The Essential Party Snack Tray Setup

One of the most common mistakes you can make when you’re planning and hosting your own party is to fail to prepare food for your guests properly. It’s difficult to find the proper balance, store party snack platters are expensive and usually don’t provide enough or enough variety to satisfy guests, but putting out too much can overwhelm your guests and leave them too full to enjoy the main course. The next time you’re planning food arrangements for a party, keep these essential components of the perfect snack table in mind.

1.Bread/Chips and Dip – This is a mistake that way too many people make when they set out party snacks. They have a huge variety of chips or breads and dips, but these carb filled snacks will make your guests full fast, especially if you have too many. Decide early on a bread bowl (or bread chunks) and dip or one or two kinds of chips and dip or salsa and leave it at that.

2.Meats, Cheeses, and Crackers – This is another good one that people often overlook. You can usually find these platters at your local deli, but they cost a fortune. Instead of getting a few blocks of your favorite cheeses and pair it with some deli meats and crackers (club crackers work great, but watch out if you’ve already got bread or chips) and slice them yourself. It takes a little extra work, but it will look and taste better and you can keep the leftovers for snacks for yourself.

3.Salads – Nothing too special to see here, light salads like a fruit or green salad won’t sit too heavy in your guests’ stomachs. Pasta salad is alright, but only if you don’t already have a lot of chips or breads.

4.Drinks – One of the most overlooked pieces of the party snack table is providing good drinks. Try to go with something light and flavorful like a juice or punch that will compliment the rest of your snacks. Stay away from sodas, they’re (usually) sugary and caffeinated which can cause guests to crash and get tired before the party is over.

The snack table is such a small, but essential part of your party. Having good snacks available can be the difference between your guests having a good time and having a great time.