Favorite Appetizer and Snack Recipes

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/13/21
Pizza crostini appetizers with Parmesan cheese.
Diana Rattray

Whether you're planning a New Year's Eve party, Super Bowl bash, or a more formal affair, you're sure to find some food options in this list of recipes. Dips, nachos, and sandwiches are excellent choices for more informal parties. For small bites on trays, consider meatballs with fancy toothpicks, stuffed mushrooms, or the pizza crostini.

Some appetizers should be served immediately, but some can be kept warm and served more casually. A slow cooker or chafing dish is ideal for keeping some hot appetizer dishes warm. Use it for meatballs in sauce, chili, and many kinds of dips. A warming tray works well for hot appetizers without sauce, like stuffed mushrooms and chicken wings.

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  • 01 of 22

    Crock Pot Party Meatballs

    crock pot party meatballs
    Diana Rattray

    A sweet, tangy barbecue sauce flavors these meatballs beautifully. The meatballs are made up of a combination of sausage and ground beef, making them juicy and flavorful.

  • 02 of 22

    Pizza Crostini Appetizer

    Pizza crostini on a plate.
    Diana Rattray

    A French bread baguette is sliced and baked with pizza toppings. Serve the crostini as a passed appetizer or serve them from a warming tray. Your guests will be pleasantly surprised at how tasty they are. Use the suggested toppings or your favorites. Mini pepperoni or diced ham are good options, and you can make some with vegetables for vegetarian guests.

  • 03 of 22

    Ground Beef Nachos

    Beef Nachos
    Beef Nachos.

    Diana Rattray

    Delicious nachos with the works! Make them for holiday get-togethers, game parties. They make a fantastic snack for a family movie night, too!

  • 04 of 22

    Stuffed Mushrooms With Spinach and Ham

    Stuffed Mushrooms With Ham and Spinach
    Diana Rattray

    A spicy mixture of crabmeat and breadcrumbs make up the filling for these stuffed mushrooms. Sauteed bell pepper, green onion, and the chopped stems add to the flavor and texture of the stuffing.

    Continue to 5 of 22 below.
  • 05 of 22

    Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Meatballs

    Diana Rattray

    Peppers and pineapple chunks flavor these delicious meatballs. If you don't have the time, use good quality frozen meatballs in this dish.

  • 06 of 22

    Cheddar Bacon Puffs

    Bacon Cheese Puffs
    Diana Rattray

    Cheddar cheese and bacon team up in these remarkable bacon-cheddar gougères. The choux pastry is very easy to make, and your reward will be these fabulous soft puffs of flavor. Split the gougère and fill them with chicken or turkey salad if you'd like.

  • 07 of 22

    Truffle Popcorn

    oil popped popcorn seasoned with fine truffle salt

     Pete Scherer

    Truffle salt dresses up homey popcorn, making this movie-theater mainstay worthy of star billing on your snack table. Truffle salt is expensive, but a little goes a long way. Pop a batch of truffle popcorn for a romantic movie night, girlfriends' get-together, or boys' beer bash.

  • 08 of 22

    Bisquick Sausage Balls

    Bisquick Sausage Balls

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

    A quick recipe, you can freeze these Bisquick sausage balls and have a quick snack or appetizer ready in minutes. The meatballs combine ground pork sausage, herbs, cheddar and cream cheeses, and biscuit baking mix. Serve them with the creamy horseradish dip, which is easy to mix up while they're in the oven.

    Continue to 9 of 22 below.
  • 09 of 22

    Pepperoni Bread

    pepperoni bread

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

    Stuffed breads are the perfect appetizer since you only need to make one, but it can feed a crowd—and this recipe for pepperoni bread is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Store-bought bread dough is filled with pepperoni, provolone, and a Parmesan-herb mixture and baked until golden. Slicing the pepperoni bread reveals swirls of pepperoni and cheese, perfect for dipping into marinara sauce.

