Easy, Yummy Party Food: 25 Bites, Dips & Nibbles
It’s Birthday Week at The Kitchn, and while we’ve been hitting the birthday cake pretty hard, we don’t want to forget about all the other delicious things that accompany a good party. I love any excuse to whip up some bite-sized nibbles, and a birthday party is as good of a time as any. Here are 25 favorite party bites from our archives — dips, teeny nibbles, little things on toast, and even a few sweet things.
These are truly my own favorites. I really, really like making up a quick batch of cream cheese smeared on crackers, sprinkled with chopped herbs or arugula. (So easy, and looks so fancy.) I love cheese balls, and the addictive deliciousness of roasted spiced nuts and edamame. I included a few more substantial things, too, in case you want a party of finger foods to stretch through dinner time. A few flatbreads can be made up ahead of time and recrisped in the oven. And even if you’re serving birthday cake, don’t forget about the sweets — little caramels or brownies, or even some roasted figs, can be a nice way to end an evening.
So, without further ado, here are 25 recipes to help you host a grown-up birthday party for just about anyone.
LITTLE THINGS ON TOAST
• 1 Lemon-Thyme Bruschetta – Slices of baguette spread with ricotta and lemon zest. Really couldn’t be easier.
• 2 Fava Bean and Radish Bruschetta – Hello, spring!
• 3 Cream Cheese and Arugula Toast Bites – These things come together in a flash.
• 4 Fresh Mozzarella Toasts with Spicy Herb Oil – Plenty of fresh summer flavor.
MEAT & CHEESE
• 5 How To Make Prosciutto Rosettes – Curls of meat to accompany a cheese tray.
• 6 Prosciutto-Wrapped Arugula – Such a simple, fresh appetizer — love this.
• 7 Stuffed Sweet Piquante Peppers – Meat and cheese in a bright, sweet pepper.
• 8 A Trio Of Cheese Balls – Cheese balls are so retro, and so back in these days. Make one (or all three) of these and watch your guests huddle round.
LITTLE NIBBLES
• 9 Roasted Edamame with Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper – Simple, quick, and addictive.
• 10 Ina Garten’s Chipotle and Rosemary Spiced Nuts – People go crazy for these.
• 11 Cheddar Olives – A Southern classic.
• 12 Cheesy Spicy Popcorn – Toasty, cheesy, and salty.
DIPS
• 13 Spinach and Artichoke Dip – Can’t go wrong with a classic.
• 14 A Salty, Savory, Sexy, Scrumptious, Smooth and Spreadable Vegan Dip! – Yeah, what it says.
• 15 Zucchini, Mint and Yogurt Spread – Fresh and unexpected.
• 16 Kalamata Olive Tapenade with Shallots – All you need are a few pantry ingredients, and a quick blitz in the food processor.
SLIGHTLY MORE SUBSTANTIAL
• 17 Cipollini and Mushroom Tart – People go crazy for small bites of this stuff.
• 18 Smoky Deviled Eggs with Greek Yogurt – Never underestimate the power of a deviled egg.
• 19 Leek, Ricotta, and Lemon Flatbread – Little wedges of this are more substantial than a lot of party food, and have a refreshingly bright taste.
• 20 How To Make Pretzel Bites Fit For A Crowd – Homemade pretzel bites? Oh yeah!
• 21 Ortine’s Mediterranean Platter – A whole platter of good appetizers.
SWEET BITES
• 22 Stuffed Figs with Honey-Balsamic Syrup – Sweet and rich.
• 23 Juno’s Pregnant Dates – Bacon-wrapped dates. Sweet AND salty.
• 24 DIY Salt Caramels – Scatter a few homemade caramels in among the salty stuff.
• 25 Extra-Dark Brownies with Sea Salt and Lime – A bite of dark brownie is just the right ending to a party of little nibbles.
OK your turn! What are your favorite small bites and nibbles to make for a party?
(Images: See linked recipes for full image credits)