No fuss. Quick. Less effort. We have great finger food recipes here that will lower your stress levels and get your guests salivating.
Finger food are similar to appetizers, but these are to be eaten with fingers rather than with cutlery. Today, they have become an extremely popular choice for parties, wedding receptions, and for family gatherings. Preparing finger food is very easy and can be done quickly too. While cooking for a large crowd, preparing finger food is the best option because of the sheer variety of food you can offer and the little time you need to invest. Try out the options we have given below. Trust me, gastronomical heaven is really not far away.
Quick Suggestions to Save Your Day
If you are running short of time, simply buy potato chips or banana chips. You can also make French fries or buy some cheese straws/nachos. Serve these on a platter, next to dips. If you don’t have time to make dips either, then consider serving these fried snacks with ketchup or salsa or other appropriate sauces.
Ingredients and Directions for Three Cheese Manicotti
~ 12 manicotti shells, cooked al dente, drained and cooled
~ 2 (26-oz.) jars of spaghetti sauce, Barilla Tomato and Basil
~ 1 beaten egg
~ 4 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese/1 packet Italian cheese mix
~ 2 cups of nonfat cottage cheese/ricotta cheese
~ 1 cup grated Parmesan/ Pecorino cheese
~ ½ cup fresh, chopped parsley
~ 2 tbsp. Fresh, chopped basil
~ 1 tbsp. ground garlic
~ 1 tbsp. finely-chopped scallions
~ 1 tsp. kosher salt and pepper
~ To begin with, preheat your oven to 350° F. In a clean glass bowl, commingle the cottage cheese, ¾ of the mozzarella, ½ the Parmesan, basil, egg, garlic, parsley, and the scallions thoroughly.
~ Fill up a Ziploc bag with this mixture, snip off a corner of the bag, and carefully fill up the inner cavity of every manicotti with it.
~ Next, grease a 9″ X 13″ baking dish, pour a jar of spaghetti sauce, spread the sauce evenly.
~ Place the filled manicotti shells on top of the sauce coating very gently.
~ Pour the other jar of sauce on the shells completely. Drizzle the remaining mozzarella on the sauce layer and bake the entire arrangement for 15 minutes.
~ Now, take the dish out of the oven, drizzle the remaining Parmesan all over, and bake again for another 10 minutes. Your layered delight is ready for devouring with salad and garlic bread.
Ingredients and Directions for Salmon Rolls
~ 12 to 16 salmon slices, smoked, each cut into a rectangle (reserve the remaining edges)
~ ¼ cup of Canadian Cream cheese
~ 3 tbsp. capers
~ 3 tbsp. French shallots
~ 2 tbsp. lemon juice
~ 2 tsp. port
~ 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
~ Salt and pepper, to taste
~ In a mixer, place all ingredients along with the leftover salmon bits and blend. Blend till you have a smooth, uniform mixture.
~ Now, place the rectangular salmon slices on a plain surface and use a spoon to equally distribute the blended purée onto each slice.
~ Roll each slice up, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
~ Before serving, slice each roll into smaller rolls, garnish with green bell pepper ringlets and dill springs.
Ingredients and Directions for Vol-au-vent with Tuna Patê and Lumpfish Red Caviar
~ 1 packet of mini vol-au-vent
~ 1 can of Bom Petisco tuna, excess oil removed and shredded with a fork
~ 1 Granny Smith green apple, cut into 3-mm thick cubes
~ 1 cup of plain yogurt
~ 1 can of red lumpfish caviar
~ Chopped parsley
~ Salt and pepper (as required)
~ Blend the tuna, the apple cubes, the yogurt, and the parsley until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
~ Now, fill each vol-au-vent with this filling. Do not overfill it. The filling should not reach the rim of the vol-au-vent.
~ Finally, top each one of the small, stuffed hollow cases of Danish Dough with the caviar. Délectable!
Ingredients and Directions for Crab Meatballs
~ 14 oz. crab, canned (drained and flaked)
~ 1 egg, slightly beaten
~ 1¼ cups of breadcrumbs
~ 1 cup milk
~ 2½ tbsp. flour
~ 2 tbsp. water
~ 1 tbsp. oil
~ 1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
~ ¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
~ ⅛ tsp. salt
~ ⅛ tsp. paprika
~ Breadcrumbs
~ Oil
~ Heat a saucepan and add the flour, paprika, oil, and salt to it. Stir this until it mixes well and turns smooth. ~ Then, stir in the milk slowly and let it cook over medium heat until it turns thick. Keep stirring constantly.
~ Once it thickens, remove it from the heat; add Worcestershire sauce.
~ Then, add the crab and parsley.
~ Mix thoroughly, add the breadcrumbs, mix again, and keep aside.
~ In a small bowl, beat some eggs and add some water to it. In another bowl, place some breadcrumbs.
~ Shape the crab mixture into small balls, coat with the breadcrumbs, and then the egg, and then with the breadcrumbs again.
~ Heat a pan with some oil and fry the meatballs in them until they turn golden-brown on all sides.
~ Serve yummy and spicy crab meatballs.
Ingredients and Directions for Tortilla Roll-ups
~ 2 packets wafer thin ham slices
~ 1 large packet flour tortillas
~ 1 (8-oz.) packet cream cheese
~ 1 (7-oz.) can green chilies, diced
~ 1 (4-oz.) can olives, chopped
~ In a blender, blend together the cream cheese, olives, and chilies until they have mixed thoroughly.
~ Place the tortillas in a large plate and spread the blended mixture over them.
~ Then, place the ham slices on them, roll them up, slice and hold them in place using a toothpick and serve.
Ingredients and Directions for Chicken, Radish, and Mint Finger Sandwiches
~ 24 slices wholemeal bread, crusts removed
~ 8 medium red radishes, washed, dried, ends trimmed, coarsely grated
~ 1 country-style roast chicken
~ 8.3 oz. (1 cup) good-quality whole-egg mayonnaise
~ ⅔ cup finely fresh mint, shredded
~ Salt
~ Black pepper, freshly ground
~ Remove the bones from the chicken meat, shred it, and place it in a large mixing bowl.
~ Add to it the radish, mint, and mayonnaise and mix well.
~ Then, add the salt and pepper, mix well, and keep aside.
~ Place the bread slices in a single layer, spread the mixture on them, and top with the remaining slices of bread.
~ Cut the sandwich length-wise and hold in place with toothpicks.
Ingredients and Directions for Chicken with Peanut Butter Dipping
~ 1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
~ ¾ cup to 1 cup water
~ ½ a cup of peanut butter
~ 1 tbsp. soy sauce
~ 1 scallion, chopped
~ Fresh ginger root
~ Baby carrots and snow peas
~ In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and some water until the mixture turns smooth.
~ Peel and grate the ginger; then, stir it into the peanut butter mixture.
~ Transfer this mixture into a saucepan and place on medium low heat.
~ Cook the peanut sauce for about 5 minutes by stirring occasionally.
~ Now, cut the cooked chicken into small cubes and prick each cube with a toothpick.
~ Arrange it on a platter along with the peas and baby carrots.
~ Pour the peanut sauce into a bowl, place it in the center of the platter as the dipping for the cooked chicken.
These were some easy finger food recipes for a crowd. You can also prepare finger food with leftover food and serve them with different dips and sauces. Enjoy!
