20 Christmas Party Appetizers That Look Festive and Take 15 Minutes

Six o’clock arrives whether the platter is ready or not, and the doorbell does not wait for a centerpiece to finish setting. This lineup skips the three hour showpieces and sticks to appetizers built for a host who still has to change her shirt before the first knock. Cheese, dough, dip, the holy trinity of hosting, all dressed in red, green and cream so nothing looks like a regular Tuesday snack.

Expect dairy, gluten, eggs, tree nuts, shellfish and fish to turn up across the twenty recipes below, so scan the ingredient lines if anyone at the table is avoiding one. Some of these come together while the oven preheats; others want a head start in the fridge, and each card says which. Once the food side is sorted, these easy Christmas party games fill the gap before dinner without any extra shopping.

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Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

This is the one that needs no cooking, no oven, and almost no nerve. A block of cream cheese and a spoon of cranberry sauce, swirled together, already look like they tried.

The tang of the cranberry cuts the richness of the cheese, and the pecans add the only crunch in the bowl. Swap pecans for walnuts if that is what is already open in the cupboard.

Prep: 10 minutes | Total: 10 minutes | Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Crackers, for serving

Instructions

1. Let the cream cheese sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then spread it flat onto a shallow serving plate.
2. Spoon the cranberry sauce over the top and swirl gently with the back of a spoon, leaving streaks of cream cheese showing through.
3. Scatter the toasted pecans, orange zest and cinnamon over the surface.
4. Chill for at least 10 minutes if time allows, then set out with crackers for dipping.

Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread

Biscuit dough, torn into pieces and piled into a tree shape, looks like far more effort than it took. That gap between appearance and actual work is the whole point of this list.

Pull one piece off the tree and the cheese stretches, which is exactly the small drama a party snack should cause. If the oven is busy with something else, this one holds well on the counter under foil until a rack frees up.

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Total: 35 minutes | Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 (16 oz) cans refrigerated biscuit dough, quartered
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed, for dipping
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into a star and thin strips, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss the quartered biscuit pieces with melted butter, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
3. Arrange the pieces on the sheet in the shape of a tree, piling them so it looks full and slightly uneven, like a real one.
4. Scatter mozzarella and parmesan over the dough, pressing a few pieces of red pepper in as ornaments.
5. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden and cooked through in the center.
6. Top with the red pepper star, add a pepper strip for the trunk, and serve warm with marinara for dipping.

Wreath Crescent Ring

Crescent dough has one party trick and this is it: fanned into a circle, it bakes into a shape that needs no explaining on a holiday table. The ham and cheddar filling keeps it from reading as just bread.

Rosemary sprigs tucked into the twists read as greenery from across the room, and pomegranate seeds do the work of berries without a single plastic bell in sight. It can sit assembled, unbaked, in the fridge overnight.

Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes | Total: 45 minutes | Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup cooked ham, diced small
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 egg, beaten
• Fresh rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Unroll both tubes of dough and arrange the triangles in a circle on a round baking sheet, wide ends overlapping in the center and points facing out.
2. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then stir in the ham, cheddar and chives.
3. Spoon the filling onto the wide overlapping section of the ring.
4. Fold each point over the filling and tuck it under the dough on the opposite side to seal, working around the ring.
5. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until deep golden.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes, then tuck rosemary sprigs between the twists and scatter pomegranate seeds over the top like berries.

Holiday Cheese Ball

Some objections are fair: a cheese ball can look dated if it arrives plain and round with nothing on top. Rolling it in parsley and pecans fixes that in under a minute, and suddenly it reads as intentional rather than leftover from another decade.

It also solves the biggest hosting problem there is, which is needing something ready before guests arrive. Shape it three days ahead and it only firms up and improves in the fridge.

