Lifehacker’s 12 Favourite Party Foods of 2022

Big celebrations call for small bites! If you’re hosting or contributing to a party anytime soon, you’ll need a menu of shareable, holdable, two-bite-friendly morsels to provide adequate sustenance to your guests. One can’t shmooze properly (or hold their liquor) without something in their belly. Ring in the new year with 12 of our most scrumptious party foods from 2022 (and keep eating them all year long).

12 party foods we love

Jalapeño popper charcuterie bites with pizza dough

Cream cheese and tangy, spicy jalapeños are a winning team. This delicious recipe stuffs them into pizza dough balls and tucks in a slice of salami for a complete, hand-held cheese and meat board bite. It’s like a tiny, inside-out bagel sandwich.

Mini meatballs of all kinds

Swedish meatballs are a cosy party favourite, but did you know that any miniature sphere of meat is going to win the hearts of all party guests? Try this recipe for incredible turkey mini meatballs, but you can use any recipe you love and roll them into 1-inch balls. After cooking, they’ll shrink to about two-thirds the original size, making them toothpick-perfect.

Pecan bites

Making an excellent appetiser doesn’t mean you need a ton of ingredients. These ingenious pecan bites have just the right balance of ingredients, melty cheese, tangy dried fruit, and bitter-sweet pecan. Just three ingredients go a long way, and they’ll be ready in a flash.

Savoury choux puffs

Pâte à choux, or choux paste, is an exceptionally versatile dough that commonly houses sweet ingredients. Surprise! It’s perfect for savoury fillings as well. Just bake the puffs and fill with meatballs, cheeses, dips, or simply present a bowl of them next to the other appetisers and let your guests break them open and fill them as they please.

Home-made “Marcona” almonds

Those luxuriously rich Marcona almonds bathed in oil and flaky salt are an indulgent nibble, but they’re damn expensive. Stay within your budget and give a bag of regular almonds the Marcona-treatment. The method is surprisingly simple, and they cook in the oven, making this party bite pleasantly hands-off.

Easy Thai chicken skewers

Few things say “party” like chicken on a stick. This hack makes use of pre-made Thai curries, so you don’t have to gather 10 ingredients and pound them yourself. Mix it with a little coconut milk, and you’ve got a flavorful rub for chicken. Find the recipe and method here.

Cheese board wreath

Massive wedges and wheels of cheese can become overwhelming, or worse, fill up your guests before they get a chance to taste the other 11 appetizers you made from this list. Make a cheese board wreath providing the perfect snack to your party guests, so they can whet their appetite for other tasty snacks.

Salmon canapés

These savoury salmon appetizers require a few common, yet tasty, ingredients, and come together to make one heck of a canapé. Mix everything together, then shape and fry them before topping them with a dab of cooling sour cream or crème fraîche.

A giant grilled cheese sandwich

Warm and gooey grilled cheese sandwiches make everyone happy. Streamline the process using sheet pans and your oven, so you can treat everyone to a slice of grilled cheese comfort in one fell swoop. Check out the party food recipe and method here.

A pumpkin-shaped baked brie

Baked brie is a classic, but we can do it one better. Make your standard brie into an outstanding pumpkin-shaped one. With a bit of kitchen string, the puff pastry bakes up looking exceptionally festive. It’s a great one to round out your holiday cheese spread.

Dessert cheeseball

Cheeseballs will always be a knockout at a party, but a dessert cheeseball demands attention. Play with flavours like peanut butter, Nutella, chocolate, or check out this recipe for a show-stopping cannoli cheeseball covered in mini chocolate chips and crushed pistachios.

Savoury cookies

Cheese and crostini aren’t the only great partners for sliced, aged cheeses. Try making a batch of these Herbes de Provence savoury cookies to tuck into your party food spread. They’re crunchy, buttery, floral, and delicious.