Snacks, appetizers...
I don't often prepare festive appetizer platters, but during the busy holiday seasons, I end up bringing all kinds of snacks to the table. These days, I preferred not to complicate things, choosing ingredients I already had in the fridge and from my pantry. I didn't spend too much time decorating, but the flavors turned out well, and the combinations on the table are always appreciated, no matter how simply everything is prepared.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 40-60 minutes, depending on how much you have to cut and arrange
Preparation time: 40-60 minutes
Cooking/baking time: not applicable (all ingredients are already cooked or raw for salad)
Servings: variable, depending on the number of guests and how much you put of each
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type/occasion: festive appetizers for Christmas, New Year's Eve, gatherings with multiple guests
Ingredients
Adjust the quantities to the number of people. I used:
- homemade sausage
- homemade liver sausage
- homemade smoked ham
- paprika ham, homemade
- wild boar sausages from Sergiana
- Sinaia salami
- pork roll from Sergiana
- pork ham from Sergiana
- meatballs
- smoked cheese from Delaco
- Sofia cheese from Delaco
- Delaco cheese appetizers (with olives, onions, basil, tomatoes, pepper, chives, thyme)
- Secăria cheese
- stuffed eggs with pâté, mayonnaise, and egg yolk
- smoked mackerel
- beef salad
- jelly
- tomatoes
- green onions
- bell peppers
- green and black olives
Preparation Method
1. Take all the ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before you start arranging them, so they reach room temperature. The cold cuts and cheese have a better texture this way.
2. Prepare the platters or large plates where you will place the snacks. For tables with many guests, it's best to have several platters ready.
3. Slice all the cold cuts: sausage, liver sausage, smoked ham, paprika ham, sausages, salami, roll, and ham. Cut thin slices, so they are easy to pick up with a fork or by hand. For the wild boar sausages, if they are thicker, you can slice them diagonally for a nicer presentation.
4. Cut the smoked cheese, Sofia cheese, and Secăria cheese into cubes or sticks, depending on how much space you have on the platter and what textures you want to vary.
5. The Delaco cheese appetizers, if they are in cream or paste form, can be placed in small bowls or, if they come in pieces, placed directly on the platter. I alternated the flavors for variety.
6. I prepare the stuffed eggs like this: I boil the eggs hard, cool them, cut them in half, remove the yolks and mash them with pâté and a little mayonnaise, then fill them and sprinkle a bit of crushed yolk on top.
7. The smoked mackerel is cut into small pieces, easy to pick up with a fork, and placed on a corner of the platter or on a separate plate, so it doesn't pick up flavor from the other cold cuts.
8. I put the beef salad and jelly in individual bowls or on small plates, as they are served with a spoon.
9. The tomatoes and bell peppers are sliced or cut into rounds, while the green onions are just washed and cut into suitable pieces for the platter.
10. The meatballs are sliced if they are large.
11. The green and black olives are placed in small bowls, so everyone can easily serve themselves.
12. Start arranging on the platters, alternating the cold cuts with cheese and vegetables, so you have different colors and shapes. There is no need for perfect symmetry; the important thing is that it is easy to serve.
13. If you have space, add some fresh bread or salted crackers next to the platters.
Why I make this recipe often
I prepare such platters for almost any festive meal with many guests. It’s quick, doesn’t require complex cooking, and you can easily adjust the ingredients based on what you have in the fridge or the preferences of those at the table. They keep well for a few hours at room temperature, and you don’t need too much skill.
Tips and Variations
Tips
1. Take the cold cuts out of the fridge in advance for better taste and a more tender texture.
2. Cut everything into thin slices – small portions are easier to eat, and the platter looks airier.
3. Alternate colors on the platter for a more visually appealing presentation.
4. Use large platters with space between products to avoid mixing flavors.
5. You can place toothpicks next to the platters to help with serving.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have homemade sausage or liver sausage, use store-bought alternatives, but the taste won’t be as good.
- For cheeses, choose other local varieties or whatever you have on hand.
- For wild boar or pork cold cuts, any other quality salami is suitable.
- The stuffed eggs can be made with any pâté or just with yolk and mayonnaise, according to preference.
- Smoked mackerel can be replaced with another smoked fish or omitted.
Variations
- You can add other vegetables, such as cucumbers or radishes.
- If you have spreadable cheese or different types, put them in small bowls as well.
- A spicy sauce or flavored mustard can be placed at the edge of the platter.
Serving Ideas
- Arrange the platter on a wooden board for a rustic look.
- If you have children at the table, put some snacks without spices or smoked cold cuts.
- Next to the platter, keep baskets with slices of fresh bread or baguette.
- For long meals, make two identical platters, one at each end of the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much of each ingredient should I put for 10 people?
Usually, I put 4-5 small slices of each cold cut, 2-3 cubes of each cheese, and about half a stuffed egg per person. For vegetables and olives, I leave it to discretion, everyone takes as much as they want.
2. Can I prepare the platters a day in advance?
You can slice the cheeses and cold cuts a few hours in advance and keep them refrigerated, covered with foil. The stuffed eggs and beef salad can be made a day in advance. The platter should be assembled 1-2 hours before serving to avoid drying out.
3. How do I avoid mixing flavors?
Leave space between different types of cold cuts and cheeses, and if I have room, place pieces of vegetables between them. I keep the mackerel and jelly separate.
4. What is the order of arrangement on the platter?
There is no strict order, but I alternate types of meat with cheese and vegetables, so everything doesn’t look similar in one spot. I try to place items that can leak juice (tomatoes, jelly) at the edges.
Nutritional Values
Approximate values for a mixed serving (about 250 g of combined products): between 600-800 kcal, depending on the type and amount of meat and cheese.
Proteins: 25-30 g
Fats: 45-55 g
Carbohydrates: 10-25 g (mainly from vegetables and beef salad)
Values vary greatly, as the ingredients are different with each serving. The appetizers contain enough fat and salt, especially from meat and cheese.
Storage and Reheating
The platters do not store well after being on the table for a few hours. If there are untouched pieces of cold cuts or cheese, you can immediately put them in the fridge in a closed container, where they last another 1-2 days. The stuffed eggs, beef salad, and jelly are not as good after being opened. They are not reheated; they are served cold only.
These platters are practical, easy to adapt, and do not require much time or effort, but everyone can adjust the ingredients according to their preferences or what they have on hand.
Ingredients: Variable quantities depending on guests homemade sausage homemade lebar homemade smoked bacon homemade paprika ham wild boar sausages Sergiana Sinaia salami pork roll Sergiana pork ham Sergiana meatballs smoked cheese Delaco Sofia cheese Delaco cheese appetizers Delaco (with olives, onions, basil, tomatoes, pepper, chives, thyme) Secaria cheese stuffed eggs with pâté, mayonnaise, and egg yolk smoked mackerel beef salad aspic tomatoes green onions bell peppers green and black olives