Prep: 15 minutes | Chill: 1 hour | Total: 1 hour 15 minutes | Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Crackers or pretzel sticks, for serving

Instructions

1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the cheddar, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.
2. Scoop the mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and gather it into a ball.
3. Twist the wrap tightly and chill for at least 1 hour, until firm enough to hold its shape.
4. Mix the chopped pecans and parsley on a plate.
5. Unwrap the ball and roll it in the pecan parsley mixture, pressing gently so it sticks all over.
6. Set on a platter with crackers or pretzel sticks.

Antipasto Wreath

No oven, no timer, just assembly, which makes this the one to hand off if a guest asks to help. The red tomatoes, green olives and cream mozzarella arrange themselves into a palette that belongs on the table without any further styling.

It behaves like a cousin to a board you eat standing up, just shaped into a ring instead of a rectangle. Build it straight onto the platter it will serve from, since moving a finished wreath rarely goes well.

Prep: 20 minutes | Total: 20 minutes | Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 8 oz mozzarella pearls
• 4 oz sliced salami, folded into quarters
• 1 cup mixed olives
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
• Fresh basil leaves, olive oil and Italian seasoning, to finish

Instructions

1. Mark the center of a round platter with a small bowl or plate.
2. Working in a ring around the center, alternate tomatoes, mozzarella, folded salami, olives and roasted peppers so the colors repeat evenly.
3. Tuck basil leaves between the ingredients to fill any gaps.
4. Drizzle the whole ring with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning just before serving.
5. Set out small skewers or toothpicks alongside for easy grabbing.

Candy Cane Caprese

A plain caprese skewer disappears on a crowded table. Laid out in a curved row with the angle alternating, the same three ingredients suddenly read as a stripe, which is the whole trick here.

It stays cold and needs no reheating, so it can sit out the entire party without anyone hovering near it. Skewer everything up to four hours ahead and keep it chilled until the last minute.

Prep: 20 minutes | Total: 20 minutes | Yield: 24 skewers

Ingredients

• 24 cherry tomatoes
• 24 bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)
• 24 small fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Flaky salt, to finish

Instructions

1. Thread one tomato, one basil leaf folded in half, and one bocconcini ball onto each small skewer.
2. Lay the skewers side by side on a long platter, curving the top of each one slightly to one side.
3. Alternate the direction of every other skewer so the row reads like the stripes of a candy cane from across the room.
4. Drizzle the balsamic glaze and olive oil over the top in thin lines.
5. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt just before guests arrive.

Pesto Star Bread

This one earns the gasp of the whole table, and it costs nothing more than dough, pesto and a little patience with a knife. The twisting looks fiddly in photos and takes about ninety seconds once the pattern clicks.

Green pesto against golden pastry already covers two thirds of the palette without trying. Shape the star ahead and refrigerate it, unbaked, until the oven is free.

Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Total: 40 minutes | Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 sheets store-bought pizza dough or puff pastry rounds, same size
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 egg, beaten
• Flaky salt, for the top

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll each piece of dough into an equal circle and stack them on a baking sheet, spreading pesto and a third of the mozzarella between each layer.
2. Place a small glass or round cutter in the center of the stack and press down lightly to mark it, without cutting through.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut from the edge of the circle to the glass, making 16 even strips like spokes on a wheel.
4. Pick up two neighboring strips and twist them away from each other twice, then pinch the ends together to form a point.
5. Repeat around the circle to create an 8 point star.
6. Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with flaky salt, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until deep golden.

Baked Brie with Jam

Four ingredients, one dish, and it still looks like the most expensive thing on the table once the center runs soft. That gap between effort and effect is exactly why it keeps showing up on every holiday menu.

Fig jam works as well as cranberry if that is what is already in the cupboard. Bake it in the dish it will be served from, since a warm brie does not travel well mid-collapse.

Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Total: 20 minutes | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 wheel (8 oz) brie
• 1/3 cup cranberry or fig jam
• 2 tablespoons pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Crackers and sliced baguette, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set the brie wheel in a small baking dish.
2. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the center feels soft when pressed and the rind looks slightly puffed.
3. Spoon the jam over the top and scatter with pecans and thyme.
4. Serve immediately, while the center is still warm and runny, with crackers and baguette slices.

