22 Make-Ahead Hors d’Oeuvres for Stress-Free Entertaining

Gooey grilled cheese is refreshed with a dollop of fruit chutney.

Get the recipe: Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches With Chutney

Crostini, a cocktail-party classic, gets an upgrade with fennel slaw.

Get the recipe: Prosciutto Crostini with Lemony Fennel Slaw

Ridiculously addictive stuffed pockets can go from oven to serving platter, with no additional prep needed.

Get the recipe: Spiced Beef Empanadas With Lime Sour Cream

Keep these seasoned chicken strips warm in the oven until you’re ready to serve.

Get the recipe: Peanut Chicken Skewers With Chili Mayonnaise

A tasty nibble made with precooked shrimp proves that fancy hors d’oeuvres do not necessarily require fancy footwork.

Get the recipe: Mango Shrimp in Endive Leaves

Thick-cut potato chips make complex, flavorful bites fast.

Get the recipe: Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Crisps With Radicchio

And talk about convenient―apricots swathed in bacon can be assembled days in advance, then cooked straight from the freezer.

Get the recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Apricots With Sage

This luscious, oozy treat, seasoned generously with fragrant garlic and thyme, is baked right in the box it came in.

Get the recipe: Baked Camembert With Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Opt for 10-minute nibbles, like Parmesan-spiked relish.

Get the recipe: Artichoke and Spinach Relish With Walnuts

This silky salmon spread is just as quick. Set it out with crackers and crudités and you’re done.

Get the recipe: Creamy Salmon Spread With Horseradish

Here, frozen puff pastry dough is spread with tangy crème fraîche and topped with a sweet and savory mix of onions and apples.

Get the recipe: Caramelized Onion Tarts With Apples

You can cook this nut mix up to a week in advance and keep it from-the-oven fresh in an airtight container stored at room temperature.

Get the recipe: Rosemary Pecans

Some spreads actually taste better when they’ve had a few days to sit and “meld.”

Get the recipe: Goat Cheese Spread

Mushrooms are little sponges and soak up all the great flavors of a marinade when made in advance for an easy hors d'oeuvres recipe.

Get the recipe: Marinated Mushrooms

Aside from stirring in cheese, herbs, and a few other ingredients, the magic of this dip happens in the oven, when eggplant roasts to tender and silky.

Get the recipe: Creamy Eggplant and Feta Dip

Roasting garlic takes time, but it adds an intense sweetness to any basic creamy dip.

Get the recipe: Roasted Garlic and Scallion Dip

For an easy make-ahead hors d'oeuvres, thaw a few pounds of cooked peeled and deveined shrimp and partner the crowd-pleasing seafood bites with a stand-out cocktail sauce that can be made earlier in the day.

Get the recipe: Shrimp With Spiced Cocktail Sauce

A quick roll in a combination of chopped nuts and dried fruit elevates a basic goat cheese to a special treat—and can be done two days in advance.

Get the recipe: Goat Cheese With Pistachios and Cranberries

Fruit and cheese trays can be cooked and assembled in advance—and on a skewer for a playful twist.

Get the recipe: Pluot and Cheese Skewers

Not everything needs to be served hot or cold to be delicious. Room-temp hors d’oeuvres that are baked in advance make the last-minute rush to assemble a non-factor.

Get the recipe: Eggplant, Feta, and Lemon Tart

Make the savory buckwheat pancakes and cheese mixture a day in advance. Then all you have to do before serving is spread the cheese and drizzle with honey.

Get the recipe: Blini Bites With Blue Cheese and Honey

Toast baguette slices in advance and store. Slice cheese. Then top each bread round with the two high-power ingredients as guests arrive.

Get the recipe: Blue Cheese and Fig Crostini