Appetizer Recipes

Crispy deep-fried shark bites marinated in lemon, white wine, and garlic, breaded and served with Creole mustard or tartar sauce. A Gulf Coast appetizer with serious crunch and attitude.

Sherried cheddar cheese dip with sour cream, sherry, jalapeno, hot sauce, and garlic. A sharp, slightly boozy cheese dip for vegetables, melon, or Polish sausage.

Creamy shrimp and pistachio spread made with blended cottage cheese, lemon juice, and onion powder. A no-cook appetizer for crackers or chips that chills in an hour.

Quick microwave stuffed pork chops ready in 25 minutes. Bread stuffing fills thick-cut chops that brown first, then cook tender in the microwave.

Simple pork satay with sweet apricot peanut butter sauce. Quick marinade in soy and steak sauce, grill or broil in 10 minutes. Easy appetizer serves 6 or main dish for 2.

Three-ingredient sausage balls made with sausage, cheddar cheese, and Bisquick baking mix. A classic Southern party appetizer that freezes beautifully cooked or raw.

Smoked salmon canapes on crisp jicama triangles with lime-spiked Neufchatel cheese and cracked black pepper. A light, no-cook appetizer that looks like it came from a caterer.

Golden baked calzones stuffed with smoked turkey, ricotta, spinach, Parmesan and fresh tomato slices. Ready in 30 minutes using store-bought pizza dough. Freezer-friendly for easy meal prep.

Escargots a la Bourguignonne served in large mushroom caps instead of shells, filled with canned Burgundy snails and topped with garlic-herb snail butter. An elegant French appetizer.

Light, puffy souffleed crepes made with beaten egg whites folded into a classic crepe batter. Cook in a crepe pan or bake as a flat souffle, then fill with fruit, brandy, or vanilla.

Moroccan chickpea soup with saffron, turmeric, ginger, and potatoes simmered in stock with tomato paste. A warming vegetarian soup finished with fresh lemon juice.

Tex-Mex cream cheese pinwheel appetizers: spread chili-spiced cream cheese with black olives across a flour tortilla, roll, chill, slice. Five-minute party app for game day.

Fresh lump crabmeat in a creamy Chablis and mustard sauce with pimiento and green pepper, spooned into baking shells and microwaved in just 13 minutes. An elegant seafood appetizer for weeknight entertaining.

Crispy phyllo triangles stuffed with spiced lamb, raisins, pine nuts, and warm cinnamon-cumin-allspice. A Middle Eastern-inspired appetizer that bakes lighter than fried, perfect for parties.

Spiced olives are the easiest homemade Moroccan-style appetizer: drained olives tossed with your favorite spice blend and left to marinate overnight. Transforms ordinary olives into something bar-worthy.

Candied spiced walnuts or pecans coated in orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, and powdered sugar, then baked until dry and crunchy. A festive holiday snack or handmade gift.