It’s the time of the year for parties–Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and even the Superbowl. If you’re invited to a party or are hosting your own, appetizers are an important part of the menu that shouldn’t be overlooked. Here are three easy go-to appetizer recipes everyone will rave over.
Festive Cheese Ball
What’s a party without cheese and crackers? This cheese ball is requested by my family at every winter get-together. It’s very versatile and can be molded into a variety of shapes. I’ve made it into a pumpkin (roll in crushed Doritos and add a green pepper stem), a Christmas tree (sprinkle with fresh parsley flakes, add cherry tomato ornaments, and a yellow pepper star), and an igloo (cover with cream cheese, create an entrance way, and surround with penguins made from olives). For your Superbowl party, shape it into a football shape, cover with chopped nuts, and make lacing out of string cheese. I serve this cheese ball with a variety of Townhouse Flip Sides Pretzel Crackers, Ritz, and Wheat Thins. It’s a hit at any party.
Festive Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese softened
- 4 C shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 C red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1/3 C onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients until mixed well.
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Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
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Form into desired shape.
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Cheese ball may be rolled in chopped nuts or another topping of your choice such as cream cheese, parsley, or crushed Doritos.
Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts
This savory recipe is from my aunt Dixie and has been a family staple for years. In fact, the only dish that my son requested for his high school graduation party was this one. Because it only has five ingredients, it’s easy to make. All you will need are whole water chestnuts (found in the Asian foods section of the grocery store), bacon, Miracle Whip, brown sugar, and chili sauce. If you’ve never purchased chili sauce, you’ll find it in the ketchup aisle.
First, wrap each water chestnut in a half slice of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Then, stand them in a pan. Mix up the sauce and pour it carefully over the water chestnuts, being careful not to get too much on the toothpicks. Finally, bake the water chestnuts at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let them cool a little and then enjoy!
Aunt Dixie's Water Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cans water chestnuts whole
- 1 lb bacon regular sliced
- 1/2 C Miracle Whip
- 1 C brown sugar
- 1/2 C chili sauce
Instructions
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Drain water chestnuts and wrap each chestnut in 1/2 slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick.
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Place bacon-wrapped water chestnuts in single layer in a baking dish.
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Mix together the Miracle Whip, brown sugar, and chili sauce. Pour over the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, avoiding toothpicks.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Sweet and Savory Grape Jelly Meatballs
Talk about simple! This meatball recipe is so easy–all you do is throw the three ingredients in a crock pot and let them simmer. Serve the meatballs right out the crock pot using a slotted spoon or put them on a tray with toothpicks.
First, place the jelly and chili sauce in the crock pot and stir. After that, add the meatballs. Then all you’ll do is let the meatballs cook on low for three-four hours.
Sweet and Savory Grape Jelly Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 32 oz jar grape jelly
- 2 12 oz jars chili sauce
- 1 32 oz pkg frozen meatballs
Instructions
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Combine jelly and chili sauce in crock pot and stir.
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Add meatballs.
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Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
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Enjoy!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoy these three easy appetizers. They always go over well with my family and friends. If you are interested in more recipes, check out my chicken pot pie or amazing apple crisp.
You had me at cheese balls! I love them, but never tried to make one before. After reading your recipe and finding out just how easy it is, I need to give it a try!
Love, love, love! I always spend time looking for great appetiser and these are just great! Saving them for all future gatherings! Thanks!
These look so good! I love the festive cheese balls!!
Love these ideas! If i wasn’t hungry before i am now! Yummy!
So many delicious ideas I don’t know where to begin! Haha love the variety!
Coming from Canada we have none of this stuff, but I so love the look of the cheese ball!
Love the recipes of all the appetizers! Will
Def try some of them including the festive cheese balls! Thanks for sharing, they all look yummy!
These ideas are awesome! The penguins and cheese igloo are so adorable! And anything wrapped in bacon is a winner for me. Thanks so much for sharing!
how cute is this penguin idea! I love small snacks, it works for parties and lazy weekends for me
That igloo looks so amazing, at first I thought the penguins were made from plastic. You definitely have great food presentation skills. It also sounds like the perfect appetizer.
