This post is sponsored by SC Johnson. All comments and opinions are my own.
What’s the first thing you that comes to your mind when you think of the holidays? I am betting that many of you would say—the FOOD!
When families and friends gather for the holidays you know that there will be lots of delicious food involved. While we all love to eat those tasty foods, creating the perfect holiday meal can be very time consuming and stressful for those doing all the cooking!
I have found that providing lots of appetizers to my guests before dinner makes my day a little bit easier. Appetizers are typically easy to put together and they help fill folks up. That way you don’t need as much food for the main course.
Fruit & vegetable trays, cheese patters and many simple hors d’oeuvres can be served and don’t require any cooking whatsoever. When you already have to spend hours in the kitchen, that can be a blessing.
One of my favorite holiday appetizers is a cheese ball. I usually make it the day ahead of time and simply pull it out right before my guest arrive. Then I just open a box of crackers and I have a tasty snack that keeps my guests happy and occupied. While they are busy snacking, I can finish up in the kitchen without lots of interruptions!
- 2 oz bricks of cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix
- 6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- In a small bowl, combine the bacon, pecans, green onion and parsley.
- Add half of the mixture to a larger bowl with the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing mix.
- Stir until combined.
- Shape the mixture into a ball and then roll in the remaining bacon mixture, pressing to coat the ball.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Serve with crackers and/or veggies.
Try my recipe at your next holiday gathering. Serve on your favorite holiday platter to make it seem a little more festive.
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- Share your favorite quick and easy holiday appetizers or hors d’oeuvres?
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This one’s real quick. I buy little pinwheel sandwiches in the frozen food section at the store. Let them thaw out and they’re ready to go. People love them.
Holidays are just not the holidays without deviled eggs to snack on throughout the day, and no bake cheesecake with cherries after dinner!
I run to a local market and pick up a bunch of frozen appetizers – baked brie bites and mushroom tartlettes are two faves – and I throw them in the oven before guests arrive. But your cheese ball looks great – as a vegetarian, I’d leave out the bacon, but I think I might make it for my next gathering!
I like to make spinach dip in a bread bowl
Cheese Ball with crackers and chips & dips
pigs in a blanket and mozzarella bites: for each crescent roll triangle, add 1/2 a mozzarella cheese stick and 2 to 3 pepperoni slices. Wrap and bake as directed on can.
Spinach dip is my fave
Your cheeseball looks delicious & easy to make! For quick & easy & delicious here, I like to make Kielbasa Bites. Just sliced kielbasa laid out on foiled cookie sheet, brushed with a mixture of teriyaki sauce, chili sauce & pineapple juice. Top with a chunk of pineapple held in place with toothpick. Brown in 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Yummy!
Place frozen meatballs in crock pot and cover with Pace picante sauce. My daughter in law showed me this. Love it. Pin wheels sandwiches made with cream cheese, canned chicken and ranch mix. Mix well spread on flour tortillas and roll up and slice. Make with both regular ranch and the fiesta flavor.
Block of cream cheese covered with a special jam….surround with crackers & serve…easy peasy!
Ro-tel Dip:
Cooked ground sausage, cream cheese, can of Ro-tel. I throw it all together in a crock pot and I walk away. Serve it with tortilla chips or corn chips. My teen boys and husband love it! Good for football games also!
Chinese spring roll
Spinach dip is awesome
Pimento cheese crackers
I like cream cheese with red pepper jelly served with crackers.
Just went to a party last weekend and I brought a 7 Layer Mexican Dip-refried beans, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomato, green onions, black olives and 2 bags of tortilla chips-it was gone in just a few minutes!
The recipe you printed is so easy and is so festive looking-I will try it this weekend! Thanks, Michelle!
I love bacon wrapped jalapenos! Simple and delicious. Scoop out jalapeno- fill with cream cheese- wrap in bacon- bake at 350 25 minutes.
We feast on cookies, cookies and more cookies, no hors d’oeuvres but cookies as appetizers. I have
children and this is the one time of the year they have sweets as appetizer.
I take Conecuh brand (rope) sausage. Cut into 2″ segments. Wrap a segment of bacon around each piece of sausage (secure with toothpick).. Place in sprayed foil pan & cover with LOTS of brown sugar. Bake uncovered close to an hour. at 350.
spinach dip and crackers
Easy, and can be made ahead of time: Salami, ham, or prosciutto wrapped around cheese sticks.
