Girl's Night Out: Gourmet Poker Party Food Ideas

Poker isn't just for men. Girls like it too and the concept of Girl's-Only poker parties is spreading like wildfire. Hosting a girl's night out gourmet poker party can be a ton of fun. From frilly invitations to gourmet girlie food and "foo foo" drinks, it's easy to organize a poker party that unleashes your feminine side.

Once you decide on a date and time for your poker party, head over to evite.com and check out their poker party invitations. Choose from pre-made poker party invitation templates or create your own by uploading clipart or photos. The software is super easy to use. All you need to do is enter your name, the date, time and place of your party, then enter the email address of your guests.

Decorations for your girl's night out gourmet poker party can range from feminine to crazy-wild. Visit a party store or search online for poker party ideas. Check bargain stores to purchase poker chips, casino-themed plates, napkins and decorations. Use candles to create a soft ambiance or pull out your Lava Lamp and put it to use.

Poker party foods should be easy to eat and not leave a mess on your fingers. After all, you need to be able to play your cards and don't want them covered with BBQ sauce or drippings from baked beans.

Some of my favorite gourmet poker party foods include Toasty Sandwich Tarts, Veggie Pizza, and Taco Tarts. These finger foods are perfect for female tastebuds and certain to bring many "Ohhhh's" and "Ahhhh's".

Put together trays of these foods and setup your beverage bar before guests arrive. Turn on your favorite tunes and when your poker buddies arrive you'll be able to immediately let the game begin!

Toasty Sandwich Tarts:

Toasty Sandwich Tarts are super easy to make and even easier to eat. There are a variety of ways to make sandwich tarts including ham and cheese, pepperoni pizza, deviled ham or spinach. You'll need a bread cut-and-seal utensil, or you can use a drinking glass or cookie cutter. Just be certain to seal the edges of the bread if using the glass or cookie cutter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll need one slice of soft bread for each tart. Place about one teaspoon of filling in the center of the bread slice. Fold over in the center. Cut with cut-and-seal utensil. Lightly brush the top of each tart with melted butter. Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

To make Ham and Cheese Sandwich Tarts spread the center of bread with Dijon mustard. Add finely chopped ham and finely grated cheese. Both Swiss and Cheddar are excellent choices.

To make Pepperoni Pizza Tarts spread the center of bread with pizza sauce. Add chopped pepperoni and finely grated mozzarella cheese.

To make Deviled Ham Sandwich Tarts spread the center of bread with canned deviled ham. Add finely grated Swiss, Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese. A four-ounce can of deviled ham is enough for approximately 20 tarts.

To make Spinach Sandwich Tarts you'll need one 10-ounce package of frozen creamed spinach. Thaw spinach, squeeze out excess water and place about one teaspoon in the center of each bread slice. Top with cheese if desired. I like to add minced onion and garlic for a little extra kick.

Veggie Pizza:

The veggie pizza is an all-time favorite poker party food. The crust is made from refrigerated crescent rolls and the sauce is cream cheese. Yum!

To make the Veggie Pizza, you'll need the following ingredients:

1 can (8-ounces) refrigerated Crescent rolls
2 packages (8-ounces) Cream Cheese, softened
1-1/2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon dried Dill Weed
Salt and Pepper to taste

Popular vegetable toppings include: zucchini, green onions, green peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms and tomatoes. You can use any combination you like. It's best to chop the vegetables or thinly slice them.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread crescent roll dough on a 13-inch round pizza pan and pinch seams together.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool.

Blend together cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on top of the crust. Add vegetables and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Cut into thin slices or 2-inch squares.

Taco Tarts:

Taco Tarts require the use of a mini muffin pan. If you don't have one, you can use mini muffin cups. Be certain to use aluminum cups as they hold up better than the paper cups. Place cups on a baking sheet before adding filling. What's nice about these mini tacos is they are small enough to consume in one bite.

There are two steps required to this recipe. First, you'll make the taco tart and second, you'll make the tortilla chip filling. This recipe makes about 30 appetizers and takes less than 15 minutes to make.

To make the taco tart you'll need:

1 pound lean Ground Beef, uncooked (you can use turkey, chicken or pork, if desired)
2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix
2 Tablespoons Ice Water
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

For the filling, you'll need:

1 cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Taco Sauce
2 ounces Black Olives, chopped
3/4 cup Tortilla Chips, coarsely crushed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, mix beef, taco seasoning mix and ice water together using your hands. Pull off a small amount and roll into a ball about 3/4-inch in diameter. Place ball in center of muffin tin and press mixture into the bottom and up the sides.

Prepare the taco tart filling by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. Place about one teaspoonful of filling into each shell. You want the filling to form a small mound in the center. Sprinkle cheese over the tops and bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, remove from tin and transfer to serving platter.