I love appetizers! The penguins in the festive cheese ball are so adorable and I think the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts are so creative.
Okay, I LOVE a good cheese ball but I am obsessed with the little penguins that you made to go with it! I am TOTALLY making an igloo cheese ball with olive penguins this year for our Christmas festivities – It’s so cute!
There are some really easy and good ideas here that is for sure. Perfect for a family party or get together once all this is done x
Holy cow those bacon-wrapped water chestnuts look so delicious! I am saving this for my birthday next month.
How creative! Looks delicious! Thank you for sharing.
The festive cheese ball is probably the cutest dang thing I have seen!!
Love all these classic appetizers! The penguins are so cute. Great ideas in time for the super bowl!
The Apple Crisp looks so good I love that. Good job on making those items.
The cheese igloo sounds cool but I’m not sure about jelly meatballs.
Try them! They really are delicious!
I would try it all!!
Those bacon wrapped chestnuts look so delicious! Also those grape jelly meatballs are delicious. I will also try the cheese thing you made.
The sweet and savory grape jelly meatballs sound like something fun and different to try out at a party!
All of those sound really good but on the bacon one I put small hot dogs and wrap bacon around it and glaze it with honey and put it the oven.
I think this is a cool idea and very neat, its look very good.
I love meatball one, I would love to try it soon. The problem is that i cant eat the cheese ball one.
The food looks so good. The apple crisp looks good, I want some of that.
They all look and sound so good!!! I love the festive cheese ball!! The apple crisp looks amazing, I want some.
Your dishes look amazing,they make me feel hungry if i could cook I would definetly make them.
The sweet and savory grape jelly meatballs look so yummy, I want to be in your house on Thanksgiving yum
All of them look so good.! You should make the cheese balls for class.
I think that the grape jelly meatball will taste very good and i’ll be sure to try it out someday.
They all look so good and cute i’m sure going to try the cheese ball.
The penguins look cool but i would not eat them i don’t like olives
I never thought of putting grape jelly on meatballs, it sounds and looks really good.
I liked all of these recipes and hope to try them out soon and my favorite one was the cheese ball
My favorite appetizer out of these is the festive cheese ball because it is very cute but it also looks very good.
These look so good. I might try some of them.
Those are some good ideas!
it looks so good!!!
These are so creative and look delicious! I will be trying some of these.
My grandkids would go crazy for the penguins and igloo cheese ball – i think I’ll be making that for the next birthday!
This looks so delicious! My hubby loves meatballs so I will definitely use the recipe for the meatballs. Great post!
That cheese ball is the cutest!!
These look so yummy! I love the idea that the cheese ball can be decorated differently for the different holidays or seasons.
Omg that festive cheese ball !!! Looks so cute and tasty !! Thanks for these recipes!
The cheese ball is so cute! Bet this went down well!
This cheese ball! So cute! Totally making this for Superbowl but that little igloo is adorable!!!
You had me at Bacon! Let’s be real for a minute. Anything wrapped in bacon is that much better! I will also be checking out the apple crisp. It looks delicious!
I love that cheese ball idea! So creative!
Mmm mmm. I have a faint childhood memory of meatballs like these. I’ll have to try to recreate It!
That cheese ball is SO cute! Never thought of that.
And super easy!
I need to try the apple crisp with but use some pears we got over the holidays, I think they would be tasty in that recipe.
Pears sound wonderful! Let me know how it turns out.
This looks amazing! Now I just need to find someone to make it! Do you have openings?
Those penguins are so cute, I don’t think I would be able to eat them!
I’m coming to your house next Christmas!! Yumm!!!
The sweet and savory grape jelly meatballs have been a hit at several of our parties. I highly recommend them. I think I’ll be trying out that cheese ball at our next party.
I saw the cheese ball on IG and thought…that looks yummy! One of my new year plans is to start “enjoying” cooking. Sometimes I feel as though it’s a chore. These recipes are great!
These looks so yummy ! And fun to make
All of the food looks delicious! I will sure be trying these out soon!