Munching is an integral part of the game when people get together to play cards with friends. Good luck might be elusive, but something to eat is always at hand as illustrated with the spread.

Cold February weekends are great for having friends over for game night.

Texas Hold 'Em poker and bunco are games people enjoy playing at monthly gatherings, but you can just as easily get out a deck of cards and play gin rummy, spades or canasta.

Heidi Tobey of Lexington, Ky., said she and her friends started playing poker before it became a big thing.

"Most couples you meet play some sort of cards, Uno, Yahtzee, when they're getting together with family and friends," she said.

Tobey said she usually serves sandwiches, spinach dip and vegetables, and chips and cheese dip.

"If it's just the guys getting together, they order pizza. They don't care about sandwiches, they just want pizza, beer and chips."

Phil Kearns and his group of buddies have been playing poker for about two years. They started when Kearns' wife, Kim, began playing bunco with the wives of three of his friends.

"We said if they were going to be out playing bunco, then we should be playing poker," he said.

Whoever hosts game night decides on the menu, Kearns said. It includes chili, bean soup, barbecued sausages, country ham sandwiches, hot wings, chicken fingers, sub sandwiches, pretzels and peanuts.

The food served at bunco parties usually is simple. But if it's a special occasion, cooks like Paula Goins will take extra time to make the meal more elaborate.

When it's Goins' turn to host the monthly party, she usually gets requests from the players for chili or vegetable soup, and pimento cheese sandwiches. Once a year the group invites husbands, and then it's potluck.

For 30 years, Goins has been part of several bunco groups.

"Some are dessert groups or appetizers, or the hostess sticks to dinner. A lot of times I've done lasagna, bread, salad and dessert," she said. She once served roasted duck at a Christmas bunco party.

"Some hostesses love to cook like I do, but some are not oriented like that, and they buy lasagna.

"It doesn't matter, we just get together and have a good time. It's a fun night."

Paula Goins of Lexington has been hosting bunco parties for three decades. Here are two recipes that her friends request.

1 square unsweetened chocolate1 stick butter2 eggs1 cup sugar½ cup all purpose flour1 teaspoon vanilla½ cup chopped pecans, optionalMelt chocolate with butter in a saucepan on low heat. Beat eggs, and set aside. Mix sugar with flour. Combine all ingredients and add vanilla. If desired, add pecans. Pour into a well-greased pie plate.Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake.

1 10-inch angel food cake1 pint strawberries, crushed1 tablespoon milk1 16-ounce container light, non-dairy whipped topping, thawed1 pint strawberries, slicedFresh strawberries and mint leaves for garnishCut angel food cake horizontally into three layers. Stir crushed strawberries and milk into 1½ cups whipped topping.Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread half of strawberry mixture on top of cake layer, and top with half of the sliced strawberries. Repeat layers and end up with cake on the top. Frost sides and top with remaining Cool Whip. Decorate with strawberry slices. Refrigerate until ready to serve.Food Network star and cookbook author Rachael Ray suggests serving a mini sandwich buffet for game night, such as mini grilled cheese and tomato, mini burgers and mini Rachaels.Here's her recipe for mini Rachaels.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces16 slices mini rye bread½ cup sweet red pepper relish1 pound smoked turkey, thinly sliced1 pound sauerkraut, rinsed and drainedpound sliced sharp cheddar

Mini picklesMini pretzelsMini butter cookies.Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Preheat large griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium heat.To a small pot over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add butter, and melt it into the warmed oil. Keep a pastry brush on a spoon rest or small plate on hand.Lay out 8 slices of rye bread. Dot bread with teaspoonfuls of red pepper relish. Top with even amounts of smoked turkey, sauerkraut and thinly sliced cheese. Top cheese with remaining slices of bread. Brush griddle or skillet with oil and butter mixture. Grill and toast sandwiches 2 to 3 minutes on each side.Transfer sandwiches to cookie sheet, and place in oven to keep warm.Makes 8 mini sandwiches.Sandra Lee, on a recent episode of "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee" on the Food Network, prepared a simple menu for game night. She made mini burgers on toasted discs, poker potato chips, mini chicken pot pies, casino lemon almond cake, and fruity queen of hearts cocktail. Here's her recipe for the mini burgers. Other recipes can be found at www.foodnetwork.com.

8 thin slices white breadOlive oil cooking spray1 pound lean ground beef1 pack (1-ounce) pot roast seasoning1 egg, lightly beaten2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauceToast the bread the day ahead. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take 8 slices bread and cut out 32 circles using a 1-inch round pastry cutter or an empty, clean 6-ounce tomato paste can.Arrange disks on an unlined sheet pan, and spray lightly with olive oil. Toast rounds for 7 minutes. When cool, store in an airtight container.To make the burgers, preheat oven to 400 degrees.Mix ground beef, seasoning, egg and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Form 1-inch meatballs using 1 tablespoon of meat mixture per ball. Arrange on a broiling pan, leaving meatballs an inch apart. Using index finger, gently poke holes in the middle of each meatball. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn temperature to broil and cook 5 minutes more. Let stand 7 minutes before transferring to toasts.Gently fill each burger hole with ketchup or mustard. Serve warm.Makes 32 cocktail burgers.