Shrimp Wreath Platter

Shrimp cocktail already works on its own, so arranging it into a wreath is pure styling, no extra cooking required. Tails pointed outward and a bowl of sauce in the center does all the heavy lifting.

Buy it already cooked and this becomes closer to assembly than cooking. Contains shellfish, so flag it clearly near the platter for anyone with an allergy.

Prep: 15 minutes | Total: 15 minutes | Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb cooked, peeled and deveined large shrimp, tails on
• 1 cup cocktail sauce
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Fresh parsley and rosemary sprigs, for the greenery
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, for the berries

Instructions

1. Arrange the shrimp tail-side out in a tight ring around the outer edge of a round platter.
2. Set a small bowl in the center and fill it with cocktail sauce.
3. Tuck parsley and rosemary sprigs between the shrimp so the greenery peeks through like a real wreath.
4. Dot cherry tomatoes around the ring for color.
5. Finish with lemon wedges tucked along the outer edge.

Mini Meatball Skewers

Meatballs alone are a slow-cooker cliche. Threaded between red and green pepper squares, they turn into something that photographs well and still eats like the easy party food everyone wants.

If the oven is already full of other appetizers, this one lives entirely on the stovetop, much like the approach in this air fryer batch list for freeing up oven space. Glaze and skewer a day ahead, then reheat gently before serving.

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Total: 25 minutes | Yield: 24 skewers

Ingredients

• 24 cooked meatballs (1 inch), thawed if frozen
• 1 cup cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 24 squares
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 24 squares

Instructions

1. Warm the cranberry sauce and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth.
2. Add the meatballs and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until glazed and heated through.
3. Thread one red pepper square, one meatball, and one green pepper square onto each small skewer.
4. Arrange on a platter and spoon any extra glaze over the top before serving warm.

Cucumber Tree Bites

This is the cold, crunchy counterweight the table needs once the cheese and pastry start piling up. A cucumber round topped with a piped tree shape is more garden than greenhouse, but it reads as Christmas instantly.

It skips gluten entirely, which quietly solves one guest’s problem without anyone announcing it. Slice the cucumber ahead but pipe the topping just before serving so it stays crisp.

Prep: 25 minutes | Total: 25 minutes | Yield: 24 bites

Ingredients

• 2 English cucumbers, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 cup whipped cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped, plus small sprigs for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced very small

Instructions

1. Pat the cucumber rounds dry with a paper towel so the topping stays put.
2. Mix the cream cheese with chopped dill and garlic powder.
3. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip, or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
4. Pipe a small cone shape onto each cucumber round to look like a tree.
5. Press a few pieces of diced red pepper onto each tree as ornaments.
6. Top each with a tiny dill sprig to finish the tree.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

Every party needs one hot, bubbling dish that disappears before dessert arrives, and this is usually it. Spinach and artichoke under a blanket of mozzarella hits the comfort note that the cold platters cannot.

Mix it the night before and it only needs its final bake once guests are on the way. Serve with sturdy crackers or sliced bread that can actually scoop it.

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes | Total: 35 minutes | Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 14 oz canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Stir together the spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, half the mozzarella and the parmesan in a bowl until evenly combined.
3. Spread into a small baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top.
5. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving with bread or crackers.

Olive Penguins

This is the one that makes someone laugh out loud over the snack table, and that reaction alone earns it a spot. Black olives already look like a penguin body before anyone touches them.

It takes patience rather than skill, closer to a craft project than cooking. Make these last on the prep list so the carrot stays crisp and the belly dot stays neat.

