{late night snack tray with starbucks}

For the second post in my series in partnership with Starbucks® flavored K-Cup® Packs, I thought it would be fun to think about times other than the morning to serve coffee (see the first post in the series here).  I love to pull inspiration for dinner parties and entertaining in our home from wedding blogs (especially my two faves: 100 Layer Cake & Grey Likes Weddings).  One thing that I have seen become a staple at weddings is the idea of late night snacks that reinvigorate guests for an evening of dancing well after the dinner plates have been cleared (we even did late night milk and cookies at our wedding!).  I decided to try that idea on a smaller scale with a late night snack tray accompanied by a little caffeine jolt from fresh cups of coffee.

After guests have arrived, enjoyed your meticulously arranged appetizers, served themselves a few cocktails and settled in for a night of lively conversation there will ultimately come a lull in the evening.  How fun would it be to reinvigorate your get-together by presenting your friends with this fun snack at your next cocktail party?  The key is to pick small bite foods that won't have you prepping in the kitchen for hours.  I chose to pick some easy frozen treats like mini tacos and churros- not necessarily items I would normally present guests, but later in the evening they are the exact comfort foods that people love!

I always opt in for a late night cup of coffee to end a long dinner so I figured serving the dessert inspired Starbucks® Cinnamon Dolce K-Cup® Packs as a little evening kick would be the perfect accompaniment to the snack tray!  The best part of a Keurig machine is the ease of use- so rather than having to ask each of your guests whether they want coffee and how they prefer to take it you can easily set up your machine in an accessible place alongside a selection of mugs and coffee toppings so that guests can serve themselves.  We actually did this for a big group brunch a while back and it worked perfectly to have people serve themselves.  This time around I placed this Keurig on our outdoor bar cart along with sugar, cream, a selection of K-Cups and glass mugs!

 {tossing the freshly baked fries with a little garlic and truffle salt to give them a special touch}

{a handful of freshly baked fries served with ketchup and chipotle aioli in these mini cups} 

I'd love to hear about your favorite tricks for fall entertaining!! Share in the comments what you like to do to delight your guests at fall get-togethers.

The rich aromas and sweet flavors you love from Starbucks®, now brewing at home. Introducing two new K-Cup® flavors for fall, inspired by our café favorites.

LEGAL: Developed in partnership with Starbucks Coffee Company and their new Starbucks® K-

Cup® packs. K-Cup® packs for use in Keurig® K-Cup® brewing systems. Keurig, the Cup and Star Design, Keurig Brewed, K-Cup and the Keurig brewer trade dress are trademarks of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., used with permission.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Starbucks Coffee Company, via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Starbucks Coffee Company.