Make ahead appetizers are the best type because it doesn’t matter how busy or crazy your schedule might be, you can always make a delicious dish in no time! You can make them the night or day before and serve them with little prep time – which means less time worrying about cooking before having company or guests over and more time enjoying the people with you.

When you’re thinking of ideas for different types of things to make ahead of time the best things to do is to think of things that can be served cold or store easily. For example, a simple party snack mix that can be stored in an air tight containers is a great example. You’ll also find some great ideas in our cold appetizers section which has everything from 7 Layer Mexican Dip to Marinated Shrimp. Dips are also great for this because you can easily make them the day before as well. (You can find all of our dips & spreads here.

Here are all of our best make ahead appetizers that you can make the night or day before and serve minutes before your guests arrive:

Marinated Shrimp: Marinated Shrimp is an elegant recipe. Since the dish is delicious served cold, you can easily cook and arrange it all on a platter and keep refrigerated until time to serve it.

7 Layer Mexican Dip: This seven layer Mexican dip is very easy to make and can easily be made the night before. The most important thing is to make sure you allow the ground meat to cool completely so your lettuce doesn’t become soggy.

Antipasto Platter: Who doesn’t love a platter of olives, Italian meats, cheeses, and more? This is an easy way to put together some tasty snacks.

Tortilla Cream Cheese Pinwheels: Pinwheels are a great appetizer and are actually a lot easier to make than you would think! Since they require refrigeration time anyway, you can easily put them together before hand.

Buffalo Chicken Dip: Whether you choose our cold or hot version, both taste great and can easily be made ahead of time.

Fruit Tray: A fruit tray is delicious and sweet and you can make our Yogurt Fruit Dip is a great accompaniment. For best results, choose fruits which hold up well after being sliced, such as oranges, grapes, strawberries, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Fruits such as apples and bananas if they are a must have should be sliced and added immediately before serving because they have a tendency to discolor.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip: This is a classic dip for any party and relatively easy to prepare. It tends to hold well for about a day before serving.

Cold Crap Dip: This cold crab dip recipe is always a huge hit that has everybody raving for the recipe and again can be refrigerated before serving.

Bruschetta: You can easily make Bruschetta ahead of time. If you’re worried about having time to make the toasted bread, you can always take a short cut and buy the pre-made toasted bread typically available around or near the deli counter or cracker aisle of your local grocery store.

These are just some of the great examples of things you can easily make the day before and not worry about having to put a lot of time or effort into them. Do you have a favorite make ahead appetizer you’d like to share? Leave it in the comments section below!

We’ll likely continue to update this page as we add more recipes to the site, so you may want to bookmark it to check back! You can also always Subscribe to our Site to be notified of new updates and recipes added!

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Learning how to make chocolate tuxedo strawberries will enable you to create a tasty and visually appealing snack for any party or event you may be hosting. If you can melt chocolate and dip a strawberry into it, you are on your way to creating a fantastic and impressive gourmet treat for you and your guests!

First, here is what a chocolate tuxedo strawberry looks like:

How about that, a strawberry wearing a suit and bow tie! These are definitely a favorite amongst many crowds, and will have people ooh-ing and aah-ing all over the place.

While they look like they would be complicated to make, they are actually quite easy to do.

Here are the ingredients and materials you will need in order to get everything you need to make these delectable sweeties:

2 pounds of giant strawberries
1 eight ounce bar semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces (you can also alternatively use one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels)
1 eight ounce white chocolate bar, broken into pieces (again, you can alternatively use two bags of white chocolate chip morsels)
Toothpick for the fine details
Wax Paper for setting them down

And here are the directions for you to make this gourmet snack:

1. Prepare Your Fruits: Wash the strawberries carefully, being sure not to smash or bruise them. You will basically just want to rinse them off a little. Then, pat them dry because if they have water on them the chocolate is not going to set as well. Some people have asked me if the strawberries should be cold or room temperature. I like working with them when they are cold and slightly firm better, but it doesn’t really matter – if they’re at room temperature it will be okay.

2. Heat the White Chocolate: Now you will want to heat up the chocolate. There are a lot of different ways you can do this. Some people will just nuke it in the microwave, because that’s convenient and easy for them. You have to be careful with the microwave though, because you can actually burn the chocolate if you’re not careful. The same goes with heating it up in a saucepan on a burner of your stove. If you want to be super careful, I recommend using a double boiler to heat up the white chocolate. The bottom pan with water will prevent the chocolate from scalding. We’re going to do just the white chocolate part first because if you melt the regular semi-sweet chips at the same time, it might harden before you’re ready for it, making you pretty much just repeat a lot of work and extra steps you don’t need to. Once the chocolate is melted enough that it can be stirred, you are ready for the next step.

3. Dip the Strawberries: For this part you will want to dip the strawberry into the melted white chocolate, so that all of the berry is covered except for the very edge and the top. Place them on the wax paper for the chocolate to cool and harden.

4. Melt the Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Now you will want to melt the semi-sweet chocolate. Again, it doesn’t really matter how you do this, though I do suggest using a double boiler to ensure it doesn’t scald or burn.

5. Dip the Strawberries Again: Now we will dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture, but this time we will be careful to only dip each side so that it leaves a “V” shape for the neck of the jacket of the tuxedo.

6. Add the decorative Touches: The final step is to add the decorative touches of the buttons and the bow tie. You can do this by dipping a toothpick into the melted semi-sweet chocolate and then drawing it on, or some will use a cake decorating bag with a fine tip to do this. The choice is entirely up to you – whatever is the most comfortable for you is fine.

Now you’re ready to serve them up and enjoy! Need more great ideas for your party? Don’t forget to check out the rest of our appetizers while you’re here!

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This 7 layer Mexican dip recipe, often also called 7 layer taco dip, is a classic appetizer to serve, especially for casual gatherings such as birthday parties, sports parties, graduation parties, and more.

It gets it name of being seven layers because it typically includes 7 key ingredients: refried beans, ground beef, lettuce, tomato or salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and cheese. There are many different variations, and you can always add or subtract individual ingredients to suit your tastes. Many other popular additions include chopped onion, hot peppers, black beans, green chiles, black olives, crumbled bacon, and many others. This recipe is very simple to make and delicious. For something different, you could substitute the ground beef with cooked chicken.

7 Layer Mexican Dip

You Will Need:
1 Can of Refried Beans
1 pound of ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
1 cup guacamole
1 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: Brown ground beef in skillet until cooked through and drain. Mix in one package of taco seasoning with the meat according to package directions. If the package directions call for adding water, you may want to add very little or half the amount so the dip does not become “soupy”. Allow to cool to room temperature or refrigerate to assemble the dip later.

In a 9 x 13 glass pan, spread the can of refried beans in a thin layer on the bottom. Add the cooled taco meat. Spread the sour cream over the taco meat, then the guacamole. Layer next the salsa. You can also add any other additions you may wish to add such as olives, onion, broccoli, hot peppers or others. Top with lettuce and then the shredded cheese. Cover the baking pan with foil and allow it to refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. You can also use more or less of the measurements listed above according to taste preferences. For example, some people may like a little more salsa, or a little more cheese, or a little less lettuce, etc.

Note: You do not have to layer your dip exactly the way we have listed here, this is just what we’ve found works the best in keeping the lettuce on the top to stay crisp – plenty of good salads and dips have been made in a different order!

Serving Suggestions
7 Layer Mexican dip is good enough to eat all on its own. You will want to make sure that you have forks and plates available. While it is possible to eat it with your fingers, it could get a little messy!

Tortilla chips are the classic standby to serve with this dip. You can use our homemade tortilla chip recipe to create your own chips or you can serve with either white or corn tortilla chips. Some people even incorporate crushed chips into the dip itself, though this can lead to them becoming soggy if the dip is not eaten right away. While it’s unlikely you’ll have a lot of leftovers, usually it’s best to keep the chips separate. Blue corn chips or whole wheat chips are also very good.

If you will be serving a crowd that prefers the more “spicy stuff” but will also have guests that enjoy mild taco dip, a nice compromise is to place chopped jalapeno peppers in a small dish beside it, along with your favorite hot sauce of choice.

Do you have any suggestions or variations of this 7 Layer Mexican Dip you would like to share? We’d love to hear your comments below!

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• Guacamole Dip Recipe
• Cold Crab Dip Recipe
• Yogurt Fruit Dip Recipes
• Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe
• Baked Brie Recipe

This antipasto platter appetizer recipe is a gourmet appetizer that will be enjoyed by all guests. It is simple enough to make for even casual entertaining, yet elegant enough to also be suitable for formal functions as well.

