35 Easy Party Recipes | Midwest Living
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35 Easy Party Recipes

Celebrate a special occasion or just a fun Friday night with our recipes for dips, fondues, meatballs, snack mixes and more party appetizer foods.
Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms

Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms

The Nueske family of Nueske's Applewood Smoked Meats in Wittenberg, Wisconsin, shared this never-fail appetizer recipe for mushrooms stuffed with cream cheese, bacon and sharp cheddar or smoked Gouda cheese.

Like your bacon bite-size? Then you should also enjoy Bacon and Mushroom Bite-Size Quiches, a recipe from Carma Rogers at the National Pork Board in Des Moines. Make these little quiches a day ahead and reheat them at party time.

Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms

Bacon and Mushroom Bite-Size Quiches

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Appetizers, Entertaining recipes, Recipes

Ricotta and Parmesan Spread

Fresh herbs season this ridiculously simple spread from BelGioioso Cheese in Wisconsin. It keeps well in the fridge and is delicious with cherry tomatoes or other vegetable dippers, as well as crackers or baguette slices.

Ricotta and Parmesan Spread

Mexican Seven-Layer Dip

Combine pantry-ready ingredients such as canned bean dip and taco sauce for this easy dip. Serve with tortilla chips.

Mexican Seven-Layer Dip

Cheesy Snack Mix

Grated Parmesan cheese gives extra cheesy flavor to this blend of crispy corn and rice cereals, canned shoestring potatoes, crisp breadsticks and bite-size cheese crackers.

Cheesy Snack Mix

Turkey Pesto Sliders

These six-ingredient party sandwiches are simple and delicious. The recipe comes from Annie Marshall of the Indianapolis-based blog Annie's Eats.

Turkey Pesto Sliders

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings

A reader in Saint Paul gave us this recipe, which always gets raves from her guests. The sweet glaze uses pineapple juice, ketchup and soy sauce.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings recipe

Marinated Cheese Cubes

Pantry ingredients turn ordinary Monterey jack into a deli-style party snack that tastes even better when you make it ahead. You can prep it three days in advance.

Marinated Cheese Cubes

Gouda and Red Onion Pizza

This easy appetizer pizza features shredded Gouda and caramelized onions. The recipe comes from Gouda maker Oakvale Farmstead Cheese in London, Ohio.

Gouda and Red Onion Pizza

Swiss-Artichoke Dip

Artichoke hearts, dried tomatoes and sauce combine for a rich, creamy dip. Process Swiss cheese works best because traditional cheese sometimes breaks down when it's slow cooked.

Swiss-Artichoke Dip

Mediterranean Eight-Layer Dip

We've seen a lot of dips through the years, but we've never forgotten this one -- juicy veggies, tangy olive tapenade and feta piled on a thick layer of hummus. We like to make it ahead and serve it with warm toasted pita wedges. This recipe, originally published in December 2005, made our 25th anniversary list of all-time favorite recipes.

Mediterranean Eight-Layer Dip

Mini Burger Party Platter

To keep in step with the small-meal trend in restaurants, we created this Mini Burger Party Platter with fun sauces to choose from, including Balsamic Mayo, Herbed Goat Cheese and Citrus Ketchup.

Mini Burger Party Platter

Hot Artichoke and Asiago Cheese Dip

Roasted red sweet peppers fleck this dip with a festive crimson touch. Serve the warm, cheese-filled appetizer with bread or pita wedges, or some water crackers.

Hot Artichoke and Asiago Cheese Dip recipe

Jack Cheese and Smoky Chipotle Fondue

Lots of Monterey Jack cheese goes into this creamy fondue, along with sour cream, chipotle peppers and bacon. Scoop up with bread or tortilla chips.

Jack Cheese and Smoky Chipotle Fondue

Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms

The Nueske family of Nueske's Applewood Smoked Meats in Wittenberg, Wisconsin, shared this never-fail appetizer recipe for mushrooms stuffed with cream cheese, bacon and sharp cheddar or smoked Gouda cheese.

Like your bacon bite-size? Then you should also enjoy Bacon and Mushroom Bite-Size Quiches, a recipe from Carma Rogers at the National Pork Board in Des Moines. Make these little quiches a day ahead and reheat them at party time.

Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms

Bacon and Mushroom Bite-Size Quiches

Mini Italian Beef Sandwiches with Pepperoncini Slaw

Using pre-packaged ingredients such as frozen vegetables, coleslaw mix and cooked beef will speed your way to creating party appetizers that are fast, easy and delicious. Pictured: Mini Italian Beef Sandwiches with Pepperoncini Slaw and Crispy Cheesy Potato Bites.

Mini Italian Beef Sandwiches with Pepperoncini Slaw recipe

Crispy Cheesy Potato Bites recipe

French Onion Dip

Add pizzazz to potato chips or veggies with this dip made from sweet onions, sour cream, fresh chives, and cayenne pepper.

French Onion Dip

Wasabi Almonds and Popcorn

If you'd like to cut additional fat from this zesty snack mix, use five sprays of butter-flavor nonstick spray instead of butter. Be sure to add the spray right before eating to prevent the popcorn from getting soggy.

Wasabi Almonds and Popcorn

Easy Party Wraps and Tomato Cups

Roll up cream cheese, sliced cold meats and tortillas for a savory party wrap. Or make the wrap sweet with figs, cranberries and herbed cream cheese in wheat tortillas.

Another easy appetizer: Zucchini-Tomato Cups. The recipe comes from the Kirby House Restaurant in Abilene, Kansas. If you're not a blue cheese fan, use pesto-flavored cream cheese instead.

Savory Cream Cheese Spread with Party Wraps recipe

Zucchini-Tomato Cups recipe

Tortilla-Black Bean Casserole

Layer a tomato-bean mixture, cheese and tortillas for a casserole with south-of-the-border flavor. Let each guest top their portion with chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, green onions, olives and/or sour cream.

Tortilla-Black Bean Casserole

Chocolate-Caramel Fondue

Just three ingredients go into this quick dessert: sweetened condensed milk, caramel ice cream topping and chocolate. Vary your dippers to match the mood of your party.

Chocolate-Caramel Fondue

Ice Cream Sandwich Sundaes

You can make the ice cream sandwiches up to a week before your event and freeze them in an airtight container. When it's party time, just take a few minutes to heat up the sauce for this treat.

Ice Cream Sandwich Sundaes recipe

Mudslide Dip

This cheesy dip uses just two ingredients and can be kept warm in your slow cooker. Serve it with veggies, corn chips or tortilla chips.

Other hot dips that are easy to assemble include Artichoke-Spinach Dip, Festive Bean Dip and Season's Eating Taco Dip.

Mudslide Dip

Artichoke-Spinach Dip

Festive Bean Dip

Season's Eating Taco Dip

Not Your Ordinary Brie

Apple-cranberry chutney adds a spicy kick to this warm, baked brie appetizer.

Not Your Ordinary Brie

Meatballs and Alfredo Sauce

Make these easy meatballs for your next party.

Meatballs and Alfredo Sauce

Fireside Beer-Cheese Fondue

Mix and match cheeses to suit your taste in the fondue, then serve with an assortment of dippers, such as cubed French or Italian bread, cooked ham cubes, seedless grapes, apple chunks, and cut-up fresh vegetables.

Fireside Beer-Cheese Fondue

Hot and Spicy Snack Mix

Cayenne pepper and chili powder add heat to this combination of sesame and cheese snack sticks, corn nuts and pumpkin seeds.

Hot and Spicy Snack Mix

Sauerkraut Balls

This traditional German appetizer, popular in northeast Ohio, comes from the Hey Hey Bar and Grill in Columbus. Even if you're not usually a sauerkraut fan, you may love the sweet-sour tang of mustard and kraut inside crispy deep-fried shells.

Sauerkraut Balls

Devilishly Good Deviled Eggs

A hint of curry and some chutney elevate these deviled eggs to spectacular. Spoon the filling into a sandwich-size clear plastic bag and snip a corner for easy piping.

Devilishly Good Deviled Eggs

The Original Toasted Ravioli

This fried ravioli recipe, from Charlie Gitto's on the Hill in St. Louis, makes a fun party appetizer. We substituted frozen ravioli for the homemade they use at the restaurant. For extra-easy cooking, serve with a purchased marinara sauce.

The Original Toasted Ravioli

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