My favorite is a tray with fresh veggies and cheese with crackers on the side
Fried Calamari, Prosciutto and Mozzarella
i LOVE MAKING SMALL SPIDER DOGS FOR THE KIDS .. SO QUICK AND EASY AND THEY LOVE THE WAY THEY LOOK..
Baked brie and little quiches. Yum
1 package of ham (oblong, not square), 1 container of cream cheese, green onions. Blot ham dry. Spread with cream cheese. Roll 1 green onion inside the ham on the short side. Cut into pieces.
Sweet and spicy barbecue meatballs.
Hot Cheddar Apple Pie Dip
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamin
1 each red & green apple
1/2 C Walnuts
8 ox cream cheese
1 1/2 C Cheddar cheese
1/2 C sour cream
Pita chips
Combine sugar, cinnamon, and add apples and walnuts. Toss. Six cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. Add sour cream. Spread in 9″ pie pan. Top with apple mixture. Bake at 375 for 20 min. Delish!
Homemade dip and chip
Caprese on a stick: place a cherry tomato, fresh basil, and a piece of fresh mozzarella on a toothpick, drizzle a plateful with olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar. The colors match the season too!
Great idea! Thanks!
I make a small antipasta platter. Olives, cheese, salami rolls, ham rolls, roasted red peppers. Or a goat cheese crostini topped with some apricot jam. This way the oven is free.
Party Hot Dogs
1 lb. hot dogs – cut in 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup bourbon.
Cook in covered casserole 1 1/2 hours at 325. This is an old recipe so you could make it in a crockpot early and have it ready for your guests.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 C blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 C franks redhot sauce
1/2 C crumbled blue cheese
2 9.75 oz swanson premium chunk chicken breast
Heat oven to 350. Stir cream cheese in 9″ pie plate with fork or whisk until smooth. Stir in dressing, hot sauce and blue cheese. Stir in Chicken. Bake for 20 min. Serve with veggies or crackers.
Crescent rolls wrapped around hot dogs, so easy!
Super Garlic! Garlic! Dip: Mince two large cloves of fresh garlic and stir into one cup regular sour cream and add 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teasppon dried parsley flakes. Mix well. Chill the mixture for several hours or overnight. Stir before serving and serve with crackers or chips. Makes 1-1/2 cups dip.
I love making (and eating) baked brie/camembert in puff pastry served with cranberry or fig jam. This is very special appetizer that I make only 1-2 times a year mainly because I could eat the whole thing by myself!
Pigs-n-Blanket!!! They are the best!!!
Pigs-n-blanket are my easy go to appetizer
Dough, hot dogs, wrap and bake at 325. 🙂
Easiest appetizers? Easy, any of the deli platters that Publix has to offer…no fuss, no mess, comes straight from the deli beautifully arranged. The only thing you have to do is order it at least 24 hrs in advance!
Frozen Meatballs in small crock-pot covered by my “secret” sauce…Yum!
Easy peanut clusters. Melt chocolate in microwave. Add peanuts. Stir. Spoon onto wax paper. They’re ready in a few minutes when the chocolate hardens. You can substitute the peanuts with coconut or crushed up pretzels or marshmallows. Sometimes I put all four things in chocolate at the same time. Delicious and very easy!!!
My go to appetizer is pigs in a blanket.
Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese!
Buy a can of mixed nuts. Put them in a bowl.
Stromboli! I bring it to pot lucks and people love it!
Frozen Bridgeford dough, pepperoni (you can use Italian sausage instead) shredded mozzarella (you can use provolone instead if you prefer)
Roll out dough, layer pepperoni and cheese, sprinkle basil and garlic powder on inside, roll up (jelly roll style) Brush outside with olive oil and sprinkle parmensan, parsley and more basil on outside.
Bake at 425 till brown and bubbly (about 15-120 minutes
I like to have a shrimp cocktail platter.
Ranch dressing and sour cream served with raw vegetables.
Block of cream cheese on a pretty plate with fig preserves spooned over and serve with crackers and a pretty spreader.
Banana fritters. Just need a pan, overripe bananas, flour and raisins.
Sweet & Sour Crockpot Meatballs.
Cheeseball & crackers
Take a date, stuff it with a pecan, wrap it in half a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Then bake. YUM!
Make a hot dip: bar of cream cheese, shredded cheddar mixed together – bake in lasagna dish until bubbly .. serve with Fritos Scoops
Or Pinwheels: bar of cream cheese, bacon pieces, shredded cheddar … mix together .. spread on crescent rolls laid out in flat rectangle .. roll up on long side .. freeze long enough to be firm .. slice into pinwheels and bake!
Cowboy Caviar
1 can (drained/washed) each: Pinto Beans, Black beans, Black-eyed peas, corn, rotel tomatoes.
8oz Italian dressing
Cilantro Fresh
Garlic salt pepper to taste
Mix and let sit in refrigerator overnight. YUM! I like to serve with tostitos scoops. You won’t be disappointed.
I like to take small bite size sausage and wrap with crescent roll. Pop into the oven for few minutes and get a warm tasty snack that everyone loves.
Sausage balls are my favorite
My mom always wrapped baby pickles in sliced ham. Her other favorite was to roast pecans, then spread some cream cheese on a pecan half and “stick” the other pecan half to the cream cheese.
E-Z CHEESY SPREAD:
IN FOOD PROCESSOR, COMBINE 1 CUP SHREDDED CHEDDAR, 1 CUP COTTAGE CHEESE AND HALF A SMALL CHOPPED ONION. PROCESS UNTIL VERY SMOOTH. TRANSFER TO DECORATIVE BOWL. TOP WITH CHOPPED PARSLEY OR PAPRIKA. SERVE WITH PRETZELS, CRACKERS OR CRUDITES. A QUICK, NO-BRAINER FOR UNEXPECTED HOLIDAY COMPANY!
Place one 8 oz block of cream cheese on a tray or plate. Pour Mae Ploy Brand Chili Sweet Sauce or any other brand that’s your favorite over the cream cheese. Surround with crackers or veggies for dipping. You will not believe how tasty this combo can be!
Baked Brie and crackers
Everywhere I take my Party Meatballs, people rave over them! They’re quick and easy to fix and so delicious.
Mine would be Ham Rolls – Take ham lunch meat, spread cream cheese on it and put a scallion on top of cream cheese. Then roll it up, cut it into 5-6 pieces and put in toothpicks to hold it together. I haven’t made these in years – may just have to make some soon.
Chips and dip!!
Popcorn balls…….sweet and savory ones. You can also shape them like snowmen!
Cocktail weenie with toothpicks!
A block of cream cheese with a jar of pepper jelly over the top of it, served on a plate and surrounded by crackers. I love the contrast of the spicy pepper jelly and the cool cream cheese with the crunch of the crackers.
Parmesan Zucchini sticks
Little weiner in BBQ sauce
I go Italian Style with an Anipasto Platter that includes a variety of meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses, cherry tomatoes and sliced egg. To balance it out I serve prosciutto wrapped melon balls and mini garlic bread bites. It’s a hit!
I like Canapes for family celebrations. Spread on crackers Pate of foia, some black olives and on top slice of roasted red pepper.
My fav thing to make is a salad/dessert – Cherry Pineapple surprise (cool whip, vanilla pudding mix, chunk pineapples and juice, cherry pie filling) with marshmellows on top! Get that sweet tooth going!
spinach dip – I’m not a great chef !!
Spinach Dip but with Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix, bacon bits, and shredded cheddar cheese. You can layer it in a casserole and serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer. It’s always a hit!
I like to make pepperoni pizza bites using mozzarella cheese, sauce, pepperoni, and refrigerated crescent rolls.
Clam dip and chips for sure!!!!
Artichoke dip with crackers or Publix Italian bread.
Sausage balls made with roll sausage, cheddar cheese and Bisquick.
Chips and dip
Sausage balls are my favorite.
Drain whole water chestnuts. Marinate in teriyaki. Then wrap in bacon with toothpicks. Bake em up. Yummy crowdpleaser!
Sausage balls
3 ingredient ROLO + SMALL PRETZEL TWIST + PECAN HALF
1 Small pretzels
1 ROLO® Chewy Caramels in Milk Chocolate
1 Pecan halves
Directions: Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Place one pretzel for each pretzel treat desired on prepared sheet. Top each pretzel with one unwrapped ROLO® Chewy Caramel in Milk Chocolate.
Bake 3 to 5 minutes or until caramel piece begins to soften, but not melt. Remove from oven; top with either pecan half or additional pretzel. Cool completely.
