16 Cold Appetizers for a Party You Can Make Ahead the Night Before
Some nights call for a tray you can forget about until the doorbell rings. Sixteen dishes here are built for exactly that: everything chops, mixes or rolls the night before and holds its shape in the fridge overnight, so the only job left on party day is peeling off plastic wrap.
Nothing on this list needs a stove the morning of. Eggs boil, beans marinate, cream cheese spreads, and the fridge does the rest of the work while you get dressed instead of cooking.
Worth knowing before you start: eggs, shellfish, dairy and gluten show up across this list, so check labels if anyone at the table is avoiding one. Once food comes out of the fridge, a two hour clock starts, so bring trays out in batches rather than setting out all sixteen at once.
If the invitation says Christmas rather than just dinner at yours, the 18 Christmas Dips and Appetizers You Can Make the Night Before is worth a second look for a few more trays that hold overnight.
Pour something cold alongside the spread: the 16 Thanksgiving Punch Recipes You Make the Night Before run on the same timeline, mixed and chilled before the first guest arrives. Once plates are empty, the 22 Christmas Games for Adults for a Grown-Up Night In keep the table busy a while longer.
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Table of Contents
- Antipasto Skewers
- Cowboy Caviar
- Ham and Swiss Pinwheels
- Classic Deviled Eggs
- Layered Mexican Dip Plate
- Shrimp Cocktail Cups
- Mini Charcuterie Cups
- Cucumber Bites with Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese
- Caprese Skewers
- Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon Bites
- Marinated Olive and Feta Cups
- Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
- Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Bacon Ranch Dip Cups
- Mediterranean Hummus and Veggie Cups
- Cheese Tortellini Skewers
- Frequently Asked Questions
Antipasto Skewers
A tray of skewers reads as the kind of thing someone fussed over, and nobody needs to know it took twenty minutes with a cutting board the night before. Salty salami against sweet tomato, then a cool bite of mozzarella right after: that contrast is what people reach back for twice.
Keep the skewers lying flat in a single layer overnight so the salami doesn’t flatten the basil underneath. If six inch skewers aren’t in the drawer, toothpicks do the same job at a smaller scale.
Let the platter sit out for ten minutes before guests arrive so the mozzarella isn’t fridge cold. The balsamic goes on last, right before serving, so it stays glossy instead of pooling into the tray.
Antipasto Skewers
Ingredients
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 12 small fresh mozzarella balls about 8 ounces total
- 6 ounces thinly sliced genoa salami folded into quarters
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts drained and halved
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 12 large fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 12 six-inch wooden skewers
Instructions
- Thread one cherry tomato onto each skewer, followed by a folded piece of salami, a folded basil leaf, a piece of mozzarella, an artichoke heart half and an olive.
- Repeat the pattern on all 12 skewers until the ingredients are used up.
- Arrange the finished skewers in a single layer in a shallow airtight container or on a parchment lined tray.
- Drizzle with the olive oil, then cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid.
- Refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours, so the salami and cheese pick up the marinade from the artichokes and olives.
- Just before serving, transfer the skewers to a platter.
- Drizzle with the balsamic glaze right before guests arrive so it stays glossy rather than soaking in.
- Serve chilled, or let sit at room temperature for no longer than two hours.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Cowboy Caviar
This one is less a recipe than a reason to clean out the pantry shelf of odd cans. It costs almost nothing, comes together in the time it takes to chop one onion, and actually improves overnight, which makes it the easiest entry on this whole list to trust.
The beans soak up the lime and vinegar while you sleep, so the bowl you pull out tomorrow tastes sharper and rounder than the one you mixed tonight. Scoop style tortilla chips are built for this, they won’t snap under the weight of a full scoop.
Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
- 1 can 15 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can 15 ounces black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 can 15 ounces whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt plus black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno and cilantro.
- In a small jar, shake together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, sugar, cumin, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss until every piece glistens.
- Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours, so the beans soak up the tangy dressing.
- Stir well before serving and taste for salt and pepper, adding more if the beans have mellowed the dressing.
