Appetizer

While nachos are a sure bet when it comes to the Super Bowl, turns out they also come in handy in the midst of an Arctic freeze. I mean, who knew that two sheet pans of cheese-and-chorizo laden chips, a bottle of tequila, and a pack of playing cards are all you really need? Atlanta is slowly emerging from Snowpocalypse II and, boy, was it a doozy.

One of my favorite things about India is its fantastic range of street food. From pav bhaji and vada pav, to vegetable chaats and bhel puri, every corner of India boasts its specialties — and no two street food vendors are alike. “Secret” ingredients abound and no one gives away any recipes for their signature dishes. These spiced cucumber sticks are probably the most ubiquitous of all street food.

In the past few years, pistachios have inched their way towards the top of my “favorite snacks” list. This is mostly due to their unique flavor paired with the “fun” aspect of cracking the nut easily out of the shell. These spicy curry pistachios have recently become my evening go-to snack with a glass of crisp white wine. Before making my favorite snack list, the only time I ate any type of pistachio was thanks to a local bakery that made stellar baklava.

To mark the beginning of Passover, we gather for a ritual feast and read the lengthy Hagaddah: the narrative of the Jews exodus from ancient Egypt. With our community of family and friends, we retell the story of the Israelites’ liberation. We recite segments, make blessings, sample from the Seder plate, gulp endless glasses of wine, and cheerfully sing along.

Ah, the humble cucumber. This ubiquitous and versatile vegetable has so much going for it — its mild flavor, no-cook convenience, and refreshing crisp texture make it a go-to for so many appetizers. Here are some of our favorite cuke ideas for your spring and summer gatherings. Raw Cucumber Sandwiches with Herbed Cashew Cream Cheese – Even the bread is raw! These open-faced beauties are ready for prime time.

This sophisticated spin on classic artichoke dip practically screams springtime! Here, a flavorful artichoke topping is piled high on a wheel of brie, then the whole dish is baked until just barely bubbly. It’s downright decadent and it’s totally delicious. I can always rely on baked brie — it’s a no-fail entertaining appetizer. It simply never gets old because there are a hundred different ways to prepare it.

These baked veggie wontons are so quick, easy, and versatile that you’ll never have to scramble for a vegetarian party appetizer again. Today, I even added some cream cheese for a veggie-spin on the crab rangoon — and because we all need a little rich and creamy in our lives every now and then, right?

People close to me know I have a small soapbox I keep (figuratively) tucked away for times when I hear someone say, “Oh, I’ve wanted to make that recipe but it looks hard.” I then launch into a five minute diatribe on why it’s not and how to tackle it, with enough enthusiasm to convince that person it’s actually quite easy. Spring rolls are one such “hard” item I’ve convinced numerous people to make — and enjoy!

Polenta is such a wonderful ingredient — so easy to work with, full of texture and flavor, inexpensive, naturally gluten-free — that I often turn to it when planning a party menu. For the wedding I catered last month (see the whole menu here) polenta was the perfect solution and one of the hits of the evening. These crisp polenta toasts can be made well ahead, and their topping of rich ricotta and bacon is both simple and crowd-pleasing.

This recipe is about trust. Because I know okra can be a tough sell. I get it. And I’m not going to tell you that these grilled okra spears taste like French fries or anything else — they taste like okra. Which I happen to love. I love their earthy and undeniably green flavor. I love the charred bits that get crispy on the grill (which are, admittedly, rather fry-like). I love the way the seeds pop between my teeth. This is the recipe that made fall in love with okra.

Growing up, spring rolls were a regular occurrence in my home, but they were always savory — let’s shake things up this summer! There are so many ways you can get your daily fruit, so why not in a spring roll? Admittedly, these summer fruit spring rolls are more work than the traditional bite-by-bite way of eating fruit down to its seeds or core, but they’re also way more fun. Along with that, these rolls make it way easier to dip into the sweet and savory sauce.

At this point in the summer, appetizers and pre-dinner snacks can become pretty predictable. At our house, it tends to be all about crackers and soft cheese or salty almonds. These small bites can often feel rushed and a bit uninspired and yet they really can set the tone for a nice evening or event. So last week we ditched the almonds and crackers and schemed up these little toasts with all the components of a great bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich in one small bite.

It’s zucchini season, and we’re spotting green and yellow summer squash everywhere we go. Courgettes, as I call them, are a seasonal favorite with delicate flavor, and they are versatile veggies that work well in all sorts of dishes. To prepare these cheesy crisps, I thinly slice the zucchini into medallions, coat them in crunchy panko-Parmesan crumbs, and then bake them to crispy perfection. These are the ultimate crunchy summertime snack.

