Kitchen

[Blooming Hyacinth]

I host a gaming group once a week. Naturally, we love to snack and I've run out of ideas. Ideally, what we serve should be finger food or easily eaten snacks as we need our hands free. Tonight, we're having cream puffs, mini ham balls in barbecue sauce, peanut butter filled and plain celery, chips and whatever anybody else contributes to the party. One of the participants doesn't really care for sweets, so I try to have a variety of sweet and savory items.

In the past we've had summer sausage, cheese and crackers, little smokies in barbecue sauce, deviled eggs, M & Ms, a variety of Christmas goodies, Caramel Chex Mix, endless chips, a variety of meats with an olive on top, and cake, as well as veggies and dip.

Does anybody have any ideas or recipes that they would share? I'm sure we've had other items, but I can't think of them right now. I like to have a variety and like to offer something even if other people are providing the majority of the treats on a given night.

Thanks for any ideas you can give me.

[luvdoodles]

I like to put out nice crackers with cream cheese and red pepper jelly or hot pepper jelly. Just put out a platter with some crackers and small bowl of the cream cheese and another for the jelly. They can top as they want. Maybe a shrimp platter with cocktail sauce, but that can be a little pricey. Then there is always the bread bowl with spinach dip. That's usually a hit also. Have fun!!

[KarenQVC]

I just got the book ""Great Balls of Cheese"" from Amazon. It has 50 recipes both sweet and savory and cute design ideas for cheese balls. Check it out at Amazon if you wish. Good luck!

[chessylady]

Trader Joes has some nice fingerfood. I just tried their kale parmesan bites, very good just heat and serve. I like egg rolls with a sweet chile dipping sauce. Also mini quiche are available frozen, very yummy.

[lawsrsb91]

Bacon wrapped smokies with brown sugar is always a big hit when I make them.

[GCR18]

How about guacamole or mexican dip (layers of fresh ingredients) with tortilla chips, mini pizzas (I make my own with betty Crocker pizza mix), pigs in a blanket, mini sandwiches, deviled eggs, seafood dip (I get it made at Sam's or grocery store) with mini rye bread, onion dip and fritos. This is what happens when one decides to skip dinner.

[Blooming Hyacinth]

Thanks for all your great ideas. Tonight somebody brought a mexican dip and chips. Since I don't plan for gatherings like this a lot, it's been kind of fun to try and come up with new ideas.