Your Party Needs Cheese — Here Are 21 Appetizers You'll Love
Without a few cheese appetizers, was it even a party?
Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser
Holiday party menus call for crowd-pleasing dishes that everyone from your neighbor to your cousin’s new partner will enjoy. For us, cheese is a winning addition. It pairs nicely with wine and cocktails, is ideal for a buffet or cocktail party at which small bites need to be satisfying, and lends itself to make-ahead recipes, whether its a whipped feta dip served with cucumbers, a classic cheese ball, biscuits with a Parmesan coating, or any of our baked Brie options. Try a few of these cheese appetizers at your next party.
Mushroom Toasts with Délice de Bourgogne
Triple créme cheese, an ultra-rich version of Brie, is topped with pan-roasted mushrooms and herbs in this elegant appetizer from chef and TV star Kristen Kish.
Oysters Rockefeller with Pimiento Cheese
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
Chef John Ondo’s Lowcountry riff on classic Oysters Rockefeller includes bacon, pimiento cheese and collard greens, plus a topping of buttery toasted crackers.
Whipped Feta with Cucumbers
The taste of the Mediterranean shines through in this airy feta spread by Chicago chef Jimmy Bannos, Jr. He serves it with olive oil–marinated cucumbers for a refreshing contrast.
Arancini
Arancini, the crispy-on-the-outside and cheesy-on-the-inside fried rice ball, is the ultimate cocktail hour snack. Star chef Michael Symon makes his risotto the day ahead for easy prep and then breads the mozzarella-filled balls just moments before frying to get that perfect, crunchy crust.
Baked Brie in a Bread Bowl
Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser
Can you ever go wrong with baked Brie? Baking it in a bread bowl takes it to a whole new level. After it bakes, stir in fig jam and capers for a mix of sweet and savory flavors that complement the decadent melted Brie perfectly. Meanwhile, the toasted bread is the perfect built-in scooping device.
Green Peppercorn-Marinated Feta
Marinating cubed feta is a low-effort move with big-flavor results. Pair it with crackers and fruit to anchor your cheese board. Feta’s slightly airy texture makes it perfect for soaking up bold flavors, such as these briny, piquant peppercorns. For the best results, look for feta in brine, and drain off the brine before marinating. Save the feta brine to marinate chicken or pork chops.
Cheese Croustades
A dollop of sweet-tart cranberry relish hides at the center of the goat cheese and ricotta mousse for a burst of flavor. Garnish then with fresh chives or tart lemon zest for some color and brightness.
Mushroom Flatbread with White Miso
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Store-bought flatbread makes this dish fast and easy enough for impromptu entertaining. Cut it into small pieces to make it easy for guests to nab a bite from a buffet or passed tray.
Camembert Baked in the Box
This tender, melty cheese bakes in its wooden box to keep it from collapsing, and to make serving and cleaning up a snap.
Classic Cheese Ball with Spiced Pecans
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.
Spinach Maria
Spinach Maria is a classic dish originating from Calhoun's, an east Tennessee barbecue joint. It's made with lots of spinach, Monterey Jack cheese, and crushed red pepper. The cheese sauce is rich with warmth from the cayenne and nutmeg, and the extra layer of melted cheese on top makes it perfectly indulgent.
Pimiento Cheese & Bacon Crostini
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
The only thing better than pimiento cheese is pimiento cheese with bacon on toast. This recipe from Gina and Patrick Neely makes enough for 40 crostini, so will feed a small group.
French Onion Baked Brie
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Amelia Rampe
Savory caramelized onions meet gooey melted baked Brie in this appetizer, which combines the best part of our favorite bistro soup with flaky, buttery puff pastry.
Crostini with Grilled Sweet Onions and Blue Cheese
Don’t skip the zippy honey-vinegar drizzle on these toasts — it coaxes out even more flavor from the sweet onions and balances the sharp, tangy blue cheese.
Spinach Dip Hot Bread
Take the classic spinach dip appetizer to new heights with this irresistibly cheesy appetizer from Mr. Digby's in San Francisco.
Feta-Stuffed Marinated Olives
Cookbook author Adeena Sussman relies on fragrant za'atar, a spice blend ubiquitous across the Middle East, to flavor these briny, feta-stuffed olives with its notes of thyme, marjoram, sumac, and sesame seeds.
Two-Bite Parmesan Biscuits
These biscuits are baked on a bed of grated Parmesan cheese, resulting in a crispy, cheesy crust around the bottom of each biscuit.
Cheddar Cheese Coins
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Cheddar Cheese CoinsThese crisp and buttery crackers with a sharp cheddar bite are perfect for snacking on their own or served topped with prosciutto. Lisa Donovan's recipe allows you the option to flavor these with green chiles, benne and black pepper, or bacon.
Cheese Straws
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Shell Royster
Crisp, savory, and with a satisfying snap, cheese straws are a Southern staple, and these were honed to perfection by the legendary culinary duo Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock.
Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue
Julia Hartbeck
Steamed red-skinned potato chunks, grilled or toasted Tuscan bread cubes, and pear slices are all great for dipping in cheese in this recipe from chef Melissa Kelly. Be sure to stir the Swiss fondue as you dip.
Stilton-Stuffed Pickled Peppers
Two high-impact ingredients — funky Stilton cheese and pickled sweet or spicy peppers — come together to form the ultimate one-bite snack.
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