Appetizers recipes

Festive three-layer holiday dip with green guacamole, white sour cream, and red salsa for a Christmas-colored appetizer. Three ingredients, zero cooking, ready in minutes.

Cheddar-olive bread with sharp cheddar, pimento-stuffed olives, and mayo baked on French bread until bubbly and golden. A retro party appetizer in four ingredients.

Phoenix rolls wrap thin chicken breast around ham and a lemongrass-shrimp paste, dipped in cornstarch and fried golden. A Vietnamese-inspired appetizer or main dish.

Miniature quiches loaded with cheddar, bell pepper, and Tex-Mex spices. Crustless, two-bite party appetizers baked in a muffin tin until the centers just set.

Warm baked blue cheese dip with cream cheese, bacon, garlic, and chives, topped with chopped smoked almonds. The party appetizer everyone fights over the bottom of.

Beer-battered fried oysters served in their shells over spinach chiffonade with mango remoulade. A tropical Cajun-Creole appetizer that turns heads at any cocktail party.

Broiled lime shrimp with cilantro, jalapeño, and a zippy lime-garlic dressing. Served cool over cucumber slices for a bright low-fat appetizer or light lunch.

Steamed mussels topped with a Thai-spiced fish mousse of ginger, lemongrass, shrimp paste, and basil. An elegant bamboo-steamer appetizer for a Southeast Asian dinner.

Grilled eggplant rollups with sun-dried tomato goat cheese, fresh basil, and garlic. A no-bread vegetarian appetizer with smoky char and a creamy tangy filling.

Layered phyllo pastry stacks filled with crab, dill-dressed cucumber, and mango chutney, drizzled with a creamy Dijon mustard sauce. A stunning plated appetizer for special occasions.

Crispy hollowed-out French bread cubes stuffed with a bubbly crab and cheese filling. These bite-sized appetizers bake up golden and crunchy in under an hour.

Camarones al ajillo with shrimp sauteed in generous olive oil, fresh garlic, hot sauce, and lemon. A classic Spanish-style garlic shrimp appetizer ready in 20 minutes.

Make-ahead freezer quiche with bacon, ham, Gruyere, Swiss, and a nutmeg-spiked custard. Assembled ahead and frozen solid, then baked straight from the freezer for a hands-off party appetizer.

Oysters Bienville baked on the half shell with a rich cream sauce of shrimp, mushrooms, white wine, green onions, and Parmesan. A classic New Orleans appetizer that's worth every minute.

Shrimp BBQ marinates king shrimp in lemon, ginger, coriander, and red chile, then grills them on skewers for just a few minutes. A Pakistani-inspired appetizer or main.

Giant prawns stuffed with smoked salmon, bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley, then broiled in white wine and finished with a butter pan sauce. An elegant seafood appetizer for two.