Holiday Finger Foods

Perfect for socializing and catching up, these no-fuss finger foods are easy to pick up and chow down.

Mushroom Puffs

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Mushroom Puffs

Flaky puff pastry envelopes a rich mix of cream cheese, mushrooms, onions, and Parmesan cheese. You can even assemble and freeze these ahead of time.

Tortellini Caprese Bites

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Tortellini Caprese Bites

These appetizer skewers drizzled with a basil vinaigrette are so simple to prepare and their no-mess presentation makes them ideal for parties.

Afterburners

Afterburners

These all-time favorite bite sized peppers are delicious served with queso.

Cheese Straws

Cheese Straws

If you like yours less spicy, use the smaller amount of red pepper.

Tuna-Apple Mini Melts

Tuna-Apple Mini Melts

A creamy tuna-apple mixture fills mini-phyllo pastry shellsand is topped with Havarti cheese slices to make a tasty bite-sized appetizer.

Cranberry Meatballs

Cranberry Meatballs

Making these meatballs ahead and freezing them is a great time saving tip during the holiday months.

Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear

Photo: Ralph Anderson

Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear

Top Bartlett pear slices with baked pancetta, crumbled goat cheese, and a drizzle of honey for an easy, salty-sweet appetizer recipe that tastes delicious and looks gorgeous.

 

Marinated Mozzarella

Marinated Mozzarella

These snacks are as simple as sliced cheese. Prepare them ahead of time to allow ample chill time. Be sure to garnish with a sprig of parsley or rosemary for a bit of panache.

Beef and Asparagus Bundles

Beef and Asparagus Bundles

Tie these bundles with a fresh chive to put the perfect touch on this edible package!

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Bread

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Bread

We've taken garlic bread up a notch. These tasty toasts make perfect entertaining starters. For a light meal, serve them with a salad and glass of wine. Mix spreads the day before, and refrigerate overnight. You'll only need to slather them on French bread and bake for a super-quick presentation. So skip the carb counting, and crunch into something delicious.

Tiny Tomato Tarts

Tiny Tomato Tarts

With all the flavor of a traditional tomato pie, these Tiny Tomato Tarts will be a hit at your party!

White Bean-and-Black Olive Crostini

White Bean-and-Black Olive Crostini

Set out salty, satisfying crostini for your guest when they arrive; it's sure to set a great tone for the rest of the meal. Garnish with torn basil leaves.

Spicy Cheddar "Long" Straws

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Spicy Cheddar "Long" Straws

These tasty strips have the shape of bread sticks but the crisp texture and cheddar-filled taste of cheese straws.

Sweet Potato Crostini with Goat Cheese and Grape Salsa

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Sweet Potato Crostini with Goat Cheese and Grape Salsa

Spicy, sweet, and totally addictive, this easy appetizer starts with preseasoned fries.

Mini Manchego-Tomato Chutney Tartlets

Mini Manchego-Tomato Chutney Tartlets

For these delicious tartlets, we like to use Alecia's Tomato Chutney, an Alabama-made product worth ordering if you can't find it in your grocery store. Mango chutney is a relatively close alternative to this zesty preserve.

Spicy Cheddar Appetizer Cookies

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Spicy Cheddar Appetizer Cookies

Make party-perfect savory cookies by rolling cheese straw dough into festive shapes.

Cornbread Crostini

Jennifer Davick

Cornbread Crostini

A little imagination is all it takes to create these colorful Cornbread Crostini.

Bacon-Arugula-Apple Holiday Appetizer Recipes

Photo: Ralph Anderson / Styling: Angela Sellers

Bacon-Arugula-Apple Bites

Complement any menu with this no-fuss party appetizer.

Caesar Salad Bites

Photo: Jennifer Davick/Prop Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell/Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Caesar Salad Bites

Fresh, chilled Caesar Salad Bites are tasty, super-easy make, and perfectly suitable for eating out of hand.

Turn these appetizers into a pretty salad by layering veggies and croutons in a clear ice bucket or trifle dish and topping with dressing and parsley.

Herbed Goat Cheese Bites

Herbed Goat Cheese Bites

This scrumptious appetizer is easy to prep. Simply roll a log of creamy goat cheese in fresh chopped thyme, parsley, tarragon, and mint in advance. Then, just before serving, spread onto fresh toasted baguette slices and top with sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves.

