Summer Party Planner

Enough to feed an army or just a group of friends? How much food do you need for an appetizer party? 

• Plan on an average of 3 to 4 appetizers per person per hour of your party. (Of course, this depends on the ratio of men/women/teens.) 
• For a general guide to purchasing food, use the chart below.

Party Tips 

• Do as much prep ahead of time as possible. 
• Gather serving dishes a couple of days ahead, and look for fun ways to present the food. 
• Use a pedestal cake plate for serving roll-ups, small bites or cheese balls.
• Use marble or granite tiles purchased from a floor company for fun party platters, or create your own.
• Use cocktail glasses to serve dips and sauces for appetizers.
• Take some help from the grocery or specialty store. 
• Purchase already cleaned and cut up vegetables for a vegetable platter. 
• Look for a variety of canape bases packages of toasted crostini slices, crackers, pita chips or cocktail breads, and pair them with purchased toppings, such as eggplant spread, olive or roasted pepper tepenade. 
• Offer a variety of hot and cold appetizers, with lots of variety of colors and textures. 
• Serve food that is easy to eat, especially if guests will be standing or holding plates in their laps.