Appetizer Recipes

Classic sausage cheese balls: raw breakfast sausage, sharp cheddar, and Bisquick mixed and baked until browned. The church-cookbook party snack that vanishes off every Christmas platter.

Kilawin is a Filipino pickled pork snout dish cured in palm vinegar and soy sauce with garlic, jalapeños, onion, and fried tofu. A tangy, spicy nose-to-tail appetizer or pulutan.

Baked eggplant rounds topped with homemade sun-dried tomato tapenade and parmesan cheese. A Mediterranean appetizer with olives, capers, lemon, and basil.

Honey curry chicken wings: oven-baked, basted in a butter-honey-mustard-curry glaze that turns sticky and lacquered. A party platter staple with retro charm and serious flavor.

Kulikuli are crispy West African peanut balls made from ground roasted peanuts, onion, and cayenne, deep-fried until golden. A popular Nigerian street snack.

Smoked fish spread with mayonnaise, sweet pickles, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. A no-cook appetizer dip that chills for deep flavor, served with crackers or party breads.

Crispy pinto bean cakes with jalapeno, cumin, cilantro, and liquid smoke, coated in cornmeal and pan-fried golden. A vegetarian main or appetizer served with fresh salsa.

Curried eggplant strudel wrapped in crispy phyllo with saffron, cumin, peanuts, and tomatoes. Baked golden and served with cool yogurt. A stunning Indian-meets-Viennese fusion.

Cheesy pigs in a blanket made with crescent rolls, hot dogs, and American cheese. Just 3 ingredients and 20 minutes for a crowd-pleasing appetizer kids and adults love.

Cajun andouille pork sausage made traditionally: hand-chopped pork with garlic, thyme, and Louisiana spices, stuffed into casings and smoked over hickory with sugar on the coals.

Whole wheat choux puffs filled with a sweet-savory blend of cream cheese, dried figs, crumbled bacon, and chutney. A party appetizer that balances crispy, creamy, and fruity in every bite.

Rum Tum Tiddy: a retro cheesy tomato-cheddar Welsh rarebit variation with onion, green pepper, and a splash of sherry, spooned over toast. Vintage American comfort food.

Microwave Chinese chicken kabobs marinate cubed chicken in soy-honey-ginger sauce, then cook on skewers in just 5 to 9 minutes. A quick retro appetizer or weeknight dinner.

Buttery garlic mushroom appetizer simmered low and slow with Italian dressing mix. Three ingredients, toothpick-ready, and they vanish off the platter in minutes.

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.

Crispy breaded meatballs packed with ground pork, sauerkraut, and cream cheese, fried golden and served with a mustard-mayo dipping sauce. A bold German-style appetizer that makes 3 dozen.