Easy Appetizer Ideas: 2-Ingredient Appetizers

Easy appetizers don’t have to begin and end with a cracker. When the holiday season rolls around, every publication and food company sends out an email blast with recipes for easy party appetizers. Those appetizers always consist of something on a cracker. Dip on a cracker. Chicken salad on a cracker. Cracker on a cracker. I don’t want to be a hater, but I think this is a little boring.

That’s why I put together this list! If you’re like me and bored of crackers, scroll down. These simple and delicious two-ingredient appetizers are sure to impress your guests or make you the most popular person at the potluck this holiday season. Here are five easy appetizer ideas that anyone can make.

Potato Chips + Potato Salad

easy appetizers — Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon / Ralphs

I know this sounds insane, but just trust me. Potato salad scooped up with kettle-cooked potato chips is unbelievably good. If you think of it as a duo of potatoes it suddenly feels much fancier. You can either leave the potato salad as is or puree it up into a whipped potato salad-flavored spread, like an American knockoff of skordalia. When it comes to the chips, it’s hard to go wrong. Dill pickle, classic, salt and vinegar: almost every chip would be good for this. Is this a two-ingredient appetizer where both ingredients are potatoes? Yes. Embrace it. Love it! At least try it (and then send me an apology for thinking I was wrong about it).

Egg Bites + Prosciutto

Thanks to Starbucks, egg bites are everywhere (including the newly released Trader Joe’s version). People love them because they are the perfect, bite-size nosh when you’re feeling peckish. If you want a simple, egg-based appetizer without having to hard boil 9,000 eggs for deviled eggs, try prosciutto-wrapped egg bites! Take an egg bite, wrap it in a piece of prosciutto, keep it in place with a toothpick, and then toss them in the oven until the prosciutto is cooked. You will have a meaty, gluten-free app.

Goat Cheese + Olive Salad

2 ingredient appetizers — Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon / Target

An olive salad goat cheese log will stun on your cheese board this holiday season. All you need is one log of goat cheese (feel free to grab one of the small half logs if you’re feeding fewer people) and a jar of olive salad. Drain some of the olive salad, but make sure to save the oil to make pasta salad or salad dressing, and then pour your drained olive salad out on a plate. Roll your log of goat cheese over the olive salad while pressing lightly so the olives coat the outside of the log. Serve it immediately or wrap it in saran wrap and chill for a few hours before serving. It tastes so good and it feels holiday-inspired because of the reds and greens in the olive salad. Who knew such an easy party appetizer could feel so fancy?

Dumplings + Edamame Hummus

Forget chips and dip, we’re doing dumplings and hummus. Toss any type of frozen dumpling, wonton, or gyoza into the air fryer until cooked through and crispy. Toss them on a plate with a bowl of edamame hummus in the center. Serve with a side of toothpicks for easy eating and you have a delicious dip departure.

Cream Cheese + Italian Dressing

My aunt has been mixing cream with cheap Italian dressing for years and it crushes at every single holiday party. Mix dressing (the amount varies based on the consistency you want) with some softened cream cheese and that’s it. You’re done. You can let it chill and then roll it into tiny, zesty cheese balls people can pop into their mouths. You can set it out with crudites for dipping. My family’s favorite way to eat it is on little cucumber tea sandwiches. This easy appetizer is as delicious and versatile as can be.