20 Easy Appetizer Recipes (in 20 Words or Less)
Updated: Mar. 01, 2023
To kick off a season of merrymaking, we combed our favorite magazines and blogs for fast, crowd-pleasing ideas.
Pea “Hummus”
Puree 1 cup thawed peas, 2 tbs. tahini, 1 minced garlic clove, and 2 tbs. lemon juice in food processor until smooth.
Garnish with peas, olive oil. —Whole Living
Baked Feta with Capers and Tomatoes
Place feta cheese, chopped tomatoes, red onions, capers, oregano, and olive oil on foil. Wrap; bake at 350°F for
15 minutes. —Lottie + Doof
Bacon-and-Pear Bites
Cut just-ripe pears into ½-inch cubes; sprinkle
with salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Put on a toothpick with crispy
bacon. —Mark Bittman
White Chocolate Grapes
Melt white chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl. Dip grapes in chocolate and then sugar or sprinkles. Refrigerate until set. —Food & Wine
Spicy Maple Nuts
Mix 2 cups each pecans, almonds, and walnuts with ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tbs. olive oil, 2 tbs. chopped herbs,
and ¼ tsp. cayenne. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. —Food & Wine
Roasted Chickpeas
Toss 1 can rinsed, drained, dried chickpeas with
olive oil, salt, and spices (like Creole blend, cumin, paprika). Roast
at 400°F, 30 to 40 minutes. —steamykitchen.com
Edamame
Boil fresh or frozen edamame in pods 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt. For this, they charge you eight bucks. —Mark Bittman
Beyond Simple Chips
Buy decent tortilla chips; sprinkle with lime
juice and chili powder. Eat fast, before they get soggy. —Mark Bittman
Pimento Cheese Dip
Combine ½ lb. grated sharp cheddar, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 (4-oz.) jar drained and diced pimientos, and ½ tsp. horseradish (or hot sauce) in a bowl. —designsponge.com
Avocado Crostini
Toast crusty bread; top with mashed avocado, olive oil, coarse salt, and pepper. —Country Living
Hot Dog Bites
Broil a good hot dog, roll in a tortilla spread with brown mustard. Slice. You know everyone will eat them. —Mark Bittman
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Heat 1 cup frozen spinach and 1½ cups artichokes.
Add 6 oz. warmed cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1/3
cup Parmesan, ½ tsp. red pepper flakes, and ¼ tsp. garlic powder. Heat. —Alton Brown
Hummus Deviled Eggs
Mix 5 or more yolks from 12 hard-boiled eggs with 1
cup hummus. Pipe into eggs, garnish with parsley and smoked paprika. —food52.com
Salted Caramel Apple Dip
Combine 8 oz. cream cheese, ¼ cup brown
sugar, ¾ cup caramel sauce, 1 tsp. vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Serve
with apple slices. —cooks.com
Pistachio-Covered Cheese Log
Beat 1 bar cream cheese, 1 cup grated
cheddar, 1 tbs. mustard, and 1 tsp. Worcestershire. Refrigerate. Shape
into log; roll in chopped toasted pistachios. Chill. —Everyday Food
Buffalo-Style Celery Sticks
Mix together 2 oz. each blue cheese and cream cheese. Stuff 6 celery stalks with mixture. Top with cayenne pepper. —Everyday Food
Red-and-Green Shrimp
Serve shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce (red) and salsa verde or pesto (green). —myrecipes.com
Popcorn with Parmesan and Thyme
Toss plain popped popcorn with olive oil, grated Parmesan, chopped fresh thyme, and lemon juice. —kitchenetteblog.com
Greek-Style Nachos
Top pita chips with feta, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini. Bake until melted; top with chopped tomatoes, olives, Greek yogurt. —Cat Cora
Cheeseburger Dip
Combine 1 lb. cooked ground hamburger, 1 lb. American or Velveeta cheese, 1 can tomatoes
with green chilies, and 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Microwave; top with chopped scallions. —recipe.com
