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Having These 9 Ingredients On Hand Is The Life Hack To Hosting At A Moment's Notice

Make some room in your freezer!

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feta wrapped in phyllo and fried served with honey
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

This time of year, it can feel like there’s a party or get-together practically every weekend—holidays and potlucks abound, not to mention office parties, birthdays, and a million other reasons to gather with friends and family. We’re all for it…as long as we’re prepared ahead of time. Our best hack to making sure we’re never caught off guard? Stocking our fridge and freezer with these 9 store-bought ingredients that never let us down. We’re talking reliable classics like crescent roll dough and pizza dough, of course, but we’ve also got a few ringers in here you might not expect (gnocchi! Bisquick!). Check out these 27 appetizers for inspiration, then add a few of these to your permanent grocery list so you’ll always be just one step away from a party, all season long.

1

Crescent Dough: Cranberry Brie Bites

crescent dough bites filled with brie and cranberry sauce
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

hese are a fan favorite every fall. They always disappear within minutes, probably because the combo of salty, creamy brie, sweet-tart cranberry sauce, and crunchy pecans is PERFECT.

Get the Cranberry Brie Bites recipe.

2

Crescent Dough: Pigs In A Blanket

pigs in a blanket with a mustard dippings sauce
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Tiny hot dogs are perfect for literally any celebration. There's something very classic about the crescent roll dough flavor, so we tend to gravitate toward it, but puff pastry or even biscuit dough should work here too.

Get the Pigs In A Blanket recipe.

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3

Pizza Dough: Parmesan Bread Bites

parmesan bread bites topped with sage and hot honey
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

If you're a fan of garlic knots, this recipe is basically the bite-sized app version. Covered in gooey cheese, garlic butter, and fresh herbs, these bites are the best way to serve a crowd. The best part? They only take a little over half an hour to come together!

Get the Parmesan Bread Bites recipe.

4

Puff Pastry: Cheese Straws

cheese straws
Emily hlavac green

These are studded with cheddar, green onions, and sesame seeds for the most flavor-packed cheese straws we've ever had. Using store-bought puff pastry makes them extremely easy to pull together for last-minute get-togethers too.Get the Cheese Straws recipe.

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5

Gnocchi: Fried Gnocchi Bites

fried gnocchi bites in a bowl with marinara sauce on the side
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Warning: Once you take a bite of these crispy gnocchi, you may never stop! These crunchy, little pillowy bites are absolute perfection and an excellent bite-sized appetizer to serve at any type of holiday gathering.

Get the Fried Gnocchi Bites recipe.

6

Puff Pastry: Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Bites

caramelized onion and goat cheese bites
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI ; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Little puff pastry squares get topped with caramelized onions and a little crumbled goat cheese for an easy appetizer that always wows. The final step is a light drizzle of honey for that salty sweet combination everyone will love.

Get the Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Bites recipe.

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7

Phyllo Dough: Mini Phyllo Feta Bites

feta wrapped in phyllo and fried served with honey
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

These mini phyllo feta bites are the perfect easy bite-sized appetizer for a party. Salty, gooey feta cheese is wrapped in the flakiest golden-brown layers of phyllo dough. Everything gets drizzled in sticky-sweet honey and topped with flaky salt for extra crunch, and voilá: You have an elegant hors d’oeuvre with just six ingredients.

Get the Mini Phyllo Feta Bites recipe.

8

Bisquick: Sausage Balls

sausage balls

In many households, sausage balls are a classic holiday appetizer. But many of you might be thinking: "Wait, what even is a sausage ball?!" The answer: savory, cheesy bites of cooked pork sausage, cheddar, and Bisquick that will be the most popular appetizer at your party.

Get the Sausage Balls recipe.

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9

Egg Roll Wrappers: Crab Cake Egg Rolls

jumbo lump crab, tossed with mayo, chili garlic sauce, and old bay seasoning, folded in a wonton wrapper, then deep fried until deep golden brown and crisp
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

These two-bite beauties combine the decadence of a crab cake, and the crisp-chewy texture of your favorite take-out egg rolls all into one platter-friendly package.

Get the Crab Cake Egg Roll recipe.

10

Puff Pastry: Baked Feta Bites

puff pastry with feta rosemary and peppers
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

If you’re a fan of our cranberry brie bites, we’ve got news for you: There’s a new holiday app in town, and it’s inspired by another fan fave, baked feta pasta. 😍

Get the Baked Feta Bites recipe.

