Appetizers For Happy Hour At Home
Host an appetizers happy hour at home with a few friends, and serve tasty snacks that will satisfy without filling you up. Focus on simple assembly or have a few freezer-friendly recipes at the ready. These easy ideas and tips will get you started.
I love having a few girl friends over for a wine-filled happy hour that includes snacks and conversation. It’s a no-fuss, no-stress way to entertain, and providing simple appetizers turns hosting into an achievable feat.
Embrace this rule of three for a plan that’s easy to execute: invite 3 friends over, have 3 snacks, and sample 3 wines.
Quick & Easy Recipes
To satiate the appetite while sipping wine in the afternoon, choose easy appetizers that are flavorful making sure each one is a unique experience. For example one dip, one finger food, and one munchy snack.
Another option is to highlight flavors or dishes from around the world such as Italian charcuterie, Spanish tomato bread, and Greek hummus.
Either way, you want to lean towards food that’s more about assembly than cooking. And even though puff pastry pinwheels require baking, you can have them prepped and stored in the freezer ready to pull out and bake on a moments notice!
All-In-One-Appetizer
For a one-and-done option, prepare a charcuterie board large enough for sharing. Include 2 cheeses, 1 or 2 meats, and various accoutrements like olives, nuts, fruit, and crackers. You can also incorporate chips and dip, or hummus onto the board.
Dips and Spreads
These are the backbone of any appetizer gathering because they can serve 2 people or 12 people without any extra work involved. And although they’re somewhat interchangeable you typically serve dips with various chips, and spreads with various crackers or breads, and a spreader.
It’s a good idea to serve at least one, but if you have different flavor profiles you can serve one of each.
This cold spread goes together in 5 minutes with just 2 pantry staples and 2 fresh ingredients. Good tomatoes are key for the best flavor, and it’s delicious on crispy pita crackers or crostini.
Another five-minute dish that has just 4 ingredients and is assembly only. Serve this on crispy rice crackers for a bit of Asian-style flair.
A party staple, hummus satisfies vegan guests along with everyone else. Make it homemade or purchase a quality brand, and serve with fresh veggies and crackers.
If you have at least 2 hours of lead time, make this delicious dip and serve with pretzel crisps or thin artisan crackers. It’s a party favorite!
Finger Food
When time allows, I tend to make at least one bite-size item that guests can pick up with one hand while holding a drink in the other. It’s a nice complement to the communal dip.
Assemble two simple ingredients to make a mouth full of flavor. Pineapple and cheese hors d’oeuvres may be one of the best sweet and savory combos, and it starts with canned pineapple chunks.
Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Pinwheels
These are a crowd pleaser, and I like to have them prepped ahead and stored in the freezer for last minute get-togethers. This freezer option makes them convenient and your hosting secret weapon.
Spinach and Artichoke Puff Pastry Pinwheels
Just like the ham and cheese version, I prep these ahead and freeze. These will satisfy your vegetarian friends, too. It’s like having a spinach dip baked right into the dough.
Thanks to our visit to Barcelona, I discovered this divine snack that’s on every menu in the city. It’s hard to overstate how tasty two simple ingredients (toasty bread and fresh tomatoes) can be when combined in this way.
If you don’t mind turning on the stovetop, make these smoked sausage bites with just 3 ingredients. You do need to sauté the meat slices but overall the recipe is ready in about 20 minutes.
California Rolls
People really like sushi, but rather than traditional raw versions, display some California rolls. They satisfy your vegetarian friends and are easier to serve. Pick them up from the fresh prepared foods section of the grocery store, or order them from your favorite restaurant.
Biscuit Appetizers
These are another no-recipe recipe. Simply bake a few biscuits (I keep a bag of ready-to-bake in the freezer) and make mini sandwiches with slices of deli ham, brie (cut the rind off), and prepared chutney.
Crostini Bites
Slice a baguette, toast it, and make crostini bites (popular in Spain and Italy) with one or more combinations to choose from. Fresh toppings include fruit slices, arugula, cheese, honey, and nuts. Let guests make their own combos with a DIY crostini bar.
Crunchy Snacks
When we travel, I notice that hotel happy hours usually include a bowl of crispy chips and/or peanuts along with your cocktail. I do this at home too. Serve something salty and crunchy that’s easy to nibble on.
Nuts
Setting out bowls of nuts or snack mix reminds me of the happy hours we used to spend in bars in our twenties, and it’s as easy as opening a package and pouring them in a bowl! Choose peanuts, almonds, pistachios, OR use my recipe for sweet and spicy pecans or savory spiced pecans.
Chips
Serve your favorite potato chips with French onion dip (store bought), tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole, or dress up kettle chips with blue cheese, balsamic glaze, and bacon.
Snack Mix
Make this savory Chex mix or buy a bag and pour it into a serving bowl. For added convenience, provide single serving sized paper cups for guests to fill.
Something Sweet
I don’t recommend making dessert for happy hour, but it is nice to have something to provide a touch of sweetness to cap off the savory snacks. I suggest buying something from the gourmet section of HomeGoods, World Market, or grocery store.
Open a couple of specialty chocolate bars or chocolate bark and break it into large pieces piled in a bowl for guests to grab, or open a bag of caramel popcorn and pour it in a bowl.
Wine For Happy Hour
I prefer light bodied wine for happy hour, and for hosting you may want to have three different varietals on hand Рone white, one red, and one ros̩. Read my tips for serving wine for the basics of what you need to know.
Some of my personal favorites that I go back to again and again are Chateau St. Michelle Riesling (it’s not too sweet), Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, any Rosé from the Provence region in France, and almost any French Bordeaux.
Party Notes
For this gathering I had 2 Chardonnays and 1 Pinot Noir. Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is mellow with aromas of apple, pear, peach, spice, and vanilla. The flavors that come through are apple, pear, and lemon. It actually smells like the holidays to me, without being overly “spiced.” The finish is nice and smooth and goes well with the food.
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay seemed slightly sweeter by comparison, but not sweet by any means. The aromas of green apple, lime, pineapple, and caramel are accompanied by the flavors of lime, lemon drop, grapefruit, peach, and spice.
I made 3 appetizers: tomato feta spread, cream cheese wasabi spread, and ham, brie & chutney biscuits. Each one has a unique flavor and adds an international flair with ingredients from the Mediterranean, the Far East, and India.
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Looks like a great spread! Both the wine and the food 🙂
Thanks, Beth. It was all delicious…and so much fun!
What a beautiful setup!
Thanks Kristen. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon!