7 easy make-ahead appetisers

Easy make-ahead appetisers

Rosella helps you be at the table, not in the kitchen. These easy and tasty starters can be prepared ahead, so when the guests come around you only need to reheat or add finishing touches. Get ahead of the party with these recipes this year!

Baked Brie Puffs with Fruit Chutney

Time: 25 mins

Makes: 18 puffs

If you need something quick, these puffs are a winning idea. You can also make them ahead, just store in the fridge and warm in the oven before serving. Creamy brie, flaky puff pastry, and fruit chutney for spice, sweetness and savouriness – what more do you need? The rosemary and pepper are optional too, so you can cut this recipe down to just three ingredients!

Pork and Veggie Sausage Rolls

Time: 1 hour 30 mins

Makes: 48 sausage rolls

Deliciously moist and tasty sausage rolls are easy to achieve, thanks to a splash of tomato sauce and grated cheese added to the mix. You can make these ahead and freeze them, uncooked, for up to two months. When you’re ready, just pop them right into the oven still frozen and bake.

Cheese and Cocktail Onion Party Hedgehog

Time: 20 mins

Serves: 12

Who else just got transported back to the 70s? Once a VIP guest at every party, it’s time for the hedgehog to shine once again. Skewer the cabanossi and cheese ahead of time and refrigerate in airtight containers. Add the cocktail onions just before serving and you’re ready to go. This recipe is also an easy one to delegate to any kitchen helpers!

Celebration Devilled Eggs

Time: 18 mins

Serves: 12

Devilled eggs are a classic bite for any party. Separate the whites and yolks, make the yolk filling and store them separately up to two days ahead. On the day, pipe the filling then store in fridge until ready to serve. Garnish with paprika and more pickled onions and they're ready to go!

Creamy Spinach, Onion and Artichoke Dip

Time: 25 mins

Serves: 6-8

Hot, cheesy dip is an essential at any good party. Prep this one ahead and it will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. Throw it under the grill until golden and bubbly and it's ready to go. What sets this dip apart is the addition of chopped cocktail onions, which cut through the richness and will keep everyone coming back for more.

Edible Cheese Board

Time: 40 mins + proving time

Serves: 8

Turn ready-made pizza dough into a cheese board you can eat! Make it a day ahead, simply shape and bake for 15 minutes, let cool and refrigerate overnight. To serve, add the brie and reheat in the oven for 10-15 minutes, then arrange with the rest of the charcuterie and cocktail onions.

Ham, Cheese and Chutney French Toast Bake

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Makes: 25 vegetarian curry puffs

So crisp and light, these curry puffs are vegetarian so they’ll please everyone. Prepare and freeze them for up to three months, or store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Pull-apart Christmas Tree

Pull-apart Cheese and Onion Christmas Tree

Time: 50 minutes, plus 30 minutes proving

Makes: 16 scrolls

These cheese and onion scrolls are so cute baked in a Christmas tree shape, but you can arrange them in any shape or even cook them individually. Make the dough up to two days ahead. Wrap tightly and refrigerate. On the day of baking, bring to room temperature before rolling, filling and baking. You can also bake the scrolls, cool, wrap and refrigerate for two to three days. Warm in a 150°C oven for 10-15 minutes, brush with butter and garnish with more pickled onions before serving.

Get the recipes

Make your life even easier by saving these recipes to your free personalised myfoodbook cookbooks. Log in to save recipes to your cookbooks, or register to start collecting now!