- 4 hours ago
Skip the stove—these 5 no-cook appetizers are fast, fresh, and perfect for when it’s just too hot (or you’re short on time). In this video, Nicole shows you how to pull together crowd-pleasing bites like crisp charcuterie salad cups, a tangy pepperoncini dip, a refreshing Mexican shrimp cocktail, and more. Whether you’re hosting last-minute or need easy party snacks that come together in minutes, these recipes will disappear fast.
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00:00Big flavor, little stress, and perfect bites.
00:03Here are five no-cook appetizers for your next get-together
00:06that you are gonna love.
00:07I'm starting with charcuterie salad cups.
00:10These are gonna be little cups of perfect bites
00:12and also a new way to serve up your charcuterie.
00:14Everybody loves it.
00:15It's totally customizable.
00:18It's a great way to clean out your meat and cheese drawer.
00:21And this is just a guide.
00:23Take from it what you will.
00:24When building this salad,
00:25I like to just kind of factor in two different meats,
00:28two different cheeses,
00:30and a plethora of pickly briny things.
00:32So I'm using a soprassata and pepperoni.
00:36And then I'm just gonna cut everything up
00:38into bite-sized pieces.
00:39Because when we build this salad,
00:41we wanna be able to get a little bit of everything in our bite.
00:44Since these appetizers are no-cook,
00:47that generally means that they can also be made
00:49well in advance.
00:50For my cheeses, I'm doing a dill Havarti.
00:52I just think that sounds delicious.
00:54And this is creamy, sort of mild.
00:56And then I'm doing something with a bite.
00:58So I'm doing just a sharp cheddar.
01:00You'll see, like, I'm only doing one block of each cheese,
01:03one pack of each meat,
01:05and one jar of everything else.
01:07And you will be surprised when you see how much this makes.
01:10I'll also try and cut my cheeses into different shapes.
01:14Cut them in squares,
01:15and then I kind of cut the squares in half like triangles.
01:18And this is how you stretch the cheeses into a lot of pieces.
01:22You can buy things already cut and cubed up,
01:25but they tend to be a little more expensive.
01:27And your girl is kind of frugal sometimes.
01:31But you already know that.
01:32From here, everything just gets dumped into one big bowl
01:35and mixed together.
01:37This might be your greatest expense
01:38if you shop from an olive bar in a grocery store.
01:40However, what I would probably do at my house
01:42is empty out all the half jars that I have of olives.
01:45These are already marinated,
01:46so they have a good little dressing to it.
01:48It's just gonna help flavor our dressing
01:50and add moisture to our salad.
01:51So I'm just dumping it all in.
01:53Some roasted red peppers.
01:54These are gonna add just a nice little sweetness
01:56to cut some of this rich stuff we have going on.
02:00And it makes it pretty.
02:01And then I saw a girl make this,
02:03and she put pickles in it.
02:05And that made sense,
02:06because I usually put pickles on my charcuterie boards.
02:08These are cornichons, so they're really tangy.
02:11I don't want a sweet pickle.
02:12Since we have some items that have just been sitting in jars,
02:15and we have that creamy cheese,
02:16I like to brighten up with a little freshness.
02:18So I'm gonna add in just a little squeeze of lemon juice.
02:22And then I'm also adding a little freshness
02:23with some chopped parsley.
02:25Kinda looks like a little confetti of color.
02:27And now we make just a simple vinegar up.
02:30I'm doing red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar,
02:32because that's what I like.
02:34You can just buy a store-bought dressing if you want.
02:36Also gonna add in a little fresh garlic,
02:38a little salt and pepper, and a little bit of sugar.
02:41All right, and then I'm just gonna whisk
02:43in a little extra virgin olive oil.
02:45It's about two parts olive oil to one part vinegar.
02:48And then I'm just gonna pour it over.
02:50It doesn't need to be swimming in the dressing.
02:52Just enough to coat.
02:54See, just enough to flavor all that goodness.
02:57I'm gonna portion it out into small little cups.
03:01You can just get these little wine cups,
03:03you know, that you've seen everywhere.
03:05They also have things like this at the Dollar Tree.
03:07Just gonna try to get a little bit of everything in the cups.
03:10These are big servings,
03:11so you don't have to fill it up all the way.
03:13This, to me, is a perfect way to serve up charcuterie,
03:15because when you have it in a platter,
03:16you don't get all that dressing,
03:17and it's up to you to build the perfect bites,
03:20where in this case, all the hard work is done for you.
