If you’re like me, you probably enjoy having friends over to talk, watch movies and nosh on some good food. (If you don’t, you should try it sometime!) These “nights in” can save you all a good deal of money when you consider what it costs for each person to make or purchase a small dish and rent a movie as opposed to dinner and a movie out. Yet some foods are faster to prepare and easier to eat than others, especially at intimate potluck events such as I am describing. Here are some ideas for what to serve your guests that will not take hours to prepare or wind up staining your carpet.
- Cold cut roll-ups – You may remember this from childhood, but nicely paired slices of cheese and meat can be rolled together and served on a platter.
- Crudit̩ РRaw veggies and dip are healthy, simple and ever popular. You can use baby carrots, celery sticks, cauliflower, broccoli, cherry tomatoes or cucumber slices. The dip is also easy Рa 60-cent bag of dip mix combined with fat-free sour cream will yield one that is tasty but not too calorie-heavy.
- Pigs in a blanket – Mini hot dogs rolled in biscuit dough and baked in the oven. These are perfect hors ‘d’oeuvres. To lighten this up, you might try turkey or vegetarian dogs and light or wheat biscuits.
- Fine cheese – Spring for some Brie (they even sell a light version!) and serve it to friends with wheat crackers or crusty French bread. You can also make a fruit/cheese plate by adding grapes and pear or apple slices on the side.
- Asian chicken lettuce wraps – These are not too difficult to make. Buy a ready-made rotisserie chicken (or throw a couple of breasts into the oven) and construct your wraps using large lettuce leaves and Thai peanut sauce (available in the Asian section of most supermarkets).
Happy hosting!
Tags: appetizers, Entertaining