Traditional deviled eggs get a fun and delicious twist with the addition of spicy Korean kimchi. This dish is just the thing to shake you out of your summer is almost over blues and make you thrilled you signed up to bring the deviled egg tray to your next backyard party. I’m Korean and grew up in a house where we always had kimchi in the refrigerator. Always.

While I love an afternoon snack of popcorn with just some butter and salt (and maybe a little Parmesan if I’m feeling frisky), this recipe is a completely different beast all together. This popcorn has big, crunchy clusters of dark chocolate, dried fruit, and pistachios. It will power you through an afternoon study session — and it works equally well as a party snack! Stick a bowl of this mix out on the table and watch it magically disappear.

Quick and simple snacks that are portable, taste great with ice cold beer, and can be made in a flash are, in my opinion, the best kind. In the heart of the summer, I usually prefer farm fresh snacks like cherry tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt or radishes dipped in hummus, but now that the days are growing shorter and there is a chill in the air, snacks like these roasted almonds are a welcome change.

Every fall, Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) rolls around right as the apple harvest comes into full swing. The timing could not be more fortuitous, since apples dipped in honey are the holiday’s best known food symbol — an edible representation of one’s wishes for a sweet and round year ahead.

While I love bacon dressing, my husband isn’t a fan and our vegetarian friends can’t partake, so I wanted to make an equally delectable warm vinaigrette to toss with an easy spinach salad. The result of using brown butter instead of bacon fat is a salad that’s worth making again and again. For this quick side dish, I kept the classic spinach salad as the base because it holds up so well to the temperature of the dressing.

Q: I am trying to come up with vegan snacks that are also nut-free to accommodate guests that have allergies. I have been searching for a while and have yet to come up with something that sounds appetizing. These need to be good enough to feed to my non-vegan guests as well. Can you help? Sent by Candice Editor: I think dips and spreads are going to be your best friend with this!

We harvested so many sugar pumpkins at our farm this season that we had plenty left even after filling all of our CSA boxes, selling at farmers markets, and delivering to restaurants. I don’t mind one bit! I’ve spent my recent evenings roasting and pureeing as many pumpkins as I can. Once I got tired of pumpkin soup, these cheesy pumpkin quesadillas made a nice change of pace for using up the puree!

Creamy, seasoned feta cheese tossed with Kalamata olives and green onions, wrapped in crispy layers of paper-thin phyllo? Oh, yes! These Mediterranean-inspired cigars are a really great appetizer to have in your back pocket as the holidays approach. You might even have all of the ingredients stashed away in your fridge and freezer. Get rolling! Although working with phyllo might sound intimidating, I truly believe that with patience and the right tools, these can be made effortlessly.

The end of the year is an excellent excuse for throwing a holiday party for your friends and family. Besides filling your home with festive decorations, wearing an assortment of goofy sweaters, and sipping on all the mulled wine you can get your hands on, you’re going to need some seasonal appetizer recipes on hand this coming month.

If you’re anything like me, homemade gifts have become more and more appealing in recent years — they’re often cheaper than buying gifts at the store, and a homemade gift is sure to be something different and unexpected. This year, these simple and delicious hazelnut and cherry crackers have made my list. They’ll stay crisp and fresh for weeks, so you can make a few batches now and have them ready to go when you need a quick gift.

Every year when Hanukkah comes around, I always take on the challenge to cook up creative latke recipes. The classic potato-and-onion recipe is always great on the first few nights, but by the third night, I find that I’m craving something a little different. Here, I’ve swapped the starchy grated potato for some tender spaghetti squash and tossed it with fresh herbs, green onions, and Pecorino Romano — an easy (and gluten-free!) latke everyone will love.

During the holiday season, I look forward to the parties most of all — seeing my favorite people, the festive music and decor, and of course, the special holiday-only foods. Whether I’m the host or just bringing a dish to add to the buffet, I aim for something that impresses, but isn’t so labor-intensive that it adds more stress to an already busy season. My newest appetizer to make the cut are these hot little crab puffs.

There’s no other lunch in my weight-loss arsenal that serves me better than these rolls. They happen to be both raw and vegan, but that isn’t why I love them. It’s their crunchy-meets-creamy texture and the big, bright flavors of carrots, nori, and lemon juice. Another bonus: they are super filling. It’s the kind of midday meal that prevents snacking. And while there is undeniably something health-food-hippie about them, even my husband eats them up.

With the Super Bowl right around the corner I’ve got my sights set on one thing, and it’s not the game. I’m in it for the food! Specifically a heaping plate of nachos piled high with toppings and plenty of melted cheese….buuuuut, without the tortilla chips. This year I’m giving my nachos a new spin and skipping the chips altogether.

One of the great comforts in my life is a super crispy, slightly greasy takeout egg roll. When I had a bad day? Egg rolls. When it’s cold outside and everything is the worst? Double order of egg rolls. But you and I both know you can make these things at home – here’s the recipe we all need to memorize. This recipe is the perfect combination of crispy, salty, oily, and savory. All of the things you need in a a great takeout egg roll.

Eating spicy food is an energizing experience. Adding another round of cracked pepper to your recipe is great and all, but cayenne, paprika, jalapeño, and chilies can make otherwise plain food feel more alive and tingling with flavor. You may sweat, your tongue may burn a little, but it all just tastes (and feels!) so good. These recipes can ease you into just a little heat, and a little sunshine.

This recipe makes enough pizza dough for two sheet pan pizzas – one ball of dough for now, and one to freeze for later. If you don’t feel like making pizza dough from scratch, store-bought dough works just fine. Or, better yet, ask your local pizza parlor to sell you a few balls of fresh dough! A white pizza topped with pretty spears of asparagus is a great way to celebrate spring and asparagus season!

Going Paleo doesn’t mean giving up sushi — especially if you make it yourself. Temaki (seaweed-wrapped hand rolls) make a regular appearance in our household because I usually have all the ingredients in my refrigerator and pantry. I simply chop up a few vegetables and make a simple crab salad before hollering at my family to assemble their own no-cook meal.

When we wrote The Kitchn Cookbook, we knew we wanted to include a few popular recipes from the site. But, for the most part, we wanted to create a whole set of brand new recipes in our voice and style — a fresh bunch of good cooking for a brand new cookbook. This week we’re sharing a few of those new recipes as part of our Simple Sunday Dinner Party menu.

I have to confess that I’m a rather reluctant salad eater. I blame a childhood of sad lettuce side salads topped with gloppy ranch dressing and cherry tomatoes as hard as rubber balls. But wrap that salad up and call it a spring roll? And add a rainbow of crunchy fresh vegetables? Then give it a spicy sauce instead of sad dressing? Oh, I’m all over that. And I think any reluctant salad eaters at your table will be too.

Sometimes the classic combination of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon — aka plain ol’ hummus — really hits the spot. Other times, though, it’s nice to take things up a notch with some special ingredients. Ingredients — like roasted carrots, spicy harissa, and a garnish of tart pomegranate arils — that add color and interest to an otherwise standard dip.

I’ve come a long way as a host in the past several years, mostly thanks to finding ways to keep my stress level down so I can genuinely enjoy my friends’ company. One key to that effort is having simple pre-meal snacks ready to go, so even if I find myself behind on the main meal, I won’t worry my guests are hungry. I often put out a bowl each of roasted nuts and olives, and I’ve taken to marinating my own olives so I can tailor the flavors to our meal and the season.

Nachos, man. Cheese and chips are the perfect blank canvas for any craving that’s passing through your brain, and their pile-it-on nature makes them doubly great for serving to a whole mess of people. Set up a toppings bar, use your grill to melt down a bunch of big nacho platters, and let your guests load them up with abandon.

Zucchini, fresh herbs, and ricotta — wrapped into a lightly grilled, bite-sized snack — it doesn’t get a whole lot better than that. This is peak summer produce at its finest, with cheese (because cheese makes everything better). I first made these roll-ups as an appetizer, and I’m glad I snuck one as I was preparing them, because they flew off the plate the second it hit the table. What I love most about them is how they embrace mid-summer produce and fresh herbs.

I don’t know about you, but even though the heat wave has died down, I still cannot bring myself to go anywhere near the stove. It’s too soon. And really, it’s not likely I’ll change my stance anytime before Labor Day. From here on out, I’m all about no-cook foods. Whether you need a few light bites before dinner, or better yet a dinner made of appetizers, here are 12 no-heat recipes to get you inspired.

Garlic bread, to me, is the ultimate comfort food; it’s buttery, warm, and chewy. Plus — like most baked goods — homemade is best. Better yet, I use no-knead dough, so this golden, yeasty treat is an easy one to make. Like most people, I ate those super-commercial, store-bought “bake-it-at-home” garlic baguettes when I was younger. I bought one again recently, mostly out of nostalgia, and realized how doughy and sticky it really was.