03:23Now, I'm also gonna serve each one
03:25with a little slice of French bread.
03:27That way you could build your own
03:28little hearty appetizer on each piece.
03:31And I just tuck the little bread in there.
03:33This does make you wanna make sure
03:35that there is some chilled, you know, grigio in the fridge.
03:40Know what I mean?
03:40Okay, and then you can also just get some cute picks.
03:44Just kind of stick these in there.
03:46First up on our party menu, charcuterie salad cups.
03:50Take your little toothpick and build your perfect bite.
03:54A little meat, a little cheese,
03:56and a little salty briny bite.
04:02Mm, mm, mm, it's so good.
04:06We can totally make a dinner just on things like this.
04:09Only thing missing is the wine,
04:11but I'll be serving that at the party.
04:13We're off to a great start,
04:14but you know you can't spell party without dips.
04:18Every party has to have a dip.
04:19We're turning these into dip.
04:22Pepperoncini dip is the creamy dip we will be serving.
04:25A, because every party has to have a dip.
04:28I already told you once,
04:29don't invite me to your party if you don't have one.
04:31B, there needs to be a creamy dip situation there.
04:34Maybe it's a creamy spinach dip or a French onion dip,
04:38or maybe today it's something new, and this is that.
04:42So those are gonna give it a tangy kick from the vinegar,
04:46and the pepper gives it a little heat.
04:47We're also gonna stick with that theme
04:49with a little more vinegary,
04:51kind of pickly taste with Jardiniera.
04:54So I'm gonna chop up some of this too,
04:56and it's just kind of cut some of that richness
04:58in your typical creamy dips.
05:00You start with a block of cream cheese,
05:03and you're gonna whip that up first.
05:05That way you don't get big chunks of cream cheese
05:08in your dip, and you also wanna make sure
05:10it is softened to start.
05:12Then I'm going to add in a little sour cream,
05:15and a little bit of brine from the pepperoncini jar,
05:18and whip that until it's smooth.
05:20Chopped up, star of the show,
05:22along with a little bit of freshness, some red onion.
05:25Then you're gonna take some of that Jardiniera
05:27and chop it up pretty finely and throw that in.
05:29And then I'm gonna add in a little Italian seasoning,
05:32and a little crushed red pepper.
05:34If you think about it, the flavors here are very similar
05:37to like a submarine sandwich.
05:39You know that vinegar, kind of oregano,
05:42little thing they put on top with the veggies,
05:44the pickled veggies and everything.
05:46You can start to see the vision of the flavors here.
05:48And then one more spin with this,
05:51so that it all gets well incorporated.
05:52You wanna let this chill in the fridge
05:54for at least 30 minutes to an hour,
05:56just so everything comes together.
05:58So cute.
05:59I'm gonna top it with a few more pepperoncini
06:02to let people know what's inside.
06:04These are kind of some things I suggest you serve it with.
06:07A baguette is going to be the most classic,
06:09because I said, you know, it kind of gives you
06:11that sub-sandwich flavor.
06:13So you've got your French bread for that to go on.
06:16You want chips with your sandwich.
06:18So a good ruffled potato chip is also gonna be a good vessel.
06:23For a little fresh crunch,
06:24you could go in with some of those sweet mini bell peppers.
06:28That sounds like so delicious to me right now,
06:31because you're gonna have creamy and cold crunch.
06:35Perfect bite.
06:39Mm-hmm.
06:40Mm.
06:43Mm.
06:44Having that tangy vinegar in there
06:46from the Giardiniera and the pepperoncinis is so good.
06:50It is definitely the something different.
06:51It makes you feel like this is a new dip you haven't had before.
06:55It also kind of, like, makes your mouth happy.
06:58It's gonna make you wanna keep eating.
07:00Like, I don't know that you'll be able to pull yourself
07:01away from this dip.
07:02I mean, it's a solid 12 out of 10.
07:06If you're tired of the same old finger sandwiches at your party,
07:09I've got you covered with this one.
07:11Crispy Asian chicken wraps.
07:13Now, how am I gonna get cooked crispy chicken if this is a no-cook episode?
07:18From your grocery's prepared foods counter.
07:21You know where they have the rotisserie chickens and the fried chicken?
07:24Get you some chicken tenders.
07:27That's our shortcut here to a no-cook appetizer.
07:30And this one is gonna be really hearty.
07:34So, first I'm gonna mix up a little slaw to give it more crunch.