- Serve cold with scoop style tortilla chips alongside the bowl.
Good to Know
Ham and Swiss Pinwheels
These are the ones that vanish first because they look like effort and taste like a sandwich someone actually thought about. Rolling them tonight instead of tomorrow morning is not a shortcut, it is the step that makes them slice clean instead of falling apart under the knife.
The overnight chill firms the roll, so give it the full time rather than rushing to an hour in the freezer. A sharp knife and a little patience with the ragged ends turn a lumpy roll into neat, even rounds.
Ham and Swiss Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas 10-inch
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 8 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves patted dry
Instructions
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, Dijon mustard and mayonnaise until smooth and spreadable.
- Lay a tortilla flat and spread a quarter of the cream cheese mixture edge to edge, leaving a half inch bare at the top for sealing.
- Layer a quarter of the ham, two slices of Swiss cheese and a quarter of the spinach over the cream cheese, keeping it inside the border.
- Roll the tortilla up tightly from the bottom edge, pressing firmly as you go so there are no air pockets.
- Wrap the roll tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends like a candy wrapper, and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Refrigerate the wrapped rolls overnight, or at least 4 hours, so they firm up enough to slice cleanly.
- Unwrap and trim off the ragged ends with a sharp knife, then slice each roll into 1-inch rounds.
- Arrange the pinwheels cut side up on a platter and keep chilled until serving.
Good to Know
Classic Deviled Eggs
Everyone has an opinion about deviled eggs, which is exactly why the method matters more than the recipe. Boil and peel tonight, mix the filling tonight, but hold the whites and filling apart until the morning so nothing weeps or browns on the plate.
That half hour of assembly the next day is nothing compared to the twenty five minutes of boiling and peeling you’ve already skipped past. Piping gives the cleanest point, but a spoon works just as well if piping bags feel like one tool too many.
Classic Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Paprika for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the eggs sit for 12 minutes.
- Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and let them sit for at least 5 minutes, until completely cool.
- Peel the eggs under cool running water, then slice each one in half lengthwise and pop the yolks into a bowl.
- Mash the yolks with a fork until no lumps remain, then stir in the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Cover the egg white halves tightly with plastic wrap and spoon the yolk filling into a separate airtight container or a zip top bag with the air pressed out.
- Refrigerate both overnight, up to 2 days, so the party morning is just assembly.
- About an hour before serving, snip a corner off the filling bag and pipe the mixture back into the whites, mounding it slightly above the rim.
- Dust with paprika and scatter the chives over the top, then chill until ready to serve.
Good to Know
Layered Mexican Dip Plate
A bowl of dip disappears into itself, but spread the same ingredients across a flat plate and the layers actually show: bean, cream, green guacamole, lettuce, cheese, each one a different color under the next. It reads as more trouble than it was.
Build the bottom layers tonight, bean through cheese, and leave lettuce, tomato and olives for the morning so nothing wilts into the layer below it overnight. The plastic wrap trick matters here more than anywhere else on this list: press it down gently so it doesn’t drag the top layer with it when you peel it back.
Layered Mexican Dip Plate
Ingredients
- 1 can 16 ounces refried beans
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups guacamole
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Stir the taco seasoning into the refried beans and spread the mixture in an even layer over a large, flat serving plate, leaving a half inch border for the layers to spread into.
- In a separate bowl, beat the sour cream and softened cream cheese together until smooth, then spread this over the bean layer edge to edge.
- Stir the lime juice into the guacamole, then dollop it over the sour cream layer and spread gently so the layers below stay intact.
- Scatter the shredded lettuce evenly over the guacamole, pressing lightly so it sticks.
- Sprinkle the diced tomatoes over the lettuce in an even layer.
- Top with the shredded cheddar cheese, covering the plate from edge to edge.
- Cover the plate tightly with plastic wrap, pressing it down gently so it does not stick to the top layer, and refrigerate overnight.
- Keep the dip covered and chilled until up to 8 hours before the party.
- Just before serving, scatter the black olives and green onions over the top.
- Add the sliced jalapeno if using, for anyone who wants extra heat.
