When did having a crowd pleasing staple turn into an adult right of passage? Bridal Showers, Holiday get-togethers, Girls Nights, the list goes on. The call or text goes out, everyone is asked to bring something. “Great, no problem” suddenly becomes an hour on Pinterest realizing that 20 people may all be looking at the same caprese bites. If you’ve been in this situation, or want to avoid this situation, then feel free to steal these crowd pleasing recipes! The best part? Zero cooking involved, that’s right, it’s all assembly. My two suggestions are tried and true. Word to the wise; while yes, these suggestions never fail, keep in mind that presentation is everything!

Costco Shrimp Cocktail

Here are my steps that elevate this store bought wonder:

1. Skip the cocktail sauce that Costco provides - feel free to throw that away

2. Make Ina Garten’s (Queen) Cocktail Sauce (if you’ve never made this before please do yourself a favor. Follow the instructions exactly. If you prefer yours on the spicier side simply add more horseradish Recipe Here

3. Grab 2-3 lemons per tray and cut into wedges

4. Store bought ice (this matters, if your ice machine at home has that classic wedge shaped ice then your display will look homemade- we’re going for gasps here people! It’s the little details that make the big difference, so please do not cut corners

5. Pick your bowl. Below are some beautiful options that are great for any items that have a dip

6. Like any great event display of shrimp cocktail, mix the lemon wedges and ice throughout and not just under the shrimp. This creates an impressive, abundant look but also keeps the shrimp ice cold throughout your event

7. Don’t forget the tongs

Shop These Bowl Options Here:

Red Pepper Jelly Cream Cheese Log

If you are not familiar with these ingredients, I’m begging you to try them! I am a major Stonewall Kitchen fan! I kid you not, our wedding favors were personalized Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Jams for our wedding in Maine AKA the Maine Event, I digress. You get the picture. Red Pepper Jelly and Hot Pepper Jelly are 10/10. I have tried other brands and am always surprised with how sugary or lackluster they are in comparison.

1. Take a package of 8 ounces of cream cheese and place centered on a platter

2. Surround platter with crackers or if your platter is not large enough use a coordinating bowl for the crackers, I like the kind shown below

3. 10-15 mins before guests arrive empty the entire jar of pepper jelly on top of the cream cheese. As it comes to room temperature it will ease over the entire log. Keep in mind that if the jar has not come to room temperature you can always microwave the pepper jelly in a pinch.

I cannot stress enough how versatile these two dishes are for any type of gathering. I have been to a party that was “Bring whatever you like” style with 15 people. I brought both of these dishes and ended up being the only person to bring a savory dish! That’s right, it was a buffet of donuts, cupcakes, etc. Needless to say: my dishes got wiped out.

Keep these dishes in mind next time its your turn to wow at the potluck gathering!