Pigs in a blanket.
Mock Boursin: 1 Lb of cream cheese, 1/2 lb butter, 1 teas. oregano =, 1/4 teas each of basil, dill, thyme and marjoram, 2 garlic cloves. Mix together and serve with crackers
small sliced up ham and swiss cheese on crackers
jelly spread on crackers or peanutbutter and jelly on crackers for those who like and can eat peanutbutter
Sounds weird, but I promise it is so good! Frozen meatballs and 1 jar of grape jelly in the crockpot. So good!
Olive dip and crackers
Sausage dip is my fav! 1 lb. cooked, crumbled sausage mixed with 1 8oz. cream cheese and 1 can Rotel. Mix all together and serve warm with Frito Scoops or any taco chip or crackers. Can add sour cream if you want it creamier…soooooo good!!
My favorite is Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Pita Chips
pita chips with hummus is my favorite
Buffalo chicken dip – super easy and super yummy!
sausages rolled in crescent dough
Bow ties:
Club crackers with bacon strip wrapped around the middle, sprinkle with Parmesan and pop in the oven until bacon is done. Yum!
Sausage balls are great.
Cheese and crackers are what we always have.
Mini chicken bites with cheese.
Buffalo chicken dip, yum!
Ham with crackers a cranberry sauce
Bacon and chicken bi the with a spicy bbq sauce.
I love to make buffalo chicken bites.
Sweet and sour meat balls are always a crowd pleaser.
Buffalo chicken dip. Dig in.
Cheddar bacon wraps with a butter sauce.
Frozen meatballs heated in a crockpot with a cranberry-curry sauce.
Paleo nachos with blue chips
We always do spinach artichoke dip and a cheese ball. We add diced up pineapple to it. So delicious!!!!
Growing up, before “Chex Mix”, my neighbor’s mom used to make a similar mix and called it Nuts and Bolts. It included Chex, pretzel sticks (the matchstick size, not the giant ones) and cheerios.
A family tradition is to take a dill pickle, cover it in cream cheese, then wrap it in a few slices of Buddig beef (the kind you use for cream dried beef). Slice and serve cold. The red white and green look very festive.
It’s instant to serve but not so quick to make: homemade hummus. It can’t be beat.
My favorite “go to” appetizer is “Little Smokes and BBQ” sauce in my crockpot. So easy and stays warm a long time.
I like to put together an appetizer tray with olives, nuts, salami and cheese. It’s just opening jars and packages – quick and easy!
Pepper Jelly atop cream cheese, served with Rits crackers. So easy and good.
I make a cheese ball similar to yours, but it doesn’t use ranch dressing and has black olives mixed in.
Pigs in a blanket!
I put out a variety of cheeses and crackers & breads.
Rotel cheese dip & chips!
I usually make meatballs and serve a veggie tray with dip.
Definitely a great holiday recipe!
We love putting out cheese and crackers. It is quick and easy and we always have the supplies.
This recipe looks very good! Will have to try it! I don’t currently have a favorite, this may be it!
I splurge and try new mixes of crackers, meats and cheeses. Sometimes I hit on new favorites.
A table full of treats including figs, nuts, crackers.
A huge homemade batch of Chex Mix!
Shrimp cocktail- easy to make and looks festive. Dress it with red (cocktail sauce) and green (celery, parsley) for Christmas colors
Spinach or sausage dip (sausage, rotel, and cream cheese) look and taste festive!
We love pigs in a blanket and potato puffs.
Chex mix
One I like is Cranberry Orange Meatballs, I also found two recipes on Pinterest I was wanting to make, one was a Smoked Mozzarella Dip the other recipe was Strawberry Santas which only need three ingredients so it seems pretty easy to make.
Mini peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
I make pigs in a blanket for the little ones. For every one else I make nutty bars.
Jalapeno poppers. 2 parts cream cheese to 1 part shredded cheddar cheese and 1/2 part bacon bits. Slice and remove seeds from the peppers. Stuff and bake, just until cheese is melting. Best served when hot.
Stuffed mushrooms
Cheese deli platter, cheese twists..crab dip..lots of dips..stuffed mushrooms..
S’More snowman
I don’t do much of the cooking. I eat good though.
Homemade Chex mix is easy to whip up in the crockpot and makes the house smell good too.