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    Home » Blog » Meal Planning

    Easy Nora Fleming Party Menus

    Published: Aug 4, 2017 · Modified: Oct 28, 2021 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Nora Fleming platters and minis make entertaining easy all year round. Learn how to plan a simple summer party menu and then use the same serveware over and over again for everything from festive Halloween, Christmas, and Spring parties to birthday celebrations, Mother's Day and more events later in the year.

    A table is set with multiple Nora Fleming platters with summer themed minis for a summer party.

    Celebrating the holidays throughout the year with my family is one of my very favorite things in the world.

    I'm always on the lookout for simple items to help bring a little festive flair to our table because I remember how much that meant to me when I was a kid and my mom did it for us.

    Several years ago, I discovered my all-time favorite holiday tableware: the Nora Fleming collection of platters and swappable mini pieces.

    I've been collecting the pieces ever since and you'll often find them in my cookbooks and recipe photos all over my site.

    If you're looking for an excellent gift idea for yourself or for the party planner you love, I wanted to share how I use these fantastic dishes to serve tasty treats for my family all year round.

    Jump to:
    • How to Use Nora Fleming Platters & Minis
    • Party Menu Planning Tips
    • Simple Summer Party Menu
    • Simple Halloween Party Menu
    • Simple Christmas Party Menu
    • Simple Spring Party Menu
    • 💬 Comments

    How to Use Nora Fleming Platters & Minis

    There are two main pieces to a Nora Fleming serveware piece:

    1. The Base: Platters, bowls, dishes, cake stands, and more come in a variety of options from ceramic, to wood, to melamine. Each one has a tiny hole somewhere on the rim of the piece.
    2. The Mini: Collectable ceramic accent pieces called "minis" are sold separately and come in designs that you can mix and match for holidays and seasons all year round. Each mini has a small, clear silicone post that is inserted in the hole on the base. You can swap the mini and use the same platter throughout the year and it will look like a custom holiday platter:
    Easy recipes for festive entertaining all year long.

    My favorite part about using a Nora Fleming platter to serve food for a party or family gathering is how EASY it makes the most simple foods look special.

    I can pile easy foods like fresh fruit and veggies, simple dips, or tasty treats I bought from the grocery store look extra special with a little festive mini on the side.

    To get you started with easy party menus you can use on your own Nora Fleming collection, I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to fill my platters for a party.

    Party Menu Planning Tips

    I tried to create each party menu with items you can pick up last-minute from the grocery store.

    Each menu has a mix of salty, sweet, fresh & fruity, and crunchy crispy flavors. The perfect balance between healthy options and special party treats.

    If you think about planning your menu that way, imagine how easy it would be to swap it out for all the other seasons of the year!

    Simple Summer Party Menu

    Want to plan a simple get together in the summer? For a backyard party or a gorgeous evening on the patio with your family, it takes just a minute to put out these simple nibbles.

    Nothing on this list took more effort than chopping or stirring. Most of it was just a matter of putting on the pretty platter.

    A party table is set with snacks, fruits, and cookie bars all on Nora Fleming platters.
    1. Tomato Bruschetta Dip with Crostini: I found the fresh bruschetta dip in the grocery store fridge section near the prepared fresh salsa. The crostini came from a package in the bakery section. It's an elevated version of chips and salsa.
    2. Sliced cheese, sliced salami, fresh tomatoes, and crackers: Everything was pre-sliced when I bought it. I washed the tomatoes and then just opened the containers and put it in the pretty 4-square melamine dish.
    3. Fresh pea pods, carrot sticks, and veggie dip: I mixed my own dip with sour cream and our favorite seasonings, but you could easily just swap with your favorite store bought dip. I served it in the little trio dish with a spoon for the dip.
    4. Fresh watermelon "fingers": Do you know how to cut a watermelon? I used to just cut the triangles, but wanted something special for the platter. I followed the instructions on how to cut a watermelon for kids here and it was so much easier than my usual method.
    5. Red, White, & Blue M&M Cookie Bars: Ok, the girls and I made these from scratch. {OMG SO GOOD and so worth it!} BUT, you could easily just grab adorable store-bought festive cookies or brownies and use them instead! No one needs to know but who cares if they do, it's so pretty on your table now!
    6. Red, White, & Blue Chocolate Covered Pretzels: They had these right in the candy aisle of our store.

    Simple Halloween Party Menu

    I recently added a few new Nora Fleming Halloween minis to my collection and they are SO fun!

    A cake plate has several vanilla cupcakes with orange and black sprinkles.

