The $10 Mezze Platter: An Academy Awards-Inspired Recipe
Hey guys! I am THRILLED to be participating in an Academy Awards-inspired blog party with 7 of my favorite blogger friends!
I am a huge movie buff, and every year, I attempt to see as many of the Academy Awards Best Picture nominees as I can. This year, I took my hobby to the next level and teamed up with 7 other bloggers to bring you a total of 8 party-appropriate recipes – one for each of the Best Picture nominated films!
Check Out 7 Other Best Picture-Inspired Recipes:
- Birdman: Vegan Blackberry Whiskey Pie With Chocolate Pie Crust from Nellie Bellie
- Boyhood: All-Natural Texas Queso Tortilla Cups from Carpe Season
- Grand Budapest Hotel: Lemon Chantilly Cream Puffs from Femme Fraiche
- The Imitation Game: High Tea from Pickles Travel
- Selma: Alabama Firecrackers from The Honour System
- The Theory Of Everything: Boozy Nutella Milkshakes from Dining With Alice
- Whiplash: Golden Potato, Bacon, and Rosemary Pizza from Savoury Table
My Recipe: The $10 Mezze Platter, Inspired By American Sniper
Let me make one thing clear: American Sniper is not a film about food. Not in the least. But I was inspired by one scene in particular, which involved a group of people gathering over a table full of delicious-looking Middle-Eastern food.
Sticking to my cheap recipe theme, I came up with a mezze platter – a selection of dips and small bites that is often served as an appetizer course in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries – for less than $10.00.
The Menu & What I Paid
I usually have to shop around to find the cheapest food items possible, but one trip to Trader Joe’s was all it took to create this platter. Here’s what I paid:
- Picholine olives: $1.99
- Pita bread (to make homemade pita chips): $1.69
- English cucumber: $1.69
- Roasted garlic hummus: $1.99
- Greek yogurt (to make homemade tzatziki sauce): $1.69 (To make, mix one container of Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup diced cucumber, fresh garlic, and a teaspoon of red wine vinegar)
Total cost: $9.05 (not including cost of olive oil, vinegar, and garlic)
You truly don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a great appetizer platter. I’ve done this before with my $10 Cheese Plate and $10 Appetizer Spread.
Start Planning Your Oscars Party Today
Now you have an excuse to throw an Academy Awards-themed party – and you have 8 party-ready recipes to choose from. Even better, get your friends to join in and each take a recipe. This could be the greatest party of your year!
For more cheap recipe inspiration and notifications of fun blog parties like this from time to time, please follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
Love the platter, Haley! One of my favourite ways to enjoy a meal is communal style with a variety of delights like this. Thanks so much for including me in this super fun project! I’m in for next year. 🙂
Thanks for including me in this project! I had a blast! I will definitely be making your affordable platter next Sunday. This is absolutely one of my favorite types of food to graze on.
I love this! I’ve got movies to watch and food to try…. Thanks! 🙂
What a GREAT idea for a party!!
Haley. You Rock. Your platter looks phenomenal- nothing beats a Greek-esk tray of food in my mind (olives are pretty much pickles in my heart). Thank you so much for putting all your time and energy into making this happen- I would say it was a rip-roaring success and it couldn’t have happened w/o you!
The platter looks and sound delicious but being a military mom attached to the scout sniper platoon without a doubt I would have liked to have seen some recipes for “shots’ or “shooters”
Love this! It’s so nice to be reminded of great ways to host that don’t cost a ton of money. And this is definitely a great choice for American Sniper!
You had me at roasted garlic hummus. Looks absolutely delicious, and again, I’m so glad I got to be a part of this little project!
Haley, your platter looks so delicious and it’s thriftiness is also a major perk! We like to have what we call “appetizer dinner” around here once in a while, but it usually gets more of an Italian slant. I think that next time, we’ll model it off of this! Thanks so much for including me in what’s been a super fun collaboration! xoxo