Wedding Cocktail-Hour Recipes

During cocktail hour, encourage guests to pluck a pepper or two with an enticing display. Stick to mild varieties, since not everyone likes to feel the burn. Here, red Peppadews get stuffed with fresh mozzarella cheese; roasted sweet yellow peppers and slivers of anchovy top crusty crostini; and blistered shishitos are sprinkled with sea-salt flakes.

Get the Peppadew Pepper Recipe
Get the Shishito Pepper Recipe
Get the Roasted Pepper Recipe

Piled high with meat, Cotija cheese, avocado, and serrano chiles, these toasts are like a fiesta for your taste buds. They pair well with a refreshing gimlet made with citrus and ginger.

Braised Short-Rib Toasts
Grapefruit Gimlet

Can you say "crowd-pleaser"? Everyone will clamor for these savory yet sweet, nutty mouthfuls. The Pisco Spritz, made with pineapple juice, brandy, and sparkling wine, complements the bold flavors of the nuts.

Bacon-Wrapped Chestnuts
Pisco Spritz

The traditional deviled version gets a tune-up with chives and black truffles in lieu of paprika.

Pint-size produce takes crudites to the next level. And since the vinegar brine packs a punch, there's no messy dipping required.

Friends will be chasing down the waiters for these colorful creations. For extra credit, serve them with mini shots of vodka.

It's just like the classic cantaloupe combo -- only so much better, you might never go back.

Pastry puffs are delectable on their own, but Italian bacon makes them downright addictive.

Sharp, nutty fromage and fruity quince paste ... the best of a gourmet cheese plate, in one inspired bite.

No matter how much you love the Swedish variety, you'll be rooting for the Greeks after a couple of these.

An alternative to tried-and-true oysters (and every bit as irresistible), these shellfish make a splash with green-apple mignonette.

Rice, goat cheese, squash, and sage, lightly fried and drizzled with honey, make for a tasty tribute to fall.

Cocktail crustaceans are no match for these snacks, which are fried in tempura batter for light-as-air texture that won't weigh guests down.

The only thing more tempting than hot dogs under wraps: Lap cheong in puff pastry, with five-alarm mustard for dipping.

Everyone will go nuts for these shallot-spiked munchies served in simple paper cones.

Friends will wonder how in the world these clever -- not to mention edible -- containers were created. The answer: a melon baller.

See more mini bites for your cocktail hour.

Deep-red beets offer beautiful contrast to the bright-green spinach-pea soup and orange butternut-squash soup. If you prefer yellow soup, substitute golden beets for the red beets in this recipe.

Salmon mousse cups are a small bite, perfect for passed hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour. These appetizers are made even more elegant by serving them on a bed of cucumber peels in a basket-weave pattern.

Savory madeleines can be flavored with many varieties of herbs, seasonings, and cheeses. Some options are Gruyere cheese, fresh rosemary, and cayenne pepper.

For a finger-friendly take on classic beet and goat cheese salad, serve fried beet chips topped with a dollop of the tangy cheese and vinaigrette-laced micro greens. They make perfect hors d'oeuvres -- crispy instead of juicy beets means no one will be caught red-handed.

Serve our Star Light Royale -- a delicious concoction of gin, lime juice, and Champagne topped off with a splash of grenadine for a pink glow (we dipped the rim in lime juice and fine sanding sugar for a 1-inch-wide band of sparkle) -- as a signature cocktail alongside a halved hard-boiled egg, de-yolked and filled with caviar.

Elevate the sophistication level of your cocktail hour menu with this ceviche -- a dish made with marinated raw fish (we added pink grapefruit in this version). The bay scallop ceviche will feel right at home served in a seashell, and you'll feel secure knowing that these particular shells are food-safe. White Irish scallop shells, Conch King.

If love is like a rose, then these mango tartlets resembling the romantic blooms are truly the food of love -- minus the thorns. The diminutive treats make for a light and fragrant bite during a cocktail hour, thanks to the airy pate brisee crust and a vanilla-infused filling of creme fraiche. Arrange strips of fruit to form "petals" and garnish with a mint leaf.

When filled with sample-size portions of a baby Greek salad or a beet-and-radish pairing, kitschy disposable paper cups suddenly seem cool, and they make the perfect appetizer at a cocktail hour.