Feeding the masses and keeping your get-togethers fun, yet innovative is a challenge but one of the exciting parts of hosting is coming up with new food ideas. Whether it be for a fun night in with the girls, a birthday party, small get together, games night, or just for a little date night, you can never go wrong with a stunning board or canape spread. The key is all about combination, variety, and ensuring you have something for everyone. This can be tricky with different tastes but keeping it as easy and simple is the best thing to do too.
Board And Canape Ideas For Your Next Get Together
Vegetable And Fruit Board
These are the easiest that you can organize, a great idea is to use a round board and place a dip such as tahini, labneh, or cream cheese in the center. Then chop vegetables horizontally or slanted and then place them surrounding the dip. You can also utilize small jars or cups, placing vegetables in there and scattering them around the table. Fruits should be cut as aesthetically as possible and depending on the fruit, layering a fruit board can be tricky but simply utilize colors and shapes when doing so. Also, the more the merrier when it comes to boards, draping grapes around anything looks good. Skewering fruit and vegetables also looks good and creates an easy to eat vibe.
Cheese And Selected Meat Board
A staple idea that is always a winner. Having a selection of cheeses, placing grapes, nuts, and seeds in between each one will create a harvest-like board. Additionally adding some plain crackers or rice cakes looks and tastes great. You can add the blocks of cheeses or cut them more finely and scatter toothpicks in the cheese. Walnuts, almonds, cranberries, raisins, and olives add to the board. Using thinly sliced meats and folding them, rolling them, and placing them across the board will look great but is needed in abundance, scattering small dip bowls of mustard and different types of mustard also adds to the look of the board. Additionally, you can use thinly sliced carpaccio drizzle with balsamic reduction and add sprigs of rocket all around, this is a definite impressor. Additions that can accompany meat boards are mini pickled onions, pickled cucumbers, and mayonnaise.
Bagel Or Cracker Board
Bread bread and more bread always. Having bread-like garlic bread or rosemary focaccia and pieces or slices scattered, layered or in small baskets is always a good idea. Additionally having spreads of olive tapenade, jams, and artichoke dip add to the flavor and look of your table overall but can be accompanied by anything mentioned above. The following can be done on bagels, wraps,or crackers, if bagels are used ensure you cut them in half or use mini bagels. Using egg salad, tuna salad or cucumber and cream cheese are staples. Of course, people also love a classic smoked salmon bagel which always goes down well. Adding a crack of black pepper and fresh lemon adds a new flavor to your bagel or cracker. If you want to take it to the next level a great idea is freshly sliced mozzarella di bufala, a basil leaf, half a cherry tomato,and a drizzle of balsamic. Avocado can also be added to the combination. Or a guacamole