Easy Cheesy Christmas tree bread
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Best Easy Holiday Appetizers And Sides Recipes 2024

Dish it to your friends!

Updated 2024

Only the best of the best made this list of easy holiday appetizers and sides for any celebration.

Some of these recipes are secretly used by restaurants and can be made ahead of time.

There are keto friendly, low carb, vegetarian, and healthy options too.

Whether you’re throwing a Christmas Dinner, Thanksgiving Dinner, Easter Dinner, Graduation Party, New Years Eve gathering, anniversary party or employee potluck, these recipes are real crowd pleasers that will impress.

We’re sure atleast one will become your go to next time you need to put together something people will love….and some make great gifts!

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APPETIZERS: CHEESES

Healthy cucumber salmon bites holiday appetizer for a party
RECIPE BY JULIA’S CUISINE

The cucumber smoked salmon bites above are made with cream cheese, healthy, delicious, and easy to make for any occasion!

Make ahead Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffle Appetizers for a Holiday Party
CRANBERRY PECAN GOAT CHEESE TRUFFLES

Stick a straight pretzel into these mini cheeseballs for an easy and tasty finger food guests will rave about.

White bunny butt cheeseball
MYHEAVENLYRECIPES.COM

We LOVE this Bunny Butt cheeseball because it’s so easy to make and is so cute for Easter!

Easy Easter Appetizer Carrot Shaped Crescent Rolls Filled with a Cream Cheese Mix
RECIPE AND TUTORIAL BY PILLSBURY.COM

The cream cheese stuffed carrot shaped crescent rolls above look catered but are cute and easy!

Easy Snowman Christmas Cheese Ball Appetizer
SNOWMAN CHEESEBALL RECIPE HERE

You can make this Snowman Cheeseball appetizer ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. It’s a real crowd pleaser that will decorate any Christmas spread beautifully. 

Easy Beautiful Thanksgiving Turkey Appetizer Charcuterie Snack Board
TUTORIAL

This is an easy to make Thanksgiving platter that everyone will be snapping pictures of! 

Easy Thanksgiving Appetizer Charcuterie Board for the Table
PHOTO CREDIT

The above “Thankful for You” Thanksgiving Charcuterie board was made out of cheese cookie cutters!

Holiday Appetizer: Baked Feta with Honey and Thyme
HONEY AND THYME BAKED FETA RECIPE

Only 4 ingredients make the above Baked Feta with Honey and Thyme appetizer. It’s perfect as an appetizer on some pita or crostini bread or even on the dessert table! 

Delicious Simple and Easy Whipped Feta With Honey
WHIPPED FETA HONEY RECIPE

Even people who hate feta cheese will LOVE this Whipped Feta With Honey, EVERYONE will ask for the recipe. It’s even good on breakfast toast!

Quick and Easy Whipped Feta With Spicy Honey Party Holiday Appetizer
SPICY HONEY WHIPPED FETA DIP RECIPE

This whipped feta dip recipe adds a kick for spice lovers. Serve it with pita chips, crudite, or even on pizza.

Easy Authentic Greek Whipped Feta
EASY AUTHENTIC WHIPPED FETA RECIPE

This traditional Greek Feta Recipe is so easy and soooo delicious served with pita chips or pretzels! It’ll be a hit.

Pear Blue Cheese Honey Crostini Appetizer Recipe for Holiday Party and Dinner
GET THE RECIPE HERE

The above Cheese and Pear Crostini is elegant for any wine tasting or dinner party. If you don’t like blue cheese you can substitute brie or goat!

Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Dip Recipe for Partys and Holidays
STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE DIP RECIPE

So easy and so delicious on a grazing board or snack plate with pita chips or crackers!

Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer with Honey Figs and
GOAT CHEESE APPETIZER WITH HONEY AND FIGS RECIPE

This Goat Cheese With Honey and Figs recipe takes 5 minutes to make and works great with brie as well. It’s the perfect addition to any charcuterie board!

Easy Italian Cream Cheese Stuffed Celery Appetizer Recipe For A Party or Holiday
ITALIAN CREAM CHEESE STUFFED CELERY RECIPE 

You can make this easy 5 ingredient Italian Cream cheese finger food days ahead. It’s a crowd pleaser that goes fast at any holiday party, Tail Gate, Superbowl event, or Potluck.

