Quarantine Dinner Idea: At Home Family Tapas

One of my favourite ways to feed my family is via a format we affectionately refer to as the Parisian picnic platter, which is nothing more than a large plate filled with several small bites of a lot of different things. The food is chopped into pop-in-your-mouth-pieces, and usually includes a balanced selection of protein, grains, fruits and vegetables, with a little treat for a sweet finish to the meal.

It turns out this style of eating works out well for all ages and it’s fun and easy to do when you’re having nightly movie marathons. Only, for families who prefer to spread out rather than gathering around one spot, or for especially little ones, the platter may not be the best fit.

But! When you apply the same concept to small dishes, divided plates or muffin tins and ice cubes trays for toddlers, and fill the small spaces with an assortment of bite-sized foods, it becomes a fun way to serve a healthy dose of nibbles to everyone.

While I’m hesitant to make foods too cutesy or into funky shapes and cutouts, I do like the idea of offering lots of small bites of several different things.

Here is a selection of foods that would work well in ‘tapas-style’:

• Meatballs (we love these Pizza Meatballs)
• Cheese & crackers
• Fresh fruits, like blueberries, strawberries, sliced apples and oranges
• Dried fruits like apricots or banana chips
• Cut up veggies
• Fresh, homemade bread
• Savoury muffins, like these delicious cheese and zucchini ones
• Chicken and cheese quesadillas
• Sliced meats
• Nuts, like cashews, pistachios, almonds

I’m sure your own dishes and tins would look a little different, so I’d love to know if you’d ever serve your family a tapas-style meal, and if so, what would be in it?