Alright, let me tell you about the last time I had folks over. It was kind of last minute, you know how it goes, and I needed some stuff people could just grab and eat while mingling. Didn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen all night. So, easy finger foods were definitely the way to go.
First up: Quick Cheesy Sausage Rolls
I always have some puff pastry in the freezer, the ready-rolled kind. It’s a lifesaver, honestly. I pulled that out first thing to let it thaw a bit on the counter.
Then, I grabbed some decent pork sausages I had. Took them out of their casings – just squeezed the meat right out. Spread the sausage meat along one edge of the pastry sheet. Didn’t make it too thick.
Next, I sprinkled a good amount of grated cheese over the sausage meat. Cheddar works fine, whatever you have really. Then I just rolled the pastry up tightly around the filling. Brushed a bit of water on the far edge to help it seal when I pressed it down.
Once I had this long sausage roll log, I sliced it into bite-sized pieces, maybe an inch thick. Put them all on a baking tray lined with parchment paper – makes cleanup way easier.
I quickly whisked an egg in a small bowl and brushed the tops of the little rolls. This gives them that nice golden colour when they bake. Popped them in the oven, followed the temperature on the pastry packet, until they were puffed up and golden brown. Took about 20 minutes I think. Super simple and people love them warm.
Next: Caprese Skewers (Almost Zero Cooking)
This one’s ridiculously easy, looks fancier than it is. I needed something fresh to balance the sausage rolls.
I went and bought:
- A punnet of cherry tomatoes
- Those little fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), the ones packed in water
- A bunch of fresh basil
- Some wooden skewers
- A bottle of balsamic glaze (the thick syrupy kind, not just vinegar)
Back home, I just washed the tomatoes and basil leaves. Drained the mozzarella balls. Then it was just assembly time. Threaded onto a skewer: one cherry tomato, then folded a basil leaf in half and threaded that on, followed by a mozzarella ball. That’s it! Repeated until I ran out of ingredients or skewers.
Arranged them nicely on a platter. Right before people arrived, I drizzled the balsamic glaze all over them. Looks great, tastes fresh, took maybe 15 minutes total?
Finally: Cream Cheese & Sweet Chili Dip with Crackers
Okay, this is the ultimate lazy but surprisingly popular one. Seriously, two ingredients for the dip.
Grabbed a block of cream cheese – the regular rectangular block kind. Took it out of the wrapper and just plonked it straight onto a serving plate. Didn’t even spread it or anything, just left it as a block.
Then I took a bottle of sweet chili sauce – the standard Thai-style stuff you get everywhere. Poured a generous amount right over the top of the cream cheese block, letting it drip down the sides.
That’s literally the entire dip preparation. Put a bunch of different crackers around the plate – water crackers, multigrain, whatever looked good. People just use a knife or a cracker to scoop up some cream cheese and chili sauce together.
So yeah, that was my setup. Sausage rolls baking while I assembled the skewers and plopped the cream cheese down. Minimal stress, minimal time stuck prepping. Everything was ready when the first guests walked in, and honestly, these simple things always disappear fast. Didn’t have to fuss about with complicated recipes, just got the basics done and it worked out great. Easy peasy.