Pantry Prep
8 versatile foods that can go the distance when a crowd drops byCheese
- Parmigiano-Reggiano can be chunked up and served with fruit.
- Creamy blue cheese can be made into dip.
- Shredded cheeses can be melted into quesadillas.
- If you've got bread and vegetables for dipping, make fondue.
Got more time?
- Make frico (shredded parmesan wafers) to serve with green salad.
- Use packaged puff pastry to make cheese straws.
Crackers
- Top basic crackers with anything from a cube of cheese to a slice of fruit.
- Water crackers, especially the flavored ones, go well with anything from liverwurst and onions to pate.
Got more time?
- Microwave a mixture of butter and dried herbs (like Herbes de Provence) in the microwave, brush it onto the crackers, and bake the crackers in a low oven till golden-brown for an extra layer of flavor.
Olives
- For a festive spread, stop by your local specialty foods store and grab some pickled onions, red peppers and peperoncini.
Got more time?
- Pit and stuff olives with sausage, then roll in flour and fry for a delicious and filling cocktail snack.
Mayonnaise
- Mayo can be combined with most things you'll find in your fridge to. make dip.
- Spread on white bread or toast points to make tea sandwiches. Just add cucumbers, smoked fish or thinly-sliced cold cuts.
Got more time?
- Use frozen chopped spinach to make a spinach dip the night before your party. Bake it in the oven until it's golden brown and puffy.
Sour cream:
- For an instant meal, bake potatoes - or make potato skins -- and top them with sour cream, olives, shredded cheese or bacon.
- Mix sour cream with mayo and other ingredients such as scallions, hot sauce or jarred artichoke hearts for a decadent dip.
Got more time?
- Make a sour cream pound cake the night before a party. Slice and drizzle it with honey, jam or maple syrup.
Canned fish:
- Cans of oil-packed tuna, clams, or smoked oysters can be made into dips for vegetables or spreads for bruschetta.
Got more time?
- Make linguine with clam sauce using canned clams, garlic, leafy greens such as spinach and olive oil.
Nuts:
- Serve smoked almonds with cocktails, or honey-roasted peanuts with beer.
- For exceptional flavor, toast them in a skillet before serving.
Got more time?
- Buy an assortment of mixed nuts and toss them with your favorite spice blend, or glaze them in the oven.
Bread:
- If your good bread goes stale before you can finish it, slice it, wrap it well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze it. It can be heated up in the oven, or toasted straight from the freezer for crostini.
- Sliced white bread can also be frozen and used for toast points to serve with a canned-fish dip.
Got more time?
- Set up a bread pudding the night before a party. Tear good bread into chunks and soak in an egg custard with fruit, chocolate, or vanilla. When you're ready to serve, bake for half an hour.
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