Party Food Ideas

Parties – how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. There’s the dressing up for them; the seeing everybody; the kicking back and shrugging off some of the worries of life; but most of all, there’s the food. The party food.

And what makes the best party food? It depends on what kind of party you’re hosting, for the purposes of this piece, let’s talk drinks parties. The rules for a good drinks nibble are simple and finite: no plates, no crumbs, and can be eaten cleanly in a mouthful. Trying to hold drinks, food, napkins, handbags, all gets a bit much, as does trying to hold conversations with a mouth full of something chewy or dripping with sauce.

What else makes great party food? Anything easy. You don’t want to be spending all your time in the kitchen, it’s your party…so party! Which is why we suggest following the path of least resistance: make a bit and buy the rest.

We’ve pulled together our top 5 party food ideas, some to make yourself and some we can help you with.

Party finger food ideas to make yourself:

Parma Ham-Wrapped Breadsticks

Take breadsticks to the next level simply by wrapping them in Parma Ham. Halve some slices of Parma Ham lengthways, then wrap around the top half of your breadsticks, leaving the bottom half ham-free and easy to hold. These look good served simply in a pint glass. They’ll be wolfed down so err on the side of caution when it comes to quantities.

Stuffed Dates

Ingredients:

• 12 Medjool dates, pitted

• Goats cheese or brie, sliced into small pieces

• 12 strips of prosciutto (meat version)

• 24 mini croustades (veggie version)

• 12 walnuts or pecan nuts

• 2 tbsp honey

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C

2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment

3. Stuff each date with cheese and a walnut, then wrap in a strip of prosciutto

4. Spread the dates out on baking tray and cook for 5 mins

5. Remove from the oven and brush or drizzle with honey.

Few tips:

These are easy to turn into a veggie option, instead of wrapping in prosciutto you can fill mini croustades with a quarter of a date, a dollop of soft goat’s cheese and a pecan nut on top, with a drizzle of honey to serve.

No one’s having to contend with cutlery, these are perfectly delicious mouthfuls. Warning: addictive!

Giant Hot Dog

Serves 8 – 12

Ingredients:

• 48 cocktail sausages (meat or veggie)

• 3 tbsp runny honey

• 3 tbsp wholegrain mustard

• 1 fresh white cob loaf

Method:

1. Cook the sausages for about 20-25 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

2. Slice off the top of your fresh white cob loaf, so you have a removable lid. Then hollow the loaf out. You’re not going to need the middle for this recipe, but definitely don’t waste … blend into breadcrumbs and freeze for whenever needed.

3. Drain the sausages then pour over the blended honey and mustard. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.

4. Once cooked, fill the loaf with your sausages and pop the lid back on. Cocktail sticks on the side to serve.

The sticky sweetness of the sausages and the fun way of serving make these a winner.

Easy party food ideas we can help with:

Mini chicken sliders

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of our Chicken, Ginger & Lemongrass bites (12 per pack)

• 1 packet of dough balls

• Cherry tomatoes

• Lettuce

• Mayo

Method:

1. Cook the chicken bites as per pack instructions.

2. Warm the dough balls, then slice in half. One chicken bite goes in each dough ball along with half a cherry tomato, a bit of shredded lettuce and a drop of mayo.

These are totally delicious and they’re all about assembly rather than cooking – so they’re easy not to get wrong.

Paté and crostini

Crostini are a doddle to make and they’re so handy. Little Italian toasts are the perfect base for all kinds of toppings, especially paté.

Method:

1. Thinly slice a baguette, brush the slices with olive oil, and toast them in the oven until they’re crisp and golden.

2. Then spread with any of our patés:

• Duck and Plum Paté and top with a cherry and garnish with thyme.

• Roast Salmon Paté and top with lemon zest and a sprinkle of dill.

• Chicken Liver Paté and top with soaked raisins and some chopped thyme.

Few Tips:

You don’t want to do these too far in advance as they’re nicer when the crackers are crispy, but they’re so straightforward that you can prep and chat at the same time without feeling flustered!

In terms of quantities, we generally advise:

• Drinks only: 6 canapés per person per hour

• Pre-dinner drinks: 4 canapés per person per hour

These are all finger-lickin’ good recipes, but you might want to keep some napkins to hand for non-finger lickers!

There is a golden rule when entertaining, not to try out a new recipe! These are all so straightforward though that you can’t really go wrong. And remember, it’s just lovely to be fed and watered, people will be grateful for whatever you manage to rustle up.

Enjoy, have fun and feel confident that your party food will do your drinks proud!

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