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Whether you’re going to a cocktail party with friends, a potluck with co-workers, or hosting your very own Christmas Open House, discover 90+ easy, delicious holiday appetizers that everyone will love! Plus, all my best dipping sauces to round out your spread.
Sometimes a great party doesn’t need more than a spread of hearty appetizers to make a meal. Whether you’re bringing a dish to pass or hosting the whole shebang, you’ll find plenty of recipes to delight your friends and family.
Serve chilled appetizers judiciously so they stay fresh, while hot appetizers can go into slow cookers for warming. Round out your menu with a room-temperature grazing board: they are easy to assemble, pretty to look at, and a snap to replenish.
Table of Contents
Hot and Hearty Appetizers
With appetizers like these, who needs a main entree? If you truly intend to supplant the main dish (and you should!), offer a couple of different warm choices such as beef, chicken, and vegetarian. Meatballs, cocktail wieners, and ham and cheese sliders are all delicious choices.
1
Crockpot Meatballs with Grape Jelly Sauce
Appetizer Recipes
2-Ingredient Barbecue Little Smokies
Appetizer Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Turkey Meatballs
Appetizer Recipes
Baked Buffalo Wings
2
Mini Quiche 4 Ways
Appetizer Recipes
Fried Cheese Curds
Appetizer Recipes
Pigs in a Blanket
Appetizer Recipes
Cream Cheese Wontons
Italian Recipes
Pesto Cheese Bread
3
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Appetizer Recipes
The Best Jalapeño Poppers
Appetizer Recipes
Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
Mardi Gras Recipes
Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
Side Dish Recipes
Hush Puppies
4
Cheese Tortellini in Garlic Butter Sauce
Appetizer Recipes
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Appetizer Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Appetizer Recipes
Mini Twice Baked Potatoes
Appetizer Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Smokies
5
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Appetizer Recipes
Mushroom and Leek Tart
Appetizer Recipes
Sausage Rolls
Appetizer Recipes
Pepperoni Pizza Bites
Appetizer Recipes
3-Ingredient Pizza Sticks
6
Spanakopita Triangles
Appetizer Recipes
Crab Rangoon
Appetizer Recipes
Taco Pizza
Appetizer Recipes
Chinese Chicken Wings
Appetizer Recipes
Pot Stickers
7
Baked Potato Skins
Appetizer Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Oysters Rockefeller
Side Dish Recipes
Fried Okra
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Crab Cakes with Remoulade
8
Coconut Shrimp
Classic Chilled Appetizers
These appetizers are easily made in advance, quick to disappear, and might take you right back to your childhood.
9
Veggie Pizza
Appetizer Recipes
Mini Cheese Balls
Appetizer Recipes
Cucumber Sandwiches
Appetizer Recipes
Bruschetta
Appetizer Recipes
Ham Roll Ups
10
Deviled Eggs
Appetizer Recipes
Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Nuoc Cham
Appetizer Recipes
Veggie Roll Ups
Appetizer Recipes
Mexican Tortilla Roll Ups
Appetizer Recipes
Taco Tortilla Roll Ups
11
Marinated Feta
Appetizer Recipes
Shrimp Ceviche
Appetizer Recipes
Tilapia Ceviche
Appetizer Recipes
Salmon Ceviche
Grilling and Smoker Recipes
Smoked Salmon
12
Turkey Roll Ups (Costco Copycat)
Dips and Spreads
Whether you use them as an easy “filler” on the table or another main event, dips and spreads are an easy way to extend a menu or continue a theme. Many can be (and should be) stirred up in advance, too. All that’s left is to choose your favorite dippers like fresh or blanched vegetables, toasted bread, or tortilla chips.
13
Knorr Spinach Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Beer Cheese Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Easy Taco Dip
Appetizer Recipes
French Onion Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Veggie Dip
14
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Easy Dill Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Cheesy Bacon Dip
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Guacamole (Copycat)
Appetizer Recipes
Black Bean Salsa
15
Baked Brie
St. Patrick’s Day
Hot Reuben Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Hot Corn Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Cauliflower Buffalo Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Spinach Artichoke Dip
16
Cowboy Caviar
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Tomato Salsa (Copycat)
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Corn Salsa (Copycat)
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Tomatillo Green-Chili Salsa (Copycat)
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Hot Salsa (Copycat)
17
7 Layer Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Olive Tapenade
Appetizer Recipes
Roasted Eggplant Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Tzatziki Sauce
Appetizer Recipes
Hummus with Za’atar Butter
18
Cream Cheese with Pepper Jelly
Boards and Platters
Pile up all your favorite meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, dips, nuts, and snacks! Pick a theme and a board (Italian antipasto, Midwest charcuterie) or stuff tiny jars for Jarcuterie, the ultimate single-serving appetizer.
19
Midwest Charcuterie Board
20
Antipasto Platter
21
Jarcuterie
Snacky Snacks
Sweet or savory, set out bowls of crunchy, crave-worthy snack mixes for guests to graze between the buffet. Or, for your most intimate gatherings, make a batch of homemade soft pretzels with cheese sauce warming in a crockpot nearby.
22
Puppy Chow
Appetizer Recipes
Caramel Corn
Candy Recipes
Candied Pecans
Appetizer Recipes
Ranch Oyster Crackers
Appetizer Recipes
Homemade Potato Chips
23
Chex Mix Recipe
Appetizer Recipes
Homemade Pita Chips
Appetizer Recipes
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Appetizer Recipes
Toasted Baguette
Appetizer Recipes
Curly Fries
Dipping Sauces
Not to be confused with dips and spreads (main attractions in their own right), dipping sauces play a supporting roll with many hot and cold appetizers. You can usually buy them at the store, but homemade always tastes better!
24
Ranch Dressing Recipe
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Homemade Cheese Sauce
Salad Dressing Recipes
Blue Cheese Dressing
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Nuoc Cham
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
How to Make Mustard
25
Marinara Dipping Sauce
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Homemade Buffalo Sauce
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Avocado Sauce
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Yogurt Sauce
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Bread Dipping Oil
26
Barbecue Sauce
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Tartar Sauce
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Cilantro Mint Sauce
Stock, Sauce, and Spread Recipes
Orange Marmalade
Mexican Recipes
Salsa de Birria
27
Red Pepper Jelly
Millions of Americans suffer from food insecurity every day, but you can help. Here are the best food donations to buy (and the ones to avoid) plus a section on specific food donations for the holidays.
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Thank you for all the great recipes. I will bev trying many of these. I will leave a comment.
Thank you Linda, I hope you enjoy! – Meggan
What a super collection! Thanks. ♥️