Food & Cooking Recipes Holidays & Events 32 Party Food Ideas for Every Kind of Celebration You’ll be the host with the most when you serve these sweet and savory recipes at your next celebration. By Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley is an associate food editor for Martha Stewart Living. Editorial Guidelines Published on May 11, 2024 Close Photo: David Malosh Food makes the party—and our party food ideas will help you plan the menu for your gathering in delicious style. We have big-batch recipes to feed a crowd, as well as dishes for more intimate gatherings. Some are bite-sized; others require a knife and fork. Many are no-bake or make-ahead dishes that will save you time on the day of the event. Whether you're organizing a dinner party and need an unforgettable main course, some different dips for a game day party, or a decadent dessert to end a special celebration, you'll find ideas and recipes here that are the perfect mix of sophisticated, fun, and simple. Our 32 Best Party-Ready Recipes for Any Occasion 01 of 32 Paella for a Crowd Paella will feed a lot of hungry party-goers, and they’ll have a lot to choose from. Tender paprika-seasoned chicken and pork tenderloin mingle with rice, vegetables, and several kinds of seafood, including clams, mussels, shrimp, and calamari. This dish feeds 12, but you can double it if needed. View Recipe 02 of 32 Kettle-Chip Nachos CHELSEA CAVANAUGH Nachos are always one of the first things to go at parties. This recipe can be passed around with drinks or served as something more hearty—there’s plenty of cheesy goodness to go around. Crisp potato chips stand in for the usual tortilla chips and are just as substantial. View Recipe 03 of 32 Popcorn Shrimp Chris Simpson You’ll find your guests eating these popcorn shrimp almost as fast as you’d devour movie theater popcorn. The bite-size crustaceans are battered in a Cajun-spiced cornmeal mixture and served with tartar sauce and cocktail sauce for dipping. View Recipe 04 of 32 Instant Pot Shrimp Boil Julia Gartland Nothing encourages guests to gather like a steaming pot of fresh seafood. Creamy red potatoes, sweet corn, briny shellfish, and smoky andouille sausage steam together in a broth seasoned with Old Bay. Have some crusty bread handy so people can sop up all of the flavorful liquid. View Recipe 05 of 32 Lumpia Martyna Szczesna The filling for these Filipino snacks can be made sweet or savory, but they’re always rolled in spring roll wrappers and fried. For an appetizer, they're filled with shrimp, tofu, and plenty of aromatic vegetables. Serve them on a platter with a tangy, garlicky dipping sauce. View Recipe 06 of 32 Classic Latkes Julia Gartland These crisp, golden potato pancakes are great for all kinds of special occasions, not only for Hanukkah. You can serve latkes as appetizers or top them with filling ingredients, like smoked salmon, trout roe, sour cream, fruity jams, and fresh herbs to make them more substantial. View Recipe 07 of 32 Baked Chicken Wings With Mustard-Marmalade Glaze Marcus Nilsson Though they are baked, not fried, you’ll still need to put out plenty of napkins when you serve these irresistible wings. The sweet-and-tangy glaze that coats each is sticky and saucy (the two most important qualities when it comes to chicken wings, if you ask us). View Recipe 08 of 32 Smoked Salmon Flatbread Jenny Huang This easy, savory tart is inspired by the flavors of an everything bagel loaded with cream cheese and lox. There's no need to make pastry; the base is a store-bought pizza dough. And it's much easier to slice and serve—and eat—than bagels. View Recipe 09 of 32 Spicy Shrimp Dip Armando Rafael This creamy dip packs some serious heat—unseeded serrano chiles are mixed with cream cheese, mayonnaise, and fresh lime juice. Serve the dip with buttery crackers and cooling crudités to tame the spiciness. Pro tip: Save yourself some time ahead of the party and use pre-cooked shrimp for this dish. View Recipe 10 of 32 Heirloom Tomato Tartines With Garlic-Parsley Aioli David Malosh These open-faced sandwiches are bright and refreshing for any occasion, and they couldn’t be easier to prepare. Give the bread a hearty toast before topping it with herby aioli and thick, juicy slices of tomato. (When it's well-toasted, the bread won’t get soggy as fast.) View Recipe 11 of 32 Cheesy Soppressata Pull-Apart Bread Lennart Weibull If pizza parties are your thing, this pull-apart bread should be on your menu. It's the perfect combination of pepperoni pizza and cheesy bread. Keep things simple by using store-bought pizza dough, then finish the bread with a drizzle of sweet and spicy hot honey. View Recipe 12 of 32 Easy Lobster Rolls Nothing says summer or celebration like lobster rolls. These mini versions couldn't be cuter or more delicious. We use pull-apart dinner rolls as the base for this party food and fill them with a buttery lobster mixture. Swap in your favorite chicken or egg salad if that suits your gathering better. These petite sandwiches are too good to skip. View Recipe 13 of 32 Italian Seafood Salad Emily Kate Roemer This salad is hearty and filling, yet bright and refreshing, taking cues from Southern Italy’s seafood-centric cuisine. A lemony herbed dressing coats perfectly steamed seafood (shrimp, mussels, crab, and squid) and a medley of crisp vegetables (fennel, celery, and bell peppers). View Recipe 14 of 32 Baked Brie With Boozy Fruit Aya Brackett To those who think cheese boards and gooey baked brie should be reserved for the holidays, we say—you're wrong. They're perfect party food for any occasion. Use store-bought puff pastry as the wrapper around a wheel of creamy brie. It bakes up crusty and delicious with melting cheese within. Port wine-poached fruit adds a touch of sweetness. View Recipe 15 of 32 Rich Deviled Eggs Kate Sears Deviled eggs always disappear fast at parties. This recipe makes a paprika-dusted classic and three variations—smoked trout, spiced hummus, or basil pesto. Choose one or make all four. View