This platter solves so many of my problems. What problems, you ask? I’m talking about problems like:
What to pack for lunch this week
What to bring to a potluck or picnic
What to make friends who are stopping by for lunch/drinks
What to serve guests while they’re waiting for dinner to finish cooking
What to put out for people to snack on during any party or holiday, ever
All my other problems are solved by cheese platters, peanut butter, and chocolate. But that’s another story.
The basis of this platter is the Mediterranean concept of mezze, or small bites/appetizers. As in, you don’t need to eat a composed meal when you can just have lots of bites of this and that. In many ways, I find eating mezze style to be more satisfying than a big sit down meal. Everyone helps themselves to whatever they’re craving, and eats til they’ve had their fill. 
To me, hummus is the star of the mezze platter. It’s the glue that holds everything together. While you could just dip various crackers/bread/veggies into it, it’s also a great spread for mini pita sandwiches and a vehicle for sticking extra toppings onto said dunked crackers. This can be exclusively finger food, or something people pile onto a plate and eat with a fork, sliding each olive, chunk of feta, and cucumber through the hummus as they go. It could even be part of a salad bar or a side to any grilled/roasted meats like chicken, steak, or salmon.
If you find yourself with any of the same problems I have, including the ever present question of WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT, this Mezze platter could be a lifesaver. I made my own hummus and roasted eggplant for this platter, but everything else was just sliced, opened, and piled onto the platter. Help yourselves, dinner is served. 
As always, feel free to mix and match your favorite Mediterranean bites here. If olives aren’t your thing (the horror!), add in another briney item you love. Any jarred, pickled or roasted peppers all work here as well. If you want more feta, add more feta. You get the idea- be creative! If you find yourself feasting on hummus, Mezze-style, let me know. Leave a comment below or tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can see all your gorgeous platters of goodness! Better yet, make a big mezze platter and invite me over- I promise not to eat it all.
Hummus Mezze Platter
Ingredients
- 1 batch of homemade hummus linked above/or use your favorite store bought
- 1 medium eggplant + salt pepper, and olive oil to roast
- Mini Persian cucumbers halved lengthwise
- Tomatoes sliced
- Green Beans raw or blanched-I used raw
- Roasted red peppers
- Dolmas
- Kalamata Olives
- Pickled Peppers I used peppadews
- Jarred Artichokes
- Pita Naan, sliced bread, and/or crackers
- Feta
- Olive oil and herbs for garnish
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425. Thinly slice eggplant, and place onto a sheet pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, flip, and roast another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature while you prepare the platter.
- 2. Make homemade hummus, or open your favorite package of store bought. Stir with a spoon, and drizzle olive oil over the top. If desired, sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and parsley.
- 3. Place hummus onto a large platter, and arrange all mezze ingredients around it. If desired, sprinkle fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or oregano around the platter, and sprinkle salt and pepper over the fresh vegetables.
- 4. Serve as is, or pair it with any grilled meats or grain salad to make a substantial meal. Alternately, this can be made and stored in several separate containers, instead of a platter, and used to assemble mini mezze plates for lunch throughout the week.
Mezze leftovers for lunch ?