Orange bell peppers sliced in a carrot stick shape filled with cream cheese mix and topped with a branch of dill on the end to look like a carrot
RECIPE AT ALEKASGETTOGETHER.COM

The adorable mini bell pepper “carrots” above are also super easy to make ahead and serve cold with a yummy cream cheese filling. They’re perfect for Easter!

APPETIZERS: CHARCUTERIE, SNACK BOARDS, FRUIT, & CRUDITE

Easy Thanksgiving Appetizer Finger Food Fruit for kids table
PHOTO CREDIT

The above Turkey fruit kabobs are made out of grapes, pineapple, and watermelon. You can use a faux or real pumpkin and turkey cut out with wood skewers. 

Easy Christmas Appetizer Food Board Festive Caprese Charcuterie Platter
PHOTO SOURCE (FOR PHOTO CREDIT CORRECTIONS OR REMOVAL PLEASE CLICK HERE)

The Easy Caprese Christmas Snack/Charcuterie board pictured above is simple to make at any size!

Easter Appetizer Watermelon and  Fruit display  using cookie cutters
PHOTO SOURCE (FOR PHOTO CREDIT OR REMOVAL PLEASE CLICK HERE)
Crudite arranged in a crucifix shape
SOURCE/ PINTEREST.COM

Arrange crudite in shapes for each holiday to make a fun display piece for a snack table. 

Thanksgiving Appetizer For Crowd Crudite Platter
THANKSGIVING APPETIZER PLATTER TUTORIAL
Christmas Appetizer Boxed Charcuterie Finger Food Snack board
VIA PINTEREST.COM

Package charcuterie in adorable boxes for a fancy luncheon, holiday, or wedding! Here is a link to how to make the meat roses!

Christmas Charcuterie Party Food Appetizer for Christmas New Year or Holidays
SOURCE

Arrange charcuterie in plastic champagne glasses and stack on a foil cardboard cake board for a classy dinner party, Anniversary, New Years Eve, or wedding look.

Christmas Appetizer Snackboard in shape of Santa Claus
Photo Credit

Make the easy Santa Claus snackboard above for your Christmas appetizer or party!

EASY CHEAP CHRISTMAS TREE APPETIZER FOR A CROWD OR PARTY
PHOTO CREDIT

Make the Christmas tree appetizer above using a dollar store cone wrapped in parchment or wax paper and insert the food skewers in with toothpicks.

Easy DIY Wreath Christmas Charcuterie Appetizer for Party or Gathering
PHOTO CREDIT

Whether a family gathering or a small quiet holiday movie fest at home, this Christmas wreath charcuterie board is impressive and easy. Just watch this youtube tutorial.

Christmas Wreath Crudite Platter for Holiday Party or appetizer
SOURCE

Arrange vegetables and fruit in shapes like wreaths, Christmas trees, or stars to quickly dress up any snack table

Festive Christmas Candy Cane Meat Cheese snack board appetizer Recipe for party or Holiday
SOURCE

Cut Salami and Provolone cheese with cookie cutters. We would add some basil leaves to the caprese candy cane above for a more Christmasy candy cane!

Easy Christmas Tree Holiday Cheese Board Appetizer
GET TUTORIAL HERE

These could be the centerpiece for your table!

Easy DIY Halloween Pumpkin Snack Board Appetizer Tutorial
PUMPKIN SNACK BOARD TUTORIAL

Candy corn shaped cookie cutters help form the eyes and nose of this easy and festive Halloween Pumpkin snack board! You can use raisins, black olives or blackberries…customize to suit your taste!

Easy Spiced Christmas Jam Appetizer Recipe and Cheap Homemade Gift
CHRISTMAS JAM RECIPE

This Christmas jam would make the perfect homemade gift as well as a delicious and festive addition to any spread!

Easy Marinated Olive Cheese Ring Appetizer for Holiday Party
MARINATED OLIVE AND CHEESE PLATTER RECIPE

This easy olive and cheese ring appetizer perfectly pairs Monterey Jack, Cream Cheese, and Mozzarella with a vinaigrette, marinated olives and spices.

APPETIZERS: DIPS & HUMMUS

Easy DIY Grinch Guacamole Christmas Appetizer
PHOTO SOURCE

Here is a clever and comical way to serve guacamole: Grinch style! The eyes are sliced pimento olives and the eyebrows are Italian parsley.

Easy Loaded Hummus Dip Recipe Appetizer for a crowd, party, and Holiday
EASY LOADED HUMMUS RECIPE

You can make this hummus recipe ahead and keep it in the fridge. Serve with crudite or crackers…people will lick their plates.

