Chicken kabobs right from the grill provide a hearty snack without requiring silverware.
Throwing a party to remember requires snacks that will get guests talking. There's no need to be a gourmet chef to achieve chat-worthy chow. A homemade dip for chips or fruit platters and a variety of simple appetizers can turn an ordinary snack table into a buffet of treats that'll keep your guests coming back for more. Does this Spark an idea?
Snacks to Dip
Rather than grabbing expensive jars of creamy dips or salsas, search out a simple recipe for chip dips you can make yourself with only the basic cooking skills of mixing and chopping. For tortilla chips, consider assembling a layered taco dip with sour cream mixed with taco spices and layered in with lettuce, cheese, refried beans and chopped tomatoes. A homemade salsa to be served with chips or perhaps as a bruschetta is just as simple with chopped tomatoes, red onions, garlic, lemon juice, a dash of oil and black pepper. Homemade hummus served with pita strips offers a more international flavor in place of the traditional potato chips and onion dip. For fresh fruit, forgo the sticky caramel store-bough tub dips and mix up a little cream cheese, vanilla flavoring and brown sugar for a light, creamy dip that tastes just like caramel on an apple. A fruit-based salsa, like mango or berry, can also be easily cooked for a fun, sugar cookie dessert dip.
Snacks on a Stick
Snack food at a party is defined by being easy to eat while mingling in a crowd. Kabobs and skewers are not only practical for a casual party as they eliminate the need for silverware, they're also entertaining to nibble on. Marinated chicken breast pieces skewered alone on a bamboo stick can be freshly grilled at intervals throughout the party if they're prepped and ready. Give your guests an unexpected treat with bits of toasted bread on appetizer picks or steamed vegetable kabobs to be drizzled with a cheese sauce kept warm in a heated pitcher rather than a traditional fondue. Grilled fruit kabobs are also an unexpected treat especially when served drizzled in honey and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Snacks to Munch
Crunchy, homemade snacks that can be munched one by one or by the handful are simple to assemble while still achieving that personal touch. Shredded cheese baked with a light herb and chopped nuts crisp up into a light chip to munch. Wonton wrappers can be stuffed with almost anything, like crab and cream cheese, Mexican corn salsa and classic pork and shrimp combinations, then fried to create fresh, crispy treats without tasting like they've spent time in a freezer. For a sweeter treat, consider a popular, powdered sugar-coated party snack known as puppy chow, which is really a square rice cereal, like Chex Mix, mixed with melted chocolate, peanut butter and a few other ingredients. Nothing tastes quite like homemade caramel corn as another crunchy party snack favorite; the kernels retain a chewy quality that complements the crunch when it's pulled from the oven.
Tags: chopped tomatoes, cream cheese, mixed with, party they, served with, snacks that, unexpected treat