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The decorations are up, the music is on, and the games are out. The only thing missing at your party? A solid appetizer selection.
Whether you’ve been invited to a barbecue, are throwing a small gathering, or have unexpected visitors, having some last-minute appetizer recipes under your belt makes life easier. In a recent thread, Redditors share what they make when they need something for a crowd, fast.
Who doesn't love a delicious and easy dip at a party? This barbecue chicken dip suggestion from u/ATforLife uses simple ingredients like cream cheese, rotisserie chicken, a third of a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce, and one bag of Colby Jack cheese.
The simple mix is even a two-for-one recipe: "You can sub out Sweet Baby Ray's for Frank's Red Hot and have buffalo chicken dip," suggests u/ennapurr21.
Recipe: How Sweet Eats
"Wrap a spear of asparagus with a slice of prosciutto and fry lightly in a pan. Takes no time and is absolutely delicious. Only downside is ingredient cost," comments u/NahhNevermindOk.
"We do this with water chestnuts," adds u/idegosuperego15, nothing that you just need to wrap a water chestnut with bacon, add a little soy sauce and brown sugar, and hold it all together with a toothpick. "It is one of my boomer mom’s classic party app recipes," they add. "Even better if it’s honey or maple cured bacon!"
Recipe: Fifteen Spatulas
Try this dip from u/mullitaunus: Smash up 8 ounces of feta cheese with half a cup of roasted red peppers or pimentos, black pepper, cayenne to taste, and juice from half a lemon. Serve with warm pita for scooping.
Or go for the commenter's Southern version: 1 block of cream cheese, 2-3 cups of shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, diced pimentos, jalapenos, Worcestershire, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Serve it with Fritos and carrot and celery sticks.
Recipe: Food Network
Redditor u/pschi773 offers a great recipe for crescent rolls served with pesto. Just roll out crescent dough, cut each piece of dough in half, and a dollop of pesto the bottom of each pastry. Roll them back up and bake according to the package's instructions. You can even serve it with a warm bowl of pasta sauce for dipping.
Recipe: The Mom 100
This throw-it-together salad suggested by u/FringeHistorian3201 is super easy. It's made with frozen corn, black beans, chopped bell peppers, red onion, tomato, avocado (if you want), cilantro, and a few other kitchen stapes. Bam, done.
Recipe: Dinner at the Zoo
One Redditor says you can't go wrong making your own hummus, as it's quick, easy, and cheap.
"A couple cans of chickpeas, some tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, in my Blendtec takes 5 minutes, start to finish. (Probably less with a food processor)," says u/Creative_Decision481. "And you can add so much stuff to it. Like, I like it kind of super lemony/dilly, which is a totally different flavor profile. And I always have celery, cucumber, bell peppers in the fridge, so I’m set." They say it makes a great dip, but is also good for wrap sandwiches.
Recipe: Cookie + Kate
Pasta salads are so easy and tasty, and this version from u/LetsGoHomeTeam seems simple. Just boil some penne until it's al dente, toss in a container of antipasto from the deli, then add chopped or sliced (or whole, if that's what you prefer) salami slices.
Recipe: Spend With Pennies
This is an actual thing in some areas of the country, according to u/LittleRileyBao. Take a slice of ham, spread some cream cheese on it, add a pickle spear, and roll it up for a classic Midwest party app. Another Redditor adds that they sub green onion for pickles.
Recipe: Culinary Hill
It doesn't get much faster and simpler than this dip idea from u/Sad-Somewhere7182. Simply whip cream cheese and fresh roasted hatch green chiles, then refrigerate for what the commenter calls a "wonderful dip."
Recipe: Low Carb Delish
Two ingredients make for a sweet and easy party dessert. Redditor u/bookreadermak has a 5-minute favorite: Mix vermicelli and condensed milk. The recipe can be found in different forms online as well, where it's called kheer or semiya payasam, and is a popular dessert for birthdays or parties.
Recipe: Vidhya's Vegetarian Cooking
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