I think we can all agree that appetizers are a must for any and all Friendsgiving feasts. The very best pre-dinner bites are easy to pull together yet look and taste wildly impressive. If you're on appetizer duty for your Friendsgiving this year, here are five fast and fancy recipes for a crowd that really embrace the season.

This fast and fancy appetizer is what you get when you cross puff pastry with garlic bread, and it is nothing short of amazing. Treat a sheet of puff pastry to a generous slick of melted butter, plus plenty of garlic, parsley, and Parmesan, and you've got a crowd-pleaser that's sure to win you accolades.

If you want to start Friendsgiving with a recipe that's bound to be a huge hit, look no further than bacon-wrapped dates. Super-sweet dates are stuffed with tangy, creamy goat cheese, then wrapped with a strip of salty bacon before they're popped in the oven. This is also a great choice if you want to get a head start, because the dates can be prepped a day ahead, and then covered and stashed in the fridge before baking. They're super easy to transport, and irresistible whether they're served warm or room temp. You might want to make extra because, trust me, they'll be gone in a flash.

Having another way to work butternut squash into Friendsgiving is always a good idea. Frozen puff pastry is the sneaky-smart ingredient that makes this savory-sweet app feel fancy and totally impressive, and is yet so surprisingly simple to pull together. I love giving this a fun retro twist by swapping the shallots for those crispy fried onions that we always find on green bean casserole. Cut the finished tart into smaller squares so there's plenty to go around, and serve at room temperature.

If your go-to app is cheese and crackers, up your game with a cheese ball for Friendsgiving. Cheese balls have a retro kitsch that make them a guaranteed hit. Here we're using tangy cream cheese and pungent blue cheese, mixed with sweet dried figs and a drizzle of honey. It's an easy recipe to make ahead, just wait until right before serving to add the almonds to be sure they stay crunchy.

Get a head start: 3 Tips for Making Cheese Balls Ahead

This year be the hero that takes potatoes beyond the side dish to swoon-worthy app, wrapped in bacon and paired with a spicy dipping sauce. It's a recipe that's made to feed a crowd, and is super easy to transport from your kitchen to the party.