Two whatever-you-got party snacks

These takes on classic party treats are perfect for those moments you forget there's a potluck tonight

Hey friends, and welcome back to Cool Beans! The holiday party invites are pouring in, and once upon a time I was a multicourse overachiever when it came to feeding a crowd. This year, though, I’m dialing it back. Besides, apps are the reason for the season, and everyone loves snacks. 

To make life even easier, I’m leaning on my well-stocked pantry to set me up for success—and avoid buying special ingredients I’m likely to use only once. Today I’m sharing two recipes that are quick, make-ahead-friendly, and extremely people-pleasing. Either would come in handy for last-minute guests, impromptu hosting, or bringing to that holiday potluck you forgot about. 

The review: A pantry-cleanout party mix to go nuts over

If you can’t go to Union Square Cafe, you can still go nuts for it. Credit: Gabriella Vigoreaux

Nuts are my favorite snack, and I have a terrible habit of eating 90% of the bag and then sticking the dregs in the cabinet where they go unfinished for months. Sometimes I throw together a snack mix to finish off the bits and bobs, but this time of year calls for a holiday version of this pantry purging technique: spiced nuts. These aren’t just any spiced nuts, though. These are Union Square Cafe’s bar nuts, which are widely regarded (at least on the internet) as the bar nuts. 

Of all the online riffs, I follow the recipe from Deb Perelman over at Smitten Kitchen for a couple reasons: First, she adds pretzels, and I forever have a half-eaten bag of those, too; and second, Deb’s research. Her recipe bakes for slightly longer than other versions, which helps the nuts get deliciously dried out, and has quantities that better fit a home kitchen. The absurdly simple, 20-minute recipe seasons your nuts-and-snacks-of-choice with rosemary, brown sugar, cayenne, and salt. You toast the nuts, coat ’em, and bake ’em. That’s it. 

Check out the full Smitten Kitchen recipe for the web’s favorite bar nuts 

This mix goes great at a cocktail party—perhaps alongside this cranberry-gin situation—but they’d also make a pretty great edible food gift. They keep for weeks in airtight jars, so you can have them around for whenever duty calls. Plus, any combo of nuts or even seeds should work as long as the weight’s correct, so you get to clean out your pantry in the process. 

The mix is meant to be served warm, but I can confirm that it’s just as addictive at room temperature. It’s sweet, salty, savory, and slightly spicy—aka extremely craveable. In the event that you tasted these while warm and “accidentally” ate half the tray (can’t relate!), I’ve got another recipe that might actually make it all the way to the party…

The recipe: The whatever-greens-you-got party dip 

An all-too-familiar scenario: That party you forgot about is tonight and guess what? It’s a potluck. Now you’re scrambling to figure out what to make and frantically searching the contents of your kitchen to find something to throw together. Surely there’s a rule that every good party must have at least one good dip. 

This one is a plant-based riff on a classic spinach-artichoke dip using nondairy cream cheese and a bunch of other stuff you likely already have lying around, like frozen spinach, canned artichokes, and our favorite faux-cheesy friend, nutritional yeast. It’s infinitely adaptable in terms of seasoning (personally I like to add hot sauce). It’s also a great thing to whip up with whatever extra greens are lying around, not just spinach. I know there’s Team Hot and Team Cold when it comes to this classic dip, so even though I am staunchly Team Hot, I made sure this treat works both ways. Either way, this dip + a bag of pita chips will get it done every single time. 

No dip? No party! Credit: Gabriella Vigoreaux

Any-Greens and Artichoke Dip

Yield: About 3 cups