You do not, however, have to give up cheese, popcorn, or even “party meatballs.” No matter what you crave, we can help you upgrade mere holiday party snacks to holiday hors d'oeuvres.
For the cheese ball lover: Baked Feta with Ricotta and Mint
Swap the cold sphere of nut-encrusted cream cheese for something broiled and bubbling. By combining creamy ricotta with a briny block of feta (avoid pre-crumbled here), you get a gooey, scoopable cheese dip, finished with a smattering of fresh, bracing mint.
You may not be able to shape it into a snowman like you would a cheese ball, but such illusions are shattered with the first serving anyway.
If you crave deviled eggs: Ouefs Mayonnaise
These eggs are not deviled, but blessed with a dollop of piquant homemade mayonnaise that is unlike anything you’ll find at the grocery store. Taking our cues from chef (and vice-champion of the 2021 Oeuf Mayo World Championship) Chris Edwards of Le Saint Sebastien in Paris, we gently simmer the eggs for eight minutes, before plunging them into an ice bath. This yields just-set yolks with a touch of translucency at the center, along with shells that easily peel away.
These ouefs are special as-is, but if you really like your guests, consider adding a small scoop of caviar to each, an embellishment I learned at Portland, Oregon’s Canard bistro. It’s eggs on eggs, but extremely elegant.
For the “party meatball” fan: Japanese-Style Chicken Meatballs
Rather than douse frozen meatballs in grape jelly and bottled chili sauce and warm them in a slow cooker, we pan fry bouncy hand-rolled chicken meatballs in a skillet to give them some color, then finish them with tare (pronounced tah-reh), a savory-sweet, soy-based seasoning sauce. They hit all the salty, sugary, meaty notes that lovers of party meatballs enjoy, without being cloying.
If you want to give your guests a chance to add a little heat, set out some shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice blend) or yuzu kosho (Japanese chili and citrus paste) next to the platter.
Instead of store-bought spiced nuts: Spiced Fried Chickpeas
This isn’t really an either/or situation; you can serve these crispy chickpeas alongside your favorite nut mix, but they’ll be depleted much more quickly than a bowl of cashews. In addition to a fine coating of corn starch, which gives the chickpeas a crispy shell, we make ours with a combination of cumin and paprika, but you can use any spice mixture you like—curry powder, Chinese five-spice, Ethiopian berbere or zesty za’atar—use two teaspoons in place of the cumin and smoked paprika (always include the sugar, though, as it really enhances the flavors).
If you don’t feel like messing with fry with oil, you can enlist your air fryer, just like our culinary manager Wes Martin does for football-viewing parties.
If you can’t resist the popcorn tin: Spiced Butter Popcorn
Instead of shaking dry seasonings onto plain popcorn, we lean on the transformative powers of tarka, the Indian technique of blooming spices in hot fat, infusing the butter with bold flavors and aromas while cooking off any raw, harsh notes. You have two tarka options: a bold and savory cumin and curry blend, or a spicy-sweet alternative with brown sugar, cayenne, cinnamon and cardamom. Can’t decide? Make both versions, and serve them in a holiday tin.
For best results, make sure not to over-toast the spices, which can render them bitter; once spices are aromatic and the butter is foamy, you can drizzle it all over a big bowl—or tin–of popped corn.
Need more party inspiration? Check out our full collection of snacks and dips.
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