by Carly Cerniglia
Am I the only one who is tired of being hungry at appetizer-only events? The following recipes are sure to fill up your guests. They may be bite-sized, but they pack a punch! Mastering finger food requires hitting all of the meal points — vegetable, fruit, protein, hot, cold, sweet, salty, and more. Options, baby! People want options!
The following recipes are a great place to start when planning the menu for your next party. Whether it’s brunch, lunch, dinner, or happy hour, there’s something here for it! And not to mention, they’re all amazingly easy to make.
The Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers are a great two-bite finger food that’s slightly spicy and deliciously creamy. The Doughnuts & Coffee are an excitingly interactive bite, and the Peaches and Prosciutto might be your new go-to party app of the summer.
Give your guests something to talk about with these delicious recipes, and let’s get cooking!
— Chef Carly
Peaches & Prosciutto
Pop the bubbly or a chilled chardonnay, and watch these little peaches fly off the table. This amazingly simple finger food is perfect for a bright summer garden party. They also make a lovely addition to salads and charcuterie boards!
Makes 24 bites
Ingredients:
- Two ripe peaches
- Six slices prosciutto
- 1/6 wheel of Brie
- Balsamic glaze
- 2-4 ounces arugula
- Black pepper to taste
Directions:
Halve and pit the peaches. Slice each half into six slices. Thinly slice the Brie and cut into small pieces. Top each peach slice with one or two pieces of arugula, one piece of Brie, and wrap with a quarter-piece of prosciutto.
Arrange on a tray, drizzle with balsamic glaze, and garnish with black pepper. Enjoy!
Dirty Martini Butter
Yes, you read that right. It’s packed with creamy Castelvetrano olives, tangy blue cheese, and zesty lemon. I really can’t explain just how good this butter is. Serve it with baguette and kettle chips, and watch it disappear. Leftovers, if there are any, would be amazing melted over a steak!
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces high-quality unsalted butter, such as Kerrygold, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream, chilled
- 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 lemon, zested
- 1/2 tablespoon vodka
- 2 tablespoons olive brine
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Two scallions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
- 10 Castelvetrano olives, chopped small
- Kosher salt, to taste
Directions:
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip butter until fluffy. Add heavy cream and whip until fluffy, scraping down sides as needed. Add remaining ingredients and whip until just incorporated.
Transfer to a bowl and serve with warm baguette and kettle chips. Enjoy!
Apple Bourbon Meatballs
Premade meatballs make this recipe a snap! Bourbon and apple butter lend a tasty hand to the barbecue sauce, taking it to a new level. And who doesn’t love bacon?
Ingredients:
- 5 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- One 20-ounce package mini meatballs
Directions:
Cook the meatballs according to package directions. Meanwhile, add all remaining ingredients to a medium-sized saucepot. Heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbling. Keep warm until the meatballs are done. Stir in meatballs. Enjoy!
Chicago Dippers with Sport Pepper Relish
How cute are these weenies? These Chicago Dippers with Sport Pepper Relish are going to be the star at your next get-together! Savory, flaky, salty, vinegary, spicy, sweet — this finger food has it all. And before anyone comes after me for putting ketchup in the recipe, this isn’t a recipe for a Chicago-style hot dog! (And you should really try the relish because it’s delicious.)
Makes 40 bites
Ingredients:
- Two puff pastry sheets
- 40 mini weenies
- 40 mini pickles
- 12 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons black poppy seeds
- Celery salt to taste
- One egg, beaten
For the relish:
- 10-12 sport peppers
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a clean work surface, lay puff pastry sheets and divide the yellow mustard evenly between the two sheets. Spread evenly. Cut the sheets into 20 rectangles each. Place one mini weenie and one pickle on each strip and roll the puff pastry around. Place seam-side down on the parchment-lined baking sheet, 1 inch to 1.5 inches apart.
After all the weenies are rolled, brush the puff pastry with the beaten egg, and sprinkle the sesame seeds, black poppy seeds, and celery salt evenly over the dippers.
Bake for 25 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden, puffed, and flaky. Let cool for 5 minutes.
