Take some of the stress away from hosting a holiday party or meal by having a stash of tasty make-ahead appetizers handy. Featuring bacon-wrapped dates, cheese logs, elevated baked Brie, party meatballs, dips, crostini, and more, there’s an assortment of starter recipes featured. Some can be prepped ahead of time and baked at the last minute while others can be completely done ahead of time. They all will take some of the stress out of the day of and savor the time with family and friends.
Brandy’s Party Meatballs
“These are easy and the reviews are as if you worked all day. The flavor of bbq sauce and jalapeno jelly mixed are this warm sweet and slightly spicy perfection. This is an old classic with a new twist. Also works well with cocktail little smokies.” – Brandy
Brie en croute with Caramel and Walnuts
“This sounds difficult but it is so easy, and people will be impressed.” – Colleen
Sausage Cream Cheese Crescents
“These are so good and simple. It is superb with or without the sharp cheddar cheese.” – Annamaria
Holiday Cheddar Spread
“This recipe was improvised from a steakhouse that was famous for its huge crock of cheese spread, Ritz crackers, and peanut shells on the floor in the bar area. The Hayloft is long gone now. But thanks to this recipe, friends and family can still get a taste of it at my house during the holidays.” – Edith
Spinach Balls
“I can’t keep enough of these on hand after making them. My granddaughters hunt them down and devour them. I hope your family enjoys this simple recipe.” – Candy
Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Parmesan
“This was a big hit at a friend’s retirement party.” – Judy
Everything Bagel Roasted Cashews
“Everything Bagel Roasted Cashews are full of that famous nutty savory flavor and is and perfect combination with the sweet cashew.” – Debbie
Cream Cheese Shrimp Cocktail Appetizers
“This recipe has a bit of hotness to it, but it will surely be a big hit at your party. Tiny salad shrimp can be used also in this recipe. If you don’t like it hot, use your favorite horseradish and omit the hot sauce.” – Mary
Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini
“This is a personal favorite snack of mine. I had something close to this in Seattle but I have redone it to this.” – Tara
French Onion Meatballs
“This is a wonderful recipe for parties and get-togethers of all kinds and they always disappear so fast. I made these several years ago for my daughter’s wedding reception, and people thought that they were absolutely delicious and wanted the recipe.” – Elaine
Crab-Artichoke Dip
“A co-worker brought an extra dish of this into the office a few months back and I talked her into giving me the recipe. Now I am sharing it with you with a few changes of my own.” – Nicole
Crock Pot Hot Dogs
“So easy and delicious. You can use hot dogs you cut up yourself or use the little cocktail hot dogs.” – Sheree
Garlic-Bacon Cheese Log
“I just kinda made this one up, but it sure is tasty and goes over well at parties and holiday gatherings. You can make this into any shape you like such as a cheese ball instead of a log. Serve with whatever crackers you prefer and enjoy this pretty appetizer.” – Amy
Crab Balls
“These baked crab balls are fun and super easy to make.” – Melissa
5 Layer Cream Cheese Chili Dip
“A few years ago, my husband and I would have his cousin and wife come over to play spades at our apartment. I always made this dip as an appetizer, but we rarely ate dinner. We always polished the dip off, and that was our meal.” – Samantha
Zippy Shrimp Remoulade Platter
“Most people think of cocktail sauce when serving a shrimp platter. Remoulade sauce is a New Orleans-style sauce and is definitely a notch above anything else. It is a versatile sauce that can be served with crab cakes or other seafood dishes. This recipe is for an elegant shrimp platter.” – Garrison
Baked Brie With Cranberry Sauce
“The combination of tart cranberry sauce and creamy Brie cheese is irresistible! You can prepare it in advance and just pop it in the oven. This recipe also works with Camembert cheese.” – Tess
Ham & Pistachio Roll-Ups
“These roll-ups go great on a buffet table or as nibbles at a cocktail party, or even as an evening snack. I first tasted these at a charity fundraiser and liked them so much I actually unrolled one (discreetly) to ascertain all it contained. With a little experimentation, mine tastes as good as theirs! It has the savory and salty flavor of the ham, the crunch from nuts, the freshness of the celery, and the slight sweetness of the cream cheese. Can be doubled, tripled, etc.” – Martha
Peggy’s Holiday Cheese Dip
“My mom made this for the cocktail parties they hosted in the 1960s when we were stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany. I loved it so much, she would make some up for me when I was a kid and they would go out.” – Mike
Hummus
“A smooth and creamy chickpea dip or spread that is nice and light, healthy and addictively good! Who knew that authentic hummus was so easy to make at home?” – Kevin