Food and Recipes Dairy Cheese Our Cheesiest Appetizer Recipes Ever By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 9, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn In our experience, some of the best appetizer recipes include cheese on the ingredient list. We're talking about all of the classics like Pimiento Cheese, Sausage Balls, Cheese Dreams, and many more. When cheese is a main part of a recipe, you know it'll be delicious. Plus, these cheese appetizers are pretty easy to pull together, there's even no-cook options and plenty of other ideas with short ingredient lists that you can prep and make quickly.From Cheddar to Brie to Havarti and more, cheese is the star in these appetizer recipes. 01 of 20 Jalapeño Popper Dip Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke You'll know this cheesy dip is ready to come out of the oven once the top is golden brown and bubbly. 02 of 20 Warm Cheese Box Bites Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely These cheesy bites can be made ahead and stored in the freezer, but just make sure you serve them warm from the oven. 03 of 20 Baked Brie With Pomegranate And Pistachios Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley A tip from our Test Kitchen: Let the Brie sit on the counter a little while before baking so it comes to room temperature which will help ensure that it's warm throughout. 04 of 20 Pimiento Cheese Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox This classic recipe calls for two whole blocks of Cheddar cheese, one sharp and one extra-sharp. 05 of 20 Party Cheese Ball Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox A cheese ball is the perfect way to get any party started without having to turn on the oven. Plus, it can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 06 of 20 Fried Mac and Cheese Bites Will Dickey This recipe turns mac and cheese into a bite-sized appetizer that is sure to be loved by both kids and adults. 07 of 20 Cheese Dreams Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn You probably already have all of the ingredients on hand in your kitchen to pull together this cheesy appetizer. 08 of 20 Beer-Cheese Fondue Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This cheesy pot of fondue comes together in just 15 minutes. 09 of 20 Baked Brie In Puff Pastry Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Even though this cheese appetizer is easy to pull together and requires just a handful of ingredients, we're sure it'll impress everyone and have them asking for the recipe. 10 of 20 Skillet Beer-Cheese Dip With Pretzel Bites Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn This skillet cheese dip calls for Cheddar cheese, Havarti cheese, and a whole block of cream cheese. Frozen pretzel bites help it come together a little more quickly. 11 of 20 Kentucky Beer Cheese Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist:Christine Keely Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Coming together in just 10 minutes, this no-cook appetizer recipe couldn't be easier. 12 of 20 Pizza Pepper Poppers Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christina Daley These pepper poppers will allows you to enjoy the flavors of pizza in bite-sized form. 13 of 20 Pimiento Cheese Sausage Balls Southern Living Two classic Southern recipes, pimiento cheese and sausage balls, come together to create one crowd-pleasing appetizer. 14 of 20 Hot Cheesy Crab Dip Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis The addition of jumbo lump crabmeat makes this cheesy dip fit for special occasions. 15 of 20 Cheddar Cheese Straws Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Just six ingredients, including a whole pound of cheese, are needed to make this classic appetizer. 16 of 20 Warm Cheese-and-Spicy Pecan Dip Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox We prefer serving this dip with baguettes, but you can also serve it with your favorite crackers. 17 of 20 Mini Pimiento Cheese Balls James Ransom, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Each miniature cheese ball is topped with a small square cracker, but you can serve with additional crackers so guests can enjoy every bite. 18 of 20 Baked Brie with Pecans Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall The rind of the Brie round will soften as it bakes, making it completely edible. 19 of 20 Cheesy Artichoke Dip With Spring Crudités Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Crisp spring vegetables pair well with this cheesy dip, but pita chips would work too. 20 of 20 Crispy Cheese Wafers Rice cereal is the secret ingredient that adds an extra crunch to these cheesy wafers. 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