Best snacks/appetizers for a cocktail party?

[Anonymous]

I’ll be having some friends over next week. Not a fancy crowd but no kids. I want to elevate what I serve and try some new things. What are your favorite snacks/appetizers that don’t take too much time and also will still taste good after sitting out for a couple hours?

[Anonymous]

Lil hot dogs wrapped in pastry puffs with fancy mustard for dipping.

[Anonymous]

I love Gorgonzola-stuffed-bacon-wrapped dates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Gorgonzola-stuffed-bacon-wrapped dates

This is the type of dish to serve only when you know your audience. It includes two foods that are frequently on people's "won't eat' list: stinky cheeses and dates. So, while many like these, many more people dislike them and won't eat them. Put two together and you have a pretty small subset of people who will eat them. This is usually one of those things that are only served when the host loves them. Be prepared to have man left, so as long as you love them, you'll be good.

[Anonymous]

Start with a veggie tray (hummus, spinach dip or guac), fruit tray and cheeseboard. Add some hot items: spanikopita (frozen from Trader Joe's or Costco), artichoke/spinach/cheese dip, sweet and sour meatballs

[Anonymous]

Blinis with smoked salmon and/or caviar with crème fraiche. Easy and elegant. Get premade blinis.

Fried chicken and waffles on mini waffles. They will be popular. You can get premade chicken tenders (not nuggets) and frozen waffles).

[Anonymous]

Easy dishes to elevate appetizers:
- crab dip or artichoke dip (pretty easy to put together, toss in mini-crockpot and it can sit for a while because it's heated)
- charcuterie board (you can buy most elements now in the deli section, and then it's just putting the out on a cutting board)
- bruschetta (easy prep ahead of time, then assemble and bake when needed)
- stuffed mushroom caps

Here's one that my mom and I came up with that is very popular and easy:
You need scallions/green onions chopped And you need either ham or bacon. Mom always got a small ham steak or similar diced small. I sometimes used cooked crumbled bacon.
Get refrigerator croissants in the sheet (not cut into triangles). Unroll, spread with thin layer of butter. Sprinkle the ham/bacon and onions and sprinkle a little kosher salt. Roll the long way into a log. Cut slices so you have spirals. Put into a round baking pan and bake according to the instructions on the croissant package. People love them and they are very easy to make.

[Anonymous]

I like the little charcuterie cups/glasses that are becoming popular. Easy. You can do enough variations that you have V, GF, and DF options. You can make them pretty. And the individual cups are so convenient and cut down on germ spread. Nobody wants dips anymore! Look on Instagram for examples. I did some recently in stemless wine glasses and they looked great. Many years ago I got 24 of them from IKEA for not much and it’s been great to have them for parties—for wine but also things like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the little charcuterie cups/glasses that are becoming popular. Easy. You can do enough variations that you have V, GF, and DF options. You can make them pretty. And the individual cups are so convenient and cut down on germ spread. Nobody wants dips anymore! Look on Instagram for examples. I did some recently in stemless wine glasses and they looked great. Many years ago I got 24 of them from IKEA for not much and it’s been great to have them for parties—for wine but also things like this.

Here are some ideas:

https://foxeslovelemons.com/charcuterie-party-cups/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Gorgonzola-stuffed-bacon-wrapped dates

This is the type of dish to serve only when you know your audience. It includes two foods that are frequently on people's "won't eat' list: stinky cheeses and dates. So, while many like these, many more people dislike them and won't eat them. Put two together and you have a pretty small subset of people who will eat them. This is usually one of those things that are only served when the host loves them. Be prepared to have man left, so as long as you love them, you'll be good.

who doesn’t eat dates?

bacon wrapped dates are uh-mazing. guests who don’t like “stinky cheese” can have something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easy dishes to elevate appetizers:
- crab dip or artichoke dip (pretty easy to put together, toss in mini-crockpot and it can sit for a while because it's heated)
- charcuterie board (you can buy most elements now in the deli section, and then it's just putting the out on a cutting board)
- bruschetta (easy prep ahead of time, then assemble and bake when needed)
- stuffed mushroom caps

Here's one that my mom and I came up with that is very popular and easy:
You need scallions/green onions chopped And you need either ham or bacon. Mom always got a small ham steak or similar diced small. I sometimes used cooked crumbled bacon.
Get refrigerator croissants in the sheet (not cut into triangles). Unroll, spread with thin layer of butter. Sprinkle the ham/bacon and onions and sprinkle a little kosher salt. Roll the long way into a log. Cut slices so you have spirals. Put into a round baking pan and bake according to the instructions on the croissant package. People love them and they are very easy to make.

that sounds yummy! I might add a little cheese…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the little charcuterie cups/glasses that are becoming popular. Easy. You can do enough variations that you have V, GF, and DF options. You can make them pretty. And the individual cups are so convenient and cut down on germ spread. Nobody wants dips anymore! Look on Instagram for examples. I did some recently in stemless wine glasses and they looked great. Many years ago I got 24 of them from IKEA for not much and it’s been great to have them for parties—for wine but also things like this.

ugh no, let your guests serve themselves the amount they want. nobody wants to walk around with a glass full of sausage

[Anonymous]

Caprese salad skewers. Use Flavorbomb cherry tomatoes in different colors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the little charcuterie cups/glasses that are becoming popular. Easy. You can do enough variations that you have V, GF, and DF options. You can make them pretty. And the individual cups are so convenient and cut down on germ spread. Nobody wants dips anymore! Look on Instagram for examples. I did some recently in stemless wine glasses and they looked great. Many years ago I got 24 of them from IKEA for not much and it’s been great to have them for parties—for wine but also things like this.

ugh no, let your guests serve themselves the amount they want. nobody wants to walk around with a glass full of sausage

I agree. And with so many dietary restrictions these days I would never mix meat, veg and gluten items. Half the fun of a cocktail party is picking what you like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the little charcuterie cups/glasses that are becoming popular. Easy. You can do enough variations that you have V, GF, and DF options. You can make them pretty. And the individual cups are so convenient and cut down on germ spread. Nobody wants dips anymore! Look on Instagram for examples. I did some recently in stemless wine glasses and they looked great. Many years ago I got 24 of them from IKEA for not much and it’s been great to have them for parties—for wine but also things like this.

ugh no, let your guests serve themselves the amount they want. nobody wants to walk around with a glass full of sausage

Agreed, and if people think that Gorgonzola is a “stinky cheese,” then it is best to serve those people cold cuts on Wonder bread.
—An Italian