  • 10 of 22

    Air Fryer Bloomin' Onion

    Air Fryer Bloomin' Onion

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

    No one can resist a bloomin' onion, and the air fryer turns this favorite into an easy snack, side, or appetizer. Cooked with no oil, you still get that crispy breaded onion taste of the deep-fried version, but without all the extra fat. Serve it with the spicy dip and it will disappear before you know it.

  • 11 of 22

    Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

    Mozzarella sticks

     Pete Scherer

    Everyone loves mozzarella sticks. Luckily, they're quicker and easier than you might guess to make at home. After a quick toss in a gluten-free breading, the sticks are fried until crisp and delicious.

  • 12 of 22

    Quick and Easy Shrimp Dip

    Quick and easy shrimp dip

    The Spruce 

    Lemon juice and Italian dressing mix flavor this easy shrimp dip. Use small canned salad shrimp in this recipe. The dip base is a mixture of sour cream and cream cheese. Delicious!

    Continue to 13 of 22 below.
  • 13 of 22

    Tortilla Pinwheels with Cream Cheese Filling

    Tortilla pinwheels

    The Spruce

     

    The filling in these delicious tortilla roll-ups includes a mixture of sour cream and cream cheese. The flavor comes from green onions, chile, and shredded cheese. Serve them with fresh or purchased salsa, guacamole, or your favorite dips.

  • 14 of 22

    Artichoke Dip With Roasted Red Peppers

    Red Pepper and Artichoke Dip
    Diana Rattray

    This dip is a popular one, and it's surprisingly easy to fix and bake. It's a hot dip with Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, artichokes, and chopped roasted red pepper.

  • 15 of 22

    Clam Dip With Cream Cheese

    Clam dip

    The Spruce

    Minced clams and cream cheese team up in this easy dip. Flavors include Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Serve the dip with tortilla chips, crackers, or pita chips.

  • 16 of 22

    Queso Blanco Dip

    Queso Blanco Dip

    Anita Schecter

    Creamy, savory queso blanco dip is a crowd-pleasing appetizer, especially when served with plenty of crisp tortilla chips. Two white cheeses are melted into a spiced white sauce for a flavorful dip that will stay melty for longer.

    Continue to 17 of 22 below.
  • 17 of 22

    Party Ham Rolls

    Party Ham Roll Sandwiches

    The Spruce

    These little ham rolls are always a hit, and they are so easy to fix with a package of dinner rolls and deli ham and cheese. Choose a block of dinner rolls like King's Hawaiian.

  • 18 of 22

    Hot and Spicy Chicken Drumettes

    Hot Spicy Drumettes
    Diana Rattray

    Make these spicy chicken drumettes your go-to recipe for wings. Your guests will love them, and they make a delicious family meal as well. A light flour coating makes them crispy while baking keeps lighter than deep-fried versions.

  • 19 of 22

    Honey Garlic Pork Meatballs

    Honey garlic pork meatballs

    The Spruce

    Ground pork adds flavor and juiciness to these tasty meatballs. A combination of honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ketchup makes up the sauce for the meatballs. Add some Sriracha or Tabasco to heat them up if you'd like.

  • 20 of 22

    Homemade Pretzels

    Homemade Pretzels
    Diana Rattray

    These soft, warm pretzels will delight your friends and family. Serve them with yellow mustard, honey mustard, or aioli.

    Continue to 21 of 22 below.
  • 21 of 22

    Baked Sugared Pecans

    Sugared Pecans
    Diana Rattray

    These addictive little sugar-coated pecans are an easy preparation, and they are an excellent snack to have on hand.

  • 22 of 22

    Southern-Style Deviled Eggs

    Southern Deviled Eggs
    Diana Rattray

    Sweet relish is the secret ingredient in these tasty Southern deviled eggs. Everyone loves deviled eggs, and these will be an instant hit. Top them off with a slice of pimiento or cornichon. Or make them a bit more decadent with some crumbled bacon.