Recipe 16 of 32 Chicken-Liver Mousse With Raspberry Jelly Courtesy of Christopher Testani This luxurious chicken liver spread will be the hottest topic amongst party-goers. Put out a tray with crostini for spreading, assorted pickles (think cucumbers, red onions, and cauliflower), and sweet raspberry jelly to cut the fattiness. View Recipe 17 of 32 French Onion Mac-and-Cheese Nico Schinco Baked pasta is a crowd-pleaser, and it feels extra special when you serve it in individual ramekins. Caramelized onions and nutty Gruyère cheese both make their way into the pasta sauce for this unique recipe that falls somewhere between traditional macaroni and cheese and French onion soup. The dish can be assembled ahead and baked for serving. View Recipe 18 of 32 Crispy Fried Tofu Bryan Gardner Add a plant-based option to your party menu with these golden brown tofu fries. A cornstarch coating keeps the tofu planks nice and crispy, and a spicy Sriracha mayo is just the thing to dip them in. View Recipe 19 of 32 Bloody-Mary Tomato Salad Dana Gallagher Worcestershire sauce, celery seeds, and fresh horseradish are essential ingredients for making Bloody Marys. The same goes for this colorful tomato salad variation. Mix them into a quick vinaigrette to drizzle over thick slices of heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes. View Recipe 20 of 32 Grilled Buttermilk Chicken Tenders With Dipping Sauces David Malosh Food on a skewer is another indicator of a great party. These chicken tenders are marinated in buttermilk and wrapped with bacon before being threaded onto skewers and grilled. Serve them with spicy romesco sauce and buttermilk-scallion ranch for dipping. View Recipe 21 of 32 Mushroom-Bacon Galette Ellen Silverman Wow your party guests with this savory tart—they don't need to know just how easy it is to make. Mild-flavored leeks and earthy mushrooms are sautéed in bacon fat before being piled onto homemade pie dough. Lots of cheese is the finishing touch. To make it easy on the host, this galette can be served warm or at room temperature. View Recipe 22 of 32 Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread) Bryan Gardner For a conversation starter, serve this classic Georgian dish. It's the most delicious cross between fondue and pizza. The combination of mozzarella and feta cheese melts perfectly in a pizza dough boat. Top each bread with an egg yolk to add even more creaminess. View Recipe 23 of 32 Soft Pretzels Homemade pretzels are deceptively easy to make once you get the hang of the twisting technique. The secret is boiling them for a few minutes before baking. Serve them with our beer cheese dip or go sweet and serve them for dessert with hot fudge sauce or chocolate-hazelnut spread. View Recipe 24 of 32 Pigs in a Blanket Nicole Franzen They're the ultimate finger food, no matter the occasion. Wrap franks in puff pastry and sprinkle them with toppings such as poppy, caraway, or sesame seeds before baking for our take on this favorite app. If you want to go a little more elegant, swap the usual hot dogs for bratwurst and andouille sausage. View Recipe 25 of 32 Meatball Parmigiana Sliders Meatball parmigiana isn’t the easiest thing to pass around at parties, but when the saucy, cheesy meatballs are piled into brioche slider buns, the result is a handy appetizer version of this Italian-American favorite. You can cook the meatballs in the tomato sauce up to three days ahead of time so they can be reheated and served in the buns once the party gets started. View Recipe 26 of 32 Pull-Apart Vanilla-Wafer Cupcake Cake With Berries Is it really a party without dessert? We don't think so and we suggest this fun recipe that looks like a beautifully frosted cake, but it pulls apart to reveal individual cupcakes, making it much easier to serve—no slicing necessary. This cake is topped with whipped cream, but you would also be delicious with chocolate buttercream or cream cheese frosting instead. View Recipe 27 of 32 Hi-Hat Cupcakes These whimsical cupcakes are the perfect party send-off. Pipe billowy meringue frosting over decadent devil's food cupcakes, then dip them into a chocolate ganache coating. Then, watch as guests take a bite and are delighted by the big reveal of the decadent treats. View Recipe 28 of 32 Mini Strawberry-Rhubarb Galettes Jennifer Causey Individual desserts always wow and these gorgeous galettes are made with a sneaky shortcut. Instead of regular pie dough, they use frozen puff pastry. It’s the perfect golden, flaky base for lavender-scented fruit filling. And, of course, strawberries and rhubarb are a match made in heaven. View Recipe 29 of 32 Texas Sheet Cake Con Poulos Sheet cakes are the best way to make dessert for a crowd. You can serve 16 to 20 people with just one cake. Since chocolate is always a crowd-pleaser, this Texas sheet cake is a great choice. The fluffy cake and shiny glaze are a chocolate lover’s dream. View Recipe 30 of 32 No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake Armando Rafael Not only is this creamy citrus cheesecake a no-bake dessert, it can (and should) also be made well in advance of the party. The buttery graham cracker crust and silky lime-flavored cream cheese filling is a not-to-be-missed combination. View Recipe 31 of 32 No-Bake Chocolate Eggnog Crème Brûlée Lennart Weibull You can make perfect crème brûlée without turning on the oven or worrying about those pesky water baths. The custard is made on the stovetop and it sets completely in the refrigerator. Finish each individual ramekin with a layer of toasted sugar. View Recipe 32 of 32 Marbled Soufflés Need a spectacular, sweet ending for your dinner party? Can’t decide between chocolate and vanilla? These light and airy individual soufflés are just the thing. Chocolate and vanilla batters are folded together before baking to create a marbled effect. This recipe is best suited for smaller get-togethers since the soufflés should be enjoyed right after baking. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit