In the summer, barbecue ruled. As most activities turn toward more indoor activities. This also means that you need to plan for that as well. It's goingto help to think in terms of appetizers, but there are good ways to do it and bad ways. The bad ways are pretty much summed up by "small thinking" and "nothing fits"; you may not need a theme, but the individual pieces need to fit together and you need that one major centerpiece.
So let's assume you'll have five different pieces. You're going to want at least two vegetables, a carb, cheese, and a protein of some sort. You want as much of that to work without utensils as much as possible. This is a great time to bring out the paper plates. Keep in mind that this is going to suck for anyone on a diet as well as possibly diabetics and those on their own diets. If you can allow for them great, but otherwise forget about it.
For vegetables, the struggle is to find more interesting than the usual suspects of carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower. You may want to try some staples like sliced cucumbers, julienne bell peppers, or even whole cherry tomatoes. Olives also work well, regardless of which kind is used. Picked vegetables also work, especially if they are home-made, such pickled red onions. Edame, or soybeans, make for another great little snack. Regardless of which vegetables you go with, expect to have a lot of leftovers. Oh, and you can sneak a vegetable in if you make pico de gallo or some other salsa or guacamole, or even some hummus. Now is also a great time to try a good cole slaw.
Keep the cheeses simple, but have fun. Cheese wedges work well, especially if they are bite size. Cubed chesses are always popular, especially if at least two or three varieties are available, usually jack, cheddar, or Colby. Sliced cheeses are where you can have some real fun; any kind of sliced cheeses work as long as there are crackers or bread available.
Bringing us to the carbs. The default are crackers, as they can quickly be converted to mini-sandwiches. Water crackers are ideal, as are Ritz rounds, but saltines should be debated. Mini-loaves are another great option, as they come in a number of varieties and make sandwiches even more fun. Pita bread also works, and the pocket makes for an excellent way to cram a lot of food into a small space. Tortillas may sound perfect, but they do tend to be messy and you will need a tortilla warmer to keep them soft and pliable.
There are a lot of other options, but they should be debated. Potato and macaroni salads are some decent options.
So let's assume you'll have five different pieces. You're going to want at least two vegetables, a carb, cheese, and a protein of some sort. You want as much of that to work without utensils as much as possible. This is a great time to bring out the paper plates. Keep in mind that this is going to suck for anyone on a diet as well as possibly diabetics and those on their own diets. If you can allow for them great, but otherwise forget about it.
For vegetables, the struggle is to find more interesting than the usual suspects of carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower. You may want to try some staples like sliced cucumbers, julienne bell peppers, or even whole cherry tomatoes. Olives also work well, regardless of which kind is used. Picked vegetables also work, especially if they are home-made, such pickled red onions. Edame, or soybeans, make for another great little snack. Regardless of which vegetables you go with, expect to have a lot of leftovers. Oh, and you can sneak a vegetable in if you make pico de gallo or some other salsa or guacamole, or even some hummus. Now is also a great time to try a good cole slaw.
Keep the cheeses simple, but have fun. Cheese wedges work well, especially if they are bite size. Cubed chesses are always popular, especially if at least two or three varieties are available, usually jack, cheddar, or Colby. Sliced cheeses are where you can have some real fun; any kind of sliced cheeses work as long as there are crackers or bread available.
Bringing us to the carbs. The default are crackers, as they can quickly be converted to mini-sandwiches. Water crackers are ideal, as are Ritz rounds, but saltines should be debated. Mini-loaves are another great option, as they come in a number of varieties and make sandwiches even more fun. Pita bread also works, and the pocket makes for an excellent way to cram a lot of food into a small space. Tortillas may sound perfect, but they do tend to be messy and you will need a tortilla warmer to keep them soft and pliable.
There are a lot of other options, but they should be debated. Potato and macaroni salads are some decent options.
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