What you need are a range of hostess snack ideas to always have at hand, so you can choose from your list quickly whenever you have a get together. Try out a few of these and write your favorites down on a list.



Keep this master list with your other recipes and you'll always know where to find it when you're at a loss for what to serve.

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip: This stuff disappears fast at parties! It's best complemented by pieces of French bread, tortilla chips, crackers, or even veggies such as carrot sticks. Note: Although some variations of this recipe recommend nuts, it's safest to avoid nuts. You never know who has nut allergies.

-2 jars of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped -2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (low-fat works well, but avoid nonfat, because it won't melt well) -1 cup grated parmesan cheese -1 clove garlic, minced -1 cup mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all the above ingredients in a nice (decorative) baking dish. Bake until hot and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Don't forget to warn your guests that it's hot.

Sandwich Loaf: This is nothing new, considering it was a staple in the seventies. But it's a good luncheon main dish that never fails to impress.

-1 large loaf of good white bread -3 sandwich fillings of your choice - popular choices include ham salad, egg salad, etc., but you can also used thinly sliced deli meats and other items like this. -1/4 cup margarine, softened -2 packages cream cheese, softened -1/2 cup half and half

Trim away the crusts from the loaf so that they are rectangular in shape. Cut this horizontally into four big slices.

Butter one side of a slice of bread, then lay it face-up on the serving plate. Add the sandwich filling, spreading evenly.

Continue layering buttered bread and sandwich fillings. Combine the cream cheese and half and half to create a frosting, and frost the loaf thickly.

Add garnishes of parsley, then slice vertically to create individual servings.

Don't forget to have fun at your gathering once you serve the perfect hostess snack!