Many of us, if we're lucky, will get together with the people we enjoy spending time with over the December holidays. Large and fancy, or small and unabashedly cozy in a relative's or BFF's living room, the gatherings offer a chance to connect with family and friends — some we may not have seen for a while — and celebrate the ties that bind.

Sometimes we're the busy host; other times we get to just relax and enjoy the hospitality being offered by others with such seasonal cheer.

If you're among the latter this year, it's important to remember the unspoken rule of entertaining: It's bad manners to show up to a party empty handed!

The gift doesn't have to be big or expensive; it's the thought that counts. This is especially true if you're making a snack or appetizer to be shared at a potluck.

Sure, a tray of crunchy crudités or soft pretzel bites from your local grocery store will hit the spot after a few cups of holiday cheer. And who can say no to bowl of ridged potato chips, especially if accompanied by a bowl of Heluva Good! French onion dip? But if you really want to celebrate the season of giving, why not put a little elbow grease into it and make something from scratch that's both more personal and probably much more tasty than store-bought?

Below, the PG Kitchen dishes up five shareable holiday snacks and appetizers that are both easy and relatively inexpensive to make. All are perfect for grazing (i.e. easy to grab and enjoy) and pack a major flavor punch.

They include an old-fashioned, sweet and buttery caramel popcorn made with dark corn syrup and butter; a four-ingredient peppermint bark that channels the festive flavors of Williams Sonoma's famous tinned candy; savory cheese crackers that make a perfect hostess/host gift when paired with a bottle of wine; sophisticated, savory sausage-stuffed mushroom caps with hints of cheese and garlic; and everyone's childhood favorite, pigs in the blanket.

A couple reminders: Always ask your hosts about food allergies before showing up at the door with a plate of goodies, and remember that any leftovers stay with the party giver (unless your hosts ask you to please take them with you).

Caramel Corn

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This is one of my favorite Christmas treats; I've probably made it every year since a neighbor shared the recipe more than a decade ago. It's easy to package it up as a last-minute holiday hostess gift because who doesn't love popcorn and caramel? A bonus: it's gluten-free.

2 bags popped popcorn

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 sticks butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Coat a large roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray and place both bags of popcorn in pan. Pick out any unpopped kernels.

Bring corn syrup, brown and white sugars and butter to a boil over medium-high heat in a saucepan, and boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and add vanilla, salt and baking soda. It will foam up, so give it a quick stir to settle things down.

Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and toss and stir with a buttered spatula. You will have to work fairly quickly, but you'll want to try to coat each and every piece of popcorn.

Place in hot oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to separate and coat any naked pieces.

Remove from oven, give it one final toss and let cool.

Scoop into a holiday treat bag lined with parchment or metal cookie tin. Be sure to set aside some for yourself for munching.

Makes about 10 cups

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Peppermint Bark

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These craveable candies only require four ingredients!

Be sure to allow the semisweet chocolate layer to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before spreading on the white chocolate or it will separate. You'll also need to layer the pan with parchment paper so the candy is easy to get out without breaking.

16 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

3/4 cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes

Start by lining a 13- by-9-inch pan with parchment paper. Melt the semisweet chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave according to the directions on the packaging. Pour the chocolate into the prepared pan, smooth it with a spatula and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave according to the directions on the packaging. Stir in peppermint extract. Pour the white chocolate over the prepared chocolate layer. Gently spread the white chocolate with a spatula.

Sprinkle the white chocolate layer with crushed peppermint candies. Press the candies into the chocolate gently. Allow the peppermint bark to harden at room temperature for at least an hour. Once set, break the bark into pieces with your hands or cut with a knife and store in an airtight container.

Peppermint bark should be stored in an airtight container. Store it at room temperature for up to four days, or leave it in the fridge for up to two weeks

— tasteofhome.com

Savory Cheddar Cheese Crackers

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The holidays are full of parties and other get-togethers. Hand-crafted crackers make wonderful appetizers, pleasing kids as much as they do the grown-ups. These savory crackers are a spiffed-up version of the ones shaped like goldfish — no preservatives, but plenty of flavor. Pair the crackers with a bottle of wine, and you've got the perfect hostess gift.

1 cup all-purpose or whole-wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

8 ounces grated cheddar cheese

3 to 4 tablespoons water

Pulse flour, salt, pepper and rosemary in a food processor. Then add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add grated cheese a little at a time until the mixture again resembles coarse meal.

Pulse in 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms into a ball. Remove, wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness directly onto a baking sheet. You don't want to roll them paper thin, nor do you want to roll them too thick. If they are too thin, they will not puff up as much. If they are too thick, they will not be as crispy.

Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut 1-inch squares. You also can use cookie cutters/shapes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until crackers are golden brown.

— Adapted from thekitchn.com

Sausage- and Cheddar-Stuffed Mushrooms

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Easy to make in advance and warm up in the oven just before your guests arrive, these savory stuffed mushroom caps are both elegant and loaded with flavor. I used mild Italian sausage, but you could ramp it up a level with hot sausage.

You'll want to dab the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel before stuffing and cooking — if you rinse them in water, they will absorb it and become soggy.

24 white mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon pepper, divided

12 ounces sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed

3/4 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 scallions, sliced thin

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

3 tablespoons white wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and chop half of stems fine; discard remaining stems.

Whisk oil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl. Add mushroom caps and toss to coat with oil mixture; set aside.

Using your hands, thoroughly combine sausage, cheddar, scallions, panko, wine, thyme, garlic, mushroom stems, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in bowl.

Spray 12-inch oven-safe skillet with vegetable oil spray. Fill mushroom caps with sausage mixture and place in prepared skillet. Sprinkle tops of filled mushrooms with Parmesan.

Bake until cooked through and lightly browned on top, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Transfer to platter and serve.

— "The Complete Small Plates Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen

Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket

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Pigs in a blanket are one of those party appetizers that you just can't resist. And they're so easy to make, which makes it a gift for the host or hostess. Here, they are served with a tangy mustard sauce for dipping, but the bite-sized dogs also go well with barbecue or cheese sauce or ranch dressing.

If you can't find a bottle of Everything Bagel spice mix at your grocery store, make your own by mixing 4 teaspoons white sesame seeds with 2 teaspoons each of black sesame seeds, poppy seeds and dried minced garlic and 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon.

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

32 cocktail franks, patted dry

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons Everything Bagel seasoning

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup yellow mustard

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the pigs: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unfold puff pasty on lightly floured counter and roll into 12-by-9-inch rectangle with short side parallel to counter, flouring top of dough as needed to prevent sticking

Using a pizza wheel or chef's knife, trim dough to 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Cut dough lengthwise into 8 1-inch strips. Cut dough crosswise at 3 3-inch intervals. (You should get 32 strips.)

Lightly brush 1 row of dough strips with egg wash. Roll 1 frank in each dough strip and transfer bundle, seam side down, to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough strips and franks, spacing bundles 1/2 inch apart.

Combine Parmesan, bagel seasoning and pepper in bowl. Working with a few bundles at a time, brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 23 minutes.

While pigs are baking, make mustard sauce. Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.

Let pigs cool on sheet for 10 minutes. Serve with mustard sauce.

Serves 8 to 10.

— "The Complete Small Plates Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen