Oscars party appetizer recipes

Are you hosting a fun soiree at your home for the 85th annual Oscars? If so, forget serving regular dips and crostini. Serve up these nominated movie-inspired appetizer recipes instead!

Have fun with your Oscars menu this year and make dishes based on some of the movies nominated for Best Picture! We whipped up some appetizers inspired by some of our favorites on the list, Life of Pi, Les Miserables and Django Unchained.

Open face ham and Brie sandwich recipe

These crunchy and gooey sandwiches are French inspired, featuring melty Brie cheese, crispy French bread, jambon and a spicy Grey Poupon!

Yields 10 sandwiches

Ingredients: 

• 10 slices French bread
• 1/3 pound ham, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound Brie
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• About 1/4 cup Grey Poupon mustard
• Salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the Brie into pieces large enough to fit over the French bread slices. Place a slice of ham on each slice of bread. Add about a teaspoon of Grey Poupon over the ham and then cover it with Brie. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
3. Bake ham and Brie for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is crispy.
4. Meanwhile, prepare onions by melting the butter in a large skillet. Add onions and cook on medium heat until soft and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Top the melted cheese with a handful of mixed greens. Top the greens with caramelized onions and serve.

Curried shrimp cups recipe

These slightly spicy Indian cups are inspired by the main character in Life of Pi, Piscine Molitor "Pi"Patel's heritage. We thought this was more palatable then rice crackers and raw fish.

Serves about 5

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked shrimp, chopped into pieces
• 4 ounces store-bought butter chicken sauce
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Dash of salt
• 15 mini phyllo cups
• Chives for garnish

Directions: 

1. In a large bowl, mix the shrimp, butter chicken sauce, curry powder, crushed red pepper and salt. Scoop about one teaspoon of filling into each phyllo cup and garnish with chives or fresh greens.

Spicy corn & peach canned tomato salsa

Django Unchained takes place in the American Antebellum South, so we whipped up a Southern classic, peach salsa, and added some corn and canned tomatoes for that restaurant quality taste.

Yields about 3 cups

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2/3 cup corn kernels
• 1 medium peach, chopped into pieces
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• Dash of salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder

Directions: 

1. Strain tomatoes and reserve juice. Add chopped onions and garlic to a food processor. Add juice from tomatoes, lime, salt, pepper and chipotle powder and pulse on low for about 30 seconds.
2. Add about 1/2 cup diced tomatoes and pulse for about 5 seconds. Add remaining tomatoes and 1/2 the peaches and pulse until thick. Stir in remaining peaches and corn and serve immediately.

More Oscars-inspired recipes

Oscars nominee inspired cocktails
Low carb Oscars party recipes
How to make signature drinks for the Oscars