17 Party Food Ideas With Recipes

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Party food is some of the best appetizers, finger foods, side dishes, dips, and desserts. They’re easy to grab and typically no more than a quick bite.

Whether you are hosting a party, or attending one and need to bring a dish, you’re sure to find something worth cooking on this list.

We’ve put together 17 of the best party food ideas and included recipes for you so you can simply click, prepare, and enjoy the party.

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17 Party Food Ideas with Recipes

Here’s a list of 17 party food ideas, recipe included!

1. Taco Casserole

Putting together all the ingredients of a taco, but leaving out the tortilla, this taco casserole is easy to make, requires no baking, and will be a crowd favorite.

This casserole is made by layering all of the ingredients on top of each other. It is best served with warm tortilla chips. Here’s the recipe.

2. Cream Cheese Sausage Balls

This party food is sure to disappear quickly. The outer coating is made with Bisquick, giving it a fluffy yet crunchy texture and a melt-in-your-mouth flavor.

The inside consists of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and pork sausage. Serve them with a toothpick for easy picking at a party. Here’s the recipe.

3. Slow Cooker Smokies

Smokies are an excellent choice for party food. They’re small, snack-sized bites but pack big flavor. And bonus, they’re super easy to make in a slow cooker.

Since they’re made in the slow cooker, they do take about 2 hours to make, so give yourself enough time before the party! Here’s the recipe.

4. Vegetable Tray with Dip

Party food doesn’t come more classic than a vegetable tray with a tangy mustard dip or ranch dressing. You can choose whichever vegetables you like.

This delicious and nutritious party food can be built to accompany any party theme, and you can provide multiple dipping sauces. Here’s an easy recipe.

5. Loaded Potato Skins

Potato skins are a crowd favorite at parties. The cheesy, bacon and chive-topped potatoes are too good to resist, and are the perfect handheld party food.

Potato skins are pretty easy to make, as long as the potatoes are baked in advanced. You can jazz them up however you like. Here’s an easy recipe.

6. Chocolate Chip Brownies

No party can go without dessert. Brownies are a great party food dessert as they can be made in large batches, and cut into bite sized pieces.

To avoid all the haphazard spatula attempts, try placing the cooled brownies on small serving plates at parties for easier handling. Here’s a great recipe.

7. Cocktail Meatballs

Cocktail meatballs are usually made in a slow cooker and served with a toothpick for easy grabbing at parties without having to bother with forks.

This recipe calls for just 3 ingredients, making prep time a breeze. They do take about 4 hours to cook in the slow cooker, so be prepared.

8. Kielbasa Sandwiches

If you’ve ever attended a party for a sports event, you’ve probably always seen kielbasa there. It’s a great tailgating food and packed with flavor.

These sandwiches are great for parties because everyone can customize their own toppings and condiments. Plus, sandwiches make for great handheld foods. Here’s the recipe.

9. Chicken Drums

Chicken drums are a messy but oh so delicious party food. They are easy to grab by the drumstick and are packed with juicy flavor.

This recipe makes chicken drums with an Asian glaze, but you can easily make them with buffalo or barbeque sauce, depending on your tastes and preferences.

10. Cheddar Bacon Beer Cheese Dip

Dips are always great to have at parties, whether it’s cheese dip, salsa, or veggie dip. They’re convenient party food and rarely go to waste.

This cheddar bacon beer dip is super cheesy and is made in a slow cooker, which makes prepping simple but a little time consuming. Here’s the recipe.

11. Hawaiian Ham BBQ Sliders

Party food is easy and convenient to eat, so it makes sense it should be easy and convenient to cook, right? These ham and cheese sliders fit the bill.

They only take about 20 minutes to make, including cook time, and make the best party food: Quick, easy, flavorful, and bite size. Here’s the recipe.

12. Spinach Artichoke Dip

You can never have too many dips in your arsenal, and spinach artichoke is one of the best. It’s creamy, cheesy, and full of wonderful flavor.

This dip is ready in about a half hour. It’s best served with warm tortilla chips or pita bread. Here’s a great recipe to try for your next party.

13. Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Similar in shape to brownies, peanut butter bars are a great bite-sized party food. The best part? They require no baking! So, no hot kitchen afterward.

To make them more convenient and available to guests, try pre-cutting them and putting them on small serving plates. Here’s a quick and easy recipe.

14. Salami Cream Cheese Rolls

Rolls and bite sized sandwiches are always a hit at parties. They can be grabbed and eaten quickly, minimizing time away from socializing and having fun.

These salami cream cheese rolls are like a delicious deli-style sushi roll. The ingredient list is small, and no need for the oven. Here’s the recipe.

15. BBQ Chicken Bites

This awesome party food can be served similar to meatballs and sausage balls. To make it easy, provide toothpicks for skewering and eating on the go.

It takes about an hour to make this recipe, so make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare. Here’s a great recipe that’s sure to be a hit.

16. Cheese Ball with Crackers

Cheese balls are an easy party food that’s simple to scoop onto a plate and eat with crackers. You can coat it in whatever you prefer.

This recipe calls for an outside coating of pecans. It’s made with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and a few spices that are sure to be a crowd pleaser.

17. Guacamole Dip

Everyone knows someone who makes a killer guacamole dip. It’s great to serve at parties, and can be easily scooped onto a plate or dipped with chips.

Guacamole dip pairs great with salty tortilla chips. There are plenty of different ways to make it, but here is an easy recipe. Use fresh ingredients for best results.

Wrap Up

Parties are always fun to attend and host, but can be a little stressful when you have to make food for a big group of people.

This list of 17 party food ideas will help you worry less about food, and more about enjoying your party and spending time with friends and family.

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