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Creating an Appetizer Bar!

An appetizer bar invites guests to create their own hors d’oeuvres, proving that you can please all of the people all of the time. It’s colorful, lively, and interactive. Not only is an appetizer bar a relatively inexpensive way to entertain, it’s easy to assemble! The best part? You get the credit for an innovative party while your guests do half the work.

This is perfect for the holiday season. Much of the menu is about presentation. Serve the dips in stemmed goblets in the center of the table, so they are easy to reach. Place the breads in baskets lined with cloth napkins at the corners of the table and the toppings in small bowls along the sides.

This method of entertaining would be perfect for an:

open house
when you want to make a splash
when you’re entertaining a diverse group – there’s freedom of choice
when you’re entertaining young people
when your guests don’t know one another – the bar draws them and gets them talking
as a prelude to a large buffet

Other thoughts… Buy rather than make the tortilla chips, the pita chips, and toast rounds. Also consider fine crackers, bagel chips, and sturdy flatbreads. Buy spreads instead of making them, check out our Deli Department for a great selection. Stick with toppings that need little or no preparation, such as artichoke quarters, cooked shrimp, sliced pepperoni, and shaved Parmesan.

Remember, having people over is a selfless act. Even if things aren’t perfect – and often precisely because, blessedly, they’re not – people appreciate your gift of time and self.

Fill your glass, mingle with guests, and relax. Cranberry Pecan Mini Goat Cheese Balls! Holiday entertaining has never been easier or more delicious! So easy to make and gorgeous too! Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s! (Can be made in advance!)

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.'”
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson