Tapas are a fun way to host a party. You can have guests bring different bite-size dishes, or you can easily put together your own tapas party spread. The great thing is that many of the tapas can be made or prepped in advance, which saves a lot of time and allows you to spend more time with your guests. I also love tapas because they allow you to try different bites of things, from savory to sweet. Here are some of my favorite go-to plates.

Tapas party spread (can be modified for different party sizes)

Savory tartines
Ingredients
– Flat grainy bread, such as rye or wheat, cut into small squares
– Smoked salmon slices
– 1 log of cream cheese
– 1 cup of medley of peppers (I like to use a mix of red, yellow, and green), thinly sliced
– Olive oil, salt, pepper

Directions
1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat, and add pepper slices to pan. Sauté with sprinkle of salt and pepper until cooked and soft. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, spread a small spoonful of cream cheese on each bread square. Add a small dollop of pepper medley to each square. Top with smoked salmon, and serve on a large platter.

Sweet tartines
Ingredients
– 1 baguette, cut into slices
– 1 goat cheese log
– 1 cup of walnuts, toasted
– Honey for drizzling

Directions
1. Turn on oven broiler.
2. Slice baguette, and place on a baking tray. Place in the oven until lightly toasted and brown. (Watch to make sure you don’t burn them!)
3. While baguette is toasting, place walnuts in a hot pan over medium-high heat. Toast until lightly browned and fragrant.
4. Spread a small slice of goat cheese on each baguette slice. Drizzle with honey, and add a liberal sprinkling of walnuts to each slice. Serve on a large serving platter or tray.

Pretzel bites
Ingredients
– 2-3 sheets of puff pastry, thawed if frozen
– 2 large eggs
– 1 tablespoon water
– A couple dozen cocktail sausages, or 6 large sausages
– Kosher salt for topping
– Sesame or poppy seeds for topping
– Mustard or ketchup (for dipping)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Roll out puff pastry, and cut into strips, about 1-inch wide
3. If using large sausages, cut each sausage into small pieces, about 1.5-inches long
4. Place each sausage at the edge of a puff pastry strip, and roll so that the pastry covers the sausage like a blanket. Place on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.
5. Beat eggs with water to make your egg wash.
6. Brush sausage pastries with egg wash, and sprinkle with kosher salt and sesame/poppy seeds.
7. Bake for around 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with mustard or ketchup dipping sauces.

Charcuterie spread
Ingredients
– 2-3 sliced meats or fish
– 2-3 types of cheese wedges
– A handful of green and/or black olives
– Crackers or sliced baguette
– Your favorite mustards or chutney

Directions
1. Cut your meats or fish into individual serving slices. Assemble your slices on a large serving plate (or wooden cutting board). You can make them fancy by rolling some of the slices into mini cones or folding into triangles.
2. If your cheese aren’t already in wedges, cut into small triangles and assemble on the serving plate with your meats.
3. Place olives in a small bowl; and fan out crackers or bread slices on a small plate. Serve with meat and cheese plate, and mustards or chutney.