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  4. Make-Ahead Hors d'Oeuvres

Make-Ahead Hors d'Oeuvres

By Food & Wine
Updated August 13, 2018
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Credit: Christina Holmes
Hosting a party is stressful, whether it's a small get-together or a holiday fête for a crowd. The key is making as much food ahead of time as possible, so all you have to do day-of is reheat and do a little last-minute prep. From crunchy shrimp-and-pork spring rolls to goat cheese-stuffed figs, here are terrific make-ahead hors d'oeuvres.
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Fig-and-Stilton Squares

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After baking flaky squares of puff pastry, Melissa Rubel tops them with sweet fig preserves and pungent blue cheese.

  • More Recipes with Figs

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Grappa-Cured Striped Bass

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Grappa, an Italian spirit, is made from grape pomace (the skins, seeds and stems left over from winemaking). Its slight earthiness and high alcohol make it perfect for curing fish, as in David Page's meaty striped bass fillets here, delicately scented with fennel.

  • More Sea Bass Recipes

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3 of 27

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Shrimp Cocktail with Singapore Hot Sauce

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Susan Feniger likes to quickly simmer raw shrimp in broth or sauté them with garlic and ginger, but you can certainly use precooked shrimp to save time. This sweet-and-spicy sauce was inspired by the ones Feniger sampled at street stalls throughout Singapore.

  • More Seafood Recipes

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Cauliflower Fritters

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To create these wonderful tapas, José Andrés makes a batter with crunchy nubs of chopped cauliflower florets, fries spoonfuls in a skillet and then tops the fritters with yogurt sauce and a dollop of caviar.

  • More Cauliflower Recipes

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5 of 27

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Whipped Feta with Cucumbers

Credit: PHOTO © SETH SMOOT
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The taste of the Mediterranean shines through in this airy feta spread that's served with olive oil-marinated cucumbers.

  • More Mediterranean Recipes

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Goat Cheese-Stuffed Roasted Figs

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Serve the roasted figs drizzled with warmed honey.

  • Terrific Fig Recipes

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Greek Salad Skewers with Anchovy Aioli

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For a playful presentation, slide a fat, flat slice of cucumber onto the bottom of each skewer so these hors d'oeuvres can stand upright on a serving platter.

  • Healthy Greek Recipes

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8 of 27

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Pan-Fried Oysters with Creamy Radish and Cucumber Salad

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Paul Kahan loves the intense flavor of oysters, and like most chefs, he adores anything fried. Here he serves the crunchy oysters with a creamy raita-like cucumber mixture.

  • More Great Oyster Recipes

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9 of 27

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Chicken-Liver Mousse with Pickled Red Onion

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A good recipe for chicken-liver mousse is critical, says Shawn McClain, "because when a recipe's bad, it's really bad." His version is supremely silky and light, with a lovely hint of apple from Calvados. He serves the mousse with pickled red onion and toasted baguette slices alongside, so guests can assemble their own crostini.

  • More Chicken Liver Recipes

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Zucchini-Tomato Verrines

Credit: Photo © Kate Mathis
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Most Paris bistros serve at least one verrine: a multi-textured salad or dessert layered in a glass. This one comes from French-born food stylist Béatrice Peltre of the blog La Tartine Gourmande.

  • More Amazing French Recipes

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Eggplant Compote

Credit: Tina Rupp
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Joël Robuchon ingeniously softens spongy eggplant by steaming it instead of sautéing it in oil. "Usually, cooked eggplant absorbs so much oil and becomes full of fat," he says.

  • More Eggplant Recipes

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12 of 27

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Pimento Cheese & Bacon Crostini

Credit: BURCU AVSAR
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The cookbook Down Home with the Neelys has inventive Southern-inspired recipes like these irresistible crostini.

  • More Quick Appetizers

12 of 27

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Fromage Blanc Custards with Radish Salad

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Chef Ludo Lefebvre adores radishes, and he's always looking for new ways to feature them. Here, he turns them into a colorful, spicy salad, served on top of a divine custard that's really a savory panna cotta.

  • More Panna Cotta Recipes

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Fried Parsnip Ribbons

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Fried parsnip make for an and crunchy vegetable snack.

