Whether you’re short on time to cook a big meal for guests, or you just want to throw a party with a variety of appetizers, you want to make sure you’ve got a variety of tasty finger foods that’ll fill your guests up. Here are a few hearty finger food recipes nutritionist and recipe developer Molly Morgan shared from her book, Skinny-Size It (Spring 2014). Your guests will be requesting you to make these delicious dishes for every party!

Chicken Wing Dip

Buffalo wing fans will go gaga for this spicy dip.

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:

8 ounces light cream cheese (1 brick)

One 12½-ounce can white chicken

½ cup of light ranch dressing 

¼ cup hot sauce

½ cup shredded light cheddar cheese (2 ounces) 

Directions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.     Melt the cream cheese in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, ranch dressing, and hot sauce.

3.     Transfer the chicken–cream cheese mixture to an 8 x 8-inch baking dish and top with the cheese.

4.     Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

5.     Serve the dip with sliced carrots, celery sticks and multigrain tortilla chips.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 160 calories, 11 grams fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 45 milligrams sodium, 5 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar, 10 grams protein

Salsa-Mole

This light zesty recipe is perfect for summer parties, barbecues, and outdoor gatherings.

Makes: 12 servings (⅓ cup each)

Ingredients:

2 medium ripe Hass avocados, halved, pits removed and peeled

1 cup fresh salsa, of your choice

½ cup diced tomato 

½ cup diced sweet onion

Directions:

1.     Place the avocado halves in a medium mixing bowl, and mash them with a fork, leaving small chunks.  

2.     Stir in the salsa, and then fold in the tomatoes and onions. Serve at once as a dip with carrot slices or multigrain tortilla chips.

Entertaining Idea: Get more appetizers and snack recipes you can make with diced tomatoes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 70 calories, 5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 130 milligrams sodium, 6 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar, 1 gram protein

Creamy Garlic Tomato Soup

This garlicky soup is perfect when served as a starter before your meal or paired with mini grilled cheese sandwiches.

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 cup low-fat milk or unsweetened almond milk

3 cups canned tomatoes (with juice)

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a medium-size soup pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour. Then whisk in the garlic and garlic powder.

2. Next, add the milk and whisk frequently until the mixture is bubbly, about 5 minutes. Cook for one minute more, or until the sauce thickens.

3. Add the tomatoes to the sauce and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the soup is hot. 

4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is smooth, or puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. (If using a blender, remove the center piece from the top of the blender and cover the hole with a cloth, since the pressure can cause the top to fly off when blending, making a huge mess.) Serve the soup at once.

Entertaining Idea: Get more soup and chili recipes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 120 calories, 3 grams fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, < 5 milligrams cholesterol, 80 milligrams sodium, 18 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 9 grams sugar, 5 grams protein

Potato Skinnies

If your go-to restaurant appetizer is stuffed potato skins, you’ll love this better-for-you version that’ll fill you up while satisfying cravings.

Makes: 8 servings (2 potato skins each)

Ingredients:

8 medium russet potatoes

2 ounces shredded light cheddar cheese

¼ cup minced scallions

2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

¼ cup fresh tomato salsa

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the potato skins by piercing the potatoes and placing them on a baking sheet. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour, or until they are tender. Remove the potatoes to a large platter and let cool. 

2. Once the potatoes are cool, slice them in half lengthwise and remove most of the potato flesh (which can be refrigerated and reserved for another use). 

3. Arrange the potato skins on the baking sheet skin side down. Top the skins with the cheese, scallions and bacon. 

4. Bake the potato skins in a 350°F oven for 7 to10 minutes, or until they are hot and the cheese is melted. 

5. In a small bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt and salsa, Serve it as a dip with the potato skins.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 150 calories, 2 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 125 milligrams sodium, 28 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, 6 grams protein

Baked Apple Pie Parfaits

These American classic desserts are the perfect dish to serve at the end of a great finger-food meal.

Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 medium McIntosh, Golden Delicious (or other varieties good for baking) apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 ounces low fat vanilla yogurt

¼ cup KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia & Quinoa or similar granola with 130 calories and 3.5 grams fat or less per serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place the apple slices in a small mixing bowl, add the agave nectar and cinnamon, and toss to coat. Transfer the apples to a baking sheet.

