For the perfect cocktail party, you require the perfect food ideas. Find them here.
You don’t always have to hire a caterer to make and serve gourmet party food at your cocktail party, particularly if you are holding one on a limited budget. Instead, make the food on your own with these unique food ideas mentioned here. The purpose of a cocktail party is to mingle and socialize with guests, and its food menu is integral. It is necessary to have some appetizers but not a complete sit-down meal at a cocktail party.
Think out of the box and do away with the regular chips and dips. These various unique recipes are simple and perfect for cocktail party food on a budget. They are quick to prepare and allow you enough time to mingle with your guests.
Peppered Tuna with Mayonnaise
Ingredients
For the dip:
- Mayonnaise, ½ cup
- Water, 1½ tbsp.
- Horseradish powder (Wasabi), 2 tbsp.
For the Tuna
- Fresh tuna steak, 1 lb
- Soy sauce, 2½ tbsp.
- Watercress, 1 bunch
- Vegetable oil, 1 tbsp.
- Black pepper (freshly ground), 1 tsp.
Procedure
- For the dip, mix the water and horseradish powder together in a small bowl. Now, blend in the mayonnaise thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Cut the tuna into ¾-inch cubes, and mix it with the soy sauce in a bowl, till it is completely coated with the sauce. Allow this blend to rest for about 30 minutes.
- On a large plate, place the watercress as a lining and keep the bowl of mayonnaise on it, in the center.
- Remove the tuna from the soy sauce, and pat it dry. Sprinkle pepper on the tuna, and toss it so that it is well coated.
- In a skillet, over a medium-high flame, heat the oil and add in the tuna. Cook for about 2 minutes till the outside has browned, while the inside remains pink.
- Place the tuna on the plate, around the dip to be served with toothpicks.
Kale Chips
Ingredients
- Kale leaves, 12 large
- Olive oil, 1 tbsp.
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Procedure
- Preheat the oven to 250 °F.
- Wash and dry the kale leaves. Remove the stems and ribs, and cut them lengthwise at the center.
- In a large bowl, toss the olive oil with the kale leaves, salt, and pepper.
- In a baking tray, place the leaves in a single layer, and place the tray in the oven.
- Allow it to bake until the leaves are crisp, for a period of about 30-35 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven, and let them cool.
- Place them in a tumbler and serve.
- You may also serve it with a dip of your choice.
Stuffed Roasted Mushrooms
Ingredients
- Button mushrooms (stemmed), 2¾ pounds (diameter-1½”)
- Feta cheese (crumbled), ¾ cup
- Cream cheese, 4 ounces
- Frozen spinach (thawed, washed, and dried), 1 package (10 ounce)
- Bacon slices, 8 ounces
- Onion (chopped), 1 cup
- Dried crushed red pepper, ¼ tsp.
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Procedure
- Preheat the oven to a temperature of 375 °F.
- In a large skillet, over a medium flame, cook the bacon using a little oil until it is crisp, for about 8 minutes. Once cooked, place the bacon on paper towels. Crumble the bacon coarsely, once it has cooled. Retain ¼ cup and 2 teaspoons of the bacon fat, while discarding the rest. You may add some olive oil to the fat to create this amount.
- Over a medium flame, in a skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the bacon fat. Add in the onion and stir until it is tender.
- In a large bowl, put the cooked onion, and toss in the bacon, spinach, cream cheese, feta cheese, and red pepper. Add in the salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the foil on 2 large baking sheets. Toss the mushrooms in ¼ cup bacon fat till they are thoroughly coated. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the mushrooms.
- Place these mushrooms on the baking sheets, with the rounded sides down.
- Allow them to bake for about 25 minutes. The mushrooms will fill with liquid in this process.
- Turn the mushrooms over, and allow them to bake for another 20 minutes, until the liquid evaporates.
- Remove the mushrooms from the oven, and stuff them with the spinach, bacon, and cheese filling until heaped.
- Now bake these stuffed mushrooms in the oven preheated to 375 °F, for about 10 minutes. Serve warm on a platter.
Potatoes with Cheese Fondue
Ingredients
- Cream cheese, 1 package (8 ounces; room temperature)
- Parmesan cheese (freshly grated), 1 cup
- Gruyère cheese, ½ cup
- Whipping cream, 1 cup and 2 tbsp.
- Onion (chopped), 1
- Nutmeg, ¼ tsp.
- Red-skinned potatoes (cut into 1″ cubes with skin), 1 pound
- Water, 6 cups
- Salt, 1 tsp.
- Extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp.
- Fresh parsley (chopped), 1 tbsp.
Procedure
- In a saucepan kept over a medium flame, heat the oil and toss in the chopped onions. Cook until tender, for about 4 minutes, and reduce the heat to a low flame.
- Add in the cream cheese, Parmesan, and Gruyère cheese. Stir until the entire blend is smooth, for about 3 minutes. Add in the nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Remove the blend from the heat.
- In a large saucepan, pour in the water and add in the salt along with the potatoes. Allow them to boil over a high flame. Now reduce the flame till the potatoes are tender. You can check this by piercing them with a skewer.
- Drain them and transfer them to a bowl. Pour in the olive oil and parsley, and toss them well to coat each piece. Add in salt and pepper to taste.
- If prepared in advance, warm the fondue for about 5 minutes on a medium flame, until it is smooth, while the potatoes may be reheated in the oven at 350 °F.
- Serve warm in a platter.
Aren’t these recipes simple, quick, and easy on the pocket? They are sure to be a hit at your cocktail party. Keep these ideas in mind, whenever you wish to throw the perfect cocktail party.
