11 Fast Hors d'Oeuvre Recipes for Entertaining

Brothers and cookbook authors Matt Lee and Ted Lee created this twist on classic Tuscan squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta. They mix the ricotta with pimientos — an homage to pimiento cheese, a Southern favorite — and serve the blossoms raw instead of fried.

Chef Gerard Craft creates a simple and delicious starter by tossing sweet crabmeat with fresh mint and lime juice, then spooning it over mashed avocado on toast. You can make the toasts or buy store-bought ones to save time.

Chef Marc Murphy serves these olives warm to accentuate the marinade's lemony flavor. They're ready in 25 minutes.

Grilling zucchini and summer squash ribbons on skewers is terrific because the edges become wonderfully charred and crisp, while the insides stay tender and juicy.

Store-bought 'nduja, the spicy, spreadable sausage, is transformed into a special canapé when served on toasted baguette and topped with a quick-pickled celery.

Chef Kris Yenbamroong of Night + Market invites a quick garlic aioli and super spicy fish sauce–based dipping sauce to the shrimp cocktail party. Serve the shrimp alongside ramekins of aioli and nam jim seafood sauce for dipping, or arrange the shrimp around the rim of a coupe glass filled with nam jim for more intense flavor.

Food & Wine's Justin Chapple thinks that lima beans deserve a place on every table, especially when they're made into a bright, herby salad and piled onto crunchy and creamy ricotta toasts. 

These quickly stir-fried beef bites deliver all the savory luxury of a steakhouse-caliber steak, without the stress over cooking one at home. The buttery, velvety sauce coats every piece nicely, and the vermouth's herbal richness pairs well with the savory Worcestershire. Serve as an appetizer with toothpicks, or enjoy over mashed potatoes or polenta.

A dollop of sweet-tart cranberry relish hides at the center of the goat cheese and ricotta mousse for a burst of flavor. Garnish with fresh, oniony chives or tart lemon zest for some color and brightness.

Instead of serving blini alongside a tin of caviar, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple makes these adorable handheld snacks. Waffles are cut into strips, and the pockets are filled with caviar, crème fraîche, and snipped chives to form the perfect pop-in-your-mouth morsel.

"Deviled eggs are fun because you can dress them up or down," says chef Michael Mina, who dresses them up with chopped smoked salmon here.