Movie night at my house means a coffee table covered in snacks, and the usual snacks are chips and candy with nothing to show for them. I build the spread around a few things with real protein, like chicken nuggets, a buffalo chicken dip and sliders, then let the fries and cookies fill in around them. Everything here can be eaten with hands in the dark. Dips and anything with meat come off the table after 2 hours.
Handhelds
Chicken Nuggets
Chicken breast cut into chunks, dredged in seasoned flour and egg, then baked at 425°F or air fried until the coating crisps. Homemade nuggets are mostly chicken, which is not true of the frozen bag. I make a double batch and keep half for lunches. Cooked chicken nuggets keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, and they reheat in the air fryer in 5 minutes.
Smash Burger Sliders
Two ounce balls of ground beef smashed flat on a hot griddle, cooked 2 minutes a side with a slice of cheese, on potato slider buns. The crust is the whole reason to smash them. My rule is 3 sliders per adult and 2 per kid, which is about 6 ounces of beef for me. Pickles and mustard, nothing fancy.
Ham and Cheese Sliders
A dozen Hawaiian rolls split as 1 sheet, filled with ham and Swiss, brushed with butter and mustard and baked for 15 minutes. They pull apart in a tray, which is right for a couch. Ham gives each slider a few grams of protein, and I double the ham layer for that reason. Cover the tray with foil for the first 10 minutes so the tops do not burn.
Chicken Quesadillas
Shredded chicken and cheese between 2 tortillas, cooked in a dry pan until the outside is crisp and the cheese melts. Cut each one into 6 wedges and stack them on a plate with salsa. For protein, I use more chicken than cheese, which is the reverse of most restaurant versions. A rotisserie chicken makes 4 quesadillas.
Baked Meatballs
Beef and pork meatballs baked on a sheet pan and tossed in marinara, served with toothpicks. They are a dinner disguised as a snack. I roll them small, about 1 inch, so they are 2 bites each. A pound of meat makes 24 small meatballs.
Dips and things to scoop
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Shredded chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, ranch and cheddar baked until bubbling. The chicken is what makes this dip worth eating on a protein plan. Roasted chicken breast runs about 31 grams of protein per 100 grams by USDA numbers, and I put a full pound in a 9 inch dish. Celery sticks and tortilla chips for scooping.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Chopped spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, parmesan and mozzarella baked in a small dish for 25 minutes. My version swaps half the cream cheese for Greek yogurt, which lightens it and adds protein without changing the texture. Squeeze the spinach dry or the dip turns watery. Serve with pita chips.
Queso Blanco
White American cheese melted with a splash of milk, green chiles and jalapeno. It stays smooth as it cools, which matters for a dip that sits through a 2 hour movie. I stir in browned chorizo to make it a protein dip rather than a cheese one. Keep it in a small slow cooker on warm.
Pizza Dip
Layers of cream cheese, marinara, mozzarella and pepperoni baked until the cheese browns. Dip crusty bread or breadsticks in it. For me, the pepperoni layer gets doubled and a layer of cooked Italian sausage goes under it. It comes out of the oven in 20 minutes.
Jalapeno Popper Dip
Everything in a jalapeno popper, in a dish: cream cheese, diced jalapenos, bacon and cheddar with a panko top. Six slices of bacon crumbled through it is the right amount. I seed the jalapenos so the kids will eat it, then put sliced raw jalapeno on top for the adults. Scoop with tortilla chips.
Chili Cheese Dip
A layer of cream cheese, a can of chili or 2 cups of leftover chili, and shredded cheddar, baked for 20 minutes. Leftover turkey chili is my pick, since it brings beans and meat to a dip that is otherwise cheese. The CDC says perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours, so I put out half and keep the rest warm in the oven. Corn chips hold up better than tortilla chips here.
Chips, fries and potatoes
Chips with Salsa and Guacamole
Tortilla chips with a bowl of salsa, a bowl of guacamole and a mango salsa if there is time. Guacamole is 3 avocados, lime, salt and cilantro mashed with a fork. I add a can of black beans to the salsa so the chips carry some protein. Make the guacamole last so it stays green.
