25 Best-Ever Appetizers for a Crowd

Recipe: Warm Spinach-Sweet Onion Dip with Country Ham

This classic dip gets a Southern twist with sweet onions and country ham. Trust us, this shareable appetizer never disappoints at any tailgate or party.

Recipe: Queso-Filled Mini Peppers

Forget the tortilla chips! These peppers make a much cuter vessel for melty queso. Baked until golden perfection, these bites are party-ready.

Recipe: Cheddar Shortbread Crackers

Talk about a top-notch hostess gift and holiday snack. Pair these crispy, cheesy crackers with a bottle of wine, and you're more than set.

Recipe: Bacon Bites

Get ready to call these bites your "most talked about, sought after, and begged for recipe." In a delicious turn of events, only three ingredients will get you there, too.

Recipe: Potato Puffs with Toppings

Consider these poppable hors d’oeuvres an adult version of tater tots—but way tastier. The toppings really add a special party-ready touch.

Recipe: Goat Cheese and Gouda Pimiento Cheese

Let's be real—every Southerner should already know how to make darn good pimiento cheese. But this recipe turns it up a notch with goat cheese and Gouda. It's just as classic as the original stuff, but feels a little fancier.

Recipe: Bacon Bow Tie Crackers

We reckon it was a no-brainer to use bacon and buttery crackers together. They're a match made in snack heaven. It should go without saying, but this two-ingredient bacon-focused appetizer will be your easiest (and most popular) snack ever.

Recipe: Warm Cheese-and-Spicy Pecan Dip

For another Southern take on a classic snack, this cheese dip does the job. Crunchy, cayenne-spiced pecans give a festive kick to melty cheese dip.

Recipe: Smoky Snack Mix

Good thing it's easy to double or even triple this smoky mix recipe—watch as it performs quite the disappearing act. Crunchy, smoky, and a little addictive, this appetizer is perfect for casual drop-ins and holiday parties alike.

Recipe: Garlic Butter-Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

We especially love this warmed-up version of a shrimp cocktail during colder months. Trade in the ever-expected chilled shrimp ring for roasted shrimp cooked in a lemon-garlic butter. It's simple and very satisfying.

Recipe: Mini Potato Skins

It's too easy to pop these potato skins, and we guarantee they'll be gone before every guest has arrived. The five-ingredient recipe is simple, delicious, and no-fail with guests of any age.

Recipe: Creamy Feta and Herb Dip

Nothing spices up sliced veggies and water crackers like a creamy, tangy dip. This recipe is packed with feta cheese, fresh lemon juice, and plenty of herbs, making it a popular contender on the appetizer spread.

Recipe: Blue Cheese-and-Pecan Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Every bite packs a surprising amount of flavor, which is never a bad thing. These tiny peppers are basically a perfect hot-and-sweet, crunchy-and-creamy appetizer wrapped up into a single bite.

Recipe: Cheddar-Horseradish-Walnut Cheese Ball

It's not a Southern party without a cheese ball, particularly during the holidays. Master the classic appetizer by making this best-ever recipe that gets major flavor from sharp Cheddar cheese, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, a dash of hot sauce, and horseradish.

Recipe: Crack Crackers

Don't be surprised when a snack intervention heads your way—because it's impossible to stop eating these crack crackers. We dressed up store-bought crackers with ranch dressing mix, dried dill, and garlic powder. The end result? Our easiest-ever, pop-in-your-mouth snack.

Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo and Refried Beans

If you're going for the wow factor, this sheet pan snack has you covered. We're serving this appetizer at every tailgate or movie night this year.

Recipe: Nashville Hot Chicken Dip

Make every chicken wing or tender into bonafide Nashville Hot Chicken. Well, sort of. This recipe is meant to be a dip for chicken wings and the likes. To speed things up, pick up cooked wings from your favorite restaurant or grocery store.

Recipe: Baked Brie Bites

If there's ever a time when you need to pull a snack out of a hat, these cheesy, pepper jelly-packed bites have your back. They might look a little fancy, but they actually only take five ingredients and 18 minutes of prep. Win, win?

Recipe: Creamy Shrimp Dip with Crispy Wonton Chips

This creamy shrimp dip rewards those that think outside of the box. Conveniently, it's ready to go in under an hour. Tip: The crispy wonton chips really make all the difference.

Recipe: Party Poppers

A classic appetizer, reimagined. This spicy bite-sized snack is stuffed with a heavenly chicken-cream cheese filling and then wrapped in hickory-smoked bacon.

Recipe: Mini Mushroom-and-Goat Cheese Pot Pies

Everyone will love these hearty little pies. Filled with mushrooms, goat cheese, and a little dry sherry, these mini savory pot pies fit in with every crowd, but especially a hungry one.

Recipe: Smoky Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

This Southern take on traditional hummus is something we can get behind. Using black-eyed peas instead of chickpeas, this smoky hummus recipe turns out to be quite the crowd-pleaser.

Recipe: French Onion Puff Pastry Bites

Perhaps our favorite part of these puffed-up bites? They're surprisingly easy to make, thanks to storebought puff pastry. After that, the flavors come together quite decadently, from the Gruyére cheese to the caramelized onions to the Dijon mustard.

Recipe: Stuffed Celery with Cream Cheese and Walnuts
Recipe: Pickled Beets
Recipe: Spicy Pickled Carrots

For some Southern families, it just wouldn't be Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas without this traditional appetizer spread. We recommend rounding out these recipes with store-bought pickled cherry peppers, olives, and okra. Tip: Halve the okra pods lengthwise, and wrap them in prosciutto or country ham.

Recipe: Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce

Hearty and satisfying, this recipe was made for a crowd, especially when the crowd will be staying awhile. Make it in a slow-cooker for ultimate ease.