Irresistible Slow-Cooker Appetizers
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
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.
Related: Try our Ham Sliders
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Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Blue Cheese and Bacon
Smoky bacon and salty blue cheese bring new flavor to an old favorite.
Related: Warm and Cheesy Recipes
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Cranberry-Sauced Meatballs Appetizer
Shape and bake the chicken meatballs ahead of time, then pop them in your slow cooker with cranberry and barbecue sauces.
Related: Slow-Cooker Potluck Recipes
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Swiss-Artichoke Dip
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.
Related: Easy Dip Recipes
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Caramelized Onion-and-Cranberry Cheese Toasts
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
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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Lemon-Zested Snacker Mix
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
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.
Related: Festive Holiday Party Drink Recipes
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Caponata Sicilianata
Spoon nutritious slow-cooked veggies onto sliced bread or crackers for a healthy appetizer.
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Mango-Habanero Pulled Chicken Bites
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
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
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
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
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
For a super-easy appetizer: Slow cook mushrooms with crushed red pepper, hoisin sauce, water and minced garlic.
Related: 20 Recipes for Mushroom Lovers
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Fruit Chutney with Spiced Chips
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
Choose your favorite flavor of chicken sausage links and cover with an easy homemade glaze.
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Slow Cooker Sweet-Hot Nuts
Nuts in your slow cooker? Sure! Just toss them with sugar, butter and spices, and cook on low heat for two hours.
Related: Easy Nut and Snack Mixes