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Easy Appetizer Recipes – Dips – Finger Foods and More!

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These easy appetizer recipes are fun to eat and super simple for you, as the hostess to prepare.

My favorite kind of party is one where there are finger foods.  I enjoy this either as the host or as the guest. Easy appetizers are a great way to start your party on the right foot and get your guests in a good mood.

As the hostess, serving simple to make appetizers gives me a chance to circulate and talk to people and still get all the party stuff done.

As a guest, I like just a little bite of a variety of things and not a whole meal, especially if I am standing for a while.

Smoked salmon and chives on crackers with words Best appetizer recipes.

Tips for easy appetizer recipes

Feeling daunted about the idea of hosting a party with appetizers? Don’t be! No type of entertaining is easier. Here are some tips to make the party preparation go seamlessly.

Prepare 2-3 appetizers for each guest from scratch but then purchase the rest. This makes set up a breeze.

Woman making avocado toast.

Prepare the home-made items in advance if you can. Then all you will need to do is reheat and garnish when your guests arrive.

Keep color in mind when preparing the menu. We eat with our eyes first! Garnishes with fresh herbs add color to a plate inexpensively and quickly.

Have one hot dish ready that you can serve in a slow cooker. It can be prepared early in the day and guests always love a warm dish. My crock pot taco chili is a good choice. Have some plastic mini bowls on hand for guests to serve themselves.

Don’t forget the drinks. They go perfectly with appetizer recipes.

Who doesn’t like a dessert? Be sure to have at least one sweet dish. Mini sized portions are always a hot. Be sure to have a pot of coffee handy, too. The oreo dessert at the bottom of the page is a wonderful choice and easy to make.

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Having friends over for drinks? Get some tips for party food and easy appetizers recipes to start your party off on the right foot. #easyappetizerrecipes #partyfood #fingerfood🥟🍗🍤🍸 Click To Tweet

chicken wings and guacamole on a plate with fork.

Try some of these easy appetizer recipes at your next party

Easy appetizers can be as simple as single portion foods such as smoked salmon and chives with cream cheese on a cracker. Or you can make bowls of dips with crackers or an antipasto platter where the guests help themselves to a wide array of choices.

Here are a few finger foods to try at your next party.

Take a bite of these cranberry pecan crostini appetizers

Make your own easy appetizers with cream cheese, pecans and cranberries on homemade crostini. They are simple to prepare!

Phyllo cups filled with crab and cream cheese.

These mini portion phyllo cups are filled with cream cheese and crab. They are a small sized crab rangoon.

Your guests will love them. Get the recipe here.

Sticky chicken wings with sauce on a cutting board

Be sure to serve some mini cocktail napkins with this one. The sauce is super tasty but sticky!

Perfect for the Super Bowl game, these sticky chicken wings are very easy to make and so, so tasty.

Spicy bacon wrapped chicken appetizer

If you like an appetizer with just a bit of a kick, try these bacon wrapped chicken bites. They are a real crowd pleaser.

Portobello mushroom stuffed with Laughing Cow cheese and fresh herbs.

These portobello mushrooms are stuffed with fresh herbs, onions and laughing cow cheese. My party guests love the recipe!

Guacamole, in a green bowl with purple tortilla chipsNo party is quite complete without a scoop or two of your favorite guacamole dip and chips. Every time I serve this dip, it disappears.

You can also make some homemade crostinis and spread the dip for an easy serving bite.

This recipe is super easy to make and always a hit at my holiday parties.

Spicy Chickpeas appetizer on a white plate.This spicy Chickpeas Appetizer is healthy and full of protein. This one would be easy to serve in small plastic cups for bite sized portions.

Get the Recipe –>> Martha Stewart.

Meatball cupcake appetizers with mashed potato toppingThese meatball cupcake appetizers will have your guests thinking about mom’s meatloaf. The mini size is perfect to serve with drinks.

Shared from Look then Cook.

Bacon Wrapped Potato appetizerThis bacon wrapped potato appetizers will disappear in a flash. Super easy to make and who doesn’t love bacon wrapped anything?

Shared from Martha Stewart

Mini Potato Bites appetizer on a white plate.How cute are these mini potato bites appetizers.  These are the perfect bite sized portion.

Shared from Remodelaholic

Mini burger Potato bite appetizerI love this idea for a mini burger and tomato on a waffle fry. Compact and easy, this easy appetizer will have you longing for your next burger.

 Shared from Better Homes and Gardens.

Oreo bonbons on a black plate.

Finish up the party with these Oreo bonbons. They are bite sizes, easy to make and delicious. Get the recipe here.

Pin these party appetizers and tips on Pinterest

Would you like a reminder of this post for these appetizer tips and recipes? Just pin this image to one of your cooking boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

Guacamole and sticky chicken wings on a white plate with words easy appetizer recipes.

Admin note: this post for easy appetizer recipes first appeared on the blog in June of 2013. I have updated the post to add new photos, more recipes, and a video for you to enjoy.

These bite sized stuffed mushrooms are always a hit!

Yield: 18

Stuffed Mushrooms with Cheddar Cheese

Stuffed mushrooms on a white plate.

Panko bread crumbs give a light and crisp finish to these amazing stuffed mushrooms

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 18 white mushrooms
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 4 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 3/4 cups of Panko Bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh oregano
  • 3 1/2 ounces of reduced fat Cabot Cheddar cheese (any type will do but I prefer the flavor of Cabot cheeses)
  • Fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

  1. Wash the mushrooms and pat dry. Remove the stems and finely chop them and also remove the gills and discard.
  2. Sauté the mushroom stems and scallions in 2 teaspoons of the olive oil.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the mushroom stems and scallions.
  4. Add the bread crumbs and oregano and mix well.
  5. Crumble the cheese into small pieces in a bowl.
  6. Add the cheese to the crumb mixture and combine well. Spoon it in to the mushroom caps.
  7. Drizzle the remainder of the oil over the mushrooms.
  8. Broil on a well oiled broiler rack under a preheated medium high broiler for about 10 minutes, until cooked through and the cheese has melted.
  9. Serve hot as a side dish or appetizer.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 61Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 88mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

© Carol
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Appetizers
Collage of finger food and words 6 Great Appetizers

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