In this post: I’m sharing five easy appetizer ideas that can be ready in ten minutes or less. Perfect for holiday gatherings, or even if it’s just you, your hubby, and the dog! 


Serving fun appetizers doesn’t have to be hard! You don’t have to come up with super fancy food to serve your guests – or yourself. I mean, you can. But you don’t have to. There are simpler ways to wow with easy appetizers that can be ready in 10 minutes or less! The ideas here are perfect for any size New Year’s Eve gathering!

5 Easy Appetizers

5 EASY APPETIZERS

1. Meatballs and BBQ Sauce

MEATBALLS AND BBQ SAUCE

Meatballs are a classic party and potluck dish. In a covered casserole dish, microwave several meatballs smothered in BBQ sauce for about 5-6 minutes. Try different sauces paired with different types of meatballs for variety. Serve with tooth pics for easy snacking.

2. Chips and Dip

CHIPS AND DIP

Guacamole is simple to make fresh with a few simple ingredients. Or you can buy ready made guacamole and salsa and serve with different types of chips – white corn, blue corn or bean chips.

3. Meat & Cheese “Skewers”

MEAT AND CHEESE SKEWERS

Not really skewers in the traditional sense, these are more like mini skewers. Simply cut cubes of cheese and half inch lengths of pepperettes and slide onto tooth pics. Use a selection of cheeses and meats for variety.

4. Veggies and Dip

VEGGIES AND DIP

Cut up various veggies and serve with any dip you like. Or keep it simple and portable – put a little ranch dressing in shot glasses and then add a baby carrot or two in each.

5. Caesar Salad in a Glass

CAESAR SALAD IN A GLASS

Just about every one loves Caesar salad. But at a party, forks and plates can be a pain. Instead, put some Caesar salad dressing (try the best Caesar salad dressing recipe ever!) in the bottom of a tall glass and add a leaf of lettuce and a breadstick or two. Easy delicious dipping!

Related: How to Make Grazing Boards + The Best Charcuterie Board Ideas

Here are a few more easy appetizer ideas:

  • If you’re hosting a large party, try using individual (disposable) cups for things like guacamole or salsa and chips – put a little dip in each cup and place a few chips on end into dip just before serving.
  • Shrimp and cocktail sauce work well on small red wine glasses – fill the glass halfway with cocktail sauce and hook a few shrimp around the edge of the glass.
  • Pickles and olives make fabulous easy appetizers because they’re already bite-size!
  • Quick Ritz or Glutino pizza crackers are super yummy too!

Next time you host a get-together or want something fun to have yourself, don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Just serve a few of these easy appetizers and enjoy visiting with your guests or hunkering down with a good movie!

More Appetizers and Snacks

What are some of your go-to easy appetizers?

shannon photo and sig oct 2022