Irresistible Slow-Cooker Appetizers

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated August 27, 2020

Make zesty meatballs, tender pulled meat, crunchy snack mixes and savory dips in your slow cooker—perfect for serving at your next gathering.

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Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Pulled-Pork Sliders

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A boneless pork shoulder roast slow cooks with vegetables and herbs until it's fork-tender. Combine with a homemade barbecue sauce for the last hour of cooking, then spoon onto sliders with coleslaw and chopped pickles. 

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Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Blue Cheese and Bacon

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Smoky bacon and salty blue cheese bring new flavor to an old favorite.

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Cranberry-Sauced Meatballs Appetizer

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Shape and bake the chicken meatballs ahead of time, then pop them in your slow cooker with cranberry and barbecue sauces.

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Swiss-Artichoke Dip

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Artichoke hearts, dried tomatoes and sauce combine for a rich, creamy dip. Our recipe calls for processed Swiss cheese because it melts smoothly, but regular Swiss cheese will work fine, too. The dip will have a more stretchy, less creamy texture, but it tastes just as good.

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Caramelized Onion-and-Cranberry Cheese Toasts

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These tempting bite-size treats feature a slow-cooked mixture of onion, apple and cranberries served over a blend of cheeses on toasted French bread. Use any leftover onion mixture as a relish for pork or poultry.

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Greek Stuffed Meatballs

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Stuff these easy slow-cooker meatballs with Greek Kasseri or feta cheese and top with our Greek Tomato Sauce for a crowd-pleasing starter.

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7 of 21

Lemon-Zested Snacker Mix

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Healthy snacking made easy! Slow cook cereal, seeds and nuts with a savory blend of lemon peel and herbs.

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Mulled Cranberry Punch

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Cranberry juice, juice concentrate, spices, orange juice and water simmers in your slow cooker. If you're serving this punch at a party, keep it warm on the low-heat setting for up to two hours.

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Caponata Sicilianata

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Spoon nutritious slow-cooked veggies onto sliced bread or crackers for a healthy appetizer.

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Mango-Habanero Pulled Chicken Bites

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Sweet barbecue sauce, refreshing mangoes and hot habaneros give zesty flavor and color to slow-cooked chicken. Serve on baguette slices with additional mango.

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Thai Chicken Wings with Peanut Sauce

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Don't let the short ingredient list fool you: these chicken wings have huge flavor. That's because they're slow-cooked in a zingy garlic-and-ginger peanut sauce, with a pop of lime for good measure.

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Spicy Mustard Stir-Fry Bites for a Crowd

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Start this appetizer by stir-frying packaged strips of chicken, pork or beef, then let the strips slow cook in a mix of spicy mustard and fajita seasoning. Fill warmed tortillas, slice and serve!

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Barbecue Turkey Wedges

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This combo of barbecue sauce, chopped veggies and cooked ground turkey tastes great on oven-crisped pita wedges. 

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Tea and Cider Wassail

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Tea, four fruit juices and spices brew in your slow cooker. Serve the drink from the cooker or a heatproof bowl.

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Hoisin-Garlic Mushrooms

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For a super-easy appetizer: Slow cook mushrooms with crushed red pepper, hoisin sauce, water and minced garlic.

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Fruit Chutney with Spiced Chips

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Guests will love this spiced mixture of apples, pears and cranberries. Cinnamon pita chips can be prepared a day in advance or purchased to save time. Top each serving with crumbled goat cheese.

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Sweet-and-Sour-Glazed Chicken Sausage Bites

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Choose your favorite flavor of chicken sausage links and cover with an easy homemade glaze.

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Slow Cooker Sweet-Hot Nuts

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Nuts in your slow cooker? Sure! Just toss them with sugar, butter and spices, and cook on low heat for two hours.

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Cuban Pork Wraps

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Slow-cooked pork shoulder roast turns to a tender shredded meat filling for flour tortillas.

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Bourbon-Glazed Cocktail Sausages

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A rich blend of apricot preserves, maple syrup and bourbon adds a sweet accent to smoked sausage.

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Molasses-Lime Meatballs

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Molasses, lime juice and soy sauce add a pleasant kick to slow-cooked meatballs.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com