Recipes Appetizers 22 Comfort Food (Party) Starters By Food & Wine Editors Updated on May 28, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn When entertaining, why not satisfy your guests with what they're craving most? This recipe roundup features some of our favorite rich, homey appetizers, from fried cheese curds with ranch dip to spicy shrimp sliders and potato-stuffed taquitos. Consider it a collection of comfort foods to get the party started. 01 of 22 Cheddar Rillettes Greg DuPree Unlike traditional rillettes — such as pork or duck — which rely on fat to preserve and flavor the meat, this pimiento cheese–inspired version made with cheddar incorporates rendered bacon fat to create the perfect texture and lend a pleasant, smoky flavor. Sprinkle the crisp bacon on top for crunchy contrast. Get the Recipe 02 of 22 Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Inspired by merguez, a North African lamb sausage, these meatballs are loaded with cumin, garlic, and paprika for the ideal one-bite nosh. Harissa gives them a fiery heat that's tempered by the herby dip. Not a fan of lamb? Try preparing these make-ahead meatballs with ground beef or a plant-based meat alternative, such as Impossible. Get the Recipe 03 of 22 Bollitos de Papa y Elote (Potato Elote Bites) Emily Kordovich Crunchy, cheesy, and a little bit spicy, these potato elote bites are pastry chef Paola Velez's take on bollitos, one of her favorite snacks in the Dominican Republic. She makes a spiced corn filling based on elote, the classic Mexican street food, then wraps it up in spiced mashed potatoes, and deep-fries it. Garnished with lime-flavored crema and fresh cilantro, the bites are as pretty as they are delicious. Get the Recipe 04 of 22 Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Pickles and Gin-Spiked Sour Cream Photo by Dan Perez / Food Styling and Prop Styling by Nurit Kariv These extra-crispy potatoes are boiled and then smashed and baked on a sheet pan. Dollops of gin-spiked sour cream; sprinkles of salmon roe, chives, dill, and parsley; and quick-pickled turnip, beet, and cauliflower make these colorful bites a blast to eat. Get the Recipe 05 of 22 Cheesy Sausage Cocktail Toasts Jennifer Causey For these tasty toasts, cookbook author Andrea Slonecker borrows from the nostalgic flavors of her childhood and swaps creamy mascarpone and robust Taleggio for the Velveeta in her grandmother's original version. "The topping can be made a few days ahead, and it's as straightforward as browning some Italian sausage and melting in the cheeses," she writes. Get the Recipe 06 of 22 Fried Boudin Balls with Creole Mustard Dipping Sauce Photo by Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman These Fried Boudin Balls boast pork, rice, liver, and seasonings that are shaped into balls and fried for a crispy exterior and a light, almost creamy interior. We use chicken livers instead of pork livers and panko breadcrumbs instead of crushed crackers, but swap in pork liver and crushed crackers if you prefer. Get the Recipe 07 of 22 Chile Crisp-Glazed Bacon Bites Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen For this party snack, meaty bites of slow-roasted slab bacon are tossed with a homemade chile crisp that's studded with freshly toasted chunks of dried chiles, fresh ginger, and garlic. For an even easier version, try this with your favorite store-bought chile crisp. Get the Recipe 08 of 22 Spinach Dip Hot Bread Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley The classic spinach dip appetizer achieves new heights in this irresistibly cheesy appetizer from Mr. Digby's in San Francisco. This gooey, cheesy appetizer is perfect for watching the game, alongside a salad or bowl of soup, or on a lazy weekend afternoon. The toasty sliced sourdough boule is filled with buttery bechamel sauce and spinach, but the real star is the Calabrian chiles, which lend each bite a gentle kick of heat. Get the Recipe 09 of 22 Fried Cheese Curds with Buttermilk Ranch Dipping Sauce Photo by Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis White cheddar cheese curds are battered and deep-fried until they're golden brown for an irresistible appetizer or snack. The batter includes white rice flour, which is the secret to extra-crispy frying. It's spiked with lager and gets a subtle zip from yellow