Need answer some time this week. 
I’m considering jalapeno poppers or deviled eggs, but I’m interested in hearing other ideas.
Bonus points if it’s something you’ve actually made and the whole wide world raved about it.
This is for a group of 10, if that matters.
Thanks!
mmm
Does it have to be a recipe/homemade?
I couldn’t tell you the brand, but I’ve had really good frozen/store bought spanakopita at a party (thrown by someone that owned a restaurant and knows how to cook).
I do a pull-apart loaf in a Bundt pan that is basically a bunch of tiny rolls filled with a small piece of cheese. Grease 'em all up and put them in the Bundt and bake. Turn it out and you have a Bundt loaf with pieces cheese-stuffed roll that are about 2-3 bites each. Want it? I’ve also done it with small bits of sausage in half the rolls, but that doesn’t fit the request.
ETA: it’s all from scratch, but you could probably use biscuits from a can to do the same thing. Well, not completely from scratch - I don’t make the cheese.
If dairy’s OK, can’t go wrong with a spinach artichoke dip:
Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Raspberry Jam. Yeah, it’s supposedly a holiday thing, but it’s so good we sometimes make it randomly. Serve with crackers or warm, home-made bread slices.
Celery sticks with blue cheese. So very simple, yet tasty.
If you want to go totally Vegan, how about guacamole and chips? Here’s Jack White’s recipe from his concert rider:
Vegetarian, but absolutely not vegan (cheese and butter).
Make a batch of spinach saag (many options, I use this slow cooker option without the fenugreek) - buy a batch of pre-made puff pastry sheets, thaw and cut into squares. Make small cubes or shreds of paneer, or a mild flavored cheese such as Monterey jack, and place a small cube or two along with a dollop of saag just off center of the squares, use an egg wash along half the sides of the square and fold over to form a triangle. Apply mild additional pressure along the open sides (or use a fork) to better seal.
Bake.
Highly flavored with the saag, a bit hot cheese for a flavor contrast and the gooeyness, flakey, buttery crust.
Made a batch this weekend in multiple sizes for the wife and I.
Simple, fresh pineapple
I brought this to a recent party and it was a big hit. They were quickly gobbled up. Easy finger food.
That’s a pretty solid guacamole recipe. About the only thing I’d consider is adding garlic.
Personally I’d look at something like hummus or baba ganoush; I think both are fully vegan, and they’re dips, so they’d be great for parties.
Homemade hummus is pretty easy- just start with canned chickpeas, and do this hull-removal procedure. ( Never Peel Chickpeas Again With One Simple Trick) . That’ll give you smoother, creamier hummus!
Oh yeah, I didn’t even notice garlic was missing! Garlic is a must.
My guac recipe is pretty similar to that, except I do use garlic, I do not add cilantro (my wife doesn’t like it) I use purple onion instead of yellow (purple is a little milder raw, plus I like the color variety it adds), and I don’t add serrano peppers. I usually add just enough cayenne pepper to give the guac a hint of heat. I like spice, but I don’t think guac should be too spicy.
Thanks for that trick! I’ve made my own hummus many times (it’s ridiculously cheap compared to pre-made, and I think much tastier) but I usually don’t bother removing the husks and just live with less smooth hummus bacause I thought the removal process would be too time-consuming.
You’re welcome!
It was actually on my mind; my wife had bought some hummus from a local Mediterranean grocery that we shop at, and somehow we got into a discussion of buying vs. making, and this process came up because I’d commented that mine is tasty, but a bit rougher.
If you want a change of pace from hummous and baba ganouj, try muhammara:
Truth be told, I actually came to almost prefer the homemade rougher version to the super-smooth storebought /restaurant version.
Thanks! I’m definitely keeping that recipe in my back pocket.
My favorite hummus recipe is this one:
(note: preface any recipe with “cooked.wiki/” to get all the ads and other nonsense removed).
Another possibility is homemade pimento cheese. I don’t use a recipe, but it’s something like this:
You want it not too mayonnaisy, pretty spicy, and still a bit chunky. Serve it warm if you can, because that’s flippin delicious, but room temperature is also okay; it’s great on pita wedges, or tortilla chips, or whatever else sounds good.
How about stuffed grape leaves, with tzatziki for dipping?
If you are considering guacamole, a nice thing to also make is a queso dip. This queso dip got wonderful reviews when I made it for the last game night I hosted.
That seems complicated… half a large block of Velveeta and a can of Rotel is the way to go.
Gazpacho. A nice cold soup that you could serve in small bowls.
Waldorf salad: easy to make and people tend to love it.
Layered bean dip
Hummus &Tapenade with pita or crostini
Bean salad ( Paisley Farms is a delicious brand)