Holidays & Occasions Kentucky Derby 6 Derby Recipes That Are Quicker Than A Kentucky Racehorse Hint: Pick recipes that are easy to pull together. By Josh Miller Josh Miller Josh Miller is a writer, editor, recipe developer, and food stylist who has been writing about Southern food and working in the publishing industry for the past 20 years. His work has appeared in Southern Living, Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Taste of the South, and Southern Cast Iron magazines. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 3, 2024 Close Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray I LOVE it when folks get dressed up real fancy and go all out to celebrate the Kentucky Derby, but let’s get real—who wants to cook for days for an event that lasts 2 minutes? Not me! You can still have a fabulous time without sweating like a racehorse in the kitchen. Just pick out easy recipes with minimal prep time. These are my 6 favorite recipes for an easy, last-minute Kentucky Bourbon party. Our 11 Best Kentucky Derby Party Ideas 01 of 06 Pimiento Cheese Stuffed Peppers Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Simply spoon store-bought pimiento cheese into a ziploc, snip off the tip, and pipe it into your favorite picked peppers or onto sliced pickled okra. Get the recipe 02 of 06 Ranch Snacker Crackers Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Deliciously nostalgic, these zesty crackers are the first thing to go at any Southern shindig. Fortunately, this recipe makes plenty. Get the recipe 03 of 06 Tomato Sandwich Toasts Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray I'd be embarrassed about how much I talk about these simple toasts if they weren't so durn perfect. Brioche, good mayo, fresh tomatoes, done! Get the recipe 04 of 06 Mint Julep Sweet Tea Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen Yes, mint juleps are lovely, but this big-batch sweet tea is easy to make, and guests can pour their own, which gets you out of bartender duty! Get the recipe 05 of 06 Ham Delights Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn With all due respect, I do not like Hot Brown sandwiches. I find them too sloppy to enjoy in a civilized manner. These Ham Delights are a lot easier, and in my honest opinion, MUCH tastier. 06 of 06 Kentucky Derby Cheese Hat Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Life is too short to take your food too seriously. Yes, this recipe is kinda cheesy (HA!), but it makes me laugh. And I think that if food can bring a smile to your face in more than one way, that's a huge win. No matter how you choose to celebrate, we wish you a fabulous Derby weekend! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit