Chicken

• Chicken wings and little drumsticks make tasty finger foods. Prepare Asian chicken drummies or honeyed chicken wings. "Betty Crocker More Slow Cooker Recipes" offers a recipe for Asian drumsticks that are slow-simmered for one to two hours in hoisin and Asian chili garlic sauces. For a sweet alternative, make honey chicken wings. CD Kitchen gives simple instructions for fall-off-the-bone wings slow-cooked for eight hours in honey, soy sauce and garlic. Best yet you can prepare this appetizer well in advance of your gathering.

Beef

• Ground beef makes easy-to-handle and tasty crockpot finger food. Betty Crocker offers a recipe for crockpot mini cheeseburgers and spicy mini ribs. Slow-cook browned lean ground beef mixed with mustard, onions, ketchup and topped with cheese for three to four hours on low heat. Serve on mini buns. Or, cover pork riblets in ketchup, garlic, brown sugar and chipotle pepper sauce and cook on low heat for between six and seven hours.

Nuts

• Serve nuts simmered in savory sauces for a twist on perennial party finger food. CD Kitchen offers spicy pecan and curried almond recipes. For instance, pour melted butter, soy sauce, five-spice powder, garlic powder, red pepper and ginger over pecan halves and slow-cook them on low heat for about two hours. Another idea is to cook blanched almonds in a small amount of butter and a curry powder of your choice. Prepare this appetizer well in advance. It takes five to six hours to cook.