your olive recipe!
• Add some lemon juice to your slow cooker for an additional citrus kick.
• This recipe as shown used kalamata olives, castelvetrano olives, and Manzanillo olives.  However, this can be made with almost any good quality olives.  Choose your favorite variety of olives and give it a try!   

Storing

Store leftover olives in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or two.  Enjoy them gently reheated or at room temperature.  

😉Hints & hacks

1. The olives in this delicious appetizer were meant to be warmed with gentle heat.  I would not recommend cooking them on high heat.  If they will be sitting in your slow cooker for a long time, heat them on the "Keep Warm" setting.  
2. For more intimate gatherings, this delicious recipe works really well in mini crock pots and dip/fondue-size warmers. 
3. I am generally a fan of slow cooker liners. However, I don't love how they look so I forgo them when serving guests directly from my slow cooker.  
4. In the market for a new slow cooker?? I love mine!