07:38To that, I'm going in with some green onion and some cilantro.
07:41In case you missed it, I made this Asian stir-fry sauce,
07:45which is also a dressing, also a marinade, in my last video.
07:49Did you see it?
07:50So I'm gonna use that, but you can just use a store-bought salad dressing.
07:54And for just one more crunchy element, some chopped peanuts.
07:59Give them a little rough chop and stir them in.
08:01Unlike lettuce, this is gonna stay really crunchy in that wrap.
08:05So you can even make these ahead of time for your party and they won't be a soggy mess.
08:10Take your tortilla, take your crispy, crunchy chicken, slice it up to where it can fit.
08:16These are still hot, which also makes me happy because you get a little hot and cold.
08:21And then roll it up like a burrito.
08:23If you aren't a master burrito roller like me, I used to work at a place.
08:28You can use some toothpicks to hold this closed, but I'll show you that in a minute.
08:31Cut it in half and you have the perfect little handheld small sandwich.
08:38If you're worried about them staying closed,
08:40you can always serve them right side up with a little toothpick to secure it.
08:45It's as easy as that.
08:47Maybe the fastest one of the day.
08:49I'm just gonna arrange them onto our platter.
08:51I mean, you can look inside and see the crunch against the soft tortilla.
08:56Color equals flavor.
08:58We got it going on, people.
08:59These are not your grandma's chicken salad finger sandwiches.
09:02Not at all.
09:03Time to dig in.
09:08Mmm.
09:09It's everything I just said.
09:10That soft tortilla is the perfect package for all the crunchy goodness inside.
09:14The chicken has like a kick of a spice,
09:18but that can be just wherever you get your chicken from.
09:20If you're looking for a new sandwich to add to your party menu,
09:24this is the one.
09:25Trust me.
09:26Everyone loves shrimp cocktail at a party,
09:28but I bet you've never had it like this before.
09:30This viral recipe I got from a guy I follow on TikTok.
09:33It looks so divine that I started craving it.
09:37So this video is just the perfect excuse to make it.
09:41This is more of a Mexican style shrimp cocktail.
09:44And just a reminder,
09:45in case you have anything to say about the ingredients down the road,
09:48it's not my recipe.
09:50But I trust the process and so should you.
09:52It starts with two pounds of cocktail shrimp.
09:55That's just shrimp that is already cooked.
09:57You can get from your seafood department,
09:58or you can cook it yourself and chop it.
10:00But this is a no cook episode.
10:02So here we are.
10:03We're just going to add this to a big bowl
10:05because we're about to add a whole lot of goodness to the party.
10:09Well, this recipe doesn't require any cooking.
10:11It does require a good bit of chopping, but you can do it.
10:15You just fix yourself a margarita, turn on your music and go to town.
10:19So I'm going to start by chopping up four Roma tomatoes,
10:22a couple cucumbers and one onion.
10:24We're going to serve this up tostada style at the party.
10:27It's definitely something you can make a couple days in advance.
10:30Also, all these, like I said,
10:31these no cook party appetizers are great for make ahead situations
10:36because nobody wants to be cooking when they're stressed out planning a party.
10:39Shout out three pieces of pecan.
10:41All right.
10:42That's the bulk of it.
10:43Now we add the flavor.
10:44The recipe calls for four jalapenos,
10:46but I'm also going to chop up a serrano pepper too.
10:49I like being spicy.
10:51Now for the limes, six limes juiced.
10:54People are probably glad I'm not using my mouth to squeeze this like I do sometimes.
10:59I think my teeth would fall off if I had to do this many.
11:01I had to save one for me.
11:04This girl's getting her cocktail.
11:06She deserves it, guys.
11:07She deserves it.
11:13That is just what the doctor ordered.
11:15Now it really gets fun.
11:17In goes Clamato.
11:19I say Clamato, you say Clamato.
11:22If you can't find this, you can just use regular tomato juice.
11:24Cup of ketchup, a little Fanta.
11:27This is no joke.
11:28Do you think I'm about to waste all of my hard work and ingredients?
11:32It says it's about a cup.
11:34Squeeze a fresh orange.
11:36Really highlight that orange Fanta.
11:38I mean, you've got it all.
11:39You know how I talk.
11:40We've got sweet and spicy.
11:43About to have salty.
11:45I'm going to add in a little salt,
11:46garlic powder, hot sauce, and fresh cilantro.
11:50I'm real excited about this.