    To plan a simple Halloween party menu using grocery store items, try to mix and match:

    1. Bright orange fresh cantaloupe cubes with slices of deli ham on toothpicks
    2. Spicy cheddar cheese dip with pita crackers
    3. Fresh carrot & celery sticks with buffalo dip from the deli
    4. Spicy nut and nibbles mix from the bulk section of the store
    5. Sliced apples (tossed in pineapple juice to keep them from turning brown!) and caramel dip (try this homemade caramel dip, it's worth the minimal effort.)
    6. Peanut butter cookies from the bakery

    You can spot the Nora Fleming Halloween minis in action in these fun party recipes, too:

    • 10 Halloween Witch Treats
    • A two-tier cake plate has cute Halloween cupcakes in lavender polka dot wrappers. There is a dish of candy corn on the side.
      3 Easy Halloween Cupcakes from 1 Box Mix
    • Harry Potter themed snacks are in a platter with a witch hat sitting next to an open copy of a Harry Potter book.
      21 Harry Potter Snacks for Movie Night
    • A glazed donut decorated to look like a spider with a donut hole on top, googly eyes, and black frosting legs is in the hand of a kid.
      10 DIY Halloween Donut Ideas

    Simple Christmas Party Menu

    Christmas time is one of my favorite seasons to pull out our festive minis.

    I have a candy dish I fill with seasoned nuts or colorful holiday candies that I set out during family visits.

    A candy dish filled with chocolates has a green ceramic Christmas tree.

    To plan an easy Christmas party menu with items from the grocery store, you could set out:

    1. Whipped cream cheese stuffed strawberries
    2. Chocolate brownie bites with a Junior Mint candy attached with a frilly toothpick
    3. Seasoned pretzels and raspberry mustard
    4. Spiced pecans (I love this pumpkin pie flavored recipe here.)
    5. Baked brie served alongside fresh grapes and crackers (Easier than you think! Great instructions here.)

    Simple Spring Party Menu

    The elegant white color of all the Nora Fleming pieces fits right at home on our holiday table. You can spot some of my collection at work in our Easter menu:

    A family Easter dinner has been set at a simple dining table.

    But for a simple Spring party with friends or family, you could always add:

    1. Fresh pineapple, spinach, and blueberries for a simple salad, poppy seed dressing in a pitcher on the side
    2. Lemon bars from the bakery
    3. Strawberry mango salsa with cinnamon pita chips
    4. Goat cheese and asparagus crostini (no baking, just assembly)
    5. Candy dish of brightly colored jelly beans

    I often use my Nora Fleming cake plate for all the birthdays we have in the springtime months as well.

    • A chocolate glazed bundt cake sits on a white cake plate with a blue robins egg decoration to the left.
      Orange Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
    • A dish of candied nuts has a red heart decoration. The nuts are coated in a thick sugar crust.
      Easy Candied Nuts {New York Style!}
    • A rich chocolately round torte is on a cake plate with a pink ceramic flower accent. Powdered sugar is dusted over the top.
      Rich Chocolate Flourless Torte
    • A platter of hot cross biscuits has a ceramic carrot accessory. Each biscuit has a cream cheese frosting cross on the top and currants inside.
      Make-Ahead Hot Cross Biscuits

    Feeling inspired yet? A simple stroll around the deli, bakery, and cheese department of your grocery store and I bet you could come up with even more ideas.

    If you'd like more information about the Nora Fleming collection or want to find a local boutique store that sells the pieces near you, you can check them out on their web site right here.

    Quick and easy summer party recipes that you can pull together in just minutes using grocery store staples.

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    Reader Interactions

    Trackbacks

    1. Just 4 steps to the easiest cheddar snack board says:
      May 17, 2020 at 11:24 am

      […] Pick the largest platter you have in your home. I started with an oval-shaped platter, but quickly discovered it wasn’t going to have enough room. Thankfully, I had a large round one on hand. You can read more about my favorite serving platters here. […]

      Reply
    2. A ridiculously easy ice cream sandwich dessert so you can focus on fun says:
      February 4, 2020 at 5:28 pm

      […] 5 minute party menus: Easy entertaining all year long […]

      Reply
    3. 21 whimsical Harry Potter snacks in a wand's flick says:
      August 3, 2019 at 7:13 am

      […] treat tray with a witch’s hat decoration. (You can read all about the cute trays I used in this post right here.) Even if you did nothing else but this tray, you’d have the best Harry Potter snacks […]

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Tiffany!
    I believe a great family recipe is one that makes everyone at the table happy, not just the kids. I'm the author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids that are chock full of recipes everyone in your family will love. I'm also the hostess of the best online book club for moms.

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