Appetizer recipe collection

Baked hot bean dip with cream cheese, cheddar, Monterey Jack, sour cream, and taco seasoning, spiked with hot sauce. Bubbling, cheesy, and perfect with tortilla chips.

Baked hot beef dip with dried beef, cream cheese, sour cream, and white wine, topped with toasted pecans. A warm, savory party appetizer ready in 40 minutes.

Jewish caponata with eggplant, tri-color bell peppers, green olives, capers, and a sweet vinegar sauce. Serve warm as a side dish or chilled as an appetizer.

Kasseropites are Greek cheese-filled crescents with kasseri, fresh tomatoes, and basil wrapped in homemade olive oil pastry. A golden, hand-shaped vegetarian appetizer dusted with paprika.

Manhattan clam chowder made in the microwave with minced clams, bacon, tomato juice, and thyme. A brothy, tomato-based chowder ready in about 20 minutes.

Mexican meatballs in chile sauce made with a three-meat blend of beef, pork, and ground ham, bound with milk-soaked corn tortillas and simmered in red chile sauce.

Medium Hot Salsa recipe

Mushroom pate with a pound of sauteed mushrooms, dry vermouth, Parmesan, sour cream, and toasted pecans. A rich, earthy spread for crackers and crostini.

Vegan mushroom spread made with sauteed leeks, garlic, oregano, and a hit of horseradish, pureed smooth. A savory appetizer for crackers, crostini, or turnover filling.

New Orleans crab canapes: buttered toast rounds topped with creamy crab and gruyere-parmesan cheese balls, baked until bubbly. A classic French Quarter party appetizer.

Orecchiette dell'ortolano: Italian gardener's-style pasta with broiled eggplant, fire-roasted peppers, asparagus, and fresh fava beans tossed with olive oil and garlic.

Oysters Thomas bakes fresh oysters on the half shell topped with lump crab meat, bearnaise sauce, and cream sauce under golden bread crumbs. An elegant appetizer.

Crispy phyllo Parmesan straws layered with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a hint of cayenne, baked golden in 10 minutes. A light, low-fat cocktail snack made with pantry staples.

Crispy phyllo pastry nests filled with sauteed mushrooms, walnuts, soy sauce, and a hint of nutmeg. Elegant bite-sized appetizers that can be prepped weeks ahead.

Welsh mussel pate with herring roe, brandy, cream, and dill, baked in a bain-marie until set. A rich, briny seafood starter from the Menai Strait served on toast fingers.

Patout's Cajun hot crab dip with sweated trinity vegetables, fresh crab meat, heavy cream, three peppers, and Tabasco. Bayou-style appetizer for parties and game day.