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Home » Recipes » 25 Perfect Recipes For Entertaining

25 Perfect Recipes For Entertaining

May 4, 2017 Updated: March 25, 2019 By Julie Menghini 13 Comments

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Compilation of several pictures for recipes suitable for entertaining.

Whether it’s a Graduation Open House or hosting a casual cookout, you’ll love these 25 perfect recipes for entertaining whether it’s a few or a crowd 

Compilation of several pictures for recipes suitable for entertaining.I originally wanted to post a roundup of recipes that would be perfect for a Graduation Open House. The more recipes that I collected the more I realized that these are 25 perfect recipes for entertaining where you need food that can sit out for awhile, can be made ahead, and people can help themselves.

Appetizers/Finger Food Recipes

A bowl of Salsa sitting in a white bowl garnished with cilantro. Tortilla chips sit next to the bowl.

Restaurant-Style Salsa by Life Currents

A bowl of puppy chow in a pink bowl with the word \"Puppy Chow\" running across the top.

Nutella Puppy Chow by Belle Of The Kitchen

A plate of white bean dip garnished with basil and tomatoes. Pita triangles sit around the bowl.

Healthy Tomato Basil White Bean Dip by Peas and Crayons

A bowl roasted chickpeas with the title \"Spicy & Crispy Oven Roasted\" running across the top.

Chickpeas Masala by Simply Vegetarian

Side view of a turquoise bowl filled with salsa verde. Tortilla chips sit off to the side.

Salsa Verde by A Dish of Daily Life

Top-down view of a wooden bowl filled with spicy pretzels on a wooden background. Pretzels are scattered around the bowl.

Spicy Nacho Cheese Pretzels by Hostess At Heart

Main Dish Recipes

Saucy pulled pork sandwich sitting on a blue plate. A bowl of bean salad sits in the background.

Dr. Pepper BBQ Pork Sandwiches by An Affair From the Heart

White bowl filled with meatballs that have been garnished with parsley.

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs by Heidi’s Home Cooking

Shredded pork on a white plate with two wedges of lime and cilantro on the side.

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef by Fox and Briar

Side view of a brown bowl heaped with chili. Shredded cheese garnish the chili. Crackers and more cheese sit in jars in the background.

The Best Chili Recipe by Hostess At Heart

Side Dish/Salad Recipes

A close up of a plate salad made of tomatoes, black olives, red onion, cucumbers, and feta cheese.

Cucumber Greek Salad by Belle of the Kitchen

A bowl of salad made up of corn, black beans, red peppers, and red onions.

Mexican Corn Salad by Life Currents

A bowl of fresh fruit in a yellow bowl.

Fresh Fruit Salad by The Foodie Affair

Whether it's a Graduation Open House or hosting a casual cookout, you'll love these 25 recipes for entertaining whether it's a few or a crowd | HostessAtHeart.com

Nutty Ginger Tamari Quinoa Salad by Healthy World Cuisine

A bowl of bow tie pasta salad filled with tomatoes, red peppers, and basil. A fresh sprig of sweet basil sits to the side.

Summer Pasta Salad by A Dish of Daily Life

A bowl Soba Noodles, red peppers, green onions, and pea pods sitting over a green napkin with another bowl in the background.

Soba Noodle Salad by Hostess At Heart

A plate bean salad garnished with wedges of lemon.

Mediterranean White Bean Salad by Bowl Me Over

Dessert Recipes

A white plate of butterscotch chip cookies.

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies by Little Sweet Baker

Cookie bars filled with pastel m&m\'s.

Moist Gluten Free Rainbow Peanut Butter Cookie Bars by Fearless Dining

Stacked chocolate bars on a piece of parchment paper.

Derby Pie Brownies by Take Two Tapas

A close up of cookies made with almond joy candy bars.

13 Minute Almond Joy Cookies by Heidi’s Home Cooking

And now, once the kiddos or under-age guests have moved on, it’s time to sit back with some Adult-inspired libations!

A side view of a cocktail made from cherries. A jar of cherries sit to the side.

Very Cherry Long Island Ice Tea by Giraffes Can Bake

3 glasses filled with a cocktail made from Pineapple, Ginger, and Prosecco.

Pineapple Ginger Prosecco Punch by Take Two Tapas

Cocktails sitting in flute glasses with umbrellas sitting in the top.

Hot and Bubbly Margarita Recipe by Mid-Life Croissant

A coup glass filled with a Piso cocktail and garnished with a slice of blood orange.

A Blood Orange Pisco Cocktail by Beyond Mere Sustenance

In addition to the recipes, An Affair From the Heart shared how she threw a Racing/Fishing themed graduation party for her Son and a Country Chic themed graduation for her daughter. I’m sure you can pull a ton of inspiration from them.

Whether it's a Graduation Open House or hosting a casual cookout, these recipes are perfect for entertaining any event. | HostessAtHeart.com

Thank you to all of these very special blog owners for letting me use their photos and recipes for this roundup. I hope you will visit each and every one of them to see their other amazing creations.

Let’s keep in touch!  You can find me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube! Better yet, enter your email address in the box below and never miss a recipe!

Appetizers· Asian· Beef· Beverages· Cookies· Dessert· Main dishes· Mexican· Recipes· Salads· Sides· Snacks· Soup

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Comments

  1. Antonia (Zoale) says

    May 9, 2017 at 9:20 am

    Great collection!

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      May 9, 2017 at 9:07 pm

      Thank you, Antonia! You’re such a gem!

      Reply
  2. sue says

    May 5, 2017 at 10:00 am

    Wow! What a very impressive collection of wonderful entertaining dishes. Love the photos too!

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      May 7, 2017 at 1:46 pm

      Thank you so much, Sue! I appreciate you co-hosting this week for FF too and hope you’re having a great time with all of those talented foodies!

      Reply
  3. Josette says

    May 4, 2017 at 7:47 pm

    I’m going to have to keep this as a reference when I have a party to plan! Absolutely great, Julie. 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      May 7, 2017 at 1:47 pm

      Thank you so much, Josette! The planning is definitely the hard part.

      Reply
  4. Sonal says

    May 4, 2017 at 6:51 pm

    What a fab collection Julie! Pinning it and sharing on Facebook! Thanks for including mine

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      May 7, 2017 at 1:48 pm

      You’re so darned sweet! Thank you so much, Sonal for your support and friendship!

      Reply
  5. [email protected] says

    May 4, 2017 at 9:46 am

    This is a great roundup – a little bit of everything – and so many delicious ideas to choose from! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      May 7, 2017 at 1:50 pm

      Thank you, Ana! The nice weather is here (I hope to stay) and we love to entertain and planning always is the hard part so I love finding recipes that don’t take me away from my friends.

      Reply
  6. debi at Life Currents says

    May 4, 2017 at 7:56 am

    What a great collection! When I host parties I prefer to all the work ahead of time, or at least as much as possible. I don’t get to see my guests often so I want to spend time with them. This makes it easy for me! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      May 5, 2017 at 8:19 am

      Thank you Debi! I agree that we shouldn’t be babysitting the food and spend time with our guests otherwise entertaining is just a chore!

      Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      May 7, 2017 at 1:51 pm

      Thank you, Debi! I’m with you, I am a list maker and I spend more time planning than anything else so love recipes like these.

      Reply

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