Prep: 25 minutes | Total: 25 minutes | Yield: 12 penguins

Ingredients

• 12 jumbo pitted black olives
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 1 small carrot, cut into tiny triangles
• Toothpicks, for serving

Instructions

1. Spoon the cream cheese into a small piping bag or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
2. Stand each olive upright on a platter, hollow side facing out slightly.
3. Pipe a small dot of cream cheese onto the front of each olive for the belly.
4. Press one small carrot triangle into the base of each olive on either side for feet, and one at the top for a beak.
5. Chill for 10 minutes so the cream cheese firms up, then serve.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Sliders solve the question nobody wants to ask out loud: is there actual food here, or just things to dip. One tray, sliced once, feeds a crowd without anyone needing a plate.

The poppy seed butter on top is what turns plain ham and cheese into something that tastes planned. Assemble the whole tray ahead and bake it cold once the first guests arrive.

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Total: 30 minutes | Yield: 12 sliders

Ingredients

• 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls, left connected
• 12 oz deli ham, sliced
• 6 slices Swiss cheese, halved
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the whole tray of rolls in half horizontally without separating them, and set the bottom half in a baking dish.
2. Layer the ham and Swiss cheese evenly over the bottom half, then set the top half of the rolls back on.
3. Whisk together the melted butter, Dijon mustard and poppy seeds, and brush generously over the tops.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake another 5 minutes, until the tops are golden.
5. Slice into individual sliders along the seams and serve warm.

Santa Hat Strawberries

This is the only sweet thing on the list and it earns its spot purely on looks. A trimmed strawberry with a ring of cream piped on turns into a hat with almost no instruction needed.

It belongs next to the savory platters as the one bite that reads as dessert without committing to a whole tray of it. Pipe the cream no more than two hours ahead, since it softens as it sits. For an actual dessert table, these decorated cupcakes round things out.

Prep: 20 minutes | Total: 20 minutes | Yield: 16 pieces

Ingredients

• 16 fresh strawberries, hulled, bottoms trimmed flat
• 1 cup whipped cream
• Small star piping tip and bag

Instructions

1. Slice the pointed tip off the top third of each strawberry and set the tips aside, they become the hat points.
2. Trim the bottom of each strawberry flat so it stands upright on its own.
3. Pipe a small ring of whipped cream around the base of the strawberry body, like the white trim of a hat.
4. Set the strawberry tip back on top at a slight angle.
5. Pipe one small dot of whipped cream at the very top for the pom-pom.
6. Chill until ready to serve.

Mini Beef Wellington Bites

This is the one to make when the party deserves to feel like more than snacks. Seared beef, mustard, mushroom and a wrap of puff pastry turns a dinner party classic into something eaten with fingers.

It costs more than the dip and the cheese ball, so save it for the night that calls for it. Wrap the bites ahead and bake straight from the fridge once guests arrive.

Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Total: 45 minutes | Yield: 16 bites

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup mushroom duxelles (finely chopped cooked mushrooms)
• 1 sheet puff pastry, cut into 2 inch squares
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper, to season

Instructions

1. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper, then sear in a hot pan for 1 minute per side, until browned but still rare in the center. Let cool slightly.
2. Brush each cube with a little Dijon mustard and top with a small spoonful of mushroom duxelles.
3. Wrap a square of puff pastry around each cube, pinching the seams closed underneath.
4. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet and brush the tops with beaten egg.
5. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 to 18 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden.
6. Rest for 5 minutes before serving warm.

Spiced Nuts

Every table needs one thing that is not a dip, a dough, or a skewer, and warm spiced nuts fill that gap while smelling like the whole kitchen decided to help decorate. They also cost less than almost anything else here.

The egg white coating is what makes the spice stick instead of falling to the bottom of the bowl. Bake up to a week ahead and store airtight, they only get better.

Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Total: 30 minutes | Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups mixed raw pecans, walnuts and almonds
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the egg white until frothy, then toss the nuts in it until evenly coated.
3. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne and salt, then sprinkle over the nuts and toss again.
4. Spread in a single layer on the sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
5. Cool completely on the sheet before breaking apart and serving.

Cranberry Salsa

Fresh cranberries are not just for sauce. Pulsed raw with sugar, cilantro and jalapeno, they turn sharp and bright, closer to a salsa than anything traditionally holiday, and that contrast is what makes guests go back for more.