Black Bean Nachos
A sheet pan of chips layered with black beans, cheese and jalapenos, baked for 10 minutes, then topped with pico and avocado. The beans do more for protein than the cheese does, and I use 2 cans. Layer the chips in 2 levels so the bottom ones get cheese too. Eat them off the pan.
Bacon Cheese Fries
Fries baked crisp, covered with cheddar and crumbled bacon, and run under the broiler for 2 minutes. Scallions and a side of ranch finish them. My move is to use 6 slices of bacon and 1 cup of cheese for a full sheet pan. They need to be eaten in the first 10 minutes.
Air Fryer French Fries
Russets cut into sticks, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, dried, tossed in a tablespoon of oil and air fried at 400°F for about 18 minutes. The soak pulls out starch so they crisp. I shake the basket twice. Salt them the second they come out.
Baked Potato Bar
Baked potatoes split open with bowls of toppings lined up: chili, shredded chicken, cheese, bacon, sour cream and scallions. Everyone builds their own on a paper plate. The chili and chicken bowls are what make it a dinner, so I keep those biggest. Potatoes bake at 425°F for 1 hour and hold in a low oven.
Trays and platters
Hummus Platter
A big swoosh of hummus on a platter with crackers, cucumber, carrots and olives around it. Hummus is chickpeas, so it counts for protein in a way most dips do not. I thin store bought hummus with lemon juice and olive oil so it spreads. Warm pita triangles go faster than crackers.
Charcuterie and Veggie Platter
Sliced salami, cubed cheese, raw vegetables and a ranch dip on 1 board. Kids go for the salami and cheese cubes first, which suits me. Two ounces of meat and cheese per person is a fair starting point. Fill the gaps with grapes.
Fruit Tray with Yogurt Dip
Strawberries, grapes, apple slices and melon around a bowl of Greek yogurt dip. The dip is yogurt, honey and vanilla, and it is the protein on this tray. I toss apple slices in lemon juice so they stay white through the movie. Cut everything bite sized.
Veggie Crudite Platter with Dip
Carrots, cucumber, peppers, snap peas and cherry tomatoes with a dip in the middle. My dip is Greek yogurt with a ranch seasoning packet stirred in, which has more protein than sour cream dip. Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute if anyone is picky about raw. Serve it cold.
Pizza and flatbreads
BBQ Chicken Flatbreads
Naan or flatbread topped with barbecue sauce, shredded chicken, red onion and mozzarella, baked for 10 minutes at 425°F. The chicken is the point, and I pile on about 1/2 cup per flatbread. Cilantro on top after baking. Cut into strips for sharing.
Grilled Flatbread Pizza
Pizza dough stretched thin and cooked on a hot grill or grill pan, flipped once, then topped and cooked until the cheese melts. The char on the crust beats anything from a home oven. I top mine with sausage and peppers. Two minutes a side is usually enough.
Veggie Pizza
A pizza loaded with peppers, mushrooms, onion and olives over mozzarella. Vegetables alone leave it low on protein, so I add a layer of ricotta under the toppings or a few handfuls of shredded chicken. Bake it on a preheated stone or steel at 500°F. Slice it small for a snack table.
Sweet stuff
Rice Krispies Treats
Butter, marshmallows and cereal pressed into a pan. They take 10 minutes and nobody has ever turned one down. I press them lightly so they stay chewy instead of dense. Cut into 16 squares.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown butter, brown sugar and a lot of chocolate chips, chilled before baking so they spread less. Baking from chilled dough makes a thicker cookie with crisp edges. My dough goes in the freezer in balls, and a few bake fresh during the movie. Twelve minutes at 350°F.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Squares
A peanut butter layer topped with melted chocolate, set in the fridge and cut into squares. No oven, which is the appeal. Peanut butter brings a little protein to dessert, which is more than the cookies can say. I keep the squares small since they are rich.
Ingredient protein figures are based on USDA FoodData Central. How we calculate nutrition.