Easy and quick 7 layer Greek Dip Appetizer Recipe for party and holidays
7 Layer Greek Dip Recipe

This unique 7 Layer Dip is a Greek twist on a Mexican classic and we can’t say enough how delicious it is! Crowd pleaser alert! 

Bunny bread bowl with chocolate chip eyes on a bed of lettuce
THEIDEAROOM.NET

Here’s an adorable Easter bunny bread bowl to serve dips and hummus on! How cute would this look on a Easter brunch table?

APPETIZERS: FINGER FOODS & 1 BITE

Healthy Avocado Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps Appetizer for Easter Brunch, Spring or Summer
RECIPE BY TastesBetterFromScratch.com

The above recipe keeps getting rave reviews for being BOTH healthy and delicious. This is a great addition to your Easter Brunch, 4th of July party, Graduation Party, potluck, or just a Spring meal!

Easy Christmas Pigs in a blanket
PIGS IN A BLANKET RECIPE HERE

In 35 minutes total you can have this pigs in a blanket appetizer. It’s a classic party finger food for any holiday party or special celebration.

Easy Cheesy Christmas tree bread
GET THE RECIPE HERE

The above cheesy bread is a HUGE hit at parties and only takes 26 minutes to make! You can serve it with plastic appetizer forks and marinara sauce for a delicious holiday bite. 

Easy DIY 4 Ingredient Holiday Appetizer Sausage and Cream Cheese Crescents Recipe
ROTEL SAUSAGE CREAM CHEESE CRESCENTS RECIPE

These crescents are quick, easy, delicious, and only require 4 ingredients! They make great appetizers for dinner and breakfast.

Christmas Appetizer Wreath Finger Food for a Party or Holiday
Via Pinterest

Make super healthy caprese one bite appetizers. They’re refreshing enough for summer but perfectly color coordinated for Christmas! Arrange them to suit every occasion.

Easy Caprese Salad Skewers Finger Food Party Appetizers for the Holidays
GET RECIPE HERE

Caprese appetizers are very easy to prep and offer a delicious and festive bite for any party!

Cranberry Bree Crostini
CRANBERRY BRIE AND PROSCIUTTO CRUSTINI RECIPE

Drizzling a little bit of infused balsamic vinaigrette on top of this crustini kicks it up a notch! 

Chardonnay Italian Sausage Bites with Spicy Mustard Dip Recipe Appetizer for Party or Holiday
CHARDONNAY ITALIAN SAUSAGE BITES RECIPE

Keto friendly and gluten free meatball bites.

Easy Salted Pecan Brie tartlets Appetizer for a Party or Holiday Dinner
SALTED PECAN AND BRIE TARTLETT RECIPE

Everyone will love these at your Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas luncheon!

Easy Tomato Basil Pastry Puff Appetizer for Party or Holiday
PEPPERONI BASIL TOMATO PUFF RECIPE

Use store bought puff pastry to make these Pepperoni Basil Tomato Puffs. They take just 15 mins, to bake and look like store bought but taste better!

Prosciutto, melted cheese, and asparagus puff pastry wrapped appetizer
FOXANDBRIAR.COM

Here is another puff pastry recipe made with prosciutto, cheese, and asparagus. It’s ridiculously easy but sooo good and looks beautiful on the plate.

APPETIZERS: SOUPS

Easy 10 Minute Keto Paleo Pumpkin Soup Recipe for Holiday party, Fall, and Thanksgiving
PUMPKIN SOUP RECIPE

Our cozy soup will make a pumpkin lover out of anyone! It can be made ahead, takes 20 minutes or less, is healthy (keto, paleo), and can be customized to fit different tastes and diets. 

1000 Year Old Greek Resurrection Easter Soup Recipe Appetizer for Holiday Dinner party
RESURRECTION EASTER SOUP RECIPE

This holy, 1,000 year old Greek Recipe is made to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on Easter. It’s lemon chicken flavor makes it the perfect spring soup that will become a permanent staple at your celebration.

APPETIZERS: SANDWICHES & FLATBREADS

Best Christmas Recipe Make Ahead Appetizers and Finger Foods Christmas Tree sandwich Roll ups
PHOTO CREDIT

A pin wheel Christmas Tree makes an easy and quick make ahead recipe using green Tortillas, Ham, and Cheese, but you can use any meats and cheeses you want! Garnish with fruits for the ornaments and top it off with a Cheese, Fruit, or bread star made with a cookie cutter and tooth pick!

