Cocktail party snack suggestions?
I'm throwing my first, real, actual cocktail party for the holidays and I'd like to impress the friends and fam with some interesting hors d'oeuvres. My co-hostess was raised on Lil' Smokies and Velveeta, so I'm pretty much on my own. I'm looking for simple ideas and recipes that aren't too expensive, but involve more thought than opening a box of Ritz!
Any suggestions on what to serve, and party-hosting in general? Also, tips on keeping cold things cold and hot things hot? Thanks!
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23 Comments:
a few food items we served at our christmas party last year:
my favorite store-bought hummus, scooped into a nice bowl topped with a dash of paprika, a squiggle of olive oil, and a spoonful of pan-toasted pine nuts. serve with pita wedges.
your favorite crab cake recipe, made into bite size balls, serve with a remoulade sauce. for the crab cakes, don't know where you live but if you live near a Costco check them out for cans (yes, i said Can) of Phillips brand pasteurized crab meat. one can should be enough. when it comes to crab cakes, the simplest recipe is the best. i don't have exact measurements off the top of my head, but my husband's recipe uses a small amount of mayo, a dash of worcestershire, an egg, a sprinkle of Old Bay, some panko breadcrumbs (or crumbled ritz crackers). form into balls and cook in a 350ish oven for 20ish minutes or until they get golden. you could also pan fry them as well for golden browness and finish them in the oven.
a small ham (store bought ham can be really inexpensive and you can look up glaze recipes like this one right here) which we served alongside store-bought rolls which we pre-cut, and with condiments in nice little bowls alongside.
we also had smoked salmon (one package, also bought at Costco for not a lot of money). cut salmon into bite sized pieces, served on little toasts i had cut on the diagonal, and made a cucumber dill sauce to dollop on top. the sauce is basically a cucumber that you've blitzed to hell in the food processor , drained in a fine sieve, added to a cup or so (eyeball it) of sour cream and add chopped dill and lemon juice to taste.
all this can be served room temperature.
french tart at 1:09PM on 11/27/07
I've gotten the most compliments from making shrimp and/or spinach dip with some interesting crackers. Neither one is expensive and both are easy to make.
Lavendergirl at 1:11PM on 11/27/07
I like gougère with cocktails ... you can prep them ahead and refrigerate. Bake them off when guests start arriving.
kjgibson at 1:28PM on 11/27/07
When my fiance and I threw our first cocktail party, he spent all day making gorgeous appetizers from The Joy of Cooking and Silver Spoon. On the other hand, I baked a batch of cookies. Even he would admit that the cookies were the biggest hit. Although you should definitely have fun with the menu, don't forget that sweet and simple will also go a long way.
July at 1:43PM on 11/27/07
Gougeres can be baked ahead, and kept in tins for a fast re-heat, or frozen and then re-heated that way. One of the most interesting ready-to-eat things we use is Hot Mix, which is Indian. It comes in bag, and sort of looks like Chex Mix but with different things in it. It's addictive.
lemons at 1:49PM on 11/27/07
Dips and spreads with baguette or pita are nice. Tzatziki, farmer cheese with hot peppers, crab dip (crab mixed with a block of softened cream cheese and some cocktail sauce). Maybe add a spinach dip to the mix. Hope your party goes nicely!
Kerosena at 2:43PM on 11/27/07
Brie en croute! It couldn't be easier, and everyone oohs and aahs!
1 frozen puff pastry sheet...defrost for 1/2 hour
small wheel of brie
sliced almonds
Solo (brand) raspberry, cherry or strawberry pie filling or better yet, imo Polaner raspberry jam (the pie filling is WAY too sweet for me)
place the brie in the center of the defrosted pastry sheet
cover the brie with almonds
take each end of the pastry sheet and meet in middle covering the almonds and brie...pinch together the pastry
bake at 375 degrees (i adjust the temp depending on the oven between 350 and 400) for about 1/2 hour until the pastry is golden brown
top with the pie filling/jam
serve with crackers of choice
Yes, that simple, and people really do rave about it!
Curlz at 5:05PM on 11/27/07
i second spinach dip and the brie. both things i was going to recommend. think of your favorite food and miniturize it. you could do quesadilla bites with interesting fillings or difft cheeses. throw in asparagus or shrimp. buy dough in a can and spread with some goat cheese, spinach and canned diced tomatoes. roll up and bake.
jaf at 5:27PM on 11/27/07
The best reviews I ever got on an appetizer involved a can of crescent roll dough spread out like one big piece of dough (i.e. don't tear into triangles), with pesto, cream cheese and roasted red peppers spread on half, the other half folded over and baked until golden. It was dead simple and a huge hit. Good luck with your shin dig!
psychsarah at 5:59PM on 11/27/07
I have gotten a ton of compliments and an empty platter at the end of the night when i serve roasted garlic and blue cheese crostini. The garlic and baguettes are super cheap, the Point Reyes is a bit pricey, but so flavorful that a little goes a long way.
- 1 or 2 baguettes- slice 1/2 inch thick toasts on an angle then toast in oven
@ 350 for about 6 minutes
- Point Reyes blue cheese (my favorite blue, creamy and delicious, not too salty!)
- 2 heads garlic- cut heads in half horizontally, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast at 400 degrees about 45 minutes to 1 hr. It will get sweet, soft, mellow, and yummy.
Once garlic has cooled enough to handle, remove cloves and smear 1 or 2 cloves per piece of toast, then top with blue cheese crumbles. If you want to go for further yummy factor, cook 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar over med heat until thick and reduced by half, and drizzle on top of toasts. So good!
Good luck!
foodie1 at 6:28PM on 11/27/07
HOLY CANAPES!!! I like the gougeres. I also like little spanakopita triangles. Shrimp of course. some meats and cheeses. Mini Calzones.
One year for Hubby's birthday I did a cocktail party with some steamed dumplings, teriyaki meat on skewer, some puff pastry items. Also small desserts. All finger foods. I did most ahead then the baking off the day of.
Was hugely successful.
JerzeeTomato at 7:08PM on 11/27/07
I didn't post this earlier because it fails both of the stated criteria ... it is neither easy nor inexpensive :-) But I've always wanted build a cocktail party around Dungeness Crab in Green Curry Sauce.
The recipe calls for a whole crab to be shelled leaving the legs & claws attached. The top shell is stuffed with a filling made of crabmeat, garlic, and other Thai flavors. The rest of the filling is formed into meatballs. The stuffed shell is steamed, meatballs are poached in a Coconut-Green Curry sauce and then it is all arranged on a platter with sauce spooned all around.
For cocktails, I imagined all the filling made into small meatballs and served in the hollowed out crab body. A centerpiece and cocktail dish all in one.
You could make the dish from lump crabmeat and omit the whole crab part. It would still be quite tasty and a lot less complicated to make.
Cheers,
Karen
kjgibson at 7:28PM on 11/27/07
Open casing and squeeze raw sweet and/or hot Italian sausage into mushroom caps. Broil for a few minutes or bake for a few more. So easy and everyone thinks it is a combo of ingredients. Couldn't be easier. and they taste great. Slice and toast baguette, rub with raw garlic, immediately put on slice of provolone or mozzarella so it melts, top with tomato bruschetta mixture (make ahead). Tea sandwiches are always a big hit and the variety is endless - get lots of cream cheese and add just about anything.......slice of fig or dates, olives, cucumber.....endless possibilities. Paula Deen has some recipes on foodnetwork.com.
I've always used my electric frying pan and electric pancake griddle to keep things warm for big parties where the oven and stovetop are in use. Biggest tip I can give you is to prepare everything you can ahead, including the make it yourself bar, so that you can enjoy your guests and are not stuck in the kitchen.