While the dippers bake, make the relish. In a small food processor, pulse sport peppers into small chunks. Add the sweet pickle relish, ketchup, and dried minced onion, then pulse until a relish consistency is reached. Store in the refrigerator.
Transfer the dippers to a platter and serve with the Sport Pepper Relish. Enjoy!
Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
These Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers are bursting with flavor! The creamy cheese mixed with Cajun spices and pieces of shrimp makes for a hearty finger food. They are perfect for sports parties and summer dinners. Leave a little more pith in the peppers for a spicy kick!
Ingredients:
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
- Two scallions, sliced
- 5 ounces bacon, cooked and sliced
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1 pound diced cooked shrimp
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh jalapeños
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together all ingredients except jalapenos. Set aside.
Wash jalapeños. Halve jalapeños lengthwise, keeping the stem intact. Remove the seeds and the white pith from the jalapeños. Stuff the shrimp mixture into the jalapeño halves and set on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-32 minutes, depending on the size of the jalapeños. The cheese should be melty and the peppers still green, but starting to shrivel around the edges. Broil for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving tray and enjoy!
Negimaki
Negimaki holds a special place in my heart. When I was 19, I went to New Jersey with my sister to visit her friend for New Year’s Eve. His father made us this dish after taking us to our first Asian grocery store. It was so delicious I’ve never stopped thinking about it since! It’s a great choice for parties since it’s quick to cook and looks beautiful arranged on a platter. It’s also a nice protein option that’s not too heavy.
Makes about 16 bites
Ingredients:
- One 12-ounce ribeye (or flank steak)
- One bunch thin scallions, cleaned and trimmed
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
For the sauce:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
Sesame seeds for garnish
Directions:
If using a ribeye, freeze for 1 hour and carefully slice into three thin cross-sections. Lay the slices between plastic wrap and pound until the ribeye is an even sheet, about 6 to 8 inches by 8 to 10 inches. You want the ribeye as thin as possible. You can also buy pre-sliced beef and just lay the beef out so it’s slightly overlapping.
Lay 8-10 scallions lengthwise at the bottom of the ribeye sheet (halve lengthwise any larger scallions for even cooking). Roll the scallions in the ribeye like a sushi roll, making sure it’s snug. Cut the roll into two pieces.
Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Once hot, place rolls seam-side down in the pan. Fry undisturbed, until slightly golden. Roll and cook the rolls until they are golden all around.
While the rolls are frying, whisk together sauce ingredients. Once the rolls are golden, pour in the sauce. Cook, slightly stirring and basting the rolls, until the sauce thickens. Remove the rolls and let rest for 10 minutes.
Slice the rolls into 1-inch pieces. Arrange on a plate and drizzle with remaining sauce. Enjoy!
Smoked Salmon Waffle Bites
Bagels and lox get an upgrade with these Smoked Salmon Waffle Bites. These small Belgian waffles make the perfect edible plate for capers, dill, and herby cheese.
Makes 4 waffles
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces smoked salmon,thinly sliced
- Four 55-gram Belgian waffles
- 2 ounces herby cheese, such as Boursin
- Fresh dill sprigs
- Capers
Directions:
Bring cheese to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Put into a piping bag fitted with a small star tip. Pipe into alternating squares on the waffle. Roll small rosettes of salmon and place in the open squares on the waffle. Top with dill sprigs and capers. Enjoy!
Doughnuts & Coffee
A four-ingredient dessert and breakfast finger food? Say less! These irresistibly poppable bites will get the conversation going and the energy level up. You can find the little pipettes online and use them for all sorts of things from these bites to salad dressings. Looking for a nightcap version? Add a splash of coffee liqueur or vodka.
Ingredients:
- 20 glazed doughnut holes
- 1/4 cup chocolate sauce
- 1/4 cup cold-brew coffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20 pipettes
Directions:
Whisk together cold brew coffee, chocolate sauce, and vanilla extract. Suck into pipettes and stick the pipettes into the doughnut holes. Enjoy within 2 hours.
To eat, pop the donut off in your mouth and squeeze out the chocolate coffee. Enjoy!
This article was originally published in the July 2026 issue of Appleton Monthly Magazine.
