:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Peperonata-Agrodolce-and-Whipped-Feta-Toasts-FT-MAG-RECIPE-0524-c706a281c6a94248b259b90409ab662c.jpg?w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "22 Handheld Appetizers for Fork-Free Noshing")
Save your forks for setting the table and keep the pre-meal party noshing easy by serving handheld appetizers that require nothing more than a napkin and maybe a toothpick to enjoy. From one-bite snacks like homey, spicy cocktail meatballs and elegant salmon-topped gougères to classic dips, savory sliders, and crisp cheese-topped toasts, we have all of your utensil-free appetizer bases covered. These tasty snack ideas will keep your guests happy and your forks clean.
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Photographer: Kelsey Hansen, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali
At once chewy, crispy, sweet, savory, and smoky, these bacon-wrapped dates hit all the right notes to satisfy your guests in a single bite. Dates and bacon are dressed up with walnuts and herbs, plus savory cream cheese and blue cheese. Drizzle them with honey for an extra-sweet touch.
Potato-Gruyère Tart
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell
Flaky store-bought puff pastry is the foundation for this classy tart. Caramelized onions and thin slices of tender potatoes bake atop a bed of creamy thyme-infused Gruyère for an appetizer your guests won’t be able to resist.
Pepper Jelly Cocktail Meatballs
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Inspired by slow-cooker grape jelly meatballs, F&W recipe developer Nicole Hopper coats these broiled pork and beef meatballs in a sticky, spicy-sweet sauce made with pepper jelly and chipotles in adobo sauce. Serve them with a toothpick for easy noshing.
Dirty Martini Dip Mini Stuffed Potatoes
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Prop Styling by Abby Armstrong
Turn the beloved cocktail into a two-bite party appetizer with twice-baked baby Yukon Gold potatoes — after they’re roasted until tender, fill them with a rich, bold blend of pungent blue cheese, cream cheese, and briny olive juice.
Peperonata Agrodolce with Whipped Feta Toast
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Softened peppers are finished with red wine vinegar and sugar for a sweet-and-sour kick, then served over whipped ricotta toasts for this impressive appetizer from Marianne Williams.
Green Curry Deviled Eggs
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox
Start with six hard-cooked eggs and use store-bought green curry paste to make this fun, crowd-pleasing riff on traditional deviled eggs in about an hour.
French Onion Roast Beef Sliders
Chris Simpson / FOOD STYLING by MARGARET MONROE DICKEY / PROP STYLING by AUDREY DAVIS
Layer roast beef, Frenched onions, and Gruyère cheese between a split slab of sweet Hawaiian rolls. Brush the tops of the bread with melted butter, then cover well with foil. Bake at 350°F until the cheese melts; uncover and let cook a little longer until the top is toasted. Irresistible party food unlocked.
Garlic Butter Chicken Bites
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Sear quick-cooking chicken breast chunks then coat with a luscious lemon pepper and garlic butter sauce. These snacks are up for grabs in 25 minutes.
Caviar Waffle Bites
Justin Chapple brings us this inventive and playful take on blini. Strips of waffles house pockets of caviar, crème fraîche, and chives, making perfect grab-and-go appetizers.
Zeytinyağli Yaprak Sarmasi (Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Musa Dagdeviren shares the recipe for these tender vegetarian stuffed grape leaves from the Turkish region of Mugla in The Turkish Cookbook. The tangy brightness of the brined grape leaves is mellowed by a rice filling seasoned with fresh parsley, dill, and plenty of cooked onions.
Tuna and Green Olive Empanadas
Food & Wine / Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco
Make José Andrés’ handheld snack full of cooked tomatoes, briny green olives, and hard-boiled egg with a few shortcuts to simplify prep: canned tuna and store-bought puff pastry.
Mini Wedge Salads with Anchovy Dressing
Greg DuPree
For these personal wedge salads, a clever panko crust lets each guest enjoy their handheld salad in just a bite or two — no forks required.
Lumpia
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
These crispy Filipino spring rolls — stuffed with juicy ground pork and a medley of vegetables — are perfect for dipping in a flavorful sauce of rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and scallions.
Spinach Dip Hot Bread
A standard cheesy appetizer for your snack spread, this delicious dip is made even better nestled in a toasty sliced sourdough boule with buttery béchamel sauce, spinach, and a gentle kick of heat from Calabrian chiles.
Gougères with Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Prosciutto
Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman
Made with nutty Gruyère, these airy cheese puffs are the perfect vessel for silky smoked salmon and crème fraîche. Garnish them all with salmon and caviar, or mix it up with a few slices of prosciutto.
Pork Belly, Shrimp, and Pickled Tomato Pintxos
Who needs a fork when you’ve got a skewer? Thread and grill sticky-sweet pork belly, meaty shrimp, and bright, quick-pickled tomatoes for a whimsical appetizer with plenty of flavor.
Cheesy Sausage Cocktail Toasts
For these tasty toasts, cookbook author Andrea Slonecker borrows from the nostalgic flavors of her childhood and swaps creamy mascarpone and robust Taleggio for the Velveeta in her grandmother’s original version. “The topping can be made a few days ahead, and it’s as straightforward as browning some Italian sausage and melting in the cheeses,” she writes.
Lamb Martabak
A fantastic canapé or appetizer, chef Lara Lee’s Indonesian snack can be simplified with spring roll wrappers and served with sambal on the side for dipping.
Cracked Shrimp with Pineapple-Habanero Relish
Chef Carla Hall reimagines Bahamian cracked conch by swapping in shrimp — it’s battered, fried, and served with a spicy fresh pineapple relish. The relish can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Bollitos de Papa y Elote (Potato Elote Bites)
It’s true that good things come in small packages. Inspired by bollitos from the Dominican Republic, 2021 F&W Best New Chef Paola Velez wraps a jazzy corn filling, based on the Mexican street food elote, in spiced mashed potatoes and deep-fries it.
Suya-Spiced Mixed Nuts
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Coat mixed nuts with butter and suya spice for a Nigerian-inspired riff on a popular bar snack that’s hot, sweet, and salty.
Two-Bite Parmesan Biscuits
As if buttery biscuits weren’t delicious enough as is, this cheesy mini version includes a sizable wedge of Parmesan cheese. There’s a whole cup of ground cheese in the dough; some blankets the sheet pan to give the biscuits a crispy bottom crust, while the rest is sprinkled on top of the biscuits, turning delightfully golden in the oven.
Source link
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20250212-SEA-StrawberryCheesecakeBars-JenCausey-Beauty1-64-4f0a284237bc47578c6edd263a701999.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "The Strawberry Cheesecake Bars I’m Bringing to All My Potlucks This Year")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20240808-SEA-Challah-DebbieWee-HERO11-01-3c29b13fee704ef78a33619a7ce10453.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "20 Bread Recipes That Will Make Your Home Smell Like a Bakery")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Chipotle-Is-Opening-in-Mexico-for-the-First-Time-FT-BLOg0425-01-4b7ea45bdb794da8963c3858cc51e340.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "Chipotle Is Packing Its Burrito Bowls and Expanding to Mexico")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/chinese-sesame-balls-FT-RECIPE0325-a3f119f88a9542b0bba53333b701e315.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "Jian Dui (Sesame Balls)")