Appetizer season is upon us. With many highly-anticipated events on the horizon, I have found that an arsenal of finger food recipes is a necessity. From New Year’s Eve to the Superbowl to the Grammy’s to the Academy Awards, chances are you’ll be hosting or attending some sort of party in the next few months.
Whether an informal sports gathering or a fancy dinner party, I’ve put together a round up of our most favorite appetizers from the blog that are reliable crowd-pleasers!
Oh, and, as a prerequisite, they’re EASY to make too.
Hope you enjoy:
Judy’s Baked Brie
A deliciously warm and sweet appetizer to compliment any party. No one expects the “kick” provided by the honey mustard and ginger snap combination. Mom made this all the time and graduated from using little wheels of brie to one large wheel since it’s gobbled up so quickly. You can also top the brie with anything from brown sugar to raspberry jam. Make sure when you’re baking the brie, you place a cookie sheet underneath the cheese. If there are any holes in the crescent crust, the cheese will ooze out, making a mess.
Click here for brie recipe.
Seven-Layer Dip
Offer a big bag of tortilla chips to help scoop up all seven amazing layers of this dip. There’s no heating or reheating involved, just add the layers and serve immediately. If you’re an olive fan, top it off with some sliced olives too!
Click here for seven-layer dip recipe.
Hot Crab Dip
A must for all crab lovers! This dish tastes best if you splurge for the lump crab meat– don’t used imitation pasteurized meat. It’s best served very hot (until it’s literally bubbling in the oven) with Crostini rounds and lots of Old Bay spice sprinkled on top. Feel free to leave out the slivered almonds if you aren’t a nut fan. Bet you just can’t have one.
Click here for hot crab recipe.
Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
These Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are not only easy to make, they’re not greasy and quite tasty too.
If you’ve made turkey burgers or chicken burgers, you’re in luck, you’ve essentially made a version of meatballs. I used ground chicken breast for the base and some generous portions of Panko bread crumbs combined with egg, butter to help bind the meatballs, and lots of hot sauce to help give it that KICK. Serve with Blue Cheese and they’re perfection.
Click here for Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs recipe.
Slow-Cooked Drunken Meatballs
If you want to do as little work as possible—Slow Cooked Drunken Meatballs fit the bill. These meatballs are DELICIOUS and quite unique due to the addition of whiskey, which provides a nice lingering subtle smoky flavor (obviously reduce the amount if you’re serving minors). All you need is a slow cooker and you’re set.
These meatballs were gobbled up immediately. You’ll be surprised at how quickly 60 meatballs can vanish!
Click here for Slow-Cooked Drunken Meatballs recipe.
Broccoli Cheese Dip
My family loves Mom’s broccoli casseroles so I figured this would be another hit. It’s brilliantly cheesy with just a mild hint of broccoli. I serve the dip with pieces of sliced fresh Italian bread or flat bread.
Click here for Broccoli Cheese Dip recipe.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
I was surprised this dip was voted second best to the crab dip since no one in my family likes artichoke. Apparently its muddled green color and the fact that it contains two vegetables was not a deterrent for my kids. Serve this hot with colorful tortilla chips, it’s fab!
Click here for Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe.
While I’ve now got you hooked on artichokes, you must try this:
Artichoke Squares
The prep for this dish is very easy. And, the finished product tastes amazing, almost like an artichoke egg quiche. In addition to adding an additional 10 minutes to Mom’s cook time, next time around, I would definitely sprinkle breadcrumbs over top the mixture before baking. Otherwise, this recipe is near flawless and the squares are a perfect addition to your appetizer selection.
Click here for Artichoke Squares recipe.
Kale Dip
Forget what everyone is saying, that Kale was so 2014. We LOVE kale and it will always be on our table somewhere. You must try this dip that’s refreshing and also, drum-roll, low-cal too. It’s a nice counterbalance to many of the calorie-laden appetizers. Try it with carrots or even some crunchy celery stalks!
Click here for Kale Dip recipe.
Homemade Hummus
We’re a blue-corn-loving-chip-eating family. There’s rarely a time when there isn’t a bag of chips open and some sort of dip on the table while we’re watching a show on the television. Last year I decided to make some hummus at home instead of buying our favorite store-bought variety (Sabra). It is amazing and quite simple to make.
Click here for Hummus recipe.
[…] Year, my 9-year old and I baked all-day-long. Most of the appetizers were our usual favorites: Mom’s Baked Brie, Crescent-Wrapped Beef Franks. But, we both wanted to bake the Walnut Apricot Bundt Cake recipe we […]