Easy party foods: variety of appetizers and finger food on a table

Hosting a get-together with appetizing and easy party foods doesn’t have to be over complicated or stressful. Whether you’re looking to wow your guests with simple and scrumptious appetizers, keep things casual with simple finger foods, or lean on store-bought and make-ahead shortcuts, a few go-to tips and tricks can keep your hosting duties feel fast, fun, and stress-free. 

Using our guide below, you’ll find an array of party food ideas that look impressive but feel effortless so that you can enjoy your party right along with your guests. Hosting should be enjoyable, not exhausting! 

7 Tips to Minimize Food Prep and Party Planning Stress

When it comes to planning easy party foods for a gathering, a simple strategy is the difference between a frazzled host and actually enjoying your company. Use these helpful guidelines to help plan your get-together and spread: 

1. Keep the menu simple: Choose 5-7 common ingredients you can repurpose across various dishes. Examples include chips, cheese, deli meats, frozen apps, dips, etc. 

2. Minimize prep: Make things easy for yourself by selecting foods that come together quickly or by a single cooking method, such as no-cook or oven-baked options. Avoid excessive chopping, blending, and sauteeing to save yourself valuable time. 

3. Select batch–friendly options: Select items you can make a lot of in one sitting. Think dips, skewers, sliders, and finger foods, such as meatballs or pigs in a blanket. 

4. Know your guests: Know your guests allergens or food intolerances, and make sure you offer something everyone can eat. This could be a gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegetarian option. Pro tip: Label your dishes that are allergen-free, meat-free, or vegan to save you from answering the same questions all night! 

5. Utilize shortcuts: Don’t feel guilty using store-bought options or having a guest or two bring something to share! Store bought isn’t less special; it’s simply smarter hosting. Even buying prepped or pre-chopped ingredients can make a home-made dish come together more quickly.

6. Use a self-service approach: By making your food spread self-serve, you keep the flow of the party moving while staying out of the kitchen. Set up one central location for food, and put out plates, napkins, silverware, and toothpicks. This is a particularly good serving method for holiday parties or Super Bowl parties where guests might nibble on snacks throughout the evening.

7. Send digital invitations: Digital invitations are quick, eco-friendly, and a great way to communicate all the party details to your guests. You can track RSVPs with ease, so you know how many people you need to feed. Plus, with Greenvelope’s survey question feature, ask guests about their food allergies, dietary restrictions, or favorite pizza toppings.  

Easy Party Food and Recipe Inspo for Your Next Gathering

Group of friends having a toast

Now that you understand a few strategies that will help you execute a stress-free and delicious dinner party or get-together, we’ll cover a mix of easy party food ideas and recipes designed for hosting.

Choose from these quick and tasty appetizers and dips, bite-sized finger foods, set-and-forget slow cooker staples, and make-ahead picks — all with store-bought savings sprinkled throughout. 

Appetizers and Dips

A staple at any get-together, delicious dips and appetizer recipes let guests snack before the main course. Since they’re easy to grab and walk around with, appetizers have become so popular that it’s not uncommon to see an entire menu made up of them. 

Below are some simple and scrumptious ideas to kick start your party: 

1. Charcuterie board: Fill a cutting board or platter with deli meats, sliced cheeses, crackers, fruit, nuts, olives, and fun jams or spreads for grazing.

2. Crudité and dip: Slice up veggies, and serve with ranch dip or hummus.

3. Caprese skewers: Make a no-cook kebab with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil drizzled with balsamic glaze. 

4. Whipped feta: Blend feta with yogurt, olive oil, and lemon. Then, drizzle with hot honey, and serve with warm pita or crackers. 

5. Jalapeno poppers: Stuff halved jalapenos with cream cheese and wrap in bacon before crisping them in an air fryer. 

6. Puff pastry bites: Cut store-bought puff pastry into squares and add baked brie or coat cheese before sealing. Bake or air fry until golden. 

7. Guacamole and salsa: Mash avocados with lime, jalapeños, tomatoes, and onions. Serve alongside black bean salsa and tortilla chips.

The dip and appetizer category lends itself well to store-bought shortcuts. Buy premade dips, cubed cheese, a pre-chopped veggie tray, or even containers of guacamole. 

