thread: Nibblies/snacks for girl's night in? Help!

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Taking a ride on my grdonkey :D
    2,716

    Nibblies/snacks for girl's night in? Help!

    I know I can count on you wonderful ladies to save my backside every time... I need some ideas!
    I'm having my first official girl's night in next weekend, as DH is going camping with a couple of mates. I've invited a couple of my girlfriends around for a few quiet drinks and an evening in, we will have the kids running amok so that should be interesting... no real plans other than drinks and talking wedding stuff (as one of the girls got engaged recently and we're all throwing ourselves into helping her with planning the big day).

    I just need some ideas on snacks/nibblies I can have at the ready in case we need some food to soak up the cab-sav... and all I can think of is boring old standard cupcakes! I'm going to go ahead and make them but if anybody has any ideas on how to jazz them up a little, or a recipe for some really unique ones (Rouge I'm looking in your direction!), I'd appreciate it. I'm thinking of maybe having a small variety of little bits and pieces we can snack on, maybe some homemade dip and vegie sticks/crackers, something sweet that I can have prepared beforehand (ie cupcakes/brownies etc), and... I don't know. I've never had people over for anything other than BBQs and I don't know what to do!
    I need ideas for things that I can either prepare beforehand and have sitting in the pantry/fridge ready to go, or things that can be whipped up in a few minutes.
    Any advice/ideas/recipes would be greatly appreciated!! TIA!!

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    melb
    8,498

    My fav easy snack for guests is phillideplhia cheese and sweet chilli sauce with bickies and carrot and celery sticks. Chips, shapes, pate, cheese, frozen party pies, samosa, spring rolls etc.

    Good luck and have fun

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Oct 2006
    Sydney NSW
    4,837

    French bread sticks cut up with cream cheese and smoked salmon or roast beef and half a cherry tomato.
    Spring rolls or other oven type hot finger food, at DDs 18th nuggets went down really well. We also make baby hot dogs using a dinner roll and a ****tail frankfurt.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    5,235

    Corn dip cob loaf, three layer salsa dip - very easy and yummo! Pizza scrolls made with puff pastry.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Apr 2009
    in the garden
    3,767

    I was going to say three layer salsa dip too!
    A cheese plate?
    Those frozen spinach & fetta fillo things, yuuuuummmm...

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Mar 2006
    7,046

    Fruit platter or fruit kebabs (sprinkle with cinnamon and then chuck under the grill)

    chicken wingette's or drumettes

    mini quiche

    spring rolls

    rice paper rolls

    choc dipped strawberries

    Enjoy!

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    NSW Central Coast
    5,301

    Simple sandwiches are always good. Just ham and tomato, chicken, mayo and corn....cut into little tringles with the crusts off of course! Cobb loaf dips are always yummo and pretty simple. Mini pizzas for something a bit more 'meal-ish'. Homemade mini sausage rolls or quiches. Mmmm, yum! I'm making myself hungry!

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Nov 2009
    Scottish expat living in Geelong
    5,572

    Dark chocolate and chilli cupcakes:

    100g SR Flour
    50g Cocoa Powder
    0.5 tsp Baking Powder
    1 tsp Chilli Powder
    1 tsp Cinnamon
    0.5 tsp Cardamom
    0.5 tsp Nutmeg
    100g butter
    100g sugar
    2 eggs
    1 tsp vanilla essence
    2 tablespoons milk if required

    For the topping:
    Dark chocolate
    Red fondant icing
    Green fondant icing

    cream the butter and sugar
    sift the dry ingredients together
    in a separate bowl whisk the eggs and combine with vanilla
    Blend the egg into the butter/sugar then fold in the dry ingredients, with some milk if it is too dry
    divide into cupcake wrappers and Bake for 12-15mins at 180°c.

    When the cakes are cool use the fondant icing to make mini red chillis to go on top of the cakes. Stick them to the cakes with melted dark chocolate.

    Yummy!!!

  9. #9
    Administrator
    Add Rouge on Facebook

    Jun 2003
    Ubiquity
    9,922

    Leek & Brie Tarts. Make tart bases in patty cases out of puff pastry circles (about 6cm cutter) then blind bake (stab with fork) at 200 for about 10 mins (or until puffed but not golden). Top with cooked leek mix (fry leek, garlic, salt & pepper) and then a slice of brie, put back in the oven (reduced to 180) and bake till golden and bubbly. Everyone loves these

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Taking a ride on my grdonkey :D
    2,716

    Ahh, my head is exploding with all these awesome ideas!! Thanks so much, ladies, I knew you'd save me
    Traveller... well, what can I say?! I'm LOVING this recipe, I'm off to get ingredients for it tomorrow! How perfect!

    And then to sort through the rest of these ideas and pick the ones that will suit me best... they are all wonderful, thanks again

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Nov 2006
    Atop the lookout...
    2,777

    Traveller, they sound delish!

    At a friend's recently, she made dip by mixing the dry french onion soup mix with some cream cheese (philly, maybe a tub?), and it was soo yummy! I couldn't stop eating it!

    Have a great night!

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Apr 2009
    Melbourne
    654

    great ideas already
    my fave is goergeous mini sandwiches.
    - ham mustard and cheese
    - cucumber and mayo
    - tuna and mayo
    - turkey, brie and cranberry sauce
    - lettuce, tomato and cheese
    experiment with bread too and cut of the crusts
    also i love nothing more than a plate of fresh berries with some toothpicks to stab so strawberry, blue berries, raspberries etccc
    meat balls supperrr easy go to your butcher buy some hamburgers rip them up roll into balls and pan fry to they are crispy and yummy as! also if your butcher has some thai chicken patties to the same thing

  13. #13
    BellyBelly Member

    Oct 2008
    3,132

    Cob loaf dip ... very yummy. If you need/want a good recipe, I have a great one that is always a hit.

    Bruschetta - really simple:
    Dice a red onion, 2 ripe tomatoes, stir through a teaspoon of crushed garlic, a tablespoon of good olive oil and a handful of chopped basil. Toast a french breadstick cut into 1cm thick slices and sprayed with olive oil. I am really lazy with this next bit ... I put it on the table seperately and people can come past and put their own tomato mix on the bread (so the bread doesn't go soggy) and I have a bottle of balsamic vinegar that people can drizzle over the top as well. I do this for picnics too ... really easy stuff.

    Happy partying

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Nov 2009
    Scottish expat living in Geelong
    5,572

    I am loving some of these ideas! Hope you enjoy the cupcakes, they look amazing and have a gorgeous flavour that is different to usual cakes and great for those without a full on sweet tooth

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Sep 2009
    Melbourne
    1,164

    A platter full of yummy bits and pieces to nibble.
    One of my girlfriends always brings one when we have girly nights at my place, this is what she puts on them.
    -kabana
    -salami
    -a few different dips
    -olives
    -****tail onions
    -sundried tomatoes
    -chargrilled capcicum
    -dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with rice and other yummy things)
    -carrot and celery sticks
    - wedge of brie
    -crackers
    -marinated mushrooms
    pretty much nothing to prepare, just dump it all on a platter and perhaps toast some nice turkish bread to slather with dip

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    NSW Central Coast
    5,301

    So what's the verdict??

    Hope you have a great time!