One of the big problems with being able to have a spontaneous gathering is that we typically don’t keep our entertaining food in the house. And for good reason, it is so sad to buy a beautiful piece of cheese or some fancy crackers just to have them rot or go stale. But…there are a few things I always keep hanging around that I actually use as regular recipe rotation items and can be dressed up to make an occasion feel special. I don’t usually have all of these in my fridge at the same time, but if I have a handful of them in each weeks grocery, I can keep something around for that spontaneous last min gathering.
Just a quick note, Lots of these things are Trader Joes items (as that’s one of my fav places to shop, I mean who doesn’t love TJ’s?) but you can find very similar items at most grocery stores as well.
Here is my round up of Favorite entertaining staples that I use every day!
1.Trader Joes Turkey Summer Sausage. If you haven’t tried this summer sausage yet, you really should, it is lean and full of flavor and an excellent paring with a Toscano cheese or camembert wedge.
Make it a meal by dicing up the summer sausage with some shredded Broccoli and kale salad, there is a great pre-bagged one that comes with dried cherries, nuts and a sweet dressing that is super yummy. You can give the salad a little extra boost with some goat (or Blue) cheese and avocado!
2. Goat Cheese + honey + pistachios: Speaking of goat cheese, a quick and easy appetizer is to drizzle some honey and chopped up pistachios over a log of goat cheese! Serve with multigrain crackers or any of the trader joes cracker options! I keep the multigrain stocked because they are my 2 year old’s favorite cracker. While I will often buy crumbled goat cheese for salads it’s just as easy to buy the log and crumble it up yourself if you don’t end up using it for a happy hour snack, and if you have already sliced off a little bit to crumble no one will know its not a full log. Pistachios also make a great addition to a salad or as a little snack in the afternoon. If you are avoiding them for their high fat content, you can always swap out for toasted almond slices.
Bonus Tip: OH did you know you can microwave almond slivers on a plate to toast them? It’s easy! Take about 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of sliced or slivered almonds and spread them in a thin layer on a ceramic (microwave safe) plate. Microwave for about 1 min then stir lightly and microwave another 30 seconds until they reach the your desired toastiness!.
3.Trader Joes Unexpected Cheddar Spread: Ok if you haven’t tried this cheese spread yet, stop reading and go straight to trader joes, do not pass go! This cheese spread is truly worthy! It has wonderful flavor, and a smooth creamy spreadable texture and doesn’t taste like the “processed cheese product” of our lunchable youth! Nope this is the real deal! Some people might be hesitant to put out a cheese spread for an appetizer, and I can see where you are coming from, but let me assure you this cream cheesy goodness does not disappoint! For a more formal evening you can always transfer it to a cute dish, but with family or friends, the tub will do!
Make it a Meal: I feel like this is the first mom hack I have invented, and yes while it is not the most healthy option, it works in a pinch. lets call it my healthy-ish quick and easy Mac and cheese. Ok here it is…. make up some Banza chickpea Pasta Noodles ( which have almost 20grams of protein per serving!) and scoop a heaping dollop (depending on how much pasta you have made) of the cheese spread into the warm noodles after you have drained them. Mix and serve! My picky toddler really does not like to eat animal proteins at the moment so this has been my ace in the hole when I need a quick and easy meal with a little protein boost for the kiddo. Sprinkling some of the shredded unexpected cheddar really adds to the yummy flavor and creamy texture too. It also goes great with some broccoli or green beans to round out the meal.
4.Boursain cheese – Have you seen the viral tic toc easy baked feta pasta recipe?! It’s delicious and we highly recommend it. AND It is also very tasty and creamy with Boursin cheese instead of Feta. I love this because the Boursin cheese is so easy to serve. Unwrap and pop it on a plate with some crackers and a sprig of rosemary (for garnish)!
5.Apples + Honey – Yup a simple sliced apple on a wooden cutting board with a little cup of honey for dipping make a lovely little appetizer. Again don’t forget to garnish! You can make it feel a little fancier with sprig of rosemary, or a little pile of pistachios. I always keep apples in the house as they are one of my favorite snacking fruits, but they also make a great lunch if you pair it with some nut butter or nut butter toast (apples and pb, apples and honey,)
Other pantry staples that are good for entertaining and I just keep around anyway:
Trader Joes Dolmas: These make a super tasty light lunch but you can also throw them on a cute plate with a few nuts and some cheese to have a heartier appetizer or snack with company.
Greek Snacking Chickpeas: I hadn’t seen these before and I’ve just picked up a can to try…Will let you know when i do. This is also something fun to do with friends. “I’ve just found this new thing at Trader Joes, want to try it?”
Nuts: Every good charcuterie has a few nuts sprinkled on it, and there are just so many options out there. My go tos are usually Smokehouse almonds, pistachios, or the truffle marconna almonds. For something on the sweet side the Coconut almonds from trader joes (The blue bag pictured here) are totally addicting! I would keep them stocked, but we eat them too fast 😛
Dried Fruit: There are so many lovely options to choose from here, dried Mandarins, Baby Bananas, Persimmons, Passion fruit, Mango, or the always classic Apricot! These can be seasonal and totally depend on your tastes. I’ve always got a bag of Michigan cherries around personally, but I love all the ones I’ve listed, if you haven’t tried them, give them a little consideration. The best part about dried fruit is it keeps and things like cherries and mandarins can really spice up a salad!
Chocolate – Chocolate is always a welcome thing, especially with a little red wine. Try brownie brittle, or dark chocolate bars. What ever it’s form, a little chocolate alongside some cheese can really add a little pizazz to your plate!
Wine– Its nice to be able to quickly grab and open a decent but not too expensive bottle of wine for a relaxed get together. Red, White, Rose, Prosecco, whatever you like. For entertaining, red is always easiest because it doesn’t have to be chilled, but white can be chilled quickly in the freezer. Hack – wrap it in a wet paper towel and pop it in the freezer for 20min, it will be just about right! If you have the fridge space you can always keep a split of prosecco for a quick and easy celebratory toast. Trader Joes has some lovely wines and they can differ depending on the region. Tip! ask if their wine/beer person is in and can recommend something that is to your taste and budget 🙂
Hopefully you are feeling inspired to spontaneously invite a friend over for wine and cheese, or at least have a few ideas for how to make summer social gatherings a little less stressful! Give these a try and let us know what you think in the comments, Cheers!