Finger Foods

Finger foods are a hit at any party. They’re easy to grab and the perfect bite-size portion to pop into your mouth between conversations. From classic crowd-pleasers to simple small bites, these ideas are a great start: 

8. Sliders: Offer handheld sandwiches, like BBQ pulled pork sliders or chicken salad sliders, for a simple and satisfying bite.

9. Pigs in a blanket: Wrap cocktail weenies in crescent rolls for the classic crowd-pleasing pass-around dish. For an elevated feel, use puff pastry, and serve with a variety of dipping sauces. 

10. Chicken and veggie skewers: Bring some color to your dinner party by marinating and grilling chicken and veggies. The skewers make it the perfect hand-held meal. 

11. Cocktail meatballs: Great for game days or upscale dinner parties, a sweet chili or BBQ-glazed meatball is the perfect addition to any spread. Break out your toothpicks for guests to quickly grab one (or more).

12. Pepperoni pinwheels: Roll pepperoni and mozzarella cheese in puff pastry or pizza dough. Roll up, slice, and bake. For a fun twist, add pizza sauce or pesto. 

13. Quesadillas: Pack your tortillas with cheese, veggies, or shredded chicken and top with salsa and sour cream. For the gluten-free crowd, use corn tortillas. 

Slow-Cooker Standouts

Let your slow cooker be your best friend for your next gathering. A true set-it-and-forget-it vessel, a slow cooker involves minimal prep but provides maximum flavor.

Get inspired by these slow cooker ideas: 

14. BBQ shredded pork or chicken: Combine the meat with a BBQ sauce of your choosing, and let it cook low and slow. Pair it with buns, pickles, and store-bought coleslaw.

15. Queso dip: Keep the dip warm and melty in the slow cooker. Serve with tortilla chips.

16. Spinach artichoke dip: Combine your ingredients, set the slow cooker to low, and set out your chips, crackers, and crudité for dipping. 

17. Butter chicken meatballs: Mix frozen meatballs with jarred tikka masala sauce and cream. Spoon onto fresh naan bread or rice. 

18. Carnitas: Slow cook carnitas with orange for a versatile meat to go on nachos or in tacos. Let guests create their own dish. 

19. Caramelized onion dip: Take the easy route by combining store-bought onion jam with sour cream. Serve with pita chips or crostini.

Make-Ahead Masterpieces 

There’s nothing wrong with saving a little time by getting your party food prepped before your party. The whole point of hosting friends is to spend time with them, not slave away in the kitchen all night long.

Here are some great food ideas that you can prep today for your party tomorrow: 

20. Overnight pinwheels: For this easy option, you simply roll up a few ingredients into a tortilla and chill. The day of your party, just pull them out and slice them into rounds. Try classic pinwheels with cream cheese, ranch seasoning, and deli turkey, or put an Italian spin on them by combining cream cheese, pesto, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. For the vegetarian crowd, use cream cheese, fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and carrots.

21. Pasta salad: A perfect way to combine your favorite flavors and ingredients, a pasta salad only gets better as it sits. Cook your pasta, toss with dressing, add veggies and cheese, and then refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled. 

22. Deviled eggs: Boil the eggs and prep the filling (egg yolks, cream cheese, sour cream, and mustard) up to two days ahead of your party. On the day of, assemble your deviled eggs by piping your filling with a Ziploc bag into the eggs before topping with paprika or chives.

23. Cheese and marinated vegetable platter: Create an upscale spread that wows by combining roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, feta cubes, and cut up veggies. Marinate them with olive oil and Italian or Greek seasoning overnight in the fridge. Pull everything out the day of the party and serve. 

24. Sub sliders: Assemble your sandwiches with King’s Hawaiian rolls, deli meat, and cheese. Place into the fridge until it’s time for the party. Serve them cold, or brush the sandwiches with butter and Italian seasoning and bake until the cheese is gooey and melty.

Hosting Made Easier

Artful Dining Invitation

Design: Kid Collective | Artful Dining Invitation

The best party foods are the ones that taste delicious AND allow you to enjoy your gathering. By keeping your menu simple and taking shortcuts through make-ahead and store-bought dishes, you can create a crowd-pleasing spread and avoid spending the entire night in the kitchen. 

Once the food plan is set, choose from one of our invitations for entertaining. They’re easy to customize and quick to send, so you’ll be sharing your party details and tracking RSVPs in no time.