Poured over a block of cream cheese it needs no further styling at all. Make the salsa two days ahead, it only improves as the flavors settle.

Prep: 15 minutes | Chill: 30 minutes | Total: 45 minutes | Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 8 oz cream cheese block, for serving

Instructions

1. Pulse the cranberries and sugar in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed.
2. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro, green onions and jalapeño.
3. Chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors come together.
4. Set the block of cream cheese on a plate and spoon the salsa over the top.
5. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips alongside.

Gougères

These sound like the kind of thing that needs a culinary degree, but choux pastry is just a dough you beat eggs into. The payoff is a cheese puff that is crisp outside, hollow and soft within.

They freeze unbaked and go straight from freezer to oven without thawing, which makes them one of the genuine do-ahead wins on this list. Gruyere can swap for any sharp melting cheese already in the fridge.

Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes | Total: 45 minutes | Yield: 24 gougeres

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded gruyere

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Bring the milk, water, butter and salt to a boil in a saucepan.
3. Remove from heat and dump in the flour all at once, stirring hard until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides.
4. Let cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each until the dough turns smooth and glossy.
5. Fold in the gruyere, then drop tablespoon sized mounds onto the sheets, spaced well apart.
6. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until puffed and deep golden, without opening the oven door early.

Smoked Salmon Blinis

This is the bite that makes a casual party feel slightly dressed up without anyone having to say so. A little crème fraîche, a drape of salmon, a scatter of dill, done.

Contains fish, so note it clearly for anyone avoiding seafood. Assemble no more than an hour before guests arrive, since the blini soften once topped.

Prep: 15 minutes | Total: 15 minutes | Yield: 24 blinis

Ingredients

• 24 mini blini (store-bought or homemade)
• 4 oz crème fraîche
• 4 oz smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers
• Lemon zest, for garnish

Instructions

1. Warm the blini briefly according to the package, or in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side.
2. Top each one with a small dollop of crème fraîche.
3. Drape a piece of smoked salmon over the top.
4. Scatter with capers, dill and a little lemon zest.
5. Serve right away while the blini are still slightly warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many appetizers do I need per person for a Christmas party?

It depends on what follows. For a party heading into a full dinner within the hour, three to four small bites per guest across a couple of recipes is plenty. If the appetizers are the whole event, plan for five or six different recipes and roughly ten to twelve pieces per person, since a cocktails-only crowd grazes far longer than a dinner crowd.

Which of these can I make the night before?

The holiday cheese ball, cranberry salsa, spiced nuts, hot spinach artichoke dip and the wreath crescent ring (assembled but unbaked) all hold overnight in the fridge without losing anything. The ones with whipped cream, like the Santa hat strawberries, or anything piped onto cucumber, go on the list for the morning of instead.

How do I keep hot appetizers warm during the party?

A low oven set around 200°F holds baked items like the pull-apart bread, sliders or spinach artichoke dip for a good stretch without drying them out. For anything simmered, like the mini meatball skewers, a small slow cooker on the warm setting does the same job without taking up oven space.

What are good no-cook appetizers for a Christmas party?

The cranberry cream cheese dip, antipasto wreath, candy cane caprese, shrimp wreath platter and olive penguins need no oven or stovetop at all, just assembly. They are the ones to lean on when the oven is already full of something else.

How far in advance can I make a cheese ball?

A cheese ball shapes and chills well up to three days ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic. Roll it in the pecan and parsley coating closer to serving time so the coating stays textured instead of softening into the cheese.

Can these appetizers be made without nuts or shellfish for allergies?

Most of them adapt easily: drop the pecans from the cheese ball, dip or spiced nuts, and skip the shrimp wreath and smoked salmon blinis if shellfish or fish are a concern. The pull-apart bread, wreath crescent ring, sliders, gougeres and spinach artichoke dip are naturally free of both.