Taste of Home Taste of Home - Taste of Home Appetizers & Small Plates: 201 Enticing Ideas For Perfect Parties

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So you can rest assured that these tasty tidbits will be a success every time. Youll also find make-ahead preparation tips, practical pointers for keeping party food hot or cold, helpful hints for serving appetizers, time-saving tips, clear instructions, full-color photos and much more. So turn to Taste of Home 201 Appetizers & Small Plates for an abundance of appealing A-list hors doeuvresand make your next party a celebration of flavor! Serving Up Appetizers Whenever you offer friends and family appetizers or snacks, you invite them to get comfortable and share time with you and other guests. Appetizers can be simple such as dip with chips for a casual night of TV watching, heartier fare like sandwiches and pizza for Sunday football, a first course in a festive dinner, snacks for a large group at an open house, or the main meal for a special occasion. Party Planning Whether simple or fancy, savory or sweet, hot or cold, appetizers offer versatility and variety when entertaining. And as an added benefit, many appetizers can be made ahead of timesome even weeks in advance and then frozenso you can be ready for guests at a moments notice or relaxed when party time arrives.

When planning which appetizers to serve, dont overdo it. Its better to prepare a few good choices than to stress over making a lot of items. Start with one spectacular appetizer and then complete your menu with additional easy but delicious foods and beverages. Choose from an assortment of hot, cold and room temperature foods. Select recipes that offer a variety of colors, textures (soft and crunchy) and flavors (sour, salty, savory, sweet, spicy or subtle). Mix in one or two lighter options to cater to guests concerned about calories or fat.

Look for appetizers that make a nice presentation with no last-minute fussing. Tips to make your guests comfortable Simple touches can enhance the comfort of your guests. Here are a few ideas to make your party even more enjoyable: Have music in the background to set the mood and still allow conversation to take place at a normal tone. Have chairs for people to sit and place them in seating arrangements to encourage conversation. If you want your guests to use coasters, have plenty of them available and place them in noticeable locations. Have small tables and open surfaces on other furniture, where guests may set down their glasses or plates.

Have an open floor plan so guests can easily walk from one room to the next. Consider stowing away pieces of furniture that are in the way. Place trash containers strategically around the area to prevent clutter from building up. How Much to Serve The number of appetizers per person varies according to the length of the party, the number of guests and the other items on the menu. FOR A SOCIAL HOUR before dinner, plan on serving three or four different appetizers and allow four to five pieces per person. FOR AN OPEN-HOUSE AFFAIR, plan on serving four to five different appetizers and allow four to six pieces per person per hour.

FOR AN APPETIZER BUFFET that is offered in place of a meal, plan on serving six to eight different appetizers and allow 10 to 14 pieces per person. FOR LARGER GROUPS, offer more types of appetizers. For eight guests, three types may be sufficient, 16 guests, about four to five types, and for 25 guests, six to eight types. The more variety you serve, the fewer servings of each type youll need.

Here are some guidelines to estimate how much youll need per person. The greater the variety of appetizers you serve, the fewer of each type you will need. Appetizers 3 tablespoons dip 2 ounces cheese 3 to 4 cocktail wieners 1 to 2 ounces deli meat 3 tablespoons spread 2 to 4 small egg rolls 3 to 4 meatballs 1 to 2 slices pizza 2 to 4 miniature quiches Beverages (per hour) In warm weather, you may wish to have additional chilled beverages 1 to 2 cups soda, water or iced tea 6 ounces juice 1 to 2 bottles beer 1/2 (750ml) bottle wine 3/4 cup hot coffee or tea 1/2 cup punch Miscellaneous 1 to 2 ounces chips 4 crackers 4 fruit or vegetable dippers 1/2 ounce mixed nuts 3 to 4 pickle slices or 1 pickle spear 3 to 4 olives 1 to 2 small rolls 3 to 4 ounces ice for beverages