3. Bake the apples for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are tender.

4. Serve the baked apples over vanilla yogurt and garnish with the granola.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 230 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 65 milligrams sodium, 53 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 39 grams sugar, 5 grams protein

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dry bow-tie pasta, uncooked
• 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, drained
• 1/4 cup fat free Italian dressing
• 2 cups small fresh cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 30 slices pepperoni, cut into quarters (about 1/2 cup)
• 3/4 cup cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.

2. Meanwhile, stir together drained tomatoes and dressing in large bowl. Add pasta and all remaining ingredients; toss to combine ingredients.

3. Serve immediately or refrigerate until cold.

Ingredients

• PAM® Grilling Spray
• 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Petite Diced Tomatoes, drained well
• 1/2 cup real bacon bits
• 3 large (8 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 slices (1 oz each) Swiss cheese
• 6 Kaiser rolls, split
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 6 romaine lettuce leaves

Directions

1. Spray cold grate of gas grill with grilling spray. Preheat grill for medium heat. Meanwhile,

combine drained tomatoes and bacon in small bowl; set aside.

2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken 4 minutes on each side. Top each piece with 1/4 cup tomato mixture and 1 slice cheese; grill 1 to 2 minutes more or until cheese melts and chicken is no longer pink in centers (165°F). Meanwhile, toast cut sides of rolls on grill.

3. Spread mayonnaise evenly on cut sides of rolls. Place lettuce on bottom halves of rolls; add chicken. Close with tops of rolls.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces dry wide egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano
• 3 tablespoons Pure Wesson® Canola Oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (15 oz each) garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
• 3 ounces baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain tomatoes and reserve ½ cup liquid. Discard remaining liquid.

2. Whisk together reserved tomato liquid, oil, vinegar, pepper and salt in small bowl. Combine drained tomatoes, beans, spinach, onion and cooked noodles in large bowl. Pour dressing mixture over noodle mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Cook's Tips: Serve Alexia® Artisan French Rolls, prepared according to package directions, with the salad.

Brought To You By ConAgra Foods®

Even if you’re a dinner party veteran, you know that cooking for a crowd can be both stressful and time consuming. It requires simultaneously cooking, serving and mingling, which can be a tall order. But what if you could reap the social benefits of a dinner party and share in the cooking? Enter cooking parties! Friends and family can share in the behind-the-scenes fun, and you can learn new recipes and cooking tricks in the process. Here, some ideas and tips for cooking party success.

Size Matters
Keep in mind the size of your kitchen. (It’s best to start small in most spaces). If you need help getting a feel for a good number of invitees, enlist your family members to move around the kitchen with you, or use chairs as placeholders around the kitchen to gauge the crowdedness.

Prep Your Guests
Before you all cook, you’ll be tasked with gathering the ingredients for all menu items, or distributing the ingredient list evenly amongst guests. (Group e-mails are an effective way to coordinate and get everyone excited!). Ensure that you have all of the necessary kitchen tools to make each dish. If possible, shop for ingredients the day prior to the party (so everything is fresh) and, before your guests arrive, consider performing basic prep work, like chopping or preparing workstations.

Determine the Menu
As mentioned, deciding what to cook is arguably the most fun part of prep. Be creative while selecting relatively easy dishes -- you don’t want your first foray into cooking parties to be frustrating. Ideally, each menu item should take approximately the same amount of time to prep/cook so you can enjoy them together. Keep snacks on hand in case guests want to nosh while cooking!

KISS: Keep It Short and Simple
Guests will look to you to provide direction as they prepare dishes. As mentioned, keep the dishes fun and relatively simple. Guests may become frustrated if prep becomes too advanced, so save deboning that whole chicken or flambé-ing for another time. As you host more advanced parties, dedicating a night to a new technique is fine -- just let guests know ahead of time that it will be experimental!

Preparing Dishes
Task each invitee with a different recipe, or split guests into teams, depending upon how many are attending your cooking party. When assigning partners, try to pair inexperienced cooks with more skilled partners. Pick recipes that can be adapted during the process (like salads or pizzas), and don’t stress if your guests’ creative energy takes hold as they cook their dish.

The After Party
After a successful cooking party, be sure to print out the copies of the recipes you cook. Voila -- instant party favor!