32 Retro Party Appetizers We'll Never, Ever Stop Making
Cheese Straws
Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Straws
You won't find a one-bite wonder like the cheese straw or biscuit. Crunchy, cheesy, and oh-so addicting, they've saved hostesses for generations.
Cocktail Meatballs
Recipe: Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
Back in the day, cocktail meatballs might as well have been a requirement on the appetizer spread. We wouldn't mind if that rule stuck around.
Cheddar-Horseradish-Walnut Cheese Ball
Recipe: Cheddar-Horseradish-Walnut Cheese Ball
We'll repeat it until the cows come home: It's not a Southern party without a cheese ball.
Mini Tomato Sandwiches
Recipe: Tomato Tea Sandwiches
The tomato sandwich is a tale as old as time—but these cookbooks were savvy enough to include a miniature appetizer version, too. Odds are, you know the easy version, but make sure to try our Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise next.
Hot Cheesy Crab Dip
Recipe: Hot Cheesy Crab Dip
Crab dip is always welcome at a friendly gathering, from football tailgates to the Christmas party.
Smoked-Fish Dip
Recipe: Smoked-Fish Dip
Guaranteed to rake in the compliments, this smoked fish dip is packed full of fresh herbs like scallions, parsley, and dill.
Basic Pimiento Cheese?????
Recipe: Basic Pimiento Cheese???????
Now, every Southern cook knows how to make a top-notch pimiento cheese spread, but the add-on ingredients can change from one to the next, with things like Worcestershire, cayenne, and even shaved onion making appearances. This one is a winner.
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Recipe: Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Ah, the dip that launched a thousand renditions. This most iconic of snacks comes in many variations, but here's a traditional crowd-pleaser.
Butter-Baked Saltine Crackers
Recipe: Butter-Baked Saltine Crackers
Southern hostesses for generations past have known how to upgrade any store-bought staple, including saltine crackers.
Deviled Eggs
Recipe: Classic Deviled Eggs
Show up with a tray of deviled eggs, and you're instantly the favorite of everyone in the room.
Ham-And-Cheese Sliders
Recipe: Ham-And-Cheese Sliders
Southerners will instantly recognize this handheld staple, and the first bite is bound to kickstart all kinds of reminiscing about the last time a melty, gooey, baked ham-and-cheese slider hit the taste buds.
Buttery Toasted Pecans
Recipe: Buttery Toasted Pecans
This is about as simple as it gets—and perfect for setting out in a bowl when unexpected company drops by.
Baked Oysters with Bacon, Greens, and Parmesan
Recipe: Baked Oysters with Bacon, Greens, and Parmesan
Something about baking oysters elevates them from basic to party-worthy, and you can't change our minds about that. Parmesan cheese is a tasty pairing with bacon and collard greens.
Cheese Fondue
Recipe: Beer-Cheese Fondue
Either by way of melty cheese or gooey chocolate, fondue gave every cocktail party guest something fun to do back in the day.
Bacon Bites
Recipe: Bacon Bites
Crispy bites of salty goodness are what awaits you with this three-ingredient recipe that always disappears before anything else.
Cheese Dreams
Recipe: Cheese Dreams
What's a cheese dream, you might ask? Well, if you don't know, bless your heart. These bites of heaven are enough to make a Southern crowd holler.
Sweet Heat Pickles
Recipe: Sweet Heat Garden Pickles
The vintage cookbooks never met something they couldn't pickle, mark our words. It so happens that these pickled vegetables make the perfect appetizer accoutrement.
Chicken Liver Mousse Crostini with Pepper Jelly
Recipe: Chicken Liver Mousse Crostini with Pepper Jelly
This retro snack might seem out-there to some, but to us it's just nostalgic enough to keep around. This smooth, velvety mousse gets topped with spicy-sweet pepper jelly.
Crab Cake Bites with Old Bay Seasoning
Recipe: Crab Cake Bites with Old Bay Seasoning
Crab cakes always feel like a delicious splurge for any special occasion, and making them miniature-sized ensures everyone gets a bite.
Angel Biscuits
Recipe: Angel Biscuits
These fluffy, petite biscuits make the best accessory to any spread, especially when pimiento cheese or chicken salad is involved.
West Indies Crab Salad
Recipe: West Indies Crab Salad
This little-known Southern salad—believed to have originated in Mobile, Alabama—is a beloved party snack you'd find in a tattered coastal cookbook. (But it's still just as popular today.) Place it out with crackers and crudité.
Baked Goat Cheese Spread with Pepper Jelly
Recipe: Baked Goat Cheese Spread with Pepper Jelly
Pepper jelly and cream cheese is a duo that never disappoints, but goat cheese works just as deliciously and adds a bit of extra tang.
Party Poppers
Recipe: Party Poppers
You can hardly go wrong with a spicy jalapeno stuffed with melty cheese and wrapped in bacon. This recipe is a longtime classic appetizer, reimagined.
Homemade Chicken Salad
Recipe: Homemade Chicken Salad
It's hard to beat this protein-packed spread for daytime entertaining, no matter if you like a classic recipe or one with extra flair, like our Cranberry Chicken Salad.
Oysters Rockefeller
Recipe: Oysters Rockefeller
This recipe dates back to 1899, and since then it's earned a long-standing spot in any Louisiana community cookbook.
Party Puffs with Ham Salad
Recipe: Cheese Puffs with Ham Salad
It doesn't get more festive than party puffs. Classic ham salad just sends it over the edge.
Lump Crab Mornay
Recipe: Lump Crab Mornay
This dip is decadence in a dish. Its masterful blend of creamy cheese, crabmeat, and just a little bit of heat has long made crab mornay a Southern classic.
Mini Quiches
Recipe: Asparagus-and-Goat Cheese Mini Quiches
Mini quiches separate ho-hum brunches and showers from next-level affairs. Smaller snack food is the way to go for instant party success.
Sparkling Cranberries
Recipe: Sparkling Cranberries
Like tasty little jewels, these sugared berries make the perfect party attaché.
Fresh Fruit Salad
Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad
Don't worry, this isn't just cut fruit in a bowl. It's dressed up for a party with orange juice, honey, and mint.
Sausage Balls
Recipe: Classic Sausage Balls
Simple, yet totally crowd-pleasing, sausage balls are every Southern cook's three-ingredient trick up the sleeve. Try our updated twist on this classic snack: Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites.
Red Chipotle Pepper Jelly
Recipe: Red Chipotle Pepper Jelly
If you have a jar of this pepper jelly in your fridge or freezer, you're a block of cream cheese and a pack of crackers from one of the most nostalgic Southern appetizers ever.
When we say something is "an oldie but a goodie," it's the highest form of compliment—because somehow it was able to withstand the test of time and trends. No easy feat. While we're happy to say goodbye to the congealed tuna loaf and frozen cheese salad—yes, those were real and once thrived—we're never letting go of these vintage appetizer recipes. These are the all-stars.
Generations of Southern community cookbooks have featured these dips, spreads, bites, and nibbles. That deliciously creamy, cheesy crab dip gracing the holiday spread? Your great-aunt Barb has made many. And those warm, saucy meatballs sitting pretty at the cocktail party? Just ask your grandmother. Because some party appetizers just never die, and thank goodness for that. Many of these party appetizers date decades back—we're betting that this 1960s cocktail party food is ready for its comeback.
Read on for 35 easy and classic finger-food appetizers, both hot and cold, that are so good you won't ever need another party recipe.