Holding a party is a very responsible: not only you have to find the perfect outfit, buy decorations, prepare enough entertaining activities, but you also need to cook the most delicious meals. Of course, desserts can be bought in a store, and main courses can be cooked in bulk, but what you really need to pay attention to is appetizers. Those bite-sized tasty things are a perfect way to get a party started, so here are 10 of our favorite appetizer ideas.
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1. Meatballs
Meatballs are a staple dish in many of the world’s cuisines, but they are usually served as a main course. This is why meatballs served as appetizers will definitely be a hit! Fry meatballs according to the classic recipe, stick a toothpick into every meatball, and cook an amazing tomato-based sauce, so that everyone could get a bite of this great dish.
2. Pigs in a blanket
If we were asked to think of the easiest appetizer recipe, it would be pigs in a blanket. Sure, you can experiment with fillings and pastry, but the traditional recipe calls for just two ingredients – sausages and pastry (you can get pre-cooked pastry to save time). Cut the sausages into 5-7cm pieces, wrap every bit in rolled pastry, and bake. Serve with your favorite sauces – ketchup, mustard, or any other.
3. Deviled eggs
This recipe has been around for years, and now you can use it for your party. Hard-boil some eggs, peel them, cut them in half, take out the yolk, mix it with mustard, mayo and hot sauce, and put the mixture back into the cut eggs with the help of a small spoon. You can sprinkle some black pepper or paprika on top of the eggs for a cool visual effect.
4. Mini-pizzas
Bite-sized pizzas will definitely be a popular corner at your party. They are tasty, filling, and rather easy to make, especially if you take ready dough and tomato sauce instead of cooking from scratch. Your mini-pizzas will take just 10-15 minutes to cook, so you can prepare them super quickly in case you have some unexpected guests coming over.
5. Guacamole
Every party will benefit from an addition of chips served with guacamole. You can take ready-made chips and make your own guacamole from scratch – luckily, it takes just a few minutes. Take a couple of avocados, peel them and crush with a fork. Add a bit of lemon juice, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper. That’s it – a hit party appetizer is ready to be served.
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6. Bruschetta
This Italian classic is the perfect appetizer to be served at your party. The base for bruschettas is white bread, tomatoes, spices and olive oil, but there is so much you can change and improve about this recipe. Slice the bread, dice tomatoes, mix with spices and olive oil, put on top of the bread and bake until the bread is crispy. Serve immediately while it’s warm.
7. Chicken wings
Fried chicken is a delicious and filling appetizer that both adults and kids love. The recipe couldn’t be simpler: take the wings, dip them in batter that consists of eggs, water, and cornstarch, and deep-fry in a pan filled with oil – make sure that the chicken is ready on the inside but not overdone on the outside. Chicken wings can be served with a variety of sauces: BBQ, blue cheeses, hot sauce, etc.
8. Lettuce wraps
This is an Asian-inspired recipe that has taken the world by storm. The main ingredient here is lettuce leaves that are used as a wrapping for other ingredients. We recommend frying some ground beef with spices, adding diced tomatoes, and hot pepper. Put a couple of spoons into a lettuce leaf, sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice, and serve.
9. Fries or potato chips
Potatoes are a foolproof thing to cook for parties – they are delicious, easy to make and affordable. Fries are wonderfully simple to cook – cut the potatoes in chunks, put in a pan filled with oil, and fry until golden brown. Put various sauces in small dipping cups so that everyone could have their fries with their favorite condiment.
10. Mini-pies
Pies are a very popular part of Nigerian cuisine, which is why everyone will be glad when you serve mini-pies as appetizers at your party. The classic filling is meat with spices, but you can also try meat with potatoes, potatoes with other vegetables, or even sweet fillings like apples and other fruits.
