With this summer heat, do you find yourself looking for the easiest, tastiest, and most fun way to get dinner on the table tonight? Something that you and the rest of the family will eat and enjoy?
The answer lies in snacks. Yes, snacks.
Gather up all the fresh fruit, veggies, crackers, breads, cheeses, meats, spreads, and dips that you’ve got lying around your kitchen, throw them all onto a big ol’ platter, and go to town on these endless snacking possibilities. A little creativity and some clever combinations will get you a lot farther than you think.
The best part? No utensils required.
Do you plan, shop for and partially prep the coming week’s dinners Sunday night?
Do you anxiously await coming home from work to cook your luxurious dinner?
Or do you drags your feet home after a long, strenuous day, desperately wanting to fall to your knees and lift your arms up to the dinner gods in the hopes that they will send you something delicious for you to eat on your couch?
If you’re the kind of person who lacks patience or energy to come home and whip up an impressive dinner (even if it’s on the sheet pan, or only requires one dish) every night, then you are the perfect candidate for the snack dinner.
A snack dinner is the ultimate solution for dinner that doesn’t sacrifice good food.The beauty of a snack dinner is customization and itrequires barely any preparation or prolonged commitment. Assemble a gathering of your favorite dips, spreads, butters, fruits, veggies, toasts, nuts, cheeses, meats, and pickles. If you can snack it, you can have it!
Assemble all your components on anything, it could be a fancy platter or a paper plate.Gather a variety of components to complete your snack dinner, you get the best of all worlds. A little bit of this and a little bit of that, and before you know it, you’ve just consumed the most diverse dinner full of unexpected combinations . Another plus to this dinner is that it’s super kid-friendly.Kids love this fun, build-your-own style supper.
Start with some baseline dips that will serve as a hearty foundation for this dinner. Black bean hummus, tzatziki, guacamole, or a yogurt-tahini sauce. Fresh, flavorful dips like these taste good with just about everything. Add to this plenty of freshly cut veggies and fruit, and maybe some crackers or crusty bread for a starchier bite.
A crucial component to the snack dinner is cheese—use whatever cheese you have on hand, from sharp cheddar, to soft goat or Brie cheese. If you want to make it more “upscale” add some charcuterie to pair with the cheese. You can even toss in a handful of nuts and/or your favorite nut butter.
To add a touch of sweetness to this easy dinner see if you have some jam, chutney, or honey in your larder a little bit of one of these will go a long way.
All in all, this should not be a dinner that you’re planning/shopping for in advance and breaking the bank for the finest and most well-coordinated components. While a fancy, intentionally curated cheese board is great if you’re hosting a party, the snack dinner is all about making use of the odds and ends you already have, and that you know you like to eat. Throw it all together, don’t bother with plates or utensil, and start munching.
Hayseeds Creative 