Serve up a snacky dinner for a quick and easy meal that can still feel special.
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The Snacky Dinner has long been a part of our family’s food culture. I remember when our kids were all under nine years old. Yes, really. We had five children and were living in our four bedroom home in Olathe, Kansas. Winters were long, and so were Sunday nights! Football seemed to drag on all day long.
Though I was not a football fan, I decided to embrace it. That time was mine to do what I wanted. And a snacky dinner was part of that. I would lay out a tablecloth on the floor in front of the TV and the kids would picnic.
Even before children we were happy to dine on appetizers. It’s an easy meal to prepare and a great one to share with friends and family at Christmas and New Year’s. It works for my birthday lunch, a casual summer picnic, and a busy school night.
One of the perks of the Snacky Dinner is that all the picky eaters love it!
Here’s what we like to put in our snacky dinner spread:
Bread
Sliced French baguette and/or crackers
Cheese
- Two or three cheeses of different textures and intensities of flavor (such as Brie, Gruyère, and a soft herbed cheese, like Boursin) – Check these tips for making a cheese platter.
- Garlic Brie Bread
- Roasted Garlic and Baked Goat Cheese
Charcuterie
Deli-sliced ham, salami, roast beef, and/or turkey
Vegetables and Dip
- Baby carrots, celery sticks, cucumber slices, blanched green beans, zucchini spears, and/or snap peas – Check out my Easy Veggie Tray.
- Healthier Spinach Dip
- Garlic Lime Hummus
Fruits and Nuts
An array of dried and fresh fruits and nuts, such as fresh apples, grapes, figs, and clementines; dried apricots, raisins, and cranberries; and almonds and cashews
Pickles
Preserved condiments like cured olives, dill pickles, and pepperoncini.
More Meal Planning Ideas
Tell us what you think!
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Frieda
here are a few more ideas our family has liked:
oven-fried zucchini
smoked salmon cracker combinations:
1) cucumber and cream cheese on ritz cracker
2) smoked salmon with cucumber and tomato on flatbread cracker
3) smoked salmon with boursin cheese and cucumber on wheat cracker
sweet potato fries
sweet potato nacho fries (add toppings of your choice like cheese, black beans, tomato, olives, sour cream, corn, etc.)
grilled brats cut into chunks
Michelle Allen
A super easy addition is deviled eggs. If you have eggs, mustard, mayo and maybe some paprika or olives or pickles in your fridge, deviled eggs are an easy addition to a snack dinner for protein. I make mine in instant pot, the 5,5,5,5 option. 5 minutes to reach pressure, 5 minutes to cook, 5 minutes natural release, and then a quick 5 minute ice bath allows you to then peel and prepare in 30 minute window from start to finish. I’m a southern girl. This is my go to.
Jessica Fisher
Yummy! I just started deviling them for CBS potlucks. It’s a good protein that I can take that fits my eating plan. Really good with Everything Bagel seasoning on top!
Charity L.
We do what we call snackerday twice a month on Fridays with a movie. We always have pepperoni and cheddar slices with crackers, grapes, strawberries, chips, cupcakes or cookies and one other item we rotate like deviled eggs or something.
Sally
This is my meal plan over New Year’s.
Janet
We had relatives arriving yesterday at various times so it was hard to know exactly when we could have dinner. I decided to have a snacky dinner that I could get on the table quickly once everyone arrived. Our spread looked very similar to yours except our mix of cheeses were different and we added small sub rolls, sliced deli ham and roast beef and condiments (mustard and mayo).
Kirstin
That looks appetizing! Sometimes we have shrimp and cocktail sauce.
Jenni
We typically do this on Christmas for lunch. A tasty snack and a break from all the sweets!