Easy Appetizer Recipes – 3 quick and easy appetizer recipes for a crowd, perfect for a holiday party. Simple savory finger food, including pinwheels and bacon wrapped deliciousness.
The holidays mean loads of holiday parties and events with loads of finger foods, as well. It's a great time to have an arsenal of easy appetizer recipes, like leftover ham and stuffing crescent rolls, you can turn to when you need something quick.
And how can you possibly go wrong when bacon is involved? Bacon and cheese.
These easy appetizers aren't just easy. They're really delicious too.
In fact, sometimes we make the pinwheels just because we want to, no party needed. Did I mention they're great for game day too?
If you're looking for more easy appetizers, you'll also enjoy bacon cheddar bbq ranch dip and chicken dip pinwheels. I'm definitely adding these appetizers to my lists of favorite Easter recipes and Christmas recipes.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE EASY APPETIZER RECIPES?
If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for these recipes, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious appetizer recipes – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.
TIPS FOR MAKING EASY APPETIZERS
When it comes to party foods and finger foods, you want to keep it as simple as possible but still make sure it tastes good. Keep it simple with as few ingredients as possible, and hopefully ingredients you already have on hand.
Great options for easy appetizers include…
- Pinwheels
- Bacon wrapped anything
- Cheese and crackers
- Apples and cheese
- Meatballs – These baked Italian cauliflower meatballs are my favorite.
- Little Smokies
- Raw vegetables and dip
- Easy dips – like this creamy bbq chicken dip.
… And the list goes on.
1. HAM AND DILL PINWHEELS
This first idea is adapted from a sampling my husband enjoyed while shopping at our local grocery store.
Ham and dill cream cheese pinwheels are so yummy, I challenge you to try and stop at just one. They’re bite-sized, making them perfect for a party platter.
There are really only a few simple steps to this easy appetizer, and they are so good!
- Spread cream cheese onto a medium sized flour tortilla.
- Then place dill pickles and ham on the cream cheese, and wrap up the tortilla.
- Slice it into pinwheels and enjoy this delicious flavor combo.
2. CHEESE AND CRACKERS (WITH APPLES)
The next appetizer is something Dan came up with, and it’s so simple. It's also the perfect mix of sweet and salty.
Just a couple of steps…
- Slice both the apples and cheese.
- Put a slice of cheddar cheese, a thin apple slice, and about a teaspoon of cream cheese between 2 Ritz crackers, forming a crispy sweet and salty sandwich.
Yum! (Don’t knock it ’til you try it.)
3. BACON WRAPPED APPLES AND CHEESE
Bacon just makes everything better, doesn’t it? You’ll need warm bacon for this, ready to wrap without breaking.
- Layer about a teaspoon of cream cheese, a slice of cheddar cheese, and an apple slice onto the end of a piece of bacon.
- Then wrap it tightly in the bacon.
Again, it's the perfect mix of sweet and salty, along with a bit of smoky savory goodness from the bacon.
LOOKING FOR MORE EASY APPETIZER RECIPES?
Maple sausage stuffed pastry bites are so easy to make because really all you have to do is cook the sausage and prep the puff pastry cups. I also love making these leftover turkey stuffing crescent roll appetizers, especially after a holiday when I have plenty of leftovers.
You can also catch me guest posting over at Around My Family Table, where I shared this super easy recipe for cranberry cream cheese appetizers. And I definitely want to try this recipe from The Salty Side Dish for Pinwheel Sandwiches with Cream Cheese. Yum!
KITCHEN TOOLS YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THESE YUMMY APPETIZERS
Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife
Apple Corer, Slicer, and Peeler
EASY APPETIZER RECIPES
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Ham and Dill Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 medium flour tortilla
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 dill pickles thinly sliced spears
- 1 slice ham *thinly sliced
Instructions
- Spread the cream cheese onto the flour tortilla.
- Add 2 long, thinly sliced dill pickles.
- Add 2 pieces of thinly sliced ham.
- Roll the tortilla up, making sure to wrap it tightly.
- Slice the tortilla wrap into 1-inch slices, or pinwheels.
- Place the pinwheels on a serving platter and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Cheese and Crackers with Apples
Ingredients
- 12 Ritz crackers
- 6 slices cheddar cheese *
- 1 whole apple washed, peeled, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
Instructions
- Slice both the apples and cheese.
- Layer a slice of cheddar cheese, a thin slice of apple, and about a teaspoon of cream cheese between 2 Ritz crackers, forming a crispy sweet and salty sandwich.
- Repeat the steps above with the rest of the Ritz crackers.
- Place the cheese and crackers on a serving platter and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Bacon Wrapped Apples and Cheese
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon fully cooked
- 6 slices cheddar cheese *
- 1 whole apple sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
Instructions
- Layer about a teaspoon of cream cheese, a slice of cheddar cheese, and an apple slice onto the end of a piece of bacon.
- Then wrap it tightly in the bacon.
- Place the bacon wrapped apples and cheese on a serving platter and serve.
