Alright, let me tell you about my cold party food adventure! So, last weekend, I volunteered to bring something to a friend’s get-together. The theme was casual, and my friend specifically said, “Nothing that needs heating up – cold party food only!” Challenge accepted.
First, I hit up the grocery store. I started thinking easy, you know? Like a veggie platter. But that’s kinda boring, right? I mean, it’s been done a million times before. So, I grabbed some colorful bell peppers (red, yellow, orange – gotta make it look good!), some celery, carrots, and a cucumber. For the dip, I grabbed a tub of hummus and a creamy ranch dressing. Boom, veggie platter, check!
But I couldn’t stop there. Veggies are healthy and all, but people want something a bit more exciting at a party. So, I started thinking about finger sandwiches. I picked up a loaf of Hawaiian sweet rolls because those are always a hit. For fillings, I went with ham and Swiss cheese for some, and then I made a batch of chicken salad for the others. I chopped up some cooked chicken breasts, mixed them with mayo, celery, grapes, and a little bit of mustard. That chicken salad was the real star!
Then I got to thinking about something with a bit more zing. I love a good antipasto skewer! So, I bought some cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella balls (the small ones), basil leaves, and some salami. Skewered them all together, drizzled them with a balsamic glaze, and bam! They looked fancy but were super easy to make.
presentation time! I arranged the veggie platter on a large serving dish with the hummus and ranch in small bowls on the side. The finger sandwiches I carefully layered on a different platter. And the antipasto skewers, I stuck into a block of floral foam covered in parchment paper so they would stand up nicely. I thought it looked pretty good, if I do say so myself.
At the party, everything disappeared fast! People were loving the skewers and the chicken salad sandwiches. Even the veggie platter got some love. I was so happy! My cold party food contribution was a hit. It was all pretty simple to make, didn’t require any heating up, and tasted great. Plus, it looked pretty darn good on the table. I’ll definitely be making these again!
