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  4. 30 Perfect Christmas Appetizers to Make This Holiday Season

30 Perfect Christmas Appetizers to Make This Holiday Season

By Food & Wine Updated December 06, 2021
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Carrots en Croute
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Whether you're looking for something cheesy, meaty, or somewhere in between, these Christmas appetizers would make wonderful additions to your menu. Think classics like Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip, and Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives. If you're looking for seafood recipes, you can try Sea Scallop Lollipops, Maple-Dijon Salmon Skewers, and Calamari Toast with Hawthorn Sweet-and-Sour Sauce, too. Read on for even more of our best Christmas appetizers.

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Marinated Olives with Orange

Marinated Olives with Orange
Credit: © John Kernick
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Olives marinated in citrus juice, garlic, and spicy crushed red pepper become a sensational cocktail snack.

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Maple-Dijon Salmon Skewers

Maple-Dijon Salmon Skewers
Credit: Photo © Con Poulos
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These simple skewers feature a glaze of maple syrup, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, and a little bit of grapeseed oil.

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Boiled Shrimp with Spicy Mayonnaise

Boiled Shrimp
Credit: QUENTIN BACON
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Mustard and white pepper amp up the heat in this homemade mayo, served as a dipping sauce for shrimp.

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Herbed Salmon Tartare with Chips

Herbed Salmon Tartare with Chips
Credit: Ditte Isager
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Impress your Christmas dinner guests with this herbed salmon tartare, which is really easy to make.

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Potato Rösti with Pastrami


Potato Rosti with Pastrami
Credit: Victor Protasio
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"Once finished, you can blanket it in smoked salmon and crème fraîche, or layer it with pastrami and whole grain mustard," Gail Simmons writes. "Or even simpler: enjoy it under a gently fried egg for breakfast. It doesn't get much cozier than that."

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Sweet Potato and Feta Bourekas

Sweet Potato and Feta Bourekas
Credit: Greg DuPree
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Bourekas are crisp, savory little parcels filled with anything from vegetables and cheese to ground meat. Inspired by his grandmother's recipe, Michael Solomonov's version is stuffed with sweet potato, Bulgarian feta, dill, and olives.

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Brussels Sprouts Baba Ghanoush


Brussels Sprouts Baba Ghanoush
Credit: Greg DuPree
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After a whirl in the food processor, brussels sprouts and tahini come together to form a creamy dip in this riff on baba ghanoush. Michael Solomonov serves it topped with more roasted brussels sprouts and hazelnuts, and with warm pita for dipping.

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Duck Liver Pâté with Blackberry Conserva

Duck Liver Pâté with Blackberry Conserva
Credit: William Hereford
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The tartness and texture of the blackberry conserva is a nice contrast to the rich, silky pâté. Spoon leftover blackberry conserva on pancakes, waffles, or ice cream.

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Sea Scallop Lollipops

Sea Scallop Lollipops
Credit: © John Kernick
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Sweet and meaty sea scallops make the perfect skewer, great for dipping into this sweet-spicy sauce from chef Matt Jennings.

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Ricotta and Roasted Grape Crostini

Ricotta and Roasted Grape Crostini
Credit: © Fredrika Stjärne
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Athena Calderone's signature aesthetic comes through in this striking appetizer. Roasting the grapes concentrates and deepens their sweetness.

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Chile-Sumac-Pomegranate Nuts

Chile-Sumac-Pomegranate Nuts
Credit: Greg DuPree
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Cookbook author Nik Sharma's book Season weaves inspiration from his upbringing in Bombay with stories and experience from his adult life in the U.S. The result is a culinary memoir filled with craveable recipes like this one. Sharma notes that any mix of nuts will work for this recipe—just be sure to let them cool completely before serving or storing to ensure a crisp, not sticky, texture.

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Pigs in a Blanket with Black Pepper Pastry

Pigs in a Blanket with Black Pepper Pastry
Credit: © Abby Hocking
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Jen Pelka loves serving Champagne with playful bite-size foods like pigs in a blanket. To take them up a notch, she brushes the puff pastry with a tasty mix of honey, mustard, and fresh black pepper before rolling up with the hot dogs and baking.

