It's winter, so you're going to have a lot of parties. And when you host a party, you must serve up some delicious food! These recipes are the perfect way to make your next dinner party, barbecue, banquet, buffet, or picnic more fun and tasty:
1. Tortellini Kabobs
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of tortellini
- Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or cut into quarters depending on their size
- Mozzarella balls (or large chunks) if you want to add those too!
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or oil. Alternatively, you could use parchment paper instead of greasing the pan, creating more cleanup for yourself at the end!
Add tortellini to a pot of boiling water and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain well and set aside until cool enough to handle safely with your fingers without burning yourself from being too hot from boiling water just moments ago.
Cut cherry tomatoes in half or quarter them depending on their size; then do the same with your mozzarella balls if you use them! If using large chunks instead of balls, cut them into smaller pieces so they're not so thick and awkward looking when placed next to each other.
2. Hot Dog Tsunami
Ingredients:
- 6 hot dogs
- 1 stick of butter
- ½ cup breadcrumbs. (Breadcrumbs are the bits that fall off when you're cutting up bread.)
Instructions:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add in the breadcrumbs and stir until they start to brown. While that's happening, cut open your hot dogs lengthways and microwave them for one minute. Then, take them out with tongs and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil (don't use waxed paper—it doesn't stick).
Spoon some of that delicious melted-butter-and-breadcrumb mixture into each hot dog casing and close it up again--you should end up with some extra topping left over for dipping! Then, pop into an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes until nice and crispy on top. Serve immediately with ketchup or mustard if desired!!
3. Hot Crab Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- Cubed 1-pound lump crabmeat (or 4 ounces each of imitation crab and fresh shrimp)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 baguette or other crusty bread (optional)
Instructions:
Mix the sour cream and mayonnaise with the lemon juice; mix well to combine. Fold in the cream cheese until evenly incorporated into the mixture.
Add all remaining ingredients except for your baguette slices or other crusty bread; season with salt and pepper as needed to taste. Gently fold everything together until combined—you don't want too much mixing, so you don't mash up all those delicious chunks of crabmeat!
To serve hot: Place dip in an ovenproof dish or cast iron skillet at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until bubbling around edges; top with sliced baguette pieces if desired! Serve with crackers or pita chips on the side if desired!
To serve cold: Let cool completely before refrigerating overnight--this will allow flavors to develop even more between steps two through four above!!
4. Macaroni and Cheese Bites
Ingredients:
- Cooked macaroni noodles (about 1 cup)
- Shredded cheese (1 cup)
- Breadcrumbs (1/2 cup)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use a cupcake tin for baking the macaroni bites for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl before dividing into 24 portions, rolling each portion into a ball and then flattening it slightly with your hand on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking; make sure not to skip this step, as it will help keep the balls from falling apart during cooking! Serve warm with ketchup or mustard if desired.
5. Spinach Artichoke Dip
Spinach artichoke dip is one of the most popular and delicious party foods you can make. It's perfect for a gathering because it tastes great with crackers, veggies, or crusty bread. You can also use it as a dip for chicken fingers or potato wedges if you want to add variety to your menu.
Instructions:
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Canned artichokes
- Pureed spinach
- Alt and pepper
- Chopped sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
Instructions:
To make this spinach artichoke dip recipe, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese until smooth. Add in canned artichokes and pureed spinach until well combined.
Season with salt and pepper to taste before stirring in chopped sun-dried tomatoes (optional). If desired, top with additional parmesan cheese on top prior to serving warm.
6. Antipasto Skewers with Creamy Parmesan Dip
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using). Add the chicken and toss to coat in the marinade.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
To make skewers: Thread four pieces of chicken onto each wooden skewer, followed by alternating pieces of tomato and mozzarella cheese until all pieces have been added. Alternately thread cherry tomatoes on separate skewers if desired.
Drizzle more balsamic reduction over the top before serving! Or serve without any additional sauce! Enjoy!
7. Mini Philly Cheesesteaks
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of beef, chicken, or turkey cut into bite-sized pieces
- Homemade Philly cheese steak sauce (see recipe below)
- Mini hoagie rolls
- Smoked provolone cheese, sliced thinly
- Sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions (optional)
Instructions:
Place meat in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
Pour in the meat mixture and add your favorite sauce over top of it all. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
Add sandwich rolls to the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, then add cooled meat mixture on top of each roll, followed by smoked provolone cheese slices and sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions if desired!
Bake at 350ºF until golden brown on top - roughly 20 minutes, depending upon your oven!
8. Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
- 1/2 lb. ground pork
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups bread crumbs made from stale white bread (about 2 slices)
- 1 cup finely chopped onion and celery mixed together
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Using a knife or spoon, mix together all the ingredients except for the egg yolk mixture until well blended and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place into muffin tins that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the meatloaf is cooked through.
Remove from oven after 20 minutes of cooking time and spoon some mashed potatoes on top of each mini loaf before returning them to the oven for another 10 minutes or so, depending on how much time you want them in there before serving! Serve hot!
Whether you're throwing a party or just need to feed a crowd, these simple recipes are perfect for any occasion. Serve these delicious specialties using disposable serving bowls, plastic trays, and fancy plastic serving ware. With Kaya's range of disposable serving ware, you can arrange your food with flair. Our plastic trays come in various shapes and sizes to suit all your needs. And our fancy plastic serving ware will help you serve up a storm at your next event!