6 Make-Ahead Appetizers With Real Protein (Not Just Chips and Dip)
6 make-ahead appetizers that actually carry real protein, not just chips and dip, split into what holds cold in the fridge and what reheats hot in a crockpot.
Appetizers
Hands-Off Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
My healthy crockpot buffalo chicken dip swaps in Greek yogurt and rotisserie chicken for a lighter, hands-off party dip that still tastes like the real thing.
The Make-Ahead New Year’s Eve Appetizer Spread I Prep the Night Before
My make ahead New Year’s Eve appetizers spread is five recipes I prep the night before, so I’m not stuck cooking when midnight hits. Full timeline included.
Freezer-to-Oven Baked Brie en Croute
Baked brie en croute you can assemble, freeze, and bake straight from the freezer. The exact wrap, jam, and bake time that keeps the pastry crisp all the way through.
Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Dates (Devils on Horseback)
My devil on horseback appetizer is Medjool dates stuffed with blue cheese, wrapped in bacon, and baked on a rack until crisp. Make-ahead friendly for any party.
No-Weep Deviled Eggs You Can Actually Make a Day Ahead
Yes, you can make deviled eggs up to two days ahead of time, as long as you store the hard-boiled whites and the yolk filling separately and don’t pipe them together until an hour or so before serving. I learned this the embarrassing way. I once assembled a full tray of deviled eggs the night
Elegant Christmas Appetizers That Take 15 Minutes, Not 3 Hours
The most elegant Christmas appetizers use just two or three high-quality ingredients arranged simply, like cranberry brie bites, whipped feta with hot honey, marinated shrimp, or prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, and most of them take about 15 minutes of hands-on work rather than any real cooking skill. I used to think elegant meant complicated. My first few
Whipped Feta with Hot Honey
A whipped feta dip recipe works by blending block feta with cream cheese or Greek yogurt in a food processor until it turns silky, then topping it with hot honey for a sweet, spicy finish. The cream cheese is the part most people skip, and it’s the part that actually makes the texture work. I’ve
Cranberry Brie Bites (Puff Pastry, 3-Minute Prep)
Cranberry brie bites are mini muffin-tin appetizers made by pressing squares of puff pastry into the cups, tucking in a cube of brie and a spoonful of cranberry sauce, then baking at 375°F for 15 to 18 minutes until the pastry puffs golden and the cheese turns soft and melty. That’s the whole idea, and
Lemon Garlic Marinated Shrimp (Make It the Night Before)
The best marinated shrimp appetizers use shrimp that’s already cooked, tossed cold in a lemon garlic marinade and chilled for at least two hours, because raw shrimp left sitting in lemon juice starts to “cook” from the acid and turns rubbery. I used to think marinating meant dumping raw shrimp into a bowl of lemon
Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
Prosciutto wrapped asparagus is roasted asparagus spears wrapped in thin strips of prosciutto at 425°F for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the prosciutto turns crisp and the asparagus is tender but still has a bite. I make this one so often that I don’t really measure anymore, but the first dozen times I did,