Christmas Tree Sandwiches appetizer for Christmas Party
GET RECIPE HERE

Finger sandwiches are great for kids lunches, Christmas luncheons, or holiday or tea parties. The ones above take just 10 minutes. 

Low Carb Chicken Club Lettuce Sandwich Appetizer Recipe for party or Game Day Holiday
LOW CARB CLUB SANDWICH RECIPE

This Club Sandwich is low carb and a healthy treat for your holiday or celebration spread.

Low Carb Chicken Salad lettuce Wrap for Parties or Holiday Game Day
BLTA CHICKEN SALAD LETTUCE WRAP RECIPE

use leftover turkey or chicken to make these lettuce wraps. Even carb lovers won’t miss the bread!

Greek Quesadilla Appetizer Recipe for Holiday parties, special Occasions and Gatherings
GREEK QUESADILLA RECIPE

This Greek Quesadilla recipe is another unique spin on a Mexican classic and it’s super easy to make!

Turkey Cranberry Sliders Recipe Appetizer For Thanksgiving and Holiday Parties
GET RECIPE HERE

If you’re looking for a delicious way to serve Thanksgiving leftovers to your guests, then you MUST try these sliders. You can even make them with sliced turkey if you want a quick recipe for a potluck or Friendsgiving lunch!

Party Size Italian Melt Appetizer Recipe for Holiday Party and gatherings
PARTY SIZE ITALIAN MELT RECIPE

This Italian Melt Recipe is party sized and so good! If you don’t like the bread soggy then use a little less dressing.

Easy Blueberry Feta and Honey Carmalized Onion Naan Appetizer for Party and Holiday gatherings
BLUEBERRY FETA AND HONEY PIZZA RECIPE

Have you ever had blueberry and honey on your pizza? It’s absolutely delicious and easy to do! Use store bought pizza dough if you don’t want to use Naan. Another elegant party hit!

Easy Olive Cheese Bread Appetizer for Holiday Party
EASY OLIVE CHEESE BREAD

The olive cheesebread above is so easy to make and perfect to bring to a Christmas luncheon or potluck. You can serve it instead of garlic bread as a side for spaghetti too!

SALADS

Easy Caprese Stuffed Avocado Appetizer Side for Party or Christmas
CAPRESE STUFFED AVOCADO RECIPE

This Caprese Stuffed Avocado is a Keto low carb dream! Put on as little or as much olive oil as you’d like!   

Best Salad Recipe Appetizer for Parties and Gatherings
THE BEST SALAD RECIPE

You may very well be making this salad recipe for the rest of your life. This recipe has been around for 25 years and both kids and adults love it!

Honeycrisp apple, dried fruit, nuts, and cheese fall winter salad
GET RECIPE AT FIVEHEARTHOME.COM

This Honeycrisp Apple salad is touted as the BEST fall and winter salad recipe EVER! Honey crisp apples, dried fruit, nuts, and cheese combine to create a super easy crowd pleaser that tastes gourmet and will elevate any Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even New Years dinner.

Easy Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Orange Vinaigrette party Appetizer Salad for Dinner and Holidays
GOAT CHEESE AND BEET SALAD RECIPE

Hands down this Goat Cheese Beet Salad just might be our favorite salad ever. It reminds us of the Cheesecake Factory version. It’s light in summer but perfect for Christmas eve too.

Easy Beet Spinach Salad with Cranberries Cashews and Goat Cheese Appetizer for Holiday Parties and Gatherings
EASY BEET SPINACH CASHEW SALAD RECIPE

Here’s another great beet salad with spinach and cashews!

Easy Fig Proscuitto and Barrata Salad Appetizer for Christmas Winter or Holiday Party or gathering
GET FIG SALAD RECIPE HERE

Fig salad is a holiday staple that’s also healthy and delicious!

Winter Fruit Salad Recipe Appetizer for Winter or Holiday Party or Dinner
WINTER FRUIT SALAD

Don’t let the name fool you, this Winter salad is just as good at Christmas Dinner as it is at a Graduation Party!

Best Greek Salad Ever Recipe
BEST GREEK SALAD EVER RECIPE

Greek Salads are great for every occasion, Easter, Mother’s Day, Summer, New Years or Christmas and this is one of the best!