11:52Now we mix.
11:57Smells so good.
11:59Just got to get a little taste.
12:00See if we're on the right track.
12:04Immediately, yes.
12:05Immediately, yes.
12:06You can't taste that Fanta at all.
12:08It just kind of has this subtle sweetness.
12:12All right.
12:12I'm going to let these flavors marry,
12:14and then we will dish it out.
12:17This might be my favorite one of the day,
12:19and I haven't even eaten it yet.
12:21Typically, this is served on a tostada shell.
12:23I'm doing this fit for a party.
12:25So I'm taking these round tortilla chips,
12:27and we're going to make little mini tostadas.
12:29To serve it, it gets topped with some avocado.
12:33That's going to, again, add more texture.
12:35We've got the crunchy and the tangy.
12:38Now we have a little creamy.
12:39You'll want to add that just before serving.
12:41Okay, here's how you build the bite.
12:43He just does a little mayonnaise on it.
12:45You could flavor the mayonnaise if you want
12:47by adding in a little hot sauce, garlic, chili powder.
12:51There's so much going on in here that I don't think you need it.
12:54It's like our chip and dip.
12:56We've never had chips and dip like this,
12:57nor have we had shrimp cocktail like this.
13:08I need a minute.
13:09I could eat this every day, every day.
13:12There is so much freshness in that bowl,
13:14and it just makes the perfect bite.
13:17It's so bright from that fresh lime juice.
13:19You've got the acid from that and also a little sweetness
13:21from the ketchup, the tomato sauce.
13:24That Fanta, nobody knows, is in there.
13:27This will absolutely be the hit
13:30of any of your spring or summer parties.
13:32This might be my favorite one of the day.
13:35I'm not even kidding.
13:36For my final trick is a true crowd pleaser,
13:39but served up in a new way.
13:41This is spicy corn dip, and nobody doesn't like this, okay?
13:44This just starts with canned corn.
13:46This is the southwestern variety, so it has a little more flavor.
13:50I'm just going to open it and drain it well.
13:53It ends up tasting like street corn.
13:55It's like a street corn dip.
13:59Dump, and then whenever I'm using something canned,
14:03I always like to incorporate something fresh.
14:05It just kind of wakes it up.
14:06So I'm going to add in some fresh jalapeno and green onions.
14:09Take some of the seeds out.
14:12Depends on how spicy you want it.
14:13I'll leave some in because, like I said, I like a little kick.
14:16But you never want it to be too spicy because you need it to be a crowd pleaser.
14:20Not everybody likes spice.
14:22I'm also going in with some chopped green chilies from the can, mayonnaise and sour cream.
14:26And then just a bag of shredded cheddar, or I'm doing like a Mexican blend.
14:31Doesn't get much easier than that one.
14:32I'm also going to go with just a little pinch of salt, just a little hot sauce.
14:36That's optional.
14:37Now, ideally, you're going to let this refrigerate for at least an hour to come together.
14:42Ain't nobody got time for that.
14:43We're going to make little open-faced corn crackers for this.
14:47I saw this girl on TikTok or Instagram make this, and I thought it sounded very smart.
14:51These are corn crackers.
14:53I just got them at my regular grocery store.
14:55And then she built little open-faced little canapes.
14:59And the cracker's pretty crunchy, so hopefully it doesn't get soggy if it sits too long.
15:03Like, you might want to do it a little closer to party time.
15:06She does that, and then a little slice of jalapeno.
15:09She didn't even realize she was making the perfect bite.
15:11This is a pretty affordable appetizer also, and when you serve it like this, you can really
15:17stretch it far because you're controlling those portions.
15:20This also makes a great side dish, and one time I served it as a side dish, but people kept
15:25standing there just eating it with all the chips.
15:28Isn't that cute?
15:29Spicy corn dip crackers, the perfect bite.
15:32And one for me.
15:33Cheers.
15:38That is delicious, and it is a different take and a different taste than when you eat it
15:43with corn chips.
15:44It offers a different flavor, and it really lets the dip stand out because there's not
15:48a ton of flavor in the cracker.
15:50So if you find any kind of crispy cracker, I think that would be a great way to serve this
15:53up.
15:53This will also feed a lot of people.
15:56Zero fuss, but lots of flavor.
15:57These five appetizers are definitely ones you'll want to serve up at your next party.
16:02Trust me, I would not steer you wrong.
16:04And the best part?
16:05No cooking required.
16:08Time to party.
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