  • More Fried Foods

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15 of 27

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Boiled Shrimp with Spicy Mayonnaise

Credit: QUENTIN BACON
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Mustard and white pepper amp up the heat in this homemade mayo for shrimp.

  • More Shrimp Recipes

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Shrimp-and-Pork Spring Rolls

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Zang Toi's supremely crispy spring rolls are filled with a mix of marinated shrimp, ground pork and a handful of colorful julienned vegetables, like carrot, jicama and beans. The fried shallot rings add alluring flavor and crunch to the spring rolls, too, but they're optional. Toi even makes his own chile sauce to serve as an accompaniment.

  • More Crispy Fried Foods

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Roasted-Cauliflower-and-Sesame Spread

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Use ground coriander from a bottle to easily season this bright, tangy recipe.

  • More Cauliflower Recipes

17 of 27

18 of 27

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Tomato Tartlets

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These luscious little tarts are filled with fresh ricotta. The trick to making the cheese silky is to puree it before spreading it on the flaky pastry and topping it with oven-roasted tomatoes.

  • More Savory Tarts

18 of 27

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Prosciutto-Fontina Pinwheels

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Melissa Rubel rolls buttery puff pastry around salty prosciutto and melty Fontina to create deeply savory hors d'oeuvres.

  • Best Artisanal Cheese

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Smoked Mozzarella Spread with Flatbread Crackers

Credit: PHOTO © LUCY SCHAEFFER
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F&W's Marcia Kiesel likes to whiz smoked mozzarella in the food processor with sun-dried tomato pesto and olive oil.

  • More Cheese Recipes

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Smoked Shrimp

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One bite of these shrimp and a swig of vodka will instantly transport you to Scandinavia.

21 of 27

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Caramelized Onion Dip

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This savory onion dip, a classic addition to any gathering, can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to three days.

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Three-Cheese Mini Macs

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Anything big made small is ultrafun 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.

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Pepper-Glazed Goat Cheese Gratin

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This warm, sweet-spicy goat cheese dip is an easy alternative to a cheese plate.

24 of 27

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Goat Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms with Bread Crumbs

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Here, creamy chévre is stuffed into antioxidant-rich mushrooms and topped with crispy herbed bread crumbs.

25 of 27

26 of 27

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Black Olive Tapenade with Figs and Mint

Credit: David Malosh
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Jacques Pépin's sweet and tangy dip is ready in just 15 minutes.

26 of 27

27 of 27

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Cool Ranch Kale Dip

Credit: Christina Holmes
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Serve this tangy buttermilk dip with a mix of fresh crudité (such as cucumber spears, radishes, carrots, endive, etc.) and pita chips or seeded breadsticks. Wash and cut your veggies the day before and store in the fridge for easy day-of assembly.

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Everything in This Slideshow

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1 of 27 Fig-and-Stilton Squares
2 of 27 Grappa-Cured Striped Bass
3 of 27 Shrimp Cocktail with Singapore Hot Sauce
4 of 27 Cauliflower Fritters
5 of 27 Whipped Feta with Cucumbers
6 of 27 Goat Cheese-Stuffed Roasted Figs
7 of 27 Greek Salad Skewers with Anchovy Aioli
8 of 27 Pan-Fried Oysters with Creamy Radish and Cucumber Salad
9 of 27 Chicken-Liver Mousse with Pickled Red Onion
10 of 27 Zucchini-Tomato Verrines
11 of 27 Eggplant Compote
12 of 27 Pimento Cheese & Bacon Crostini
13 of 27 Fromage Blanc Custards with Radish Salad
14 of 27 Fried Parsnip Ribbons
15 of 27 Boiled Shrimp with Spicy Mayonnaise
16 of 27 Shrimp-and-Pork Spring Rolls
17 of 27 Roasted-Cauliflower-and-Sesame Spread
18 of 27 Tomato Tartlets
19 of 27 Prosciutto-Fontina Pinwheels
20 of 27 Smoked Mozzarella Spread with Flatbread Crackers
21 of 27 Smoked Shrimp
22 of 27 Caramelized Onion Dip
23 of 27 Three-Cheese Mini Macs
24 of 27 Pepper-Glazed Goat Cheese Gratin
25 of 27 Goat Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms with Bread Crumbs
26 of 27 Black Olive Tapenade with Figs and Mint
27 of 27 Cool Ranch Kale Dip

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