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Crudités and Fermented Soybean Dip

Crudites and Fermented Soy Bean Dip
Credit: Greg DuPree
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This dip is the perfect way to show off whatever fresh vegetables you can get your hands on.

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Carrots en Croûte

Carrots en Croute
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
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This filling appetizer stars curry-and honey-roasted carrots wrapped in flaky puff pastry. For best results, look for carrots that are five to six inches in length. Pre-roasting carrots with curry and thyme balances their natural sweetness with rich, savory flavor, making them a satisfying stand-in for sausages.

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Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Credit: Abby Hocking
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A perfect cocktail snack, bacon-wrapped dates are chewy, crispy, sweet, savory, and smoky all at once. Plump and tender Medjool dates are stuffed with a mixture of blue cheese and cream cheese, and a toasted walnut stands in for the pit. Fresh goat cheese could easily be swapped for the blue cheese, and roasted salted almonds can replace the walnuts. For sweeter stuffed dates, drizzle them with honey before serving.

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Cheesy Sausage Cocktail Toasts

Cheesy-Sausage-Toasts-FT-Recipe2019211.jpg
Credit: Jennifer Causey
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"The topping for these toasts can be made a few days ahead, and it's as straightforward as browning some Italian sausage and melting in the cheeses," Andrea Slonecker writes.

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Four-Cheese Fondue

Four-Cheese Fondue
Credit: Marcus Nilsson
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This classic fondue from chefs Bruce and Eric Bromberg includes Jarlsberg, Emmental, Gruyère, and Parmigiano, plus just the right amount of kirsch. It's creamy, gooey, and perfectly balanced.

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Pimento Cheese with Salt-and-Pepper Butter Crackers

Pimento Cheese with Salt-and-Pepper Butter Crackers
Credit: © CON POULOS
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Carla Hall makes her own crunchy crackers to serve with her cheese spread, a riff on a Southern classic.

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Stilton-Stuffed Pickled Peppers

Stilton-Stuffed Pickled Peppers
Credit: Greg DuPree
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Two high-impact ingredients—funky Stilton cheese and pickled sweet or spicy peppers—come together to form the ultimate one-bite snack. Pickled peppers, like spicy peperoncini and mild Peppadew, are packed with enough flavor to stand up against strong cheeses. You can use most blue cheeses here, including Gorgonzola and Roquefort.

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Chile Crisp-Glazed Bacon Bites

Chile Crisp Glazed Bacon Bites
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
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For this snack, meaty bites of slow-roasted slab bacon are tossed with a homemade chile crisp that's studded with freshly toasted chunks of dried chiles, fresh ginger, and garlic. Native to Mexico, slender and spicy dried Japones chiles lend their heat to this quick and easy version of the popular Chinese condiment. For an even easier version, try this with your favorite store-bought version of chile crisp.

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Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip Recipe
Credit: Justin Walker
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Filled with four kinds of cheese and plenty of tender artichoke hearts, this dip is creamy with a crisp, golden top. Be sure to drain the thawed frozen spinach well to avoid excess water, which can break the cheese sauce.

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Spiced Sweet-and-Sour Ribs

Spiced Sweet and Sour Ribs
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
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Rubbed with toasted ground spices then lacquered with a sweet and tangy glaze of maple syrup and a duo of vinegars, these meaty ribs have a deep flavor and an irresistibly crackly crust.

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Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives

Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives Recipe
Credit: Victor Protasio
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Buttery, mild Castelvetrano olives add just enough salt and tang to these fried sausage snacks that pair beautifully with a crisp martini or chilled glass of wine. Use a high quality Italian sausage for the best texture and flavor.

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Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip

Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
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Inspired by merguez, a North African lamb sausage, these meatballs are loaded with cumin, garlic, and paprika for the ideal one-bite nosh. Harissa gives them a fiery heat that's tempered by the herby dip. You can also try preparing these make-ahead meatballs with ground beef or a plant-based meat alternative, such as Impossible.

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Mushroom Toasts with Délice de Bourgogne

Mushroom Toasts with Delice de Bourgogne
Credit: Eva Kolenko
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Délice de Bourgogne, a triple-crème cheese that's even more luscious than brie, is topped with pan-roasted mushrooms and herbs in this elevated appetizer.

