18 Favorite Hors d'Oeuvres Recipes for co*cktail Parties and Other Special Celebrations (2024)

FAQs

How many types of hors d oeuvres for a co*cktail party? ›

A good rule of thumb when working with your caterer on just how many hors d'oeuvres to choose is as follows: for 10 – 12 guests a minimum of 5 selections, 25 guests a minimum of 9 selections and for 50 guests, a minimum of 13 selections.

Choose at least 3 types of appetizers and serve about 6 servings total per guest (or about 2 servings per guest per type of appetizer). Choose at least one appetizer from the protein, starch, and fresh categories, and remember to consider your guests' allergies and dietary restrictions.

The cheese ball is the ultimate '70s party appetizer — and this classic chive and green olive cheese ball is sure to be a hit. Just roll that bad boy into a ball and serve it with crackers, it's really that simple.

Hors d'oeuvres include canapés, small tartlets, crudités, or skewered items.

Appetizers - For parties where you're only serving appetizers and finger foods, base your estimate on five to eight appetizer bites per person, per hour. If there's a meal included, cut back to four or five per person per hour before the meal.

You're supposed to eat hors d'oeuvres before a meal begins, versus appetizers, which are considered part of the meal. Then there is the quantity served, with appetizers being served once to a table, versus hors d'oeuvres being served several at a time.

How Many Appetizers Do You Need Per Person? This seems like a straightforward question, but there are a few factors that go into this delicious calculation. “Typically, I plan for 4 to 8 pieces per guest, with an average of 6 pieces,” says Curtis. Here's how she breaks things down from there.

What are the five miscellaneous hors d'oeuvres? ›

nearly anything can be served as amuse boudhe: salads, soups, canapes, fish, and vegetables.

If you only have an hour in between, it's safe to only have a couple different options available, totaling about six pieces per guest. If you will be longer than an hour, more is always better. Consider having four to five different options during your co*cktail hour, totaling eight to ten pieces per guest.

HOW MANY SHOULD I SERVE? It's best to calculate the amount per person. Canape-only party: 8-10 savory and 1-2 sweet canapés per person for a standard 4-hour private party, where no other food is served. Pre-meal drinks reception: 3-4 pieces per person will do just right.

As a rule of thumb, most guests will consume 8 to 10 bite-size pieces for every 60 to 90 minutes of a party. However, the larger the variety of offerings, the more hors doeuvres that will be consumed because everyone will want to try at least one of each item.

Generally, we would recommend no less than 6 to 8 pieces of finger food (including hot and cold canapes) for a 2-hour co*cktail party. For dinner time co*cktail parties, we would suggest 'heavier' or more substantial finger food items (including pies, tarts and sandwiches).