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Pizza night deserves an appetizing introduction. Serving up some tasty appetizers before your pizza makes for a fun and flavorful meal. The right appetizers will set the stage for your upcoming pizza and enhance the entire dining experience.
Selecting the perfect appetizers to serve alongside everyone’s favorite pie requires some thought. You want to pick dishes that complement but don’t overwhelm the star of the show – the pizza.
We love to make our pizza from scratch – it is the best way to have a family pizza night, and the whole family can help make the pizza. It’s the perfect way to get the entire family together, and you can load it up with your favorite toppings to make pizza that everyone will enjoy. If you use fresh pizza dough, be sure to purchase or make an extra ball of dough to make homemade garlic knots or cheesy bread!
From cheesy dips, tomato bruschetta, and Italian antipasto pasta salad to fun finger foods, you can mix and match a few selections for the ultimate start to your pizza party. Here are some of the very best appetizer recipes to kick off your pizza night.
Serve up some garlic knots, baked brie, or antipasto skewers to delight your guests before slicing into the main event. Read on for lots of delicious appetizers to make sure you start your meal off on the tastiest foot possible.
Buffalo Chicken Dip is such a great appetizer recipe to serve at parties, for game day, or to serve with pizza. This creamy dip recipe is so easy to make and will be a hit for sure!
Crispy romaine lettuce, crunchy bacon, and blue cheese in a flavorful, zesty homemade dressing, this Royal Street Salad is perfect as an appetizer, side, or quick lunch idea.
You can’t go wrong with fried mozzarella! They are much easier to buy frozen and heat up, but you can definitely make your own.
Homemade Mozzarella Sticks with String Cheese
Making homemade mozzarella sticks with string cheese is not a difficult proposition, particularly if you take advantage of the fact that string cheese is already in perfectly portioned sticks ready to fry! All you need to do is bread them and dunk them in oil!
Loaded Potato Skins baked up with cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions or chives are the perfect appetizer for a pizza party. They are one of my favorite appetizers to serve as a Super Bowl snack as well!
Fully Loaded Crispy Potato Skins
4.73 from 11 votes
These Fully Loaded Crispy Potato Skins are a delicious appetizer or side dish recipe. The flavorful seasoning, fluffy potato, crispy skins – and you can’t forget the cheese – make this a recipe that will quickly become a family favorite!
Make Italian-style meatballs with marinara sauce or pizza sauce for dipping. You can use your favorite meatball recipe or frozen meatballs from the grocery store to make it easy.
BBQ Meatballs are also a super easy appetizer.
Easy 15 Minute Stove Top BBQ Meatballs
Let’s skip the slow cooker and have these delicious sweet and savory stove top BBQ Meatballs ready in 15 minutes with no grape jelly!
This Oven Roasted Rosemary Potatoes recipe is one of our favorite potato recipes. Yukon gold potatoes cook in an herby butter until they are buttery soft, and the rosemary gives them such a delicious flavor.
This Homemade French Fry Seasoning is so easy to make and is perfect for adding some flavor and spice to plain French fries. It is a Copycat of Popeye’s Cajun Sparkle and is the best way to season oven-baked fries, fries made in the air fryer, or deep-fried fries!
I personally am a big fan of the cheese fry and pizza combo. If I am splurging, I love splitting a big plate of chili cheese fries with a group – just a few bites are all I need. It is the perfect appetizer to share. At home, we sometimes make Roast Beef Debris Fries topped with melty cheese and green onions, using leftover roast beef debris.
Oven Baked French Fries
5 from 1 vote
Easy Oven Baked French Fries are coated in olive oil, tossed in delicious seasoning, and baked until crispy. They are so easy to make, and when served with a burger and delicious dipping sauce – they are so good.
These BBQ Grilled Potato Slices with Blue Cheese Dip are a quick and easy side dish recipe that goes perfectly with your favorite hamburger or grilled chicken recipe.
Everyone loves chips and salsa, so you can’t really go wrong there! And they are a cheap option.
Fresh Salsa
5 from 2 votes
Fresh Salsa made with tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro is a perfect summertime snack. Served with tortilla chips, it is the perfect treat for a hot summer afternoon.
Making your own Homemade Salsa could not be easier. Made with fresh ingredients, this easy homemade salsa recipe is one of the best ways to use summer tomatoes and is the perfect salsa for any occasion.
Cherry Tomato Salsa is naturally sweet with tons of fresh garden flavors. Made with only six ingredients – and no tedious chopping – it couldn’t be easier to make.
Soft dough knots baked with garlic butter, parsley, and parmesan cheese. Serve the garlic knots with a side of marinara sauce for dipping, and you have a perfect appetizer!
Homemade Garlic Knots Recipe
These garlic knots are made from scratch in just over an hour! My recipe is easy (no mixer!) and makes chewy, buttery, and garlicky knots.
Zucchini fries are a healthier option, especially if you make them in the air fryer. Indulge in some crispy vegetables as your appetizer before the pizza main course!
The BEST Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
Make amazing Air Fryer Zucchini Chips for your family with this simple recipe! A crunchy coating of panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese makes these healthier fried zucchini chips poppable and irresistible.
Easy Southern Potato Salad Recipe with Pickles and Eggs
This Easy Southern Potato Salad made with Hard-Boiled Eggs and Pickles is a summertime favorite. It has a creamy, flavorful mayonnaise dressing and is topped with Creole Seasoning for a perfect finishing touch.
Skewers are a great way to make portable appetizers. If you want people to be able to mingle and not have to sit down in one place, skewers or charcuterie cups
Caprese Skewers – Alternate cherry tomatoes, balls of mozzarella cheese, and basil on a skewer with a balsamic drizzle for an easy pizza treat.
Antipasto Skewers – Italian meats, cheeses, olives, and pickled vegetables threaded on skewers are easy to put together and are portable for easy prep. Antipasto is a classic Italian appetizer for pizza, and skewers make perfect pizza appetizers – it’s a match made in heaven.
Charcuterie Cups
Charcuterie Cups
Easier than putting together an extravagant charcuterie board. These charcuterie cups are perfect for all your gatherings. Guests love them!
Forget expensive cheese platters. Wow your family and friends with the world’s most easy appetizer – Baked Brie! 15 minutes oven or 2 minute microwave!
And, my favorite – if it is fall, you can make a pumpkin shaped cheese ball! It’s cute, delicious, and festive. The perfect appetizer.
Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball
5 from 1 vote
This Easy Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball is the perfect appetizer to bring to a Fall party. It's cheesy, delicious, and made with simple ingredients. This festive pumpkin cheese ball deserves to be the star of the show at every gathering this time of year.
I love making recipes that bring family and friends to the table. Here you will find delicious, family-friendly, and Tried and True recipes that are quick & easy to make.