Antipasto, an Italian tradition which translates literally as “before the meal” is typically known for referring to a mix of olives, cured meats, cheeses, peppers, and other foods that is often served before dinner along with wine. It has become widely popular across many other cultures, though it is not always served in the traditional style at the table before the main course is served. It is a great snack, or if combined with lettuce one of the best salads you’ll ever have.

Making antipasto as a platter appetizer is very simple to do, and you can either serve it traditionally while guests are seated at the table or you can serve it with other appetizers as a snack for guests who are mingling. You can certainly add or substitute your personal favorite assortments of meats or vegetables depending on your own tastes and the preferences of your guests.

Simple Antipasto Platter

You Will Need:
1 pound sliced pepperoni
1 pound sliced salami
1 jar pepperoncinis, drained
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 pound provolone cheese, cubed
1 pound mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 jar pitted olives, drained
1 bottle Italian vinaigrette dressing
Leaf Lettuce for garnish

Directions: Combine pepperoni, salami, pepperoncinis, grape tomatoes, provolone cheese and olives in large bowl or plastic bag. Coat with Italian dressing and allow to refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes prior to serving. Line a tray or platter with green leaf lettuce. After the mixture is done marinating, drain and discard any excess dressing and spread the mixture across the platter. Serve with sliced toasted French bread and toothpicks.

Antipasto Skewers

This is a simple serving variation of the above recipe. Instead of spreading the ingredients on a platter you would skew each piece on 3-4 inch sized wooden skewers after they have marinated. Alternate the different ingredients so each skewer has a nice balance of color and texture. (For example, alternate the ingredients on the skewer for a pattern of olive, cheese, meat, pepperoncini, cheese, meat, olive). Serve skewers on a leaf lined tray and with sliced French or crusty bread. Alternatively, you could also include pieces of fresh crusty bread on the skewers.

Do you have any other suggestions or serving ideas for creating an antipasto appetizer platter? We’d love to hear your recipe ideas below!

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• Easiest Finger Appetizers

There are many fantastic recipes for tortilla cream cheese appetizers, also known as tortilla pinwheels or tortilla roll-ups, which are always well received by guests and devoured quickly. They are an easy to make cold appetizer and can often be made ahead of time for easy preparation.

Turkey Strawberry Wrap Roll-Ups

You Will Need:
Large tortillas
1 pound of sliced deli turkey breast
Green leaf lettuce
1 package of strawberry flavored cream cheese

Directions: Spread a generous layer of the strawberry flavored cream cheese on the tortilla and top with leaf lettuce and several slices of the turkey breast. Roll as tightly as possible. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting. Use an electric knife if possible to cut the rolls into sections approximately 1 1/2 inch thick.

Roast Beef Roll-Ups

You Will Need:
1 pound of sliced deli roast beef
Large Tortillas
Leaf Lettuce
1 package cream cheese, softened (For more flavor, you may also use flavored cream cheese spreads, such as garlic or ranch)

Directions: Spread cream cheese onto tortillas and layer lettuce and roast beef slices. Wrap as tightly as possible and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing into 1 1/2 inch thick slices.

Spicy Chicken Cheese Roll-Ups
Large Tortillas
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 small can chopped black olives, drained
1 small can chopped green chilies, drained
Shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese
2 chopped green onions
1 can chunk chicken, diced

Directions: Mix cream cheese, olives, chilis, onions, shredded cheese, green onions, and chicken together until well blended. Spread generously onto tortillas and roll tightly. Wrap tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate at least two hours. Slice into 1 1/2 thick pinwheels. Garnish with parsley and serve with ranch dip or salsa.

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

You Will Need:
1 package cream cheese, softened (Can use flavored cream cheeses for more variety/flavor)
1 pound of deli shaved (chipped) ham
1 8 oz package of shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
Large Tortillas
Leaf Lettuce

Directions: Mix cream cheese and shredded cheese together. Spread generously onto tortillas and layer leaf lettuce and ham slices. Roll up tightly and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and slice into 1 1/2 inch slices..

Crabby Pinwheel Roll Ups

You Will Need:
1 can crab meat, drained
1 package of cream cheese, softened
1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
1 green onion, chopped finely
Leaf Lettuce
Large Tortillas

Directions: Combine crab meat, cream cheese, bell pepper, and green onion until blended through. Spread generously onto tortilla. Tightly wrap the tortilla and then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or longer before cutting into slices.

