15 Make-Ahead Appetizers to Simplify Your Easter
Easter should be about spending time with family and loved ones, not spending all of your time in the kitchen. Keep your holiday simple with these appetizers that can be prepared ahead of time. Try classics like our Lemon-Garlic Marinated Shrimp or fun dishes like our Carrot Cake Cheese Ball that will impress everyone around the table
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Endive with Goat Cheese, Strawberries & Walnuts
Vary this quick-to-assemble vegetarian appetizer recipe with the season. Try sliced nectarines in place of the strawberries in the summer and halved grapes in the fall. Chopped pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts are all delicious in place of the walnuts as well. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2017
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Lemon-Garlic Marinated Shrimp
Marinating precooked shrimp in garlic- and lemon-infused oil is a simple yet elegant appetizer. Source: EatingWell Magazine, December 2006
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Carrot Cake Cheese Ball
This sweet carrot-shaped cheese ball recipe is a clever take on an Easter dessert favorite: carrot cake. Serve with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, gingersnaps or apple slices for dipping fun that both kids and adults will love.
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Point Reyes Toma Frico with Pea Puree
A frico is a cheese crisp that can be eaten plain or topped like a cracker. These are made with nutty, creamy and buttery Point Reyes Toma cheese from California's Marin County, but they're also delicious made with aged Gouda or Manchego cheese. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2017
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Asparagus & Salmon Spring Rolls
These spring rolls are filled with smoked salmon, tender-crisp asparagus and plenty of fresh herbs. Spring rolls look impressive when you put them out for a party, but they are actually easy to make. To simplify the process, lay out all the ingredients you need to make the rolls near your work surface before you begin. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2011
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Picnic Deviled Eggs with Fresh Herbs
These eggs are perfect for a picnic because they're so portable. Instead of cutting them in half lengthwise, we just cut the tops off so they can stand upright in an egg carton for easy filling, transport and storage. We swapped in Greek yogurt for the traditional mayo to save calories. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2018
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No-Bake Apricot-Almond Balls
These peanut butter, dried apricot, and toasted almond balls make an easy on-the-go snack. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine
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Strawberry & Brie Bites
Strawberries, Brie cheese, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar come together in this addictive one-bite appetizer recipe. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2015
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Roasted Beet Crostini
The entire beet plant--roots, stems and greens--can be used in this stunning appetizer. The beets are roasted then pureed with goat cheese for a creamy ruby-red spread. The greens and stems are sautéed with olive oil and garlic for the topping. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2008
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Roasted Garlic & Asparagus Salad
The dressing for this roasted asparagus salad recipe uses fresh garlic scapes--available in spring from farmers' markets or gardeners. Use chopped fresh garlic in the dressing if you can't find garlic scapes. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2013
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Nutty Pimiento Cheese Balls
These bite-size pimiento cheese balls from Jamie and Bobby Deen are a huge hit with kids (of all ages). They're the perfect appetizer to bring to a summer picnic. Jamie and Bobby share a passion for great home-cooked food with a Southern flair with their celebrity-chef mom, Paula Deen. These brothers are following in their mom's footsteps with their own TV shows, books and website. Our favorite part of what they're up to: healthy makeovers of some of Paula's recipes! Recipe adapted from The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up, by Jamie & Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark (Ballantine Books, 2011). Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2011
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Strawberry Bruschetta
Astoundingly good for minimal effort, this makes an indulgent weekend breakfast or anyday dessert. A judicious smear of mascarpone (half the fat of butter) is part of the luxury, but even lighter low-fat cream cheese will work as well. The real secret is warming the berries just enough to make the flavor bloom and transform their juices into a rosy syrup. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June/July 2005
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Crispy Phyllo Spinach Tartlets
Frilly layers of phyllo dough surround the festive spinach and sun-dried tomato filling in a dressed-up version of Greek spanakopita. Serve these as a main dish for supper and you're sure to please vegetarians and omnivores alike. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2008
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Pickled Asparagus
In this unique asparagus recipe, we swap out the cucumbers typically used for pickling and opt for asparagus spears instead, which remain tender-crisp even after soaking up the sweet-tangy pickling liquid. Serve these pickled asparagus spears as part of an appetizer spread, chop them up to use as a salad topper or munch on them as a zingy, refreshing snack. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2020
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Ranch Dip & Crunchy Vegetables
Adults and kids alike love the tanginess of this ranch-style dip. By using nonfat buttermilk and low-fat mayonnaise for the creamy base we've cut the fat substantially and eliminated the saturated fat. It only takes 15 minutes to make and keeps for 3 days so it's perfect for a healthy snack in a pinch. Source: EatingWell Magazine, August/September 2006
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