Our beautiful Grand Daughter has just got engaged to a super guy and we are planing an engagement party for them in a couple of weeks. What I want to is make and freeze some nibbles. Have you any suggestions please. I have made savories and sausage rolls but what else would freeze well. Thanks so much.

Mini muffins freeze well. But if you are having a dinner as well, keep the pre-dinner stuff light, as people won't want to eat if they are full from nibbles.

I'd do nice cheese boards with relishes or pastes, some cold meats, and leave it at that if people are eating again later.

Joy just checking, are the nibbles for a party or before dinner.
Your subject line says pre dinner and like Griz I wouldn't serve anything too heavy if it is before dinner.
Most finger food items that can be frozen do tend to be more substantial as opposed to light.

If you're ok with reheating the frozen things Id go for things like mini meatballs, prawns on sticks, dumplings, mini sausages and rice balls/croquettes HOWEVER if its pre dinner you probably dont want to fill people up too much.

I wonder what dips you can freeze? That could be a time saver especially if you made some big batches and serve it with crackers/chips/bread.

Mini savouries and sausage rolls always go down well too

Vanessa

I wouldn't do a cheese board if this is before dinner. I can't understand why kiwis have a fixation on including cheese as a pre-dinner nibble. It should be served after the main course, not before.

Thank you, Ladies for some good ideas. I just want to keep a little nibble coming out often until about 2hrs before dinner. Dips small savories, sausage rolls, mini smoked pumpkin quiche. and one sweet thing. Possible Marys sponge drops made small. The freeze idea was to try and save work on the day.

Lynette Wrote:
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> I wouldn't do a cheese board if this is before
> dinner. I can't understand why kiwis have a
> fixation on including cheese as a pre-dinner
> nibble. It should be served after the main course,
> not before.

I agree. Cheese is far too filling for a pre-dinner appetiser. I wouldn't serve sausage rolls or pastry "savouries" either for the same reason - they are more suited to a drinks party where there is no other food.

I would keep it very simple and light - olives, very thinly sliced salami, cornichons, all of them absolutely top quality. If you want to provide something a little more complex, try wrapping tinned lychees and water chestnuts in small strips of prosciutto, secure with toothpicks, grill briefly to crisp the prosciutto.

Mini lamb meatballs pre-made and frozen and then heated and served with sticks alongside a tzatziki dip
My choice for sweet: mini lemon tarts

Another idea is Prosciutto wrapped rockmelon drizzled with honey

I think its nice to have a reasonable amount of pre-dinner food on offer when people are drinking which sharpens up the appetite. We have hosted two engagement parties in the last few years and whilst the older crowd are watching their waists the younger crowd especially the men seem to have plenty of room for snacks and dinner. A couple of the things I did which were popular were shot glasses (disposable) with spicy tomato Bloody Mary topped with a hot sauteed king prawn, make the Bloody Mary the day before and you could use large chilled precooked prawns, little bread cases made the day before in mini muffin tins, fill last minute with Caesar salad, chopped small and tossed - lettuce, crispy bacon, grated Parmesan, top with a quartered cherry tomato and a little blob of creamy Ceasar dressing, and small cheese Kranskys, just throw a couple of packs in a single layer in an oven dish and cook at 180 until hot and serve on a big platter with a small pot of tomato sauce or chutney dip into, these always disappear in a flash.

Good point about pre-dinner food on offer when people are drinking, Danube. Your suggestions are making me hungry as are a lot of the other ideas posted.
Although you wouldn't want to spoil their appetites, small portions of food, that includes carbs, such as your mini bread cases and cheese Kranskys would certainly help prevent alcohol being absorbed very quickly and still leave room for dinner. Watch the sparkling wines, lovely to drink but the effect can be not so pleasant.
Have plenty of water jugs and water tumblers, too.
The Southland cheese rolls can be made ahead and frozen, they don't take long to cook even from frozen, I would suggest you cut them in half.

One other thing I made which was really easy was a batch of an old fashioned cheese ball (cream cheese, grated cheese and seasonings) made a couple of days before and stored in a plastic container. On the day roll into small balls then roll in chopped herbs, toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, chopped nuts, finely chopped bacon and chives, choose as many as you can be bothered and line up on a platter and stick a pretzel stick in each as an edible toothpick. One of my aunts cam to me laughing and said she threw away her first few sticks not realizing they were to be eaten. Very easy and people loved them, I did a couple of different things to roll in because I ran out of the bacon and chives.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2018 11:53AM by Danube.

Lots of great ideas thank you. Our engagement party is this weekend and my freezers are stuffed with tasty food all ready to be reheated. I only have the small pinwheel and club sandwiches to make and a blue cheese and cashew dip .So looking forward to it.

Have a wonderful time Joy. Would you mind sharing your Blue Cheese and Cashew Dip. If it is copyright via pm, or a website link - I just googled and can only find vegan substitute versions.
Thanks

Have sent recipe to you Irene. Hope you enjoy it.

joy Wrote:
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> Have sent recipe to you Irene. Hope you enjoy it.

Joy, I have received it, and will be definitely making it thank you. I tried replying to your PM, but it would not generate a Captcha code for me to send? Hence I am typing here. Many, many thanks for sharing