As much as I love hanging out in the kitchen and cooking up a storm, when it comes to eating, I’m a nibbler. I’ll take small, simple quick-bites over a lavish meal any day. Mezze, tapas, antipasti, appetizers, yes please!
On an average day, though, nothing beats a totally killer classic like crackers and cheese, ammirite?
Actually, crackers are the perfect vehicle for delivering all sorts of deliciousness into my greedy mouth.
Depending on the cracker, of course.
Raise your hand if you’ve known the struggle of your meticulously constructed cracker-mobile turning to tasteless sawdust as you chew.
So, what makes a great cracker?
I like mine crisp, buttery, and generously flecked with salt, which means I can never go wrong with Peek Freans ButterPuff. Local, delicious, and definitely a pantry staple at my place.
When I’m on mommy-duty, which is pretty much 24/7, my snacks need to be speedy and fuss-free. Two toddlers doesn’t give me a lot of time to get fancy, so plain crackers and slices of processed-to-death cheese will have to do. But when I’m having a bunch of friends over for a gossipy game night, I like to up my cracker game…a touch.
I stick to my no-hassle policy, though. Entertaining should be enjoyable, not exhausting.
Also, to save myself some work and keep things casual, I lean towards munchies that have a DIY element. There’s something about scooping and spreading stuff onto a cracker that brings people closer and eases up conversation immediately.
Maybe it’s the shared the embarrassment of being gluttons and getting caught piling your crackers sky high?
Who knows?
Whatever it is, I like it.
To create that kind of camaraderie without expending insane amounts of energy, I love going Greek with some feta spread, cucumbers, fresh mint, and Peek Freans ButterPuff Veggie Crackers.
Six ingredients, zero cooking and under 5 minutes of prep time; ladies and gentleman, we have a winner!
With the creamy tang of feta cheese, a zippy kick of garlic, a squeeze of lemon, the cool freshness of cucumber and mint, and light, savory crackers, these bite-sized beauties are a super simple and summery mouthful of all my favorite Mediterranean flavors.
It’s never been easier to beat the heat and entertain like a boss.
For more ideas, inspiration, and recipes to up your cracker game, check out #14WaysToButterPuff.
ButterPuff Goes Greek: Feta Spread with Cucumbers & Mint on Veggie Crackers
INGREDIENTS
2 cups feta cheese
1-2 cloves garlic
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh mint leaves + extra for garnish
1-2 cucumbers, sliced or whole
Peek Freans ButterPuff Veggie Crackers
DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, combine feta, garlic, lemon juice and mint. Whizz until
mint is finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the mint and
mince the garlic by hand and just mix it really well with the rest of the ingredients.
A couple of tips on the spread: First, I’m a garlic fiend and I love the zing of lemon, but feel free to adjust the amount of garlic and lemon juice that goes into your spread. Second, you can make this spread up to three days in advance. The longer the spread chills, the better and brighter the flavors. Finally, ALWAYS make extra. Just trust me. If you’re tempted to halve the quantity or whatever because you don’t want to waste it, there won’t be any leftovers so stop worrying your pretty little head. Again, just trust me.
Also, I like to leave my cucumbers whole. It keeps them crunchy and adds
another way for guests to customize their crackers, but you could always slice
them up beforehand.
Arrange the crackers, spread, cucumbers, and fresh mint leaves on a fun plate
or platter, serve, and let the games begin!
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