The Very Best Appetizers

Appetizers are traditionally served before a meal, to stimulate the appetite and stave off hunger so you don't make a pig of yourself when you sit down to a dinner table.

But appetizers have come into their own, and can be served as stand-alone party food. Some of my best appetizers overshadow the main meal I'm serving.

Rules for Appetizers

There aren’t any. Seriously, short of making three cheese dishes that are too similar, a dish that has an ingredient that your guests are allergic to, or something that is burned or just tastes bad, you can’t go wrong. Don’t worry about fitting your appetizers too closely to a theme or matching them up with the main dish. Say your menu aloud and if it sounds good and your mouth starts to water, go with it!

For variety, if you're serving more than one appetizer, have a finger food, a dip, a cheese dish and something cool and refreshing.


Here are some of my favorite appetizers and ones that my guests rave about and request repeats.

Greek Salad Salsa and Pita Chips

• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1½ cups)
• 1 large ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced, including green portion
• ½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• ½ cup black olives, pitted and sliced
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and gently mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to blend flavors, or up to two days. Serve with pita chips.


Spinach Balls

• 2 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach
• 1 6-ounce package chicken flavored stuffing mix
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup melted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook spinach and drain in a sieve, pressing out as much moisture as possible with a spoon. In a medium bowl, combine spinach, stuffing, parmesan cheese, eggs, butter and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and roll into balls about 1½ inches in diameter. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen, remove and store in plastic bags in the freezer. To bake, put spinach balls on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or, if not frozen for 7-10 minutes.


Brie Cranberry Pizza

• 1 8-ounce tube crescent dinner rolls
• 1 8-ounce package brie cheese, rind removed, cut into ½-inch cubes
• ¾ cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a 12-inch pizza pan with olive oil. Unroll dough and separate into triangles. Place on the oiled pan with tips toward the center. Press out dough with hands to join pieces. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until light golden. Sprinkle cheese onto crust. Place cranberry sauce in a small bowl and stir to break up pieces. Spoon sauce by teaspoonfuls evenly over cheese. Sprinkle with pecans. Return to oven and bake an additional 6-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust in golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges or squares. Makes 16 appetizers.


Hot Artichoke Dip

• 10 ounces frozen spinach
• 12 ounces can artichoke hearts
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1½ cups fine bread crumbs

Thaw and drain spinach. Combine spinach, artichokes, garlic, mayonnaise, cream cheese, lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Stir well. Place mixture in an 11-by-7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Serve with bread sticks or crackers.


Crab Swiss Bites

• 1 7.5-ounce can crab meat, drained and flaked
• 1 tablespoon sliced green onion
• 4 ounces swiss cheese, shredded (1 cup)
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup curry powder
• 1 package (12) flaky style refrigerated rolls
• 1 5-ounce can sliced water chestnuts

Combine crabmeat, green onion, swiss cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder. Mix well. Separate each roll into three layers. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and spoon on crab mixture, dividing equally. Top each with a water chestnut. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 36 appetizers.

Don't want to make your own appetizers? Appetizers To Go ships them fresh to your house. You can pop them in your freezer and bake them as needed.

CD Kitchen has lists of appetizer recipes, from wings to salsa, from cold dips to meatballs.

AppetizersRecipe.net says it all: It's a large collection of appetizer recipes.