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Four-Layer Caviar Dip

Four Layer Caviar Dip Recipe
Credit: Justin Walker
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Layers of creamy egg salad, crisp red onion, herbed cream cheese, and salty, briney caviar come together in a beautiful molded dip that serves up an entire caviar platter in one dish.

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Classic Cheese Ball with Spiced Pecans

Classic Cheeseball
Credit: Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke
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This iconic Southern hors d'oeuvre is a classic for good reason—it's easy to put together, looks polished on a platter, and boasts an irresistible savory flavor. Be sure to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes in advance so it has plenty of time to soften before mixing up the cheese ball.

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Calamari Toast with Hawthorn Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

Calamari Toast with Hawthorn Sweet and Sour Sauce
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
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This crunchy party appetizer from 2021 F&W Best New Chef Lucas Sin, of Junzi Kitchen and Nice Day in New York City, is inspired by classic Chinese shrimp toast. Here, Sin combines calamari and shrimp for the toast topper; a quick blitz in the food processor yields a tasty mixture that fries up perfectly crisp. Haw flakes, Chinese sweets made from the fruit of Chinese hawthorn, are a sweet and tangy snack usually served to guests with tea or as a treat for children; here, Sin uses them to flavor a dipping sauce for the toasts.

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Lumpiang Sariwa (Fresh Filipino Spring Rolls)

Lumpiang Sariwa
Credit: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
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For his lumpiang sariwa recipe, 2021 F&W Best New Chef Carlo Lamagna of Portland, Oregon, skips the deep fryer and instead makes these tender spring rolls by wrapping delicate homemade coconut crêpes around lettuce leaves filled with fresh vegetables. Topped with a sauce of soy sauce simmered with brown sugar and star anise and sprinkled with crunchy chopped peanuts, these lumpiang sariwa make a nice appetizer or light meal.

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Garlic-Butter Steak Bites

Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Credit: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford
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These quickly stir-fried beef bites deliver all the savory luxury of a steakhouse-caliber steak, without the stress over cooking one at home. The buttery, velvety sauce coats every piece nicely, and the vermouth's herbal richness pairs perfectly with the savory Worcestershire. Serve as an appetizer with toothpicks, or enjoy over mashed potatoes or polenta.

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    1 of 30 Marinated Olives with Orange
    2 of 30 Maple-Dijon Salmon Skewers
    3 of 30 Boiled Shrimp with Spicy Mayonnaise
    4 of 30 Herbed Salmon Tartare with Chips
    5 of 30 Potato Rösti with Pastrami

    6 of 30 Sweet Potato and Feta Bourekas
    7 of 30 Brussels Sprouts Baba Ghanoush

    8 of 30 Duck Liver Pâté with Blackberry Conserva
    9 of 30 Sea Scallop Lollipops
    10 of 30 Ricotta and Roasted Grape Crostini
    11 of 30 Chile-Sumac-Pomegranate Nuts
    12 of 30 Pigs in a Blanket with Black Pepper Pastry
    13 of 30 Crudités and Fermented Soybean Dip
    14 of 30 Carrots en Croûte
    15 of 30 Bacon-Wrapped Dates
    16 of 30 Cheesy Sausage Cocktail Toasts
    17 of 30 Four-Cheese Fondue
    18 of 30 Pimento Cheese with Salt-and-Pepper Butter Crackers
    19 of 30 Stilton-Stuffed Pickled Peppers
    20 of 30 Chile Crisp-Glazed Bacon Bites
    21 of 30 Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip
    22 of 30 Spiced Sweet-and-Sour Ribs
    23 of 30 Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives
    24 of 30 Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip
    25 of 30 Mushroom Toasts with Délice de Bourgogne
    26 of 30 Four-Layer Caviar Dip
    27 of 30 Classic Cheese Ball with Spiced Pecans
    28 of 30 Calamari Toast with Hawthorn Sweet-and-Sour Sauce
    29 of 30 Lumpiang Sariwa (Fresh Filipino Spring Rolls)
    30 of 30 Garlic-Butter Steak Bites

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    30 Perfect Christmas Appetizers to Make This Holiday Season
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