Something savory to share
4 Party Snack Recipes Everyone Will Love
Bacon cheese bites, pizza pinwheels, Parmesan pastry twists, and cheesy onion crisps: four savory recipes for a snack plate worth sharing.

A few friends coming over doesn't have to mean cooking a whole dinner. Sometimes you just want something warm to put in the middle of the table while everyone catches up. I'd start with the pizza pinwheels or the bacon bites, then add something crisp alongside them. Nothing that needs serving up on individual plates. Just food you can help yourself to.
I like the soft cream cheese inside the bacon bites, especially against the crisp bacon around it. The Parmesan twists are a different kind of snack, with flaky layers that break apart as you bite into them, and the onion crisps have those browned cheddar edges. That's the sort of mix I'd put together for a fall evening with friends. Pick the ones you like the sound of. Two would make a good start.
Bacon Cheese Bites
Crisp bacon is the first thing you notice, but the soft bread and herb cream cheese inside are what make these more than a bacon snack. I roll the filled bread before wrapping it, then cut each roll into small bites. A rack lets the heat reach underneath, and a short rest after baking makes the hot filling easier to eat.

Pizza Pinwheels
These have the tomato, mozzarella, and oregano of a pizza, rolled into individual spirals. I like the contrast between the golden edges and the soft dough in the middle. This is the recipe to start first if you are making more than one snack: the dough needs its first rise before shaping and another rest once the pinwheels are on the tray.

Garlic Parmesan Puff Pastry Twists
Ready-made puff pastry does the layering here. I spread garlic, Parmesan, thyme, and melted butter over half the sheet, fold it, then cut and twist the strips. They open up as they bake, leaving golden ridges and flaky edges. Give them a few minutes on the tray before moving them to a plate or a serving jar.

Cheesy Onion Crisps
Sweet onion rounds sit on little piles of cheddar, which melt into crisp, golden edges around them. Rosemary adds a savory note without a long ingredient list. The important part comes after baking: I leave the crisps on the tray for five to seven minutes so the cheese can firm up before I lift them.

Before everyone arrives
Start with the dough.
If the pizza pinwheels are on your list, get their dough rising first. There are two rests to allow for, and neither is something I'd try to squeeze in after the other snacks are ready.
Check the oven setting for each recipe before moving on to the next tray. They don't all bake at the same temperature, so keep the individual recipes open rather than treating the whole spread as one batch.
Two snacks are a good place to start. I'd pair something soft, like the pinwheels or bacon bites, with the flaky twists or crisp cheddar edges. Leave the baked snacks their short rest before putting them out.
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