The possibilities are endless with these cream cheese tortilla appetizer roll ups. You can use any of your favorite dip recipes and combine them with meats and cheeses. You can also add variety by using flavored cream cheese or specialty tortillas, such as pesto tortillas or tomato basil.

Do you have any favorite tortilla pinwheel recipes you’d like to share? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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We’ve collected some of our favorite marinated shrimp appetizer recipes below for you to enjoy. You may also like our spicy shrimp appetizers, which have a little more kick to them.

When cooking marinated shrimp appetizers, you’ll want to remember one very important thing about marinating: you never want to allow the shrimp to marinate in the refrigerator for more than 30 minutes. While it is true with steaks or meats that the longer it soaks in the marinade the better, with shrimp it is different. Leaving it in the mixture for too long can cause it to become acidic or have a bitter flavor. Due to their small size, shrimp can soak up the flavor very quickly – so if you only have 10-15 minutes to allow it to soak that is perfectly fine and much better than if you were to leave it in the refrigerator for hours or worse, over night.

Cooking shrimp is very easy and can be done in a variety of ways. Simply discard the marinade before cooking. You can serve on skewers if using pre-cooked shrimp, grill on a charcoal or gas grill, or bake in a 350 degree oven. Shrimp is fully cooked when it is no longer translucent in color and the inside has turned a white color.

Now that we’ve shared that very important cooking tip with you, here are some of our favorites.

World’s Easiest Instant Marinade

You Will Need:
2 pounds shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 cup Italian Dressing

Directions: In a plastic bag or large bowl, coat the shrimp with Italian dressing and allow to marinate for up to 30 minutes before cooking.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Marinade
2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons of minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions: Mix olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice, and salt and pepper together. Coat shrimp evenly in mixture and allow to marinade for up to 30 minutes before cooking.

Lime Cilantro Shrimp

You Will Need:
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly squeezed juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions: Mix the lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, and salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in shrimp to evenly coat. Marinade for up to 30 minutes before cooking.

Shrimp and Artichoke Appetizer

You Will Need:
1 Cup Artichoke Hearts
1 pound Cooked Shrimp
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon Cilantro
1/8 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Lemon wedges
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine the shrimp, artichoke hearts, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cilantro, and parsley together until shrimp is evenly coated. This can be served either in a large serving bowl as a salad, or it can be divided into individual serving dishes, such as wine glasses or plates. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving and garnish with lemon wedges.

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These cheese cracker tray ideas and tips for creating a cheese tray will give an old party standard a new life with unique display options when making a gourmet cheese platter.

Choose a Variety of Cheeses
There are many different varieties of cheese available, so don’t be afraid to break free from the usual ones you serve. Ideally you will want three cheeses for a platter – having many more than this will have a lot of people guessing what is what or make it too cluttered. Check with your local deli and you may be surprised to find many different types and specialty flavors there are available! Ideally you want a balance of flavor and consistency, especially since different guests will all have different tastes and preferences. Some cheeses are hard and dry while others are softer and moist. Choosing ones that compliment each other will give you and your guests a nice variety of textures and flavors.

Here are some ideas for different types of cheeses you can serve:

Brick Cheese
Blue Cheese
Cheddar
Colby Jack
Cranberry Orange Cheese
Horseradish Cheese
Gouda
Monterrey Jack
Mozzarella Cheese
Muenster Cheese
Pepper Jack
Swiss

Pick the Right Crackers
Most grocery stores have an entire aisle dedicated to crackers, which can be quite overwhelming for some! There are the classic buttery snack crackersand thin wheat crackers that are usually a hit with everyone. Flavored onion, sesame, or other crackers also go very well with most cheeses. For something a little different or unique you can try Tuscon toast or small fresh bread slices.

Different Ways to Serve Cheese
There are several different ways you can slice and serve cheese. You can cut in up into cubes, serve in in triangle shapes, square shapes, or slender shavings. You can also get creative with softer cheeses and use miniature cookie cutters for all types of different shapes. The most important thing is to make sure the cheese is proportionate in shape and size with the crackers.

Another idea is to serve the cheese in large blocks and offer shaving or cutting tools for guests to carve their own piece. It will depend on the size of your party and the ability of your guests – obviously a party with many children this would not be a good idea since they would require adult assistance.