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11

Tortellini: Parmesan Tortellini Bites

fried bites of tortellini topped with parmesan and served with marinara sauce
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

As far as stuffed pasta goes, tortellini is highly versatile, convenient, and—the best part—filled with cheese. You may have heard of toasted ravioli (another great last-minute option), but these crispy Parmesan tortellini bites will soon become your new favorite appetizer.

Get the Parmesan Tortellini Bites recipe.

12

Biscuit Dough: Ham & Swiss Hasselback Biscuit Bites

ham and swiss hasselback biscuit bites on a white tray with a bowl of dijon mustard
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Step aside, hasselback potatoes: Hasselback biscuit bites are coming to steal your thunder. Featuring convenient canned biscuits stuffed with ham and cheese, these flaky, buttery bites will delight party guests and tailgaters wherever they appear.

Get the Ham & Swiss Hasselback Biscuit Bites recipe.

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13

Biscuit Dough: Pizza-Stuffed Pumpkins

mini pumpkins made out of pizza dough stuffed with cheese
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Stuffed with creamy ricotta, baked to golden perfection, and brushed with garlic butter, this festive, pizza-inspired snack will surely be a hit. Serve alongside marinara, then dig in!

Get the Pizza-Stuffed Pumpkins recipe.

14

Pizza Dough: Mozzarella-Stuffed Pretzel Bites

pretzel bites topped with salt with mozzarella in the middle
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

These mozzarella-stuffed pretzel bites are the perfect after-school or game day bite-sized appetizers. The best part? They’re made with just THREE ingredients: store-bought pizza dough, mozzarella cheese sticks, and flaky salt.

Get the Mozzarella-Stuffed Pretzel Bites recipe.

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15

Pizza Dough: Meatball Sub Bites

meatball sub bites with marinara sauce
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

The meatball sub is a hearty comfort food classic that's been long overdue for a bite-sized upgrade. Enter the meatball sub bite—a juicy herb and garlic meatball stuffed with mozzarella cheese, wrapped in crisp and chewy pizza dough, and served with spicy marinara.

Get the Meatball Sub Bites recipe.

16

Crescent Dough: Ham & Cheese Pinwheels

ham cheese pinwheels
Joel goldberg

These ham and cheese pinwheels are made easy using store-bought crescent roll dough. They are chock-full of melty cheese and savory-sweet ham, topped with fresh parsley and toasty poppy seeds for texture and flavor you and your guests will love.

Get the Ham & Cheese Pinwheels recipe.

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17

Puff Pastry: Maple-Cranberry Baked Brie

wrapped baked brie topped with cranberry and maple and served with crackers
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Get your holiday parties started right with this seasonal spin on the classic appetizer. We prepared an easy-to-make homemade maple and cranberry jam and layer it into the buttery puff pastry-wrapped brie, but feel free to go leftover cranberry sauce or even homemade jam if you need. Just drizzle extra maple on top!

Get the Maple-Cranberry Baked Brie recipe.

18

Crescent Dough: Sausage Bundles

crescent roll bundles filled with a sausage mixture
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Looking for a quick and easy appetizer to serve at your next gathering? It doesn’t get any easier than these little bundles of deliciousness. With only three ingredients, they come together pretty fast, and believe us, that’s a great thing because the sooner they’re ready to be devoured, the better.

Get the Sausage Bundles recipe.

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19

Crescent Dough: French Onion Soup Bites

french onion soup bites in crescent dough
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

These bites are made from crescent dough (the kind from a can that’s impossibly buttery), for a crunchy exterior, soft oniony center, and—don’t worry, I didn’t forget—a molten layer of cheese blanketing the top. They’re the perfect finger food, whether you’re hosting a soirée or simply treating yourself.

Get the French Onion Soup Bites recipe.

20

Puff Pastry: Brie, Asparagus, & Prosciutto Bundles

brie, asparagus, and prosciutto wrapped in puff pastry
PHOTO: JOEL GOLDBERG; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Here, flaky, buttery puff pastry is stuffed with prosciutto, asparagus, and brie before being brushed all over with a salted honey butter in this simple but satisfying recipe. Ready in under an hour, these bundles will bring the fancy to your party.

Get the Brie, Asparagus, & Prosciutto Bundles recipe.

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