5 Easy Holiday Appetizer Recipes — Caralyn Mirand Koch (2024)

host the perfect holiday party with these

5 easy appetizer recipes

‘Tis the season for holiday gatherings and entertaining! I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I think I’ve perfected the art of the appetizer. When it comes to hosting, I actually prefer to put out a bunch of appetizers rather than a formal sit-down. It makes things more manageable and less stressful, and you can prep a bunch more beforehand. Sometimes I feel myself getting in a bit of a rut, so I thought it’d be helpful to share five easy recipes for you to make for your next gathering! Feel free to use these year-round, as I think they’re pretty seasonless.

Today I’m excited to be partnering with on this post with Tops Friendly Markets! I grew up across the street from a Tops, so as a lifelong shopper, they’ve always been one of my go-to places for all things groceries. They’re currently running their Christmas Bonus Progam, where you can shop for groceries, and when you spend $50 or more, you earn a gift point. Each gift point gives you $10 off a $50 gift card to participating retailers through 12/24. That's an extra 20% savings on ALL your holiday gifts just for buying your groceries at Tops! You can give the gift cards as gifts, use them to buy gifts for everyone on your Christmas list, or use them for yourself at your other favorite stores and restaurants. Now, let’s dig into these recipes!

recipe number one

shrimp co*cktail in a martini glass

What you need:

• cooked shrimp (if frozen, thawed and pat dry)

• co*cktail sauce

• curly leaf lettuce

• lemon wedges

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• martini or coup glasses, I have these

How to make:

1. Place a generous amount of co*cktail sauce in your glass

2. Arrange shrimp in your glass, tail side out

3. Garnish with curly leaf lettuce and lemon wedge

recipe number two

CHARCUTERIE BOARD

What you need:

• variety of cheeses (I try to do one blue, one white, one yellow, and one unique one)

• variety of meats (pepperoni, prosciutto, salmi, etc)

• variety of crackers or bread

• nuts, seeds, fruit, and sweets like licorice!

• board, ramekin, and cheese knives

How to make:

1. Arrange with your heart! I like to do the cheese first, keeping them separate from each other

2. Add your meats and nuts

3. Finish with crackers, fruit, etc

recipe number three

spinach veggie dip

What you need:

• 1 box or bag (around 10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled, and squeezed dry

• 1 container (16 oz.) sour cream

• 1 cup of mayonnaise

• 1 package of Knorr Vegetable recipe mix (usually in the soup aisle of grocery stores)

• 3 chopped green onions (or more to taste)

How to make:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.

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2. Chill for about 2 hours.

3. Serve with your favorite dipping options like baguette, crackers, or veggies! Works nicely in a bread bowl too.

recipe number four

Pesto baguette BITES

What you need:

• fresh baguette (you can buy pre-sliced),

• basil pesto

• fresh mozzarella

• jarred sundried tomatoes

How to make:

1. If you’d like toast bread, arrange sliced baguette on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. You can lightly brush with olive oil or butter.

2. Add pesto, a slice of cheese, and a sundried tomato slice.

3. Arrange on a platter and enjoy!

recipe number five

tortilla pinwheels

What you need:

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 package (8 ounces) of cream cheese, softened

• 3/4 cup sliced green onions

• 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeno pepper

• 8 to 10 flour tortillas (8 inches), room temperature

• Salsa or Picante sauce for dipping

How to make:

1. Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl

2. Spread on 1 side of each tortilla and roll up tightly.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. Slice into 1-in. pieces.

5. Serve with salsa or Picante sauce.

Recipe inspired by Taste of Home

Let’s Get to Partying!

Do you have any favorite go-to recipes you like making or bringing to social gatherings? I’d love to hear them or any ideas that you have below. And if you try out any of these recipes, let me know how they turn out! Be sure to check out my previous post on holiday entertaining essentials and explore the holiday and lifestyle tab for more recipe inspiration.

Thank you so much for reading

xx CMK