Good hosts keep guests’ glasses full and their appetites satiated, and they pull it off without breaking a sweat. How? By serving easy yet elegant hors d'oeuvres, all made with five ingredients or less (salt and pepper don't count!).

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Garlic-Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

The shrimp in this recipe are roasted with garlic rather than poached, intensifying their flavor. For more punch, serve them with a six-ingredient Red Onion & Jalapeño Cocktail Sauce.

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Sweet & Spicy Roasted Nuts

Guests dropping by at the last minute? The more the merrier! These sweet-spicy nuts have only a few ingredients, are simple to prepare, and take a less-is-more approach to entertaining.

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Potato Skin Curls with Fresh Herbs

These crisp shards of potato skin are cooked in oil infused with seasonal herbs: a perfect way to use up the skins if your holiday dinner calls for mashed potatoes.

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Ham, Gruyère & Honey-Mustard Palmiers

Reviewers warn that these easy, savory pastries have a reputation for being the first appetizer to disappear, so be ready to replenish the platter.  

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Figs with Ricotta, Pistachios, and Honey

This dish just oozes with sex appeal. Sweet figs are split to reveal their tender centers, then filled with creamy, cool ricotta cheese, drizzled with golden honey, and jeweled with a crunch of emerald pistachios.

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Endive Spears with Sweet Potato, Bacon & Chives

This festive appetizer pleases both the cook and guests. It’s quick and easy, a perfect blend of both sweet and savory, and it’s just enough to tide everyone over until the big meal comes.
 

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Marinated Manchego Chunks

Here's an easy way to make supermarket-quality manchego cheese taste (and look) extra special: Give it a bath in a bowl of olive oil infused with rosemary, thyme and chiles.

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Spicy Spanish Olives

Mixed olives are a no-brainer when it comes to easy party food; make yours memorable by tossing them with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and smoky pimentón de la Vera.

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Goat Cheese Crackers with Red Pepper Jelly

This simple-but-surprising pairing of tangy goat cheese and sweet-spicy pepper jelly on your best crackers is a quick way to add some festive color to an hors d'oeuvre spread.

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Shrimp with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Put a Southeast Asian spin on shrimp cocktail by pairing the shrimp with a sweet-sour-spicy sauce of peanut butter, lime juice, and chile sauce.

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Spinach & Artichoke Dip

A party classic, this warm dip couldn't be simpler: just stir together the ingredients, and pop in the oven to brown. It's excellent with tortilla chips, pita chips, or chunks of rustic bread.

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Warm Cheese and Mushroom Toasts

Your guests will have a hard time eating just one of these addictive crostini: a sauté of mixed mushrooms tops crunchy baguette slices, accented with a little melted Gruyère.
 

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Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

These tiny triangles are a lovely way to serve cold-smoked salmon: the crunchy cucumbers and creamy dill-flecked spread offer a luxurious contrast to the silky salmon.

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Sautéed Chorizo in Red Wine

This three-ingredient tapas-bar favorite is easy to make at home. Serve with plenty of crusty bread for mopping up the rich red-wine sauce.

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Baked Brie with Dried Cherries & Thyme

Frozen puff pastry makes this impressive dish a cinch to pull together, and with a 20 minute baking time, you can’t beat it.

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Prosciutto-Wrapped Mozzarella

Prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil...the best of Italy wrapped up in one tiny bite.

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Popcorn with Sweet Butter and Sea Salt

A few spoonfuls of sugar add a touch of sweetness to the buttery, salty popcorn. It’s like kettle corn, but better.

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