6 Easy Holiday Appetizers That Disappear Fast

I've got six appetizers that'll disappear fast at any holiday party. These are the ones people stand around and eat until they're stuffed, then go back for more. Let's get cooking.

For the Stuffed Mushrooms:

• 1 lb baby bella mushrooms, washed and de-stemmed
• 1 block cream cheese (8 oz)
• 3-4 oz shredded Parmesan
• ½ cup shredded cheddar
• 3 teaspoons ranch seasoning (about 1 packet)
• Olive Garden croutons, crushed

For the Pizza Dip:

• 2 blocks cream cheese (8 oz each), softened
• Kinder Buttery Garlic and Herb seasoning (or garlic powder + Italian seasoning)
• ¾ can pizza sauce
• 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan
• Mini pepperonis
• Italian seasoning
• Baguette bread bites for dipping

For the Pizza Meatball Cups:

• 1 roll pizza dough
• 1 roll crescent dough sheet
• Garlic butter (store-bought or homemade)
• 24-32 thawed frozen meatballs (3-4 per cup)
• Pizza sauce
• Mini pepperonis
• Shredded cheddar and mozzarella
• Jumbo muffin tin

For the Mexican Street Corn Dip:

• 1 block cream cheese (8 oz)
• 1 bag frozen sweet corn (Bird's Eye)
• 1 can Mexican-style corn, drained
• 1 block pepper jack cheese (8 oz), cubed
• All-purpose Mexican seasoning
• Tajín
• Garlic powder
• Tortilla chips

For the Roast Beef Dippers:

• 2 cans crescent roll dough (16 triangles total)
• 48-64 slices deli roast beef (3-4 per crescent)
• Garlic butter
• Kinder Buttery Garlic and Herb seasoning
• Shredded mozzarella
• Au jus gravy for dipping

For the Pimento Cheese Sausage Balls:

• 1 lb Jimmy Dean sage sausage (or hot/mild)
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz pimento cheese (Palmetto brand if you can find it)
• 8 oz shredded cheddar
• 1½ cups all-purpose baking mix (like Bisquick)
• For dipping: sour cream, hot sauce, oyster sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix the cream cheese, Parmesan, cheddar, and ranch seasoning together until smooth. Fill each mushroom cap with the mixture — flatten it first, then mound it up on top. Sprinkle crushed croutons over each one for crunch.

Bake for 20 minutes. You want the mushrooms tender but still with a little bite. The croutons get toasty, the cheese gets melty, and these things are gone in minutes.

Press both blocks of softened cream cheese into the bottom of a small baking dish. Season with the buttery garlic and herb seasoning (or garlic powder and Italian seasoning). Spread pizza sauce over the top — use about ¾ of a can. Layer on the mozzarella and Parmesan. Top with mini pepperonis and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.

Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot with baguette bread bites. I'm not kidding — this stuff is addictive.

Press one roll of pizza dough over the top of a jumbo muffin tin. Use a glass to push the dough down into each cup. Brush with melted garlic butter. Drop 3-4 thawed meatballs into each cup. Add pizza sauce — a couple teaspoons per cup so they don't get mushy. Sprinkle mini pepperonis over the top, then add shredded cheddar and mozzarella.

Lay the crescent dough sheet over the top and pinch the edges together around each cup. Brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with seasoning. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.

Cut them apart with a pizza cutter along the ridges — they pop right out. The bottoms cook through, the meatballs get done, and you've got little personal pizzas in a cup.

Add the block of cream cheese to a 9x9 baking dish. Pour in the frozen corn and drained Mexican-style corn. Season with Mexican seasoning, Tajín, and garlic powder — about a teaspoon each. Cube the pepper jack cheese and scatter it over the top. Sprinkle more Tajín and garlic powder on top.

Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, then stir until everything's melted and creamy. Sprinkle more Tajín on top and serve with tortilla chips. I ate half of this myself.

Separate the crescent dough into triangles. Place 3-4 slices of roast beef on each one and roll them up. Brush the tops with garlic butter and sprinkle with seasoning. Top with shredded mozzarella.

Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with au jus for dipping. I meant to put the cheese inside, but hey — happy little accidents, right? Still works.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the sausage, cream cheese, pimento cheese, shredded cheddar, and baking mix. Mix until well combined. Scoop onto an ungreased baking sheet — I got about 38 out of this batch.

Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. The bottoms get crispy from the cheese.

For the dipping sauce, mix sour cream with a couple teaspoons of hot sauce, a teaspoon of oyster sauce, and garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Trust me on this one.