Blackberry Avocado and Arugula Salad Recipe for Holiday Party and Gathering
BLACKBERRY AVOCADO & ARUGALA SALAD

This salad uses mint to bring out the flavor in all the gorgeous fruits and vegetables. It’s the perfect side to grilled fish or roasted chicken.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad Recipe for Party and gatherings
SHRIMP & AVOCADO SALAD

This is the perfect Keto salad for a picnic or BBQ.

Mediterranean Couscous Salad for Party and Holiday Dinner or Gatherings
MEDITERRANEAN COUS COUS SALAD RECIPE

This Mediterranean Salad is a cool recipe for the hot summer months. It’s a super light and tasty crowd pleaser for bbqs, picnics, graduation parties, and luncheons.

Greek Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki Dressing Recipe for Holiday Parties dinner and gathering
GREEK CHICKPEA SALAD RECIPE

Above is another light salad that’s healthy, filling, and extremely addicting. It uses chickpeas for protein and fiber. 

peach caprese salad with peaches and mozarella and basil
PEACH CAPRESE SALAD RECIPE

This Peach Caprese Salad is the ultimate summer salad! Can’t you just taste it through the picture? You’ll love this just like everyone else who has tried it, just check out the Pinterest comments!

SIDES

Garlic Cauliflower side dish for party, Thanksgiving or Holiday dinner
GARLIC MUSHROOMS CAULIFLOWER SIDE DISH

Vegetarians and non vegetarians will thank you for this side dish. With few ingredients this Mushroom Cauliflower skillet will make enough to feed and please all your guests. Just be sure to cook your cauliflower enough and everyone will love it. 

Smashed Brussel Sprouts Side Dish Recipe for Holiday Party or Dinner
SMASHED BRUSSEL SPROUTS RECIPE

We prefer these smashed brussel sprouts without the vinegar but you may prefer to leave it in. 

Easy Garlic Parmesan Brussel Sprouts
GARLIC PARMESAN BRUSSEL SPROUTS RECIPE

Even people who despise brussel sprouts love them in this Garlic Parmesian recipe! You can also use green beans instead. If you want to cut the sodium then omit the salt. We also spray or oil the foil.

Easy Asiago Roasted Onions Side Dish Appetizer For Holiday Party or Dinner
ASIAGO ROASTED ONIONS RECIPE

This Asiago Roasted Onions Recipe is absolutely delicious!! It’s creamy, a touch sweet, and pairs perfectly with a good piece of meat like prime rib. It’s also amazing on bread so you can use the sauce as a dip or put it in sandwiches (perfect for leftovers). We need to try this on pasta next.

Easy Slow Roasted Greek Lemon Potatoes Recipe Side Dish for Holiday Dinner and Parties
GREEK LEMON POTATOES RECIPE

We LOVE Greek Potatoes and we’re sure you’ll love them too. Try the recipe above paired with meat or ANY holiday dinner. 

Creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes with butter side dish
GET RECIPE AT FOXANDBRIAR.COM

Speaking of potatoes, if you’re getting a bit bored of the usual mashed potatoes you HAVE to give these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes a try! They’re creamy, buttery, and have just the right hint of garlic. If you want an even stronger garlic flavor you can also add more. They pair perfectly with any rich meat dish but potato lovers will gladly make a meal out of this alone!

Green bean casserole with cheese, mushrooms, and fried onions
GET RECIPE AT SOUTHERNBITE.COM

This Green Bean Casserole turned many casserole haters into lovers. Bacon, mushrooms, and cheese elevate the Thanksgiving classic but even without the mushrooms it’s a huge hit! 

Cornbread casserole holiday side dish
GET RECIPE AT THECOZYCOOK.COM

Here’s another casserole recipe superstar but made with cornbread. This easy recipe is by tv celebrity chef Paula Dean. It’s made with boxed Jiffy cornbread mix and simple ingredients that can be thrown together to bake in the oven or crock pot. It’s the perfect side for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas potlucks, or any holiday meal.

close up of sweet potato casserole with toasted pecans, brown sugar, and marshmallows
GET RECIPE AT SWEETANDSAVORYMEALS.COM

Everyone has sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving, why not make it into a casserole? This super festive Sweet Potato casserole is made with all of your favorite fall spices and topped with toasted pecans and marshmallows. It’s so decadent it could be a dessert!

That concludes our list of the BEST holiday appetizers and salads for every occasion. We hope atleast one of these becomes a staple in your celebrations.

Dish it to your friends!

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