17 appetizer recipes

Crockpot meatballs in a tasty home-made BBQ sauce.

Easy holiday cranberry sweet and sour meatballs for your slow cooker.

Crispy pan-fried vegetarian pot stickers filled with tofu, brown rice, shiitake mushrooms, and olives, served with a fresh tomato-daikon-shiso dipping sauce.

Black olive paste (pure di olive nere) blends pitted Italian or French olives with olive oil, lemon, pepper, and bread crumbs. Italian-style spread for crostini, sandwiches, and pasta. Vegan, keeps for weeks.

Marinated tortellini skewers with mushrooms and bell pepper diamonds, threaded and displayed on an acorn squash for a dramatic party platter.

Layered crabmeat appetizer dip with a seasoned cream cheese base, chili relish, and crab on top. Make ahead overnight and serve cold on Melba rounds.

Savory raspberry soup with chicken broth, pineapple juice, and sour cream. Quick microwave recipe ready in 30 minutes, perfect for unique appetizers.

Pickled black-eyed peas marinated in a garlic-infused oil and red wine vinegar dressing with red onion and cayenne. A Southern make-ahead appetizer that improves over several days.

Steamed chickpeas soaked overnight and steamed until tender but chewy, seasoned with salt and garlic salt. A simple, high-protein vegetarian snack or side dish from dried beans.

Sicilian-style caponata with tender eggplant, olives, capers, and tomatoes in a tangy vinegar sauce. Make it ahead and serve cold as a rustic Italian appetizer.

Acapulco-style ceviche with lime-cured turbot, avocado, green olives, capers, serrano and jalapeno chilies, and a splash of white wine and ketchup. A no-cook Mexican seafood appetizer.

Fiery salsa: fresh pico de gallo with ten jalapenos, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime, and lemon. Made ahead and chilled overnight for the bold heat to develop fully.

Onion caviar with black-eyed peas, sweet Vidalia onions, green bell pepper, pimentos, and garlic in Italian dressing. A Southern marinated appetizer or side dish, best made overnight.

Spring vegetable soup with matzo balls: a vegetarian Passover-friendly soup brimming with carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, and tender peas, finished with fluffy matzo dumplings and fresh dill.

Vegan sunflower seed pate baked with nutritional yeast, grated potato, cornmeal, and a kick of horseradish. A protein-packed plant-based spread for crackers, sandwiches, or appetizer platters.

Triple-cheese ball rolled in toasted almonds and fresh parsley. Cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and cold pack cheese blended into a rich, nutty party appetizer.