Buffet Ideas for Easy Entertaining

“These smoky and sweet meatballs are one of my most requested appetizers. They are always a hit, and I rarely have leftovers.” – Carla

“This one is a keeper. Great for the big game. As a matter of fact, it’s good anytime!” – Eddie

“I love deviled eggs! They are tasty, simple, pretty, and great for parties.” – Cosette

“My best friend made these for me. LOVE THEM. Easy, bite-size, and good for parties. Good for vegetarians as well, not vegan. I don’t like a lot of onion in mine, so I cut a few chives, dice those up and add those instead of green onions. Make them colorful by buying tomato, spinach, or whole wheat flour tortillas.” – Donna

“This is so so yummy. I just love bruschetta, and this is a nice variation of the classic.” – Melissa

“I love mushrooms any way I can get them. I created this recipe one night because I was craving something different. Even my then 3-year-old, who said she didn’t like mushrooms, gobbled them up! WARNING: These are addictive, and it’s a rich dish because of the bacon drippings or butter… but please give them a try!” – Karen

“I grew up eating taco burgers at a local fast-food restaurant. They no longer make the burger, so I decided to make my own but wanted a smaller slider version. A “funeral sandwich” recipe was my inspiration for developing this slider.” – Renie

“My family and friends love it and when we have a fish fry and I make some shrimp, crab, and lobster cakes. It is so easy to fix it. They are so delicious and tasty.” – Lisa

“My mother worked to perfect this recipe for a couple of years. Now, we all can benefit from her experiments. This dough works very well for making cinnamon caramel rolls, too.” – Rosemary

“Adapted from a stuff pork tenderloin recipe. I love the filling. It tastes great as well.” – Marie

“A winter apple and kale salad with quinoa, pomegranate, feta and walnuts in a curried maple dijon vinaigrette.” – Kevin

“I was recently assigned to make mac & cheese for a family gathering. I decided to cook it in a Crock Pot. But when looking for recipes, I noticed that all of them called for cooked macaroni. It is my personal belief that when I pull out the crock, I want nothing more than to throw ingredients in and let the crock do the cooking, not dirty extra pans, and spend time boiling noodles. So I came up with this and it was a big hit!” – JJ

“This is an easy appetizer that looks and tastes fabulous. I have made it without the prosciutto as well. Excellent both ways. You can use low-fat blue cheese to cut out some calories. Enjoy!” – Jeannie

“Great with sweet chili sauce or Soy sauce for dipping, this recipe combines the great flavor of a ‘har gow’ dim sum dumpling with a much simpler wonton folding technique that anyone can make at home. Very versatile, these are fantastic deep fried – which makes them nice and crispy on the outside, boiled for soup, or steamed as an appetizer. I usually make double batches because they freeze well, but more often they disappear so quickly I end up cooking them all! Enjoy!” – Brad

“I love to entertain with family and friends. This is one of my many hor devours I love to make. They are so easy to make. Try this for your next cocktail party. Happy Cooking!sw:)” – Sherri

“My family loves ham. I LOVE ham! And so easy to make. Yet every time I bake one, which is often, I forget how long to cook it! This will help me remember and maybe you too.” – Diane

“While cooking and chatting with a good friend about recipes, our love for cream cheese, and another great ingredient – bacon, we decided to create these amazing little appetizers. We used bread as the vessel and added a cream cheese mixture, wrapped it in bacon, and seasoned with Old Bay. These turned out fabulous. They have become the most requested, first to disappear, and most talked about appetizer at my gatherings. Make several batches for the big game; everyone gobbles them up. They can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Then cooked as guests arrive.” – V

“Who can resist these??” – Daune (pronounced “Dawn”)

“The product of some lake house weekend cooking creativity. This recipe has evolved to become a family favorite – and don’t underestimate the salmon salad you could make from leftovers. Enjoy!” – Brad

“Flaky Grand Biscuits molded around juicy ground beef and cheese and tender onion and garlic for an extra zip for your taste buds.” – Karen

“I call these ‘lazy girl’ pecan pie bars. Bring these to a gathering, and you’ll never have leftovers. Which, in my opinion, is not always a good thing. Make sure to keep some for yourself, or you might miss out!” – Michaela

“These are GREAT for holiday parties or family get togethers!! For Christmas I wanted to make an eggnog pie, but when looking for a recipe, I didn’t find too many, so I decided to make my own. Everyone who tried them said they were beautiful and amazingly delicious! I just wish I had taken a picture of them!” – Bre

“These Snickerdoodle Apple Pie Bars combine a cookie and pie so you have the best of both worlds. Full of apples and cinnamon, perfect for fall.” – Debbie

“This easy recipe is a Southern favorite, made with bourbon, vanilla wafer crumbs, and cocoa, along with pecans and confectioners’ sugar.” – Opal

“My old man is from New York so I don’t have to tell you when he wanted cheesecake and I made a Jell-O Cheesecake from a premix he was a bit unenthusiastic. So it was imperative I learned to make New York-style cheesecake. These are wonderful little treats. I have to admit he was right, nothing compares. I used many online recipes and tweaked them until Dennis fell in love with these little tidbits. The recipe can be made with graham cracker, wafer, or chocolate cookie crust. The ones in the picture were graham crackers because that was what I had.” – Christine