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Easy Happy Hour Food to Make at Home
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These easy recipes for happy hour food that everyone will love are full of flavor with very little labor. Cheers to that!
These recipes take just a few ingredients and come together in a snap. Pair them with your favorite California wines (we’ve made some wine pairing suggestions), wine cocktails, or try them all on their own.
If you want even more happy hour recipes, you can download our free Happy Hour at Home ecookbook here.
Happy Hour food should be simple, delicious, easy to prepare and easy to share too.
Simple, easy, delicious – we’d be ok if those terms described almost everything we ate, not just happy hour food. The recipes below are at home on a cheese board or good to go solo. It’s your spread, you decide!
If you’re ready to prep an amazing California-style grazing board loaded with summer’s best, check out our friend Sarah’s summer cheese board guide here. You can also check out her guide to building an amazing cheese board anytime here.
Look for CA GROWN food, wine & flowers, year round
Find the ingredients for these recipes on promotion at Raley’s Stores now, and look for CA GROWN food, wine and flowers whenever you shop. The Golden State always has something in season, so look for California or U.S. origin on signs, packages and labels. Our growers produce 50% of the nation’s produce, over 80% of the nation’s wine and we are first in sustainable dairy production. In fact, there are several commodities where California produces 100% of the national crop.
Let’s talk happy hour recipes: here are a few of our favorites!
Mini Stuffed Peppers with Olives and Pepper Jack Cheese:
Looking for a way to spice up Wine Wednesday? Try this Mini Stuffed Peppers Recipe with Olives and Pepper Jack Cheese. From start to finish, this delicious stuffed pepper recipe is ready in under 20 minutes. It’s a perfect match for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Quick-Pickled Grapes + Personal Cheese Board
These quick-pickled California grapes will become a new must-have for your cheese boards. Grab the recipe along with a personal cheese board guide from our friends at Real CA Milk. We’d pair this with Zinfandel, California’s heritage winegrape – but you do you
California Pear + Monterey Jack Skewers with Hot Honey
These easy skewers are loaded with creamy Monterey Jack cheese and fresh pears, and topped with a simple DIY hot honey that you’ll want to put on almost everything.
Pair with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or California sparkling wine.
Spicy BLT Lettuce Cups with Pepper Jack + Grainy Mustard
Bacon, lettuce & tomato fans, meet your favorite happy hour food! These easy BLT lettuce cups pack a tin of flavor and a little spice, perfect for standing up to a glass of California Cabernet or a red blend.
Smoky Mushroom Oaxaca Quesadillas
Quesadillas + wine? Oh, that’s totally a thing. These smoky mushroom quesadillas are perfect with a glass of Chardonnay or our SoCal Citrus Sangria. Both will get the party going!
Roasted Olive and Feta Stuffed Mushrooms
Serve this easy stuffed mushroom cap recipe with feta cheese, ripe green olives, and roasted red peppers for a delicious and easy appetizer that pairs beautifully with with red and sparkling wines.
One of our favorite happy hour food ideas is topping California brie or other creamy cheese with a quick compote.
This easy recipe is one you’ll make again + again, at least while California grapes are in season, which is May-January. When grapes aren’t available (or anytime) you can make this option featuring dates too.
California Grape, Walnut + Sage Compote over Brie
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup California grapes sliced
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 4-5 leaves fresh sage sliced thin
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- 8 ounce wheel: triple cream/Brie cheese such as Marin French
- crostini, crackers or toast points for serving
Instructions
- Bring the cheese to room temperature.
- Combine the grapes, walnuts, sage, honey and balsamic vinegar until well combined.
- Place the cheese on a serving platter and top with the grape mixture.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Our Favorite Easy Appetizers For A Party!
Whether you’re hosting a causal happy hour or a holiday celebration, these easy appetizers for a party are some of our favorites. You, and all your guests, will love them! Here are a few recipes we love:
- Burrata Smashed Green Olive Bruschetta
- Prosciutto Wrapped Prunes
- Roasted Sweet Potato Chips with Whipped Goat Cheese
- Beet and Pear Chips
- Roasted Shrimp with Lemon & Garlic
- Raisin Rosemary Crackers
- Olive Oil Cake with Polenta and Roasted Red Grapes with Orange Ricotta
Try these savory wine cocktail recipes too – drinks don’t always have to be sweet!
