Oh, how we love a meal before a meal- the appetizer!

There are some appetizers you need to get at a restaurant because some recipes just can’t be duplicated at home. Southwest Egg Rolls. Spinach Artichoke Dip. Olive Garden bread sticks. Bloomin’ Onions.

Others you can successfully make right in your own kitchen! Here are our favorite appetizer recipes that we have made over and over again for parties, to share with family, or just for a personal snack. We hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we do!

*We put our names by our favorites! Which sister shares your taste in food?

Our Favorite Appetizer Recipes

Dips & Salsas

Best Fruit Dip Ever from Layers of Happiness (MaLee)

Tara’s “Crack” Queso Dip”

Crab Rangoon Dip from 4 Sons “R” Us (Makayla)

Makayla’s Fire-Roasted Corn Guacamole or Madison’s Chunky Guacamole

Buffalo Chicken Dip from All Things Momma (Madison)

Cowboy Queso from The Cozy Cook (MaLee)

Light Appetizers and One-bite Wonders

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers from Mommy Makes it Better (Mariah)

Our dad loved these so much, that he now makes them every time we visit each other. No complaints there.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza Pinwheels from tablespoon.com (MaLee)

Cinnamon Almonds from The Recipe Critic (Maegan)

I love putting these almonds in a pretty bowl to snack on before (or all throughout) a party!

Corn Friters from Texas Recipes (Mariah)

We used to get these at Pollo Tropical before it went out of business in our area. These taste pretty close to the friters we loved!

Tara’s Marvelous Meatballs

These are my favorite!! I hope you like them! 

Add one package frozen meatballs, one jar of grape jelly, and one bottle of barbeque sauce (Bull’s Eye or Sweet Baby Ray’s is my favorite!) in crock pot. Cook on high 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Spear a toothpick into each meatball and serve individually for a delicious appetizer.

Potato Skins from Delish (Makayla)

Mozzarella Sticks from Pillsbury (Makayla)

Fresh Choices

 Summer Corn, Avocado, and Black Bean Salad from Produce on Parade (Mariah)

I am in love with this. It is so fresh and it’s something you just feel good eating! Dump it over tacos or eat it with restaurant-style chips- you can’t go wrong.

Madison’s Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag of frozen mixed fruit or fruit salad mix (both of these bags are available at Walmart). Mix and match with fruits you enjoy!
  • 1 single serving of honey yogurt (greek yogurt brands have delicious honey yogurt)
  • ½ of a cup of honey

Directions:

  1.  Place entire bag of fruit in a mixing bowl to thaw.
  2.  Once the fruit is thawed (but still cold), add the yogurt and honey.
  3.  Taste to test sweetness level. Add more honey if needed.
  4.  Put in fridge until time to serve.

Veggie Tray (Tara)

You can never go wrong with a veggie tray, especially in a cute arrangement! For example, my mom just did a Christmas tree shaped one for our Christmas parties. It was super cute!

Want a yummy ranch dip to dip your favorite veggies in? Add a ranch dressing packet to sour cream to taste. Stir it up and enjoy! Add more ranch if you like it stronger but start slow, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

Fresh Fruit Tray (Maegan)
I love to cut fresh fruit like strawberries, apples, and oranges so we all get something sweet before lots of “party food”, and it’s so yummy. Sometimes I’ll drizzle the strawberries with chocolate or the apples with a little caramel to dress it up a little. Children love this one too!

Hearty Appetizers

Simply Recipe’s Grilled Nachos (MaLee)

Madison’s Easy Walking Tacos:

Ingredients:

  • 1 can chili without beans
  • 1 package 6 oz. cream cheese
  • 3 ounces of queso dip
  • Fritos corn chips (large bag or individual bags)

Directions:

  1. Heat chili and cream cheese together in a microwave until thoroughly hot. Mix well.
  2. Pour mixture over Fritos and drizzle queso over the top

Tip: Pour the chili and cheese directly inside a single-serving bag of Fritos for easy clean up!

Enjoy! Which appetizer do you love?

-The Sisters of This Blue Dress

Want more food ideas? We thought so. Head over to our Food category for more delicious recipes!

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