Quick and easy appetizers

Nothing gets a meal off to a better start than a delicious appetizer. When you have planned a really special meal or even when it is just a weeknight dinner, offering your guests or family a quick and easy appetizer takes your meal up to another level.

However, when you have spent a lot of time and energy on your main course and maybe even a dessert, it is hard to find the energy it takes to make a complex appetizer. Not to worry, there are plenty of quick and easy appetizers that can satisfy your guests and do not require a lot of time and effort.

Shrimp cocktail

While this is quite an impressive appetizer especially when served in a special glass it is one of the simplest ones to prepare. Shrimp can be purchased from the supermarket already cooked and cleaned so there is no work involved. To make homemade cocktail sauce only requires ketchup and horseradish and a squeeze of lemon. The size of the shrimp adds significantly to the overall impression so, if you can afford it, go for the jumbo shrimp and hook them over the edge of individual sherbet dishes filled with cocktail sauce.

Baked Brie

Baked brie is a magnificent addition to any meal and it is easy and simple to make. Puff pastry can be purchased frozen in sheets and the cheese is sold really to go, all you need to do is remove the cover. To make this really special, buy a jar of good quality jam, apricot or raspberry is a good choice. Spread it on the top of the cheese then wrap the cheese in the puff pastry and bake. Serve with simple crackers, crostini or fruit and watch your family and friends be very impressed.

Antipasto platter

It is very easy to make an antipasto platter that is quite impressive and simple to throw together from items that you can pick up at the grocery store. Mix your own container of olives from the olive bar at your grocery store. If your olive bar also offers fresh mozzarella balls, these are perfect for the platter. Pick up a jar of artichoke hearts, a jar of roasted peppers, yellow peppers are a good choice if they are available and a jar of marinated mushrooms. A small container of grape or cherry tomatoes and a stick of pepperoni finish up the items for your platter. Choose an attractive platter and set out your feast.

Cheese and crackers

When you want a quick and easy appetizer, it is hard to beat cheese and crackers. It is also one of the most versatile. You can change the crackers and the cheese and it is different every time. Try to have at least three kinds of cheese and two different crackers. One aged cheese, one sharp cheese, and one soft cheese is a nice combination.

Many quick and easy appetizers can be thrown together in a very short amount of time and still make your guests realize that you cared enough to go the extra mile. Be creative, be simple and most of all be delicious.