PerkyMac at 9:04PM on 11/27/07
Well, they may not be terribly PC, but they are inexpensive and relatively easy... I'm referring to the Sausage Cheese Ball recipe from www.bettycrocker.com. Add a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder and they are incredible. Hope you have a great party.
djbrophy at 9:08PM on 11/27/07
One fairly easy hors d'oeuvre is goat cheese stuffed figs with thyme. I used dried black mission figs (you can get these from Trader Joe's) and soaked them in warm water for a few hours until they were soft. Then I made a small slit and stuffed the slit with some goat cheese and topped the cheese with a few thyme leaves. They were quite tasty and made for a nice presentation.
Smoked salmon is also a great idea; for a party last year I made a batch of blini (but used potato flour instead of buckwheat) the day before and stored it in the fridge. The next day, I reheated the blini just before the party and stacked them next to a mound of smoked salmon as well as sour cream, capers, and red onions. That way, you don't have to do the assembly and guests can decide how much or how little they want. Good luck with your party!
Jj6407 at 9:31PM on 11/27/07
There is timely article on Food & Wine's website Fast Company/Cocktail Party. The sidebar lists lots of recipes.
kjgibson at 10:06PM on 11/27/07
In the freezer section of your supermarket, buy the Athena Fillo Cups. They're very little and already baked.
Ahead of time (and then put them in the fridge until it's time to heat up), fill with the following:
1. A couple pieces diced peeled pear, a small dab of Brie cheese, a couple drops of honey and a pinch of fresh thyme,
OR
2. A couple small pieces diced peeled apple, a small dab of goat cheese or cheddar cheese and a couple dried cranberries.
Right before you serve, bake at 350 for 10-15 min., or until the cheese melts.
You fill the cups with anything, but these two have been huge hits.
kdjmom3 at 10:25PM on 11/27/07
My favourite is an Indian snack called "Bhel Puri". Its the easiest thing in the world to make and will probably cost less than 10 dollars & will feed 20-25 people. You can buy all the ingredients in an indian store
How to make: You'll need the following - 1 big bag of bhel puri mix (puffed rice with crispy noodles), 1 container tamarind chutney, 1 container corriander chutney, 1 plain yogurt, 1 can of chickpeas, 2 or 3 boiled potatoes peeled and chopped, 2 small onions chopped, 2 tomatoes chopped, few mini green chilies for some hotness, salt to taste and pinch of chili powder if you're adventureous. In a large bowl, mix the puri mix, potato, chickpeas, onions, green chilis and spices. On the side keep the yogurt, chutneys and tomatoes. You're all set!
How to eat: Have each person serve up a bowl of the bhel mix, sprinkle with some tomatoes, chutney and yogurt and dig in!
(You can be creative and add your own variety of beans and lentils or chutneys if you choose - the key is to keep the dry and wet ingredients separate so that the crunchiness is maintained)
arathi at 12:16AM on 11/28/07
When you are at Costco buying all of the other goodies...pick up a bag of the ciabatta rolls.
Slice each in half, toast well, rub a clove of garlic on each half (not a whole clove for each, mind you...a clove might last for 3 rolls), then rub a halved tomato so you wet the bread a little, drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Chop each in half again or quarters. Simple, yummy and you will get a ton of compliments!
sparkalina at 8:16AM on 11/28/07
One thing we make for every party and are always a hit are Nutella wontons. Very simple to make - just put a small amount (maybe 2 tsp) of Nutella in the center of the wonton wrapper, fold over and seal. Deep fry in batches in oil. Remove when just browned, drain and sprinkle with confectioners sugar or drizzle with honey.
They're fantastic when warm (and the Nutella's gooey) but they're still great at room temp.
deeoh1 at 8:53AM on 11/28/07
I have had a lot of luck with potstickers - I make them ahead of time (I use the store bought wrappers) and then cook them just ahead of the party. They are really tasty at room temp as well as hot - I serve with soy and teriyaki type dipping sauces.
Maureen at 9:04AM on 11/28/07
bhel puri is one of my favorite foods...i second it
stumbler02 at 12:37PM on 11/28/07
Here are some recipe ideas:
Cocktail Meatballs
Stuffed Mushroom Caps
Artichoke Rosemary Bruschetta
Enjoy!
Chew on That at 6:48PM on 11/30/07