mustard. Get the Recipe 10 of 22 Salmon Croquettes with Creole Aïoli Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Daley A homemade Creole spice blend adds a piquant kick to these salmon croquettes, which have a crunchy exterior and tender, flaky interior. The aïoli — starring finely chopped cornichons and their brine, Creole mustard, and a hint of sugar — is an irresistible combination of creamy, crunchy, and salty, and an ideal match for the croquettes. Get the Recipe 11 of 22 Shrimp Pakora Sliders with Coconut-Cilantro Chutney Photo by Jennifer Causey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn These sandwiches inspired by Indian street food feature crunchy fried shrimp topped with a smear of herbal coconut chutney on a soft bun. The shrimp are seasoned with mildly spicy Kashmiri chile powder; they get their crunch from a batter of besan (chickpea flour) and cornstarch. The tangy chaat masala sprinkled on top of the fried shrimp and the coconut-cilantro chutney adds even more bright flavor to these burgers. Get the Recipe 12 of 22 Salsa Asada de Aguacate (Avocado Salsa) Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva This creamy and spicy salsa blurs the line between guacamole and salsa verde. Tart tomatillos, lightly charred on the grill, are mellowed by buttery mashed avocados. Scoop it up with tortilla chips. Get the Recipe 13 of 22 Mini Panamanian Beef Empanadas © Quentin Bacon Ground beef and cilantro fill these flaky, savory small-scale pastries. They can be baked instead of fried if you prefer. Get the Recipe 14 of 22 Pigs in a Blanket © Abby Hocking Chef Jen Pelka loves serving Champagne with playful bite-size foods like pigs in a blanket. To take them up a notch, she brushes the puff pastry with a tasty mix of honey, mustard, and fresh black pepper before rolling up with the hot dogs and baking. Get the Recipe 15 of 22 Potato Rösti with Pastrami Victor Protasio Gail Simmons re-created this comforting appetizer from Daniel Humm, chef-owner of New York City's Eleven Madison Park. "Once finished, you can blanket it in smoked salmon and crème fraîche or layer it with pastrami and whole grain mustard," she says. "Even simpler: Enjoy it under a gently fried egg for breakfast. It doesn't get much cozier than that." Get the Recipe 16 of 22 Tater Tot Nachos (Tatchos) with Kimchi Cheese Sauce © Kay Chun Tater Tots on their own are good. Tater Tots dipped in cheese sauce are even better. Tater Tots turned into nachos are THE BEST. Get the Recipe 17 of 22 Deviled Eggs with Country Ham © Wendell T. Webber Chef Ford Fry's deviled eggs get their terrific flavor from goat cheese, Dijon mustard, and cornichons, plus a topping of country ham. Get the Recipe 18 of 22 Potato and Poblano Taquitos Victor Protasio Taquito means “little taco” in Spanish and will delight any snack lover. Roll a corn tortilla around your favorite filling, fry until crispy, and serve as a party snack with crema or other salsa. Any leftovers will freeze and reheat beautifully. Get the Recipe 19 of 22 Two-Bite Parmesan Biscuits Caitlin Bensel These biscuits are baked on a bed of grated Parmesan cheese, resulting in a crispy, cheesy crust around the bottom of each biscuit. Perfect on their own, try them drizzled with a bit of honey, or improvise by tossing a few handfuls of fresh thyme or chives into the dough to take them over the top. Get the Recipe 20 of 22 Buffalo Chicken Dip © Abby Hocking This crowd-pleasing dip from F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple has all the punchy flavors of buffalo chicken wings. It gets its creamy texture from a combination of cream cheese and sour cream. Serve it with tortilla chips and celery sticks. Get the Recipe 21 of 22 Three Cheese Mini Macs © Kana Okada Anything big made small is always fun for cocktail parties, and these quick, one-bite mac and cheeses are the ultimate example. Cooked in mini muffin pans, the mini macs can be assembled early and baked just as guests arrive. Get the Recipe 22 of 22 Mini Brioche Lobster Rolls © Kana Okada These rolls, which are a delightful play on the traditional lobster roll, are quite substantial, so one per person is plenty, especially if you're serving additional hors d'oeuvres. Cooked shrimp or lump crab is a fine alternative to lobster. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit