Appetizer Recipes

Moroccan eggplant salad (zaalouk-style) with sauteed eggplant, grated tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, and parsley. A warm, smoky appetizer served with lemon wedges.

Cheese onion morsels with sharp cheddar, butter, and parsley baked into savory bite-sized drop biscuits. A make-ahead appetizer that freezes well and reheats in minutes.

Deep-fried jalapeno halves packed with seasoned crab meat, garlic, and cayenne, double-breaded in cracker meal for an extra-crunchy shell. Spicy, crispy, and wildly addictive.

A simple recipe that will help you on your quest to make the most delicious beef sausages anyone has ever had!

Potted chicken with bacon, butter, and warm spices baked in a water bath until silky. Old-world Irish preserve sealed under clarified butter for an old-school appetizer or sandwich spread.

Bengali-style oven-fried potatoes baked directly on greased oven racks with turmeric, cumin, and cayenne. Crisp, golden, and Indian-spiced without a drop of frying oil.

Vegan pasta and red kidney bean salad with diced zucchini, green pepper, tomato and green olives, bound in eggless mayonnaise with chili powder, coriander, paprika and sage. A protein-rich room-temperature salad for picnics and potlucks.

Cheddar toss and heat popcorn with melted butter, sharp cheddar, garlic salt, and onion salt. Oven-warmed until the cheese melts into every kernel.

Sauerkraut balls with corned beef, ham, and tangy kraut bound in a thick roux, breaded and fried golden. The Ohio bar-snack classic with crackly crust and a savory, slightly sour center.

Oysters Lafitte: oysters on the half shell topped with crabmeat in dill cream and a tarragon béarnaise, broiled until golden. A French Quarter classic for the brave home cook.

Cajun oyster pate with pimento-stuffed olives, bacon, hot sauce, and sweet relish blended into a smoky, briny spread. A bold appetizer served chilled on crackers.

Moroccan-style sauteed eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes served room temperature on lettuce with olive oil and lemon. A vibrant, crisp-tender vegetable appetizer with a spicy kick.

Smoked trout crackers with lemon-dill mayonnaise top thin whole-grain crackers with sliced smoked trout and a bright lemon-dill aioli. A five-ingredient elegant appetizer.

Polenta crostini topped with a savory porcini and cremini mushroom sauce. Crisp broiled polenta rounds stand in for bread, making this Italian appetizer naturally gluten-free.

Pink pickled eggs in beet juice and apple cider vinegar with onion and whole cloves. The classic Pennsylvania Dutch tavern snack, dyed bright magenta and tangy-sweet from the vinegar brine.

Curried shrimp toasts top toasted baguette with chopped shrimp in curry, mango chutney, and a soy-spiked mayo. Make-ahead-friendly cocktail party hors d'oeuvres.