The holiday season is meant to be filled with joy and togetherness. However, it’s not uncommon to feel plenty of stress if the gatherings are happening in your home. How will you feed all these people on top of decorating and doing everything else that the holidays involve? 

One thing you can do is serve plenty of appetizers to welcome your guests and prep their appetites for other delicious things to come. Fortunately, many of these can be prepared and prepped in advance, giving you more time for other activities. Here are some quick and easy holiday appetizers you can make to impress your guests this year. 

1. Holiday Charcuterie Board

Nothing beats a holiday-themed charcuterie board, which allows your guests to pick from the items that appeal to them the most. You can create an affordable and attractive spread using items like salami, prosciutto, cheese, bright-colored fruits, nuts, and small bowls of jam, honey, or Nutella. 

2. Simple Stuffed Mushrooms

This easy stuffed mushroom recipe is ideal for entertaining because it’s delicious and an eye-popping treat. The ingredients include cremini mushrooms (aka baby bellas), shallots, olive oil, parsley, parmesan cheese, walnuts, and Italian panko. Total prep time should be about 30 minutes. 

3. Crab-and-Cheese-Stuffed Mini Peppers

This appetizer is another “stuffed” item that is simple to create for your upcoming holiday gathering. You mix together the filling, which is made from cream cheese and sweet crab, and then spread it into crispy red and yellow halved peppers. 

4. Toasted Ravioli

Toasted ravioli are always a crowd favorite because they are warm, filling, and easy to eat while socializing. These are best made with frozen ravioli. If yours aren’t frozen, you should freeze them for an hour before preparation. Other ingredients include milk, eggs, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese for your coating. Serve these with marinara sauce for dipping. 

5. Baked Brie With Jam

While this appetizer recipe sounds decadent, you only need about ten minutes of prep time to put it together. It includes some delicious ingredients like creamy brie cheese, toasted pecans, fruit preserves, and rosemary. You can serve it up with crackers or toasted baguettes. 

6. Spinach-Artichoke Dip

This classic spinach and artichoke dip is creamy and filled with four kinds of cheese, plenty of spinach, and lots of tender artichoke hearts. It’s simple to assemble in just one step. After you bake it, you’ll get a dip that has a crispy, golden top that you can serve with veggies and crackers.

7. Tortellini Skewers

Tortellini skewers are a great no-bake appetizer that you can put together in under 30 minutes. Using long wooden skewers, create a combo of creamy mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, basil, and cheesy tortellini. If you choose spinach tortellini, your app will be in Christmas colors!

8. Pizza Wreath

This appetizer looks more complicated than it is to prepare. You simply arrange your pizza crust in the shape of a wreath, then add any pizza toppings you wish. You can pre-slice it so it’s easy for guests to grab a small piece. 

9. Buffalo Chicken Dip

You can whip up this rich buffalo chicken dip in about 30 minutes, which is sure to be a favorite among your holiday guests. The ingredients include freshly cooked or rotisserie chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, and cheddar cheese. Serve it up with Frito corn chips. 

10. Garlic Butter Chicken Bites

This savory appetizer uses chunks of boneless, skinless, fresh chicken breasts. You coat the chunks in a tasty garlic butter and lemon pepper sauce and serve them on a platter with toothpicks. 

11. No-Stuff Deviled Eggs

If you are hesitant to make deviled eggs due to the time investment, you can try this no-stuff deviled eggs recipe instead. In about 15 minutes, you can prepare these treats that include ingredients like Ritz crackers, hard-boiled eggs, mustard, mayo, and hot sauce. 

12. Cranberry Sauce Meatballs

When you do your holiday meal shopping, you can pick up a little extra cranberry sauce to make these cranberry sauce meatballs. Other ingredients include frozen meatballs, chili sauce, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and cumin. 

Do Your Ingredients and Meal Shopping at Nick’s of Clinton

When you’re preparing these quick holiday appetizers, you want affordable and high-quality ingredients. For over half a century, Nick’s of Clinton has been delivering a full-service experience to customers throughout Southern Maryland for more than half a century. We offer top-quality products and superior customer service. 

When you shop at Nick’s, you get one-stop shopping for all your grocery needs. Our meat counter is the centerpiece of our store, we carry a signature line of products and offer a full line of beer, wine, and spirits. Stop in today or give us a call at (301) 843-4825.