help me with some good appetizers that are not too complicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you scrambling when HE decided?

This. Let him figure it out. He’s a grown man!

[Anonymous]

Bacon wrapped dates, deviled eggs, cheese and charcuterie board, some sort of yummy dip with bread/mini toasts

[Anonymous]

I make muhammara, which is a red pepper and walnut dip that you use with pita slices or pita chips and/or carrot sticks. It’s really good. I serve it alongside hummus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aside from having it catered, the easiest thing to do is compose vs cook.

O'Donnell's in Potomac has a wonderful crab dip. Put it in a small chafing dish with candle heat and serve with good crackers. Always gone within 10 minutes.

Cut carrots, celery, red pepper in strips. This time of year sugar snap peas are delicious. Plate per person by placing ranch dressings at the bottom of short individual cups and insert a mix of the vegetables.

Platters of sushi always goes over well. I get mine from Raku. Ask them to use multiple trays so a fresh one can be laid out as needed.

Small skewers of mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. Platter with drizzle of balsamic vinegar and decorate with basil.

The always present charcuterie board. Ridgewells does a good one.

The wine store on arlington rd in Bethesda makes great recommendations. Perhaps a rose since it's summer and a dry white. Also a themed cocktail or mocktails like cosmos. They can be mixed ahead of time and refrigerated. I'm not too familiar with cocktails but there must be suggestions from other posters.

Hire a helper to pick up during and clean up after. If you already have someone who helps you with the house, it's ideal. You just need some one who can help you replenish the platters.

You are my hero, I'm copying this so that I can save it for the future! I really like the idea of plating some of the appetizers individually. Very elegant.

THANKS PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you scrambling when HE decided?

This. Let him figure it out. He’s a grown man!

That could be a disaster and very embarrassing. It will be more work to cleanup that mess than if she planned it. I know some mean can cook and organize but so many just can’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you scrambling when HE decided?

This. Let him figure it out. He’s a grown man!

That could be a disaster and very embarrassing. It will be more work to cleanup that mess than if she planned it. I know some mean can cook and organize but so many just can’t.

This is BS. It’s weaponized incompetence. Do these men not work for a living?

[Anonymous]

Oh I forgot to say that you could also do the skewers with strawberries and mozzarella balls.
Some times I use all three on one skewer. It's a beautiful presentation and both fruits are excellent this time of year. Go to the farmers market and taste test. It makes a huge difference from grocery stores where the produce is shipped weeks ahead of time.

[Anonymous]

I love Barefoot Contessa recipes for this. Figs wrapped in prosciutto is so easy (if you can find fresh figs — might be early in the season for that). She has a make-ahead recipe for rose sangria that’s amazing (if you can chop fruit and open a bottle of wine, you can make this). When I host parties, even if it’s catered, I always throw together a cheese plate with about 3 different types of cheeses, crackers, and jam, and guests devour it.

As PPs have mentioned, Trader Joe’s has a lot of great options. If you’re in Arlington, the Italian Store makes great meat and cheese appetizer platters, but you probably won’t need something that large for 25 people.

[Anonymous]

PP here. If you can’t find fresh figs (in Ina Garten’s recipe, she roasts them to caramelize them a bit), just wrap thinly sliced prosciutto around fresh melon. Seasonal and delicious!

[Anonymous]

go to wegmans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easiest is to buy pre-cut, washed, organic carrot sticks and offer two different dips (but, as we learned from Seinfeld, no double-dipping !). Cut celery sticks also.

Small toasted breads (usually available in the deli section).

Shrimp.

Hard boiled eggs are available in the deli section of most stores.

The OP didn’t say she was serving middle aged women who hate food.

Seriously!

No one wants those hard tasteless carrots ugh.

[Anonymous]

Endive appetizers (arranged on belgian endive skewers - can do mini BLTs, or goat cheese/honey/spiced nuts)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aside from having it catered, the easiest thing to do is compose vs cook.

O'Donnell's in Potomac has a wonderful crab dip. Put it in a small chafing dish with candle heat and serve with good crackers. Always gone within 10 minutes.

Cut carrots, celery, red pepper in strips. This time of year sugar snap peas are delicious. Plate per person by placing ranch dressings at the bottom of short individual cups and insert a mix of the vegetables.

Platters of sushi always goes over well. I get mine from Raku. Ask them to use multiple trays so a fresh one can be laid out as needed.

Small skewers of mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. Platter with drizzle of balsamic vinegar and decorate with basil.

The always present charcuterie board. Ridgewells does a good one.

The wine store on arlington rd in Bethesda makes great recommendations. Perhaps a rose since it's summer and a dry white. Also a themed cocktail or mocktails like cosmos. They can be mixed ahead of time and refrigerated. I'm not too familiar with cocktails but there must be suggestions from other posters.

Hire a helper to pick up during and clean up after. If you already have someone who helps you with the house, it's ideal. You just need some one who can help you replenish the platters.

This is perfect.

[Anonymous]

If you are in DC, Each Peach Market in Mt Pleasant has delicious house made smoked trout dip and liver mousse pate that you can serve with crackers. They also have sun dried tomato pesto that is great on sliced baguette with fresh mozzarella, arugula and drizzle of balsamic glaze.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are in DC, Each Peach Market in Mt Pleasant has delicious house made smoked trout dip and liver mousse pate that you can serve with crackers. They also have sun dried tomato pesto that is great on sliced baguette with fresh mozzarella, arugula and drizzle of balsamic glaze.

I would incorporate these things into a large party charcuterie board. I’d add more cheeses, more meats, olives, some kind of salad like cucumbers and tomato, grapes, etc. Just lay it all out in a decorative way, with nice breadsticks or sliced baguette, and it will be a hit.