Creative Party Food
The 1980s had a wonderful idea of what made party food impressive: plenty of cheese, toothpicks everywhere, and at least a few ingredients that sounded like a weird combo at first. You might think you’ve heard it all, but we've skipped the potato skins and shrimp cocktail in favor of the finger foods that have largely slipped off today's party menus, including several that deserve another chance from this inventive decade.
1. Olive Cheese Balls
If you cracked open the right cookbook, you might have found pimiento-stuffed olives stuffed in a dough of sharp cheddar, butter, and flour. The balls were chilled and baked until the outside turned lightly golden, leaving a salty olive waiting in the center. Sound weird? Well, they make more sense once you've eaten one!
Internet Archive Book Images on Wikimedia
2. Rumaki
Rumaki had already been circulating at cocktail parties for decades, but it was exactly the kind of toothpick food that got everyone pumped. We’re talking wrapped bacon around chicken liver and a water chestnut before a sweet-savory glaze. Don’t knock ‘em before you try them.
3. Cheese Dreams
Don't let the gentle name fool you—Cheese Dreams were serious cocktail-party food. They were pretty simple, too, often only involving small white-bread sandwiches covered with a cheddar mixture. Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and butter could all make their way into the cheese before the squares were baked until browned.
Cheesedreamcharlie on Wikimedia
4. Hot Crab Canapés
Mini rye bread had a much busier social life when hot crab canapés were on the menu. All you had to do was combine crabmeat with mayonnaise and Parmesan, spread it all over cocktail rye slices, and run the whole tray under the broiler until bubbling.
Geoff Peters from Vancouver, BC, Canada on Wikimedia
5. Salmon Dill Mousse Bites
Salmon mousse doesn’t sound great to everyone reading, but we promise it tastes better than it looks! It wasn't something you scooped absentmindedly from a bowl, either. Ambitious hosts could mold it, decorate it, and serve portions with vegetables. You could also cut it into small portions for crackers or cucumber slices, and it's about as retro as an appetizer gets.
6. Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms still pop up, but the sausage-heavy version is worth reviving. It’s nothing more than mushroom caps packed with a savory sausage filling, and that very recipe became part of the decade's ambitious approach to food and entertainment. Let’s be honest: this one doesn't need much convincing to bring back.
The Fry Family Food Co. on Unsplash
7. Ham-and-Pickle Roll-Ups
Before tortilla pinwheels ate up party platters, you could just spread cream cheese over a slice of ham, lay down a whole pickle, and then roll and slice it. Modern versions sometimes add tortillas, but the stripped-down combo of deli ham, cream cheese, and pickle is the old-school formula families remember.
8. Chicken Liver Pâté Toasts
There was a time when offering chicken liver pâté didn’t sound especially fancy, and it’s time we went back there! It’s easy to make, too. You don’t need anything more than blended, cooked chicken livers with butter before chilling the whole thing until it’s firm. From there, spread it over little toast, and you’re good to go.
9. Mini Spanakopita Squares
Today's freezer aisle has plenty of spanakopita, but bite-size spinach-and-cheese pastry was an even bigger hit decades ago. When you stick them alongside other finger foods, those crisp squares offered a welcome break when the rest of the table was really just dishes covered in mayo or melted cheese.
10. Sweet-and-Sour Meatball Picks
Make no mistake—these weren't ordinary meatballs on toothpicks. Retro versions simmered the meat in a sweet-and-sour sauce and stayed warm in a slow cooker. That meant everybody could spear their own as they wandered past!
The Fry Family Food Co. on Unsplash
11. Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes
Who said pineapple upside-down had to arrive as one large dessert? Party-friendly versions could be baked in muffin tins with pineapple pieces and maraschino cherries tucked into the brown-sugar topping. They're harder to spot on modern party tables, but that’s all the more reason to bring them back.
U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer’s Mate Eric A. Clement. on Wikimedia
12. Shrimp Toast
The basic idea with this one really only involved seasoned shrimp spread onto bread. It sounds simple, but the trick was frying it until the exterior got crisp, creating a substantial bite that was easy to share. It didn’t completely vanish, but it certainly doesn't occupy the same territory as spring rolls now do.
13. Pâté-Topped Croutons
Croutons sound boring on their own, but leave it to the ‘80s to think of how to spice them up! All you need is homemade chicken liver pâté with shallot, pistachios, Worcestershire sauce, and cream cheese. This one actually used to be a massive hit during the holidays.
MBC Foods from Australia on Wikimedia
14. Mini Potato Knishes
Meat pasties, miniature frankfurters, and potato knishes were once sold as foods suited to a large crowd, and ‘80s magazines were onto something. You got a compact pastry filled with seasoned potato, and keeping it warm for guests added even more charm.
15. Frankfurters in Blankets
Pigs in a blanket survived, but "frankfurters wrapped in blankets" is a little different! The Washington Post was actually the one to include them among its recommended hot finger foods in 1980. Using small pieces of each also turned an inexpensive ingredient into something you stretch across several servings.
16. Salmon Mousse Cracker Rounds
We bet you didn’t know that shrimp or salmon mousse decorated with pomegranate could be a hit. Well, now you do! Spoon portions onto crackers before serving, and you've got a finger food that's creamy and far less common than it once was.
17. Bourbon Balls
Now here’s a grown-up sweet that didn't require much to make. Recipes typically combined crushed vanilla wafers with confectioners' sugar, cocoa, corn syrup, and bourbon. From there, all that was left was to roll the mixture into bite-size balls. Oh, you could also coat them in powdered sugar!
18. Stuffed Tomato Cups
Tiny tomatoes stuffed with creamy fillings were another way the '80s turned veggies into cocktail food. It was a hollowed tomato filled with a creamy mixture and finished with black olives. Though it sounds weird, it's a presentation you rarely see at casual parties now.
Internet Archive Book Images on Wikimedia
19. Mini Meat Pasties
At the end of the day, who doesn’t want a small savory pastry? Back in the ‘80s, meat pasties were specifically listed as suitable hot finger foods for big gatherings, and it’s easy to see why. Think seasoned meat tucked inside a small pastry turnover, and served warm enough that you'll probably reach for another before anything else.
20. Apricot Coconut Balls
Apricot coconut balls were the kind of no-bake sweet that everyone loved. Vintage recipes combined finely chopped dried apricots with sweetened condensed milk and shredded coconut, then rolled it all into balls coated with even more coconut. Their fruity flavor made them a little different from the chocolate-heavy stuff you always found, and people were all over them.