Ham and Cheese Skewers

Ham and Cheese Skewers

These starters look elegant on a serving platter--guests will be fooled by how quick and easy they really are. Assemble up to one hour ahead, cover with damp paper towels, and chill. Serve coarse-grain mustard or chutney alongside the skewers.

Pecan-Cheddar Buttons

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Pecan-Cheddar Buttons

These salty cheese straw balls are rolled in finely chopped pecans and baked until crisp and undeniably delicious. They're sure to become a new party favorite.

Caramelized Onion-Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites

Caramelized Onion-Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites

These bite-sized hors d'oeuvres combine a light cream cheese spread, whole grain crackers and a cranberry topping for an ideal mixture of salty and sweet.

 

Smoked Paprika-Glazed Andouille

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Smoked Paprika-Glazed Andouille

Serve andouille with wooden toothpicks to create bite-size appetizers.

Hot Roast Beef Party Sandwiches

Hot Roast Beef Party Sandwiches

This is an updated version of a recipe that used ham, cheese, and mustard. Eyes lit up at our tasting table when these came out of the oven. These crowd pleasing sandwiches will surely delight guests.

Salt-Roasted Beef Tenderloin Sliders

Photo: Jim Franco

Salt-Roasted Beef Tenderloin Sliders

You can serve these hearty bites between biscuits, brioche, or artisan dinner rolls for an elegant presentation.

Fingerling Potatoes with Avocado and Smoked Salmon

Photo: Jim Franco

Fingerling Potatoes with Avocado and Smoked Salmon

You'll love the unexpected flavor combination of creamy avocado and fresh dill atop roasted potatoes.

Bacon-Wrapped Bourbon Figs

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Bacon-Wrapped Bourbon Figs

For bacon-wrapped bliss, turn to these inventive small bites featuring some of our favorite Southern staples.

Pork Tenderloin Crostini

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Pork Tenderloin Crostini

Get a pepper jelly kick with these delectable open-faced biscuits.

Grits Spanakopita

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Grits Spanakopita

Japanese breadcurmbs add a satisfying, but light, crunch to these flavorful grits triangles.

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Upgrade a typical holiday shrimp cocktail by wrapping the juicy bites in satisfyingly salty bacon.

Pepper Jelly-Goat Cheese Cakes

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Pepper Jelly-Goat Cheese Cakes

These pretty bites have both green and red pepper jelly melted on top for an indulgent treat.

Brisket Shooters

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Brisket Shooters

Save time and pick up brisket and sauce from your favorite barbecue joint to use in these party bites.

Chicken-and-Bacon Satay

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Chicken-and-Bacon Satay

A satay is an Indonesian version of kabobs: thinly sliced marinated meat grilled on a skewer and served with lip-licking peanut sauce.

Pepper Jelly-Pecan Rugelach

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Pepper Jelly-Pecan Rugelach

Make these crunchy treats several hours ahead of time and serve at room temperature.

Grits Crostini

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Grits Crostini

You can bake the crostini up to a couple of hours ahead of time, top just before guests arrive and place in the oven to finish.

Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip

You can keep the queso blanco warm in a fondue pot or 1-qt. slow cooker. These are hearty, and would be a winner for a tailgate too.

Chicken Salad Pitas

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Chicken Salad Pitas

Pepper jelly adds a nice sweet-hot note to chicken salad. And you'll love the extra zing from lemon zest and ground red pepper.

Pepper Jack Grits Poppers

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Pepper Jack Grits Poppers

Wow your guests with this 6-ingredient twist on the iconic finger food.

Grits-and-Gumbo Tarts

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Grits-and-Gumbo Tarts

Capture the iconic flavors of New Orleans in these easy-to-make tarts.

Southern-Style Smørrebrød

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Southern-Style Smørrebrød

Sparked by the leisurely pleasures of the cocktail-and-canapé Mad Men era, smørrebrød (Danish open-faced sandwiches) are the latest craze in stress-free entertaining. With a little clever prep, you can set out an impressive DIY spread in under an hour. Now we'll toast to that. Skål, y'all!

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