Food and Recipes Appetizers Easy Appetizers That Won't Spoil the Feast By Patricia S York Patricia S York Assistant Food Editor Pat is an Assistant Editor at Southern Living and has been a part of the team since 2006. She works with the Senior Food Editor to plan monthly print food features and stories that will highlight Southerners making a difference through food, share delicious recipes that utilize seasonal produce, and offer exceptional reader service. Pat also writes digital content on a variety of topics including cooking, gardening, and pets.One of the reasons Pat enjoys living in Birmingham is because it is centrally located between the mountains and the Gulf coast. She spends her free time gardening, hiking with her dogs, and pursuing her goal of becoming a better horsewoman. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 13, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke When hungry guests arrive for a holiday feast or family reunion, greet them with quick and easy appetizers that won't ruin their appetite for the main event. A refreshing cocktail and a selection of small-bite appetizers will keep friends and family content until it's time to sit down to mouthwatering main dishes, savory sides, and show-stopping desserts. Seafood lovers will gobble up our Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese and West Indies Crab Salad. Even picky eaters will pick on our Arancini with Pomodoro Dipping Sauce, and don't blink because you might miss the Fried Artichoke Hearts with Roasted Red Pepper Aïoli. These one-and two-bite appetizers are just what your crew needs to tide them over until dinner without spoiling appetites. 01 of 20 Baked Brie Bites Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Baked Brie Bites These bite-sized appetizers are incredibly delicious, with flaky phyllo dough shells surrounding creamy, tasty Brie cheese. Simple to make, these easy holiday treats come together in under 20 minutes. 02 of 20 Party Poppers Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Party Poppers Satisfy hungry houseguests with a spicy two-bite appetizer stuffed with chicken-cream cheese filling and wrapped in some hickory-smoked bacon. 03 of 20 Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites The addition of sweet potatoes to the recipe gives a delightful and tasty Southern twist to this classic holiday appetizer, while chorizo sausage lends a bit of spice. 04 of 20 Creamy Shrimp Dip with Crispy Wonton Chips Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Shrimp Dip with Crispy Wonton Chips This flavorful, no-cook shrimp dip is prepared, chilled, and ready to go in under an hour. This is also delicious spread on crostini. 05 of 20 Stuffed Endive with Herbed Goat Cheese Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Stuffed Endive with Herbed Goat Cheese These vegetarian appetizers may be big on flavor, but they won't spoil your appetite for dinner. You can substitute your favorite herb for the tarragon, and even add a bit of spice for a Southern twist. 06 of 20 Fried Olives with Blue Cheese Aïoli Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Fried Olives with Blue Cheese Aïoli Instead of serving plain olives in a bowl, wow everyone with these fried olives. Don't pass on the Blue Cheese Aïoli for store-bought dressing—trust us on this one! 07 of 20 Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta Bruschetta traditionalists, hear us out on this one. Slow roasting your fresh summer tomatoes brings a whole new rich, sweet flavor to your favorite appetizer. 08 of 20 Mushroom-Stuffed Phyllo Cups Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Mushroom-Stuffed Phyllo Cups Frozen mini phyllo pastry shells are the store-bought secret to an adorable one-bite appetizer when you're hosting last-minute guests. 09 of 20 Grilled Yellow Squash Roll-Ups Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Grilled Yellow Squash Roll-Ups Summer farmers' markets often leave us with an abundance of fresh squash, and these cute, colorful roll-ups are a fun way to use it up when entertaining. 10 of 20 Spicy Sweet Potato Crostini Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spicy Sweet Potato Crostini Go ahead and consider this your staple appetizer for fall. This new way to enjoy sweet potatoes looks and tastes amazing. 11 of 20 Fried Artichoke Hearts with Roasted Red Pepper Aïoli Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Fried Artichoke Hearts with Roasted Red Pepper Aïoli Artichokes don't have to go right in a dip. These fried artichoke hearts will change the way you think about them. 12 of 20 Spicy Strawberry-Goat Cheese Crostini Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Spicy Strawberry-Goat Cheese Crostini This beautiful appetizer proves strawberries don't just belong in your spring desserts. 13 of 20 Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese The beloved combination of pepper jelly and cream cheese gets a cocktail party-worthy upgrade with these pre-portioned, two-bite crackers. 14 of 20 Mini Caprese Bites William Dickey Recipe: Mini Caprese Bites This 20-minute appetizer is light and easy. Serve them in individual glasses to limit germs spreading around the table. 15 of 20 Arancini with Pomodoro Dipping Sauce Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Arancini with Pomodoro Dipping Sauce We're sharing tiny appetizers that your guests hopefully won't fill up on too much to spoil their dinner, but be warned: They just might eat these up before you can blink. 16 of 20 Easy BBQ Shrimp Southern Living Recipe: Easy BBQ Shrimp Put these quick BBQ Shrimp on mini skewers for an easy grab-and-go appetizer for guests. 17 of 20 Cranberry Brie Bites Southern Living Recipe: Cranberry Brie Bites Give your go-to brie bites recipe a festive spin for the holidays with the addition of cranberry sauce. 18 of 20 West Indies Crab Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: West Indies Crab Salad This light crab salad is a Mobile, Alabama, specialty. Serve it with crackers (locals love classic Saltines with it) or in individual lettuce cups for guests. 19 of 20 Melon, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Skewers Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey Recipe: Melon, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Skewers Salty prosciutto, sweet and juicy melon, and soft mozzarella ensure that every bite of this appetizer is full of texture and flavor. 20 of 20 Warm Cheese Box Bites Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Warm Cheese Box Bites Busy hosts, keep a batch of these cheese straw upgrades in your freezer at all times for last-minute plans. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit