21 Recipes for Holiday Party Hors d'oeuvres

[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

Hors d'oeuvres are one of the best things about holiday parties. They're so often cheesy and accompanied by a spirited drink. You can eat them and eat them and eat them and technically, you have not eaten yet. You can spend an hour hovering around a cheese dip, trying to see if there is anything that doesn't improve by being dunked in the gooey stuff, and then it's not only appropriate but imperative to then sample the toothpick-speared meatballs.

Flip through the slideshow to find lots of great recipes for holiday cocktail hours. We've also organized them into groups below so you can find what you're looking for more easily.

Dips & Spreads

Provençal White Bean Dip
Black Olive Tapenade
Real French Onion Dip
Boursin and Gruyère Spinach and Artichoke Gratin Dip
Cucumber-Mint Raita
Pimento Cheese
Red Onion Jam
Creamy, Three-Cheese Artichoke Dip

Meaty Bites

Bacon Wrapped Liver
Pearly Meatballs
Devils on Horseback
Pork Schnitzel Meatballs
Oysters Florentine

Cheesy Bread Things

Cheesy Papillons
Cream Cheese and Chive Pastry Pinwheels
Herby Goat Cheese Ball
Gougères
Cheese Buns

Salty Hand Snacks

Buttered Rum and Cranberry Popcorn
Bourbon Old Fashioned Glazed Pecans
Chocolate Covered Potato Chips