13 Kid-Friendly Appetizers That Are Great for Easy Dinners, Summer Hangs, and Birthday Parties

This stunningly easy appetizer calls for just three ingredients and a slow cooker. You can set it up earlier in the day so it's ready right when everyone starts to get hungry for dinner.

No lunchbox sammies here. These sliders have it all: sweet slices of ham, irresistibly gooey Swiss cheese, soft Hawaiian rolls, and a savory butter drizzled over top.

Crescent roll dough and cocktail weenies are a match made in heaven. Don’t forget a little sprinkle of sea salt before baking and plenty of ketchup and mustard for dipping.

Kids will love this crunchy, sweet-and-savory goodness piled high. If you have a kid younger than 1 (or just because), switch out the honey butter for Buffalo sauce or warmed barbecue sauce. And as the recipe suggests, you can use different types of hot sauces (or skip it entirely) if your kids or other family members don't have a high tolerance for spicy foods.

Potatoes, bacon, cheese — what’s not to love? If you want to speed up the process a bit, "bake" the potatoes in the microwave before scooping, filling, and rebaking them.

These take a little bit of time and skill to make (about an hour total), but once you’ve tried Alyse Whitney’s homemade crab rangoons, you may never want to settle for the takeout version again. No countertop fryer? No problem! These can be air-fried, too.

These wings are a great choice for kiddos who might not be down with Buffalo sauce quite yet but still appreciate a little drumette. Garlic and Parmesan provide plenty of punch in lieu of Buffalo or barbecue sauce. If your crew prefers their wings on the crispier side, leave them in the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

Small toasts are a hit for small folks, and this fresh tomato bruschetta is a quick and easy app that you will want to make over and over again, especially in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak.

If your kids love cheese and/or fried things, these scrumptious fried goat cheese balls will be a hit. While they might seem a little intimidating at first, this is a super simple recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes. And the sweet and tangy mango dip is so good, you’ll be scrounging around for more things to dunk in it.

A fixture of the state fair, fried pickles are pure fun. This recipe ditches the deep fryer, getting the cornmeal-breaded pickles crispy in the oven. The dip — a simple mayo-chup or ranch.

Some of the best appetizers are the old-timey ones, like these retro sausage balls. The combination of sausage, Bisquick, and cheese makes these a great choice for App Night or to take along to any party where you want to be a well-loved guest.

This is really a meal in dip form, making it a smart and substantial choice for dinner. The protein-rich dip gets its heft from white beans, and there’s also corn, bell peppers, and (optional) jalapeños, plus chicken of course, making this a filling dip to serve with tortilla chips.

My kids love these cheesy toasts that get their flavor from mild green chilies. It’s sort of like cheesy garlic bread and, thus, extremely lovable. (Some commenters took issue with the amount of butter, so if that’s a problem for you, just skip it and brush the bread with olive oil instead.)