Add Garnishments
A cheese and cracker tray can go from ho-hum to spectacular with just a few garnishments. Popular garnishments include green or black olives, grapes, strawberries, or fresh pineapple chunks. Apples and Pears are popular as well. Apricot or grape jams can be a nice accompaniment, as well as nuts such as almonds. It’s important to not go too overboard with the different additions, but they can all take your cheese tray from average to gourmet and create an impressive and aesthetically pleasing array.

Choose a Unique Platter
There are many different platters and trays that can give a cheese and cracker display a creative and attractive presentation. There are many themed trays available, such as a football shaped dish for a Super Bowl party or a Christmas tree shaped dish for a holiday party. Cutting boards and other trays can add a nice decorative touch for an appetizing dish. Below are some unique ideas you can consider:

The possibilities are endless with cheese and cracker trays – and with a little creativity you can go from having an average platter to a gourmet cheese tray that’s sure to impress and please your guests. Have any suggestions or ideas? We’d love to hear them in the comments below.

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Here are some of the easiest finger appetizers to prepare that make entertaining for parties or unexpected guests very simple. Best of all, most of these can be made in under 20 minutes, including prep time.

Fresh Vegetable Tray
A fresh vegetable tray is very simple to prepare and requires no cooking at all. All you will need are some fresh veggies and a dip, which can in a pinch Ranch dressing will work or you can check out some of our dip recipes if you want to make your own.

Many vegetables don’t even need cut and more and more grocery stores are also selling pre-cut time saving foods such as celery or green peppers, which can also drastically reduce prep time.

Here are some great tasting veggies you can serve quickly:
Cherry Tomatoes
Baby Carrots
Mushrooms
Celery
Peppers
Snap Peas
Fresh String Beans

Cheese and Crackers
This is another very easy to prepare snack food that again doesn’t take more than just a few minutes to arrange on a cheese tray, especially if you get pre-cut cubed or sliced cheese from the deli section of your grocery store. Simply arrange the cheese on a platter and serve with your favorite snack crackers. For some elegant ideas, check out our Cheese Cracker Tray Ideas.

Parmesan Garlic Potatoes
This is another very easy one to make that only takes about 5 minutes to prepare and 10-15 minutes in the oven.

You will need:
4 Large Baking Potatoes
Parmesan cheese
Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper to taste
Olive Oil

Directions: Cut potatoes into small wedges or slices and arrange on a foil lined baking sheet. Lightly brush olive oil on potatoes and then sprinkle Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper on the potato wedges. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are done.

Variations: You can add many other seasonings or toppings to these, such as shredded cheese, bacon bits or crumbles, red pepper flakes, seasoned salt, or others.

Taco Biscuits
This simple recipe needs less than 5 ingredients and 10 minutes in the oven.

You Will Need:
1 Large Can Refrigerated Biscuits
1 Can Refried Beans
1 tablespoon taco sauce
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack Cheese
Sour Cream

Directions: Mix the refried beans and taco sauce together until blended. Line mini muffin pan with muffin papers and press 1 half of biscuit into the cup and press along sides. Spoon refried bean mixture and top with cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with small dollop of sour cream on top.

Pigs in a Blanket

You will Need:
1 package of appetizer wieners (mini Hot Dogs)
1 package of refrigerated crescent rolls
Deli Mustard

Directions: Tear small pieces of the crescent roll dough off and wrap around miniature hot dogs. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until the dough is cooked through. Serve with deli mustard for dipping on the side.

Easy Oven Barbecue Meatballs

You Will Need:
1/2 jar barbecue sauce
1 package frozen pre-cooked meatballs

Directions: In a large bowl, coat meatballs with barbecue sauce. (You may need to use more depending on the size of meatballs) Line the meatballs on a baking tray and bake the meatballs on a baking tray for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Stick toothpicks through each meatball and serve.

Antipasto Skewers
These are delicious and take very little time to make.

You will Need:
Skewers
Pepperoni
Ham Cubes
Mozzarella Cheese
Olives
Grape Tomatoes
Italian Dressing

Directions: On each skewer, alternate pepperoni, cheese, olives, grape tomatoes, and ham cubes. Dip each assembled skewer into Italian dressing and arrange on plate. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or longer before serving.

Do you have any other ideas for the easiest finger appetizers to prepare and make for parties or entertaining? We’d love to hear your ideas and recipes below!

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• Antipasto Platter Appetizer Recipe