Appetizer Recipes

This salty spread uses two types of olives and crumbled feta cheese, but no anchovies. Serve on crackers, toasted sliced baguette or pita chips.

Savoury two-cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, herbed and stuffed inside crispy phyllo pastry.

Minced clams with a mixture of seasonings and a bit of hot sauce, topped with shredded mozzarella, this dip is excellent served warm with crackers.

Oysters Mosca: chopped fresh oysters cooked down with garlic, scallions, lemon, and Romano cheese, then spooned into puff pastry shells. The classic Italian-Creole New Orleans appetizer from the legendary Mosca's restaurant.

Vegetarian party pate made from pinto beans, TVP, and shiitake mushrooms with mirin and mace, baked in a water bath and served cold on crackers.

Savory Southwest cheesecake appetizer with a tortilla chip crust, layers of seasoned cream cheese, ground beef, refried beans, and a sour cream topping loaded with fresh garnishes.

Piperies Orektiko, a Greek roasted pepper salad with oven-blistered sweet peppers, onion, oregano, and olive oil vinaigrette. A simple mezze appetizer.

Pseftokeftedes are Santorini tomato fritters mixing chopped Roma tomatoes, scallions, garlic, mint, and oregano into a pancake-style batter, fried crisp in olive oil. Vegetarian Greek meze.

Herb-loaded hummus made with chickpeas, sauteed onion and garlic, toasted sesame seeds, and a blend of basil, coriander, and oregano. A fresh take on classic hummus.

Bright, herb-forward hummus with no tahini needed. Sautéed onion and garlic blend with fresh parsley, basil, oregano, and coriander into silky chickpeas for a lighter Middle Eastern dip that skips the paste but keeps all the flavor. Ready in 25 minutes.

Quick herbed white bean dip with cannellini beans, garlic, lemon, olive oil, cumin, and oregano. The 10-minute Mediterranean appetizer that's lighter than hummus and just as versatile.

Roasted eggplant and pepper salad with celery, garlic, black olives, red wine vinegar, and oregano. A make-ahead Italian antipasto served at room temperature.

Littleneck clams steamed open in a quick garlic, crushed tomato, and fish stock sauce with oregano and fresh parsley. A Neapolitan classic that takes just 25 minutes from stovetop to table.

Homemade chicken nuggets fried golden in a Parmesan, paprika, and oregano coating. Crispy outside, juicy inside, and miles ahead of frozen. Makes 48 nuggets in just 30 minutes.

Oven-baked chicken wings coated in grated Parmesan and Italian herbs. Shake-and-bake style that's crispy, cheesy, and perfect for game day without the deep fryer.

Italian-seasoned popcorn tossed with garlic-oregano butter and grated Parmesan cheese. A savory 3-ingredient snack ready in 15 minutes that beats plain buttered popcorn every time.