Let’s be honest, I don’t have a long history of being very good at putting together parties. For real, I forget things and fumble at the last second to pull stuff together. And I’m cooking right up until we eat…it’s seriously a problem. So, I’m trying to be more proactive for Labor Day. I just want to enjoy being with my guests and pulling together the party more efficiently is my new goal for this coming party-season. I’m starting with The Perfect Appetizer: A 10 Minute Party Platter. Seriously. I was able to pull this puppy together in 10 minutes, and it will just be ready–no hassle, while I relax.
For reals, I think the “party planning” heroes of pinterest are doing something crazy with their time–like maybe hiring a team of people to help them craft that crazy-pretty table and all the fantastic food. For me, frugal, fun and simple is best. That’s where this 10 Minute Party Platter comes-in. I love party platters and they don’t have to be hard–despite how difficult they might look…And this one? So. Stinkin. Simple. LOL!
What You Need for The Perfect Appetizer: A 10 Minute Party Platter
- Itty-Bitty Cucumbers
- Itty-Bitty Pickles
- Baby Carrots
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Chips
- Some Random Artisan Bread
- Other chips, for color
- Olives
- Other Olives (because olives are yummy)
- Pretzels (mmm…)
- Ooooh, Cherry Tomatoes
- Pickled Okra (because my husband is obsessed with it, YUCK!)
- Bell Pepper
- Sugar Snap Peas
- AND–the hero: Chobani Meze Dip
This Chobani Meze dip is so awesome, y’all. They’ve got 80% less fat AND 65% fewer calories than the leading hummus dips, are made with only natural, non-GMO ingredients, AND they’re yogurt-based. How yummy?! I mean, I used to like a good dip, don’t get me wrong, but now I really LOVE a good Chobani Meze dip. All sorts of creamy-goodness flavors, too, some that are a little spicy and some that are just plain awesome. Here’s a handy coupon you can use at Walmart, Target or Miejir to try it at your Labor Day party…(hint: it’s in the deli section…)
How to Put Together The Perfect Appetizer: A 10 Minute Party Platter
Ok, so you’ll notice that there’s only like 4 things that have to be sliced or cut or whatever for this platter. Everything else is just a “take it out of the jar or bag” kind of thing. Which, you can even buy pre-sliced stuff, but, I’ll be honest, that’s where my frugality draws a line for me. LOL!
- Cut the bell peppers, broccoli and cauliflower.
- Pull everything else out of packages/containers.
- Set everything on a gigantic platter.
- Nestle the yummilicious Chobani Meze Dip in amongst some of the things just begging to be dipped…aaaand…
- Serve.
Yeah, that easy. Honestly, the longest amount of time I spent was opening the packages, I think. And, to think, I used to cut up stuff for like a half-hour for a much smaller, much less cool, party platter! LOL! So, what do you think? Is there anything else you’d add to the The Perfect Appetizer: A 10 Minute Party Platter? Just drop me a line in the comments below–I’d love some additional ideas! LOL!
