Hosting a drinks and nibbles party is a brilliant way to bring people together without spending a small fortune on food. You can put together quite a spread when you are focusing on snacks and some of the best recipes are designed to be shared. All you need are a few quick recipes that look like you have spent the day in the kitchen to impress your guests and you can focus on mingling for the rest of the night. 

So, here are a few ideas to consider.

Crackers and Dips

Crackers and dips are always easy to make and the best hummus recipe can be found on this site: themediterraneandish.com. The best thing about dips are that you can make them ahead quite easily and most grocery stores offer a range of delicious ready-made dips. It’s really easy to make any dip look homemade with a garnish or a flourish of salt and oil. 

Again, there are lots of cracker recipes that you can whip up at short notice. If you want to continue with a rustic approach, don’t bother with a cutter – sometimes the easy route is also the best way to look effortlessly chic! 

Picks and Skewers

Some of the best nibbles come on picks and skewers and, if you have dips on the side too, you can make a handsome spread. Favorite combinations such as mozzarella and tomato and smoked salmon and cucumber always work but you could push the boat out too. Shrimp, satay chicken skewers and large olives all do a lot with a little. 

When serving picks and skewers, make sure that you have another separate plate for people to put their empty skewers down on. You might also like to put some strategically placed napkins around – especially if there is a lot of sticky sauce! 

Cheese and Wine 

The classic drinks and nibbles party is, of course, cheese and wine. Whatever the reason – or excuse – for your party, cheese and wine always works because the two go together so perfectly and can be surprisingly filling. And, if your friends are willing to get involved, you can have quite a feast without spending a fortune.

Choose a variety of wines to serve your guests and encourage them to bring a bottle or two as well. A few different kinds of cheese are also called for as each wine will complement a different cheese. In fact, it might be worth putting out small glasses so that you can all try a bit of each wine and a bit of each cheese. 

When you are hosting a drinks and nibbles party, you can either circulate with platters and move around the group or set up a table so that people can help themselves. The advantage of moving around with platters is that you can create a sense of different courses, topped off with a final sweet nibble. The advantage of putting out a table is that you don’t need to make quite so much effort! Whatever you choose to do, enjoy yourself!