- Serve cold, straight from the fridge, with sturdy tortilla chips alongside.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Shrimp Cocktail Cups
Nobody wants to fight over the last shrimp on a communal platter, which is the whole argument for cups: everyone gets their own sauce, their own hook over the rim, their own lemon wedge. It feels generous instead of rationed.
If the shrimp are already cooked and peeled, this is barely a recipe at all, just sauce, pour and hook. Chill the cups overnight and the sauce has time to mellow its horseradish bite into something rounder.
Shrimp Cocktail Cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked peeled and deveined shrimp (26-30 count), tails left on
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- A few dashes hot sauce to taste
- 8 small cups or shot glasses
- Lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- If the shrimp are not already cooked, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, drop in the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they turn pink and curl into a loose C shape.
- Drain and plunge the shrimp straight into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then drain again and pat dry.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce until smooth.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cocktail sauce into the bottom of each cup.
- Hook 3 to 4 shrimp over the rim of each cup, tails pointing outward, so they are easy to grab.
- Cover the cups tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least 2 hours, until fully chilled.
- Right before serving, tuck a small lemon wedge into each cup for squeezing.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Mini Charcuterie Cups
A full charcuterie board is a lovely idea until someone’s elbow is in the brie. Cups solve the crowding problem outright, portable, mess free, and each guest gets a fair share of the good salami instead of whatever’s left by the time they reach the board.
Build everything that won’t go soft tonight, meat, cheese, grapes, dried fruit. Save the crackers and nuts for the morning so they go in crisp instead of absorbing moisture off the cheese overnight.
Mini Charcuterie Cups
Ingredients
- 8 ounces salami folded into small ribbons
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese cut into small cubes
- 6 ounces gouda cheese cut into small cubes
- 1 cup red seedless grapes
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 1/2 cup whole almonds
- 1/2 cup cornichons or small dill pickles
- 24 crackers added the day of serving
Instructions
- Fold the salami slices into small ribbons and roll or fold the prosciutto into loose rosettes.
- Divide the cheddar and gouda cubes among 8 small cups, tucking them into one side of each cup.
- Add the salami ribbons and prosciutto rosettes to the opposite side of each cup.
- Tuck the grapes, dried apricots and cornichons into the remaining space in each cup.
- Cover the cups tightly with plastic wrap or lids and refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours.
- Keep the cups chilled and covered on the morning of the party.
- Right before serving, tuck the almonds and crackers into each cup so they stay crisp instead of going soft against the cheese.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Cucumber Bites with Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese
These look like the fussiest thing on the table and are actually the fastest: a mandoline or a steady knife, a piping bag, and twenty minutes. No oven, no stovetop, nothing that can go wrong while you’re not watching.
The cucumber round is the whole texture of this bite, cool and faintly wet against the warmer cream cheese on top. Pat the rounds dry before anything else touches them, or the topping slides right off by the time the tray reaches the table.
Cucumber Bites with Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill plus small sprigs for garnish
- 4 ounces smoked salmon torn into small ribbons
- 1 tablespoon capers drained
Instructions
- Lay the cucumber rounds on a paper towel lined tray and pat the tops dry so the topping does not slide.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and chopped dill until light and fluffy.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag or a zip top bag with a corner snipped off.
- Pipe a small swirl of the mixture onto each cucumber round.
- Top each round with a ribbon of smoked salmon, folding it gently so it sits like a little wave.
- Scatter a few capers and a small sprig of dill over each bite.
- Arrange the bites in a single layer in an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate overnight, up to 12 hours, so the cucumber stays crisp rather than watery.
- Transfer to a serving plate straight from the fridge.
Good to Know
Caprese Skewers
Three ingredients, one order, repeated sixteen times: this is the entry for the night you have no energy left for a recipe but still want color on the table. Red, green, white, done.
The balsamic glaze goes on last for a reason. Dress the skewers too early and the white mozzarella picks up a dull brown tint overnight instead of staying bright against the tomato.
