20 Easy to Make Appetizer Party Ideas for a Night of Netflix
These appetizer party ideas will help you plan a finger food menu to enjoy instead of dinner on your next Netflix night in or for party!
Appetizers as a meal are my favorite! This list includes super simple recipes for sweet and savory finger foods and snacks that your whole family will love. They’re quick to make and fun to eat for movie night or any gathering.
Movie night appetizers are pretty interchangeable with an appetizer party menu for something like happy hour.
It’s always a good idea to mix a few different recipes for some variety but ultimately appetizers are easy to eat and deliciously bite-sized.
Related: Easy Football Party Appetizers
Whether you are hosting a binge-watching party scenario with a Netflix series or having friends over and don’t want to serve a full dinner, this list of easy appetizer recipes will help you plan what to make.
20 Appetizer Ideas For a Night of Netflix
There's nothing I like more than a night on the couch with my family. But sometimes we don't want to make a full meal. A fun menu of appetizers that we can eat with our fingers is the perfect thing! So grab the TV trays and make a few of these yummy apps!
Fried Cheese Bites are everything appetizers should be. They’re warm, cheesy, and gooey. These bites are also super simple!
Turn a family favorite into a couch friendly finger food with these cheesy Macaroni Bites. Homemade mac & cheese is the key to these tasty treats. I'm sure the kids will love these! I know I will!
Nachos really should be their own food group. Try this fun take on nachos by using potato chips and baked potato toppings.
How do you eat fried appetizers and feel good about it? You add a veggie like we did we these spinach dip cheese sticks. That makes it a healthy meal, right?
Homemade pizza pockets are a delicious alternative to greasy takeout. Make dough and sauce from scratch or make it easy with store bought pie crust and a jar of sauce.
Taco and pizza is a match made in heaven. It’s perfect for as a meal or an appetizer, served hot or cold. Prepare it ahead of time so you have time for one more episode.
If your family loves chicken wings as mine does, they'll love these fall off the bone Spicy Ranch Chicken Wings.
All of the ingredients for these eggrolls are pantry staples which means they’re perfect for an impromptu movie night when you can’t be bothered to make a trip to the store.
Chicken sausage sandwiched between 2 mini waffles makes this breakfast in a bite. Serve with maple syrup for dipping! It's the perfect sweet and salty treat!
Leftover mashed potatoes, gooey cheese, and the perfect blend of seasonings make these potato balls a winner! My potato loving family would love these!
Tortilla roll ups are the perfect quick bite when you don’t feel like cooking or it’s too hot to turn on the oven. Whip up these mexican flavored rolls and toss them in the fridge so they’re ready when the show starts.
This unique mix of flavors is super delicious! Feel free to customize it with your favorite brat and whatever cheese you have on hand.
Tater tots are my son’s favorite food. Mixing tater tots and cheeseburgers makes everyone happy. Cheeseburger tots are on the table in minutes and devoured even quicker.
These rolls are made with frozen chicken tenders making them a quick and easy appetizer (or meal). If you’re expecting a crowd, make them ahead of time and stick them in the fridge so you’re not stuck in the kitchen.
Who doesn’t love tiny food? These cheeseburger bites are worth the extra steps to make the toppings. Hoard them for yourself or impress your friends and family with your kitchen skills.
A big bowl of this cobb dip is the perfect appetizer for a quiet night in front of the TV or a big football party. The mix of traditional cobb flavors pairs perfectly with chips, pretzels, veggies or anything else you can think of!
Healthy and delicious, this cross between tzatziki and hummus will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Greece. It's perfect with fresh, crunchy cucumbers!
While I don't love Deviled Eggs my family sure does. Here, she keeps it classic and simple for a fun finger food idea.
Smoky bacon pairs with juicy pairs on these flatbreads. Using naan as a base means you can be watching your favorite show even sooner.
This savory sweet recipe is the perfect snack for a crowd of all ages. It’s filled with chocolaty, almondy, coconutty goodness!
How To Organize an Appetizer Night
Choose the recipes
Sometimes we just do store-bought snacks (or my caramel corn) and candy to keep things super easy. But once in a while, we do an appetizer night.
This list of easy-to-make appetizer ideas is perfect for creating a fun family night in. Instead of making a full meal, we make a few quick and easy appetizers. Mix and match a few of the recipes in the list below to create a delicious finger food menu!
I like to make 3-5 different recipes for our nights in. And I try to make sure I have a good variety of items that are both filling and that I know everybody will like.
If I feel like I need a little bit more food, I will fill in with fresh veggies or chips. And this is an easy idea to turn into a potluck if you are inviting multiple families over (whether you’re watching movies or not!).
How to Serve Appetizers
Movie night in is not a formal affair so you don’t have to get fancy with serving. I like to keep everything in the kitchen and have the family fill up their plates as needed.
We usually eat on TV Trays (or these lap trays!) so that we don’t have to balance plates on our laps. These work especially great because we don’t have a coffee table so this allows everyone to have a drink with them too. (A closed lid cup works perfectly on a TV Tray!)
More serving ideas:
- This tray grabs on to the arm of the couch making it sturdy and easy to reach.
- A snack tray with little bowls is great for a charcuterie or cheese board.
- These white platters are great for serving easy-to-make appetizers for a party, or you can give one to each member of your family to use as their own personal serving platter.
For more of a traditional appetizer party you may want to make a few more recipes so that there is plenty to choose from. You may also need to make more batches depending on how many people you are inviting over.
In this case, you can still keep it casual but you’ll want to ensure plenty of areas for people to sit down with their food even though it’s not a sit-down dinner.
More easy appetizer recipes
- Cranberry Brie Bites: These tart and creamy bites are quick and easy and have such a delicious taste!
- Pineapple Cheese Ball: This yummy cheese ball is great for a crowd!
- Dried Beef Roll-Ups: These are a family favorite and full of creamy flavor, with a horseradish kick!
- Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese: You get all that sweet and salty goodness in one bite!
- Baked Salami Chips are easy to make and have that saltiness that you want when binge-watching.
- Artichoke Dip Sliders take your favorite dip and make it into a cute little sandwich!
- Caramel Banana Bites: This sweet treat is a delicious way to end your appetizer feast!
Need something a little more hearty? Check out these Sheet Pan Dinner Recipes!
Do you ever do an appetizer night? Let me know what your favorite menu is in the comments!
Thanks for the ideas shared and all are delicious.
If I could only eat appetizers for every meal I’d be so happy!
I love this post! I’m all about the Netflix and Chill! Thanks so much for including my bite size chicken and waffles! ;)
They sound delicious!