The Crafty Way To Stretch Out An Appetizer Spread Without Anyone Noticing

Let's be honest, appetizers are the best part of any meal. Mini-everything at a wedding cocktail hour? Creative finger foods anywhere from a gallery party to a barbecue? Yes, please. They're cute, they're delicious, they're one- or two-bite worlds of flavor, and we can try a whole bunch of different things.

Things get decidedly less "cute," though, when we're the ones who have to supply the appetizers. Yes, we want to dazzle our dinner-party guests with a mouthwatering spread while they mingle. But no, we don't want to shell out an obscene amount of money on five different ingredients for five different appetizers times six or eight or even more guests; and no, we don't want to spend 24 hours straight in the kitchen making and assembling it all. Entertaining is only worthwhile if we can actually enjoy our guests' company and the food, too, right?

So for the next get-together you throw, stretch your apps out with bread. Make less of an appetizer without anyone noticing by spooning a bit less of it onto each individual mini toast or toasted baguette slice. Turn a meat or fish bite into a slider. Fussily arranged hors d'oeuvres quickly take a backseat to a tasty dip with breadsticks or pita pieces. A little carby backbone makes any appetizer more substantial, so guests both think there's still a ton of food and they'll also fill up faster and need fewer canapés. You'll save time and money, and no one will be the wiser.

In addition to this brilliant bread hack, don't forget the rule for calculating the actual amount of appetizers your party needs. You want to start by not planning too many different apps, as that will also, of course, stretch your wallet and your time. Instead, focus on — depending on your guest count — a handful of dishes and making them as tasty as can be with high-quality ingredients.

Remember "bread" can be anything under the grain-based sun, from mini toasts to breadsticks to crackers to tortilla chips, especially for dips. Make a cheeseburger dip and serve it with slices of toasted pretzel bread. Serve a party-pleasing taco dip with tortilla chips, a whipped feta dip with pita pieces, or a smoked trout dip with mini rye bread slices. With dips, too, your appetizer-spreading device doesn't have to be just bread, since you can add on some raw veggies as crudités. You can even take a dessert-y approach with caramel pecan cheesecake dip, perfect for fruit, graham crackers, and biscotti. Consider other apps and how you can "bread-spread-ify" them. Deviled eggs? How about deviled egg salad with Triscuits? Caprese salad? Chop those tomatoes and mozzarella pieces small and skewer them with cubes of foccaccia. Make crab cakes for a crowd by cutting smaller pieces and serving them as sliders. Any apps you love, think a bit tinier and add bread — everyone will be happy.