Caprese Skewers
Ingredients
- 16 cherry tomatoes
- 16 small fresh mozzarella balls bocconcini
- 16 small fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 16 four-inch cocktail skewers
Instructions
- Thread one cherry tomato, one folded basil leaf and one mozzarella ball onto each skewer, in that order.
- Arrange the finished skewers in a single layer in a shallow container.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours.
- Right before serving, arrange the skewers on a platter.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top in thin lines so the white mozzarella stays visible underneath.
Good to Know
Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon Bites
Salty against sweet is the whole trick here, and it needs almost nothing from you: cube the melon, wrap, pin with a toothpick. The fridge does the rest, letting the prosciutto cling tighter to the fruit overnight instead of curling away from it.
Keep these near the front of the table. They go fast, and unlike cheese or dip, there’s no second batch waiting in the kitchen unless you cut more melon.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon Bites
Ingredients
- 1 small cantaloupe cut into 20 bite-size cubes
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto cut into 20 strips
- Fresh mint leaves for garnish
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 20 toothpicks
Instructions
- Cut the cantaloupe into roughly 1-inch cubes, about 20 pieces.
- Wrap a strip of prosciutto around each cube and secure it with a toothpick.
- Arrange the wrapped bites in a single layer in an airtight container.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours, so the prosciutto has time to cling to the melon.
- Just before serving, tuck a small mint leaf under each toothpick.
- Finish with a crack of black pepper over the tray.
Good to Know
Marinated Olive and Feta Cups
If the rest of the table is heavy, mayonnaise and cream cheese and bread, this is the sharp, bright thing that resets the palate between bites. Garlic, lemon and oregano do the actual work, the fridge just gives them time to get there.
The oil separates and floats as it chills, which looks like a mistake but isn’t. A quick stir before serving brings it right back together.
Marinated Olive and Feta Cups
Ingredients
- 8 ounces feta cheese cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 cups mixed olives green and kalamata, drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes.
- Add the feta cubes, olives and cherry tomatoes and toss gently to coat without breaking up the cheese.
- Divide the mixture among 8 small cups.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, up to 2 days, so the feta soaks up the garlic and lemon.
- Give each cup a gentle stir before setting it out, since the oil settles on top as it chills.
- Serve cold with small forks or toothpicks alongside.
Good to Know
Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
Swap the ham for smoked salmon and the same rolled shape turns elegant instead of lunchbox. Dill and capers do the heavy lifting here, cutting through the richness of the cream cheese so each slice doesn’t feel too heavy.
Roll it tonight, slice it tomorrow. The overnight rest in plastic wrap is what keeps the spiral from unraveling the moment the knife touches it.
Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 3 large flour tortillas or sheets of lavash bread
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 6 ounces smoked salmon thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
Instructions
- Beat the cream cheese, lemon juice and dill together until smooth.
- Spread an even layer of the cream cheese mixture over each tortilla, all the way to the edges.
- Layer the smoked salmon slices over the cream cheese, followed by the capers and red onion.
- Roll each tortilla up tightly from one side, pressing as you go to keep the roll snug.
- Wrap each roll tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends, and refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours, so the roll holds its shape.
- Unwrap and trim the ragged ends, then slice each roll into 1-inch rounds with a sharp knife.
- Arrange cut side up on a platter and keep chilled until serving.
Good to Know
Avocado Deviled Eggs
For the table that finds classic deviled eggs a little plain, this is the same shape with avocado standing in for half the mayonnaise. Lime, cilantro and a little jalapeno push it somewhere closer to guacamole than egg salad.
The green filling is looser and browns faster than the classic version, so press plastic wrap straight onto its surface before it goes in the fridge overnight. That extra lime juice in the ingredient list isn’t optional, it’s what keeps the color from turning dull by morning.
Avocado Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 small jalapeno minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Paprika or chili lime seasoning for garnish
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch.
- Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes.
- Transfer the eggs to an ice bath and let cool for at least 5 minutes before peeling.
- Slice each egg in half lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a bowl, setting the whites aside.
- Mash the yolks with the avocado, mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno and salt until smooth and pale green.
- Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the filling to keep it from browning, then refrigerate both the filling and the covered whites overnight.
- About an hour before serving, spoon or pipe the filling back into the egg whites.
- Mound it slightly above the rim, since avocado filling is looser than the classic version.
- Dust with paprika or chili lime seasoning just before setting the tray out.
Good to Know
Bacon Ranch Dip Cups
This is the dip for the table that wants something to dunk a pretzel stick into without committing to a whole bowl and a serving spoon. Ranch seasoning does most of the flavor work here, bacon does the rest.
Mix and portion tonight, top tomorrow. Bacon left on the dip overnight turns soft, so hold half back and scatter it on fresh right before the tray goes out.
Bacon Ranch Dip Cups
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 packet 1 ounce ranch seasoning mix
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- Pretzel sticks or sliced vegetables for dipping
Instructions
- Beat the cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth, then stir in the ranch seasoning mix.
- Fold in half of the crumbled bacon.
- Divide the dip among 8 small cups.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, up to 2 days.
- Right before serving, top each cup with the remaining bacon, the shredded cheddar and the chives.
- Serve with pretzel sticks or sliced vegetables tucked into each cup for dipping.
Good to Know
Mediterranean Hummus and Veggie Cups
Hummus alone is a dip; hummus under a spoonful of cucumber, tomato, olive and feta is a whole small salad in a cup, and it feels lighter on a table otherwise full of cream cheese and mayonnaise.
Keep the hummus and the vegetable topping in separate containers overnight. Combined too early, the tomatoes bleed water into the hummus and the whole cup turns thin by morning.
Mediterranean Hummus and Veggie Cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups hummus
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
- 1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pita chips for serving
Instructions
- Toss the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, feta and red onion together in a bowl.
- Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano, then toss again.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup of hummus into the bottom of each of 8 small cups.
- Cover the cups and refrigerate the hummus overnight, up to 2 days.
- Store the vegetable topping separately in a covered container in the fridge overnight so it does not turn the hummus watery.
- About an hour before serving, spoon the vegetable mixture over the hummus in each cup.
- Tuck a pita chip into each cup right before setting the tray out.
Good to Know
Cheese Tortellini Skewers
Pasta salad on a stick is still pasta salad, just tidier and easier to eat standing up with a drink in the other hand. Pesto coats every piece so the tortellini doesn’t dry out or stick together overnight.
This is the one dish on the list that touches boiling water, and even that is five minutes of mostly waiting. Everything after is assembly.
Cheese Tortellini Skewers
Ingredients
- 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 16 cherry tomatoes
- 16 small cubes salami about 4 ounces
- 16 small mozzarella balls
- 16 four-inch cocktail skewers
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions, until they float and are tender.
- Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cool.
- Toss the cooled tortellini with the pesto until every piece is coated.
- Thread one tortellini, one cherry tomato, one salami cube and one mozzarella ball onto each skewer.
- Arrange the skewers in a single layer in a shallow container.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours.
- Serve cold, straight from the fridge, on a platter.
Good to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make cold appetizers the night before a party?
Yes, most cold appetizers, dips, skewers, pinwheels and marinated dishes actually taste better after a night in the fridge, since the flavors settle and the textures firm up for cleaner slicing.
How far in advance can you make deviled eggs?
Deviled eggs hold well up to two days ahead if the hard boiled whites and the yolk filling stay in separate airtight containers; pipe them together only an hour or two before serving.
How long can cold appetizers sit out at room temperature?
Cold appetizers are safe for about two hours at room temperature, per FDA guidance. Swap trays every hour, or set the platter over a bowl of ice if the party runs longer.
Can you assemble charcuterie cups ahead of time?
Charcuterie cups can be built the night before with the cheese, meat and firm fruit in place; add crackers, nuts or fresh herbs right before serving so nothing turns soft overnight.
How long do make-ahead appetizers last in the fridge?
Most dips, marinated vegetables and assembled cold appetizers keep well for two to three days tightly covered in the fridge, though anything with fresh avocado or cut lettuce is best eaten within a day.
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