Appetizers & sangria served al fresco may just be the easiest way to entertain. Summer may be coming to a close, but backyard entertaining is still in full swing as we enjoy cooler temperatures and less humidity. My favorite way to entertain friends has always been with appetizers and drinks, and setting up a little happy hour al fresco is just the ticket!

I was recently contacted by Pacific Foods to share ideas for a backyard gathering, so I invited a few neighbors over to enjoy some delicious appetizers and a carafe of sangria. I started the planning process with their organic hummus and salsa con queso dip in mind, and the menu evolved from there.

Below are the pics from the party, with serving suggestions and a way to dress up the packaged goods. I also used their refried black beans w/chilies to make a flatbread pizza that was fantastic. I’m sharing the recipe for it at the bottom as well.

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Hosting an Appetizers & Sangria happy hour:

• Serving appetizers & sangria outdoors is a great way to wind down after a day at work. To make it easy on the hostess {that’s me} you can start with packaged dips from Pacific Foods and dress them up through a pretty display, and/or adding other ingredients. I first worked on the display which consisted of wooden serving pieces and golden accents.
• I used several wood cutting boards to serve pita crackers & 2 kinds of hummus {classic and roasted garlic}, a black bean flatbread pizza, and salsa con queso with Mexican chorizo. Tortillas found a home in my rustic wood bowl.
• I filled a large carafe with red wine sangria and used my gold vintage glasses to serve it in. This was an unexpected touch from using regular wine glasses, and added the golden color I was working with.
• I placed a couple of chairs so guests could sit if they like, and brought out my small wooden table from the sitting room to round out the area.
• I dressed up the organic hummus by drizzling extra virgin olive oil and topping with pine nuts.

I don’t think I had ever tried these dips from Pacific Foods before, but was absolutely pleased with the taste and quality! I love that they can be held in the pantry until you need to use them, too – great for last minute entertaining!

Here are my recipes and serving ideas for the salsa con queso & chorizo dip {below} and black bean chorizo flatbread pizza bites, here…

Salsa Con Queso with Chorizo

• 1 carton Pacific Foods salsa con queso
• Cooked Mexican chorizo, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup
• Diced tomatoes
• Diced green onions
• Sliced jalapeno, seeds removed

Combine salsa con queso and chorizo, and heat in microwave for about 30 seconds or until heated through.

Top with tomatoes, green onions, and a few slices of jalapeno, and serve with tortilla chips.

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This post was sponsored by Pacific Foods. See how I work with brands to create ideas for entertaining, here. All opinions are my own.