Samosas were my gateway into Indian food back in my college days. What’s not to love, really? They’re crispy handheld puffs stuffed with spicy potatoes, peas, and onions — a plate of them is an appetizer to share with friends, two or three of them make an excellent lunch to eat on the way to class. I’ve recently become obsessed with making an easy, baked version of these traditional, potato-filled samosas at home. My very non-traditional secret?

When I was writing my first cookbook, Classic Snacks Made from Scratch, I unwittingly unleashed a monster. My picky-eater husband had heretofore steered way clear of jalapeño poppers, wary of their potential heat-seeking missile effect on his gentle palate. When I showed him how the method of pickling jalapeños softens their fiery edges, compounded by a soothing and creamy filling, everything changed.

Parsnips — sweet, citrusy, spicy, and starchy — make a crazy-good latke. What? You thought latkes were only made from potatoes and only for Hanukkah? Let me explain. Latkes — typically potato pancakes — are a traditional European side dish that the local Jewish (Ashkenazic) population adopted long ago as their Hanukkah treat.

Often, when I lived in Mexico, I’d have a pot of leftover beans in the fridge and few ideas on what to do with it. (Refry them? Done that, too many times.) When friends came over spur-of-the-moment one afternoon, I decided to make a warm bean dip with whatever I had in the pantry. It came together quickly and tasted like I spent more time on it than I actually did.

For this low-maintenance marinated mushroom appetizer, we packed in tons of flavor, but kept the ingredient list nice and short. The best part about serving marinated mushrooms as a holiday appetizer is that it can be made a week in advance and tucked away in the back of your fridge until you are ready to serve. These herby mushrooms can be served after a few hours of making them, but are really the tastiest after they’ve been marinating in the vinegar and olive oil for a couple days.

For this version of the classic cheese ball recipe, we mixed equal parts crumbly blue cheese and cream cheese, folded in a handful of dried figs and a drizzle of honey, and then coated the whole thing in toasted sliced almonds. The result? A perfectly tangy, spreadable cheese ball with a hint of natural sweetness. This stress-free appetizer can be made a few days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored in the fridge until Thanksgiving Day or Christmas.

Say it with me now: Hasseltots! These adorable, bite-sized Hasselback potatoes are just begging for ketchup and some alone time. You know you want them. And you can. Here’s exactly what you need to do between now and dinner for these tots to be yours. Tiny baby potatoes are the secret here, and you can usually find a mesh bag of them near the grown-up potatoes at most grocery stores with a well-stocked produce section.

Did we mention there's Sriracha-yogurt dip involved?

Quick, can you name all seven layers in a seven-layer dip? If you can, you’re invited to join me on Team Party Dip. This team knows that a party is only as good as its best dip, and a classic seven-layer dip with all its spicy Southwestern goodness is a guaranteed win at the party. Even if you’re skeptical of all those layers, I’m willing to bet we’ll find you hovering over the dish within five minutes of walking in the door.

In Chinese homes, dumplings (or jiaozi in Mandarin) are a traditional must-eat food on New Year’s Eve; families wrap them up and eat them as the clock strikes midnight. Dumplings symbolize longevity and wealth; their shape resembles gold shoe-shaped ingots, an early form of Chinese currency. From Polish pierogito to Italian raviolito to pan-fried Japanese gyoza, dumplings are universal comfort food.

I always try to have a bag of baby spinach in the fridge at all times. It’s versatile enough to throw into soups, sauté into a side dish, or toss in a morning smoothie since it’s so mild in flavor. My latest use for spinach? Stuffed into quesadillas, adding a much-needed dose of green vegetables to a normally cheese- and meat-heavy dish.

It’s time to embrace the cheesy side of life. And there’s no better way to do so than to get down with a classic cheese board, complete with all the best fixings. Here are our favorite pointers on assembling a classic cheese plate, including how to pick the best specimens, which cheeses should make the cut, and what tricks to keep in mind when assembling (and eating) your plate. Start by visiting a reputable cheesemonger.

California rolls may be a sushi restaurant staple, but they’re not really a make-ahead dish since the seaweed gets soggy quickly. It also takes some time to make enough rolls to feed a crowd. Turning it into a dip served with seaweed instead of crackers takes much less time, and people will love making their own sushi bites! I first had a version of this dip years ago at a barbecue and loved the concept so much I just had to recreate it for myself.

On my last trip to New York, I stopped at Russ & Daughters for a bagel sandwich. I didn’t know the “right way” to order it — I felt anxious and shy with a serious fear of missing out — so I asked the kind man at the counter to make it the way he liked. My prize was heavy, loaded with chive cream cheese, bright red onions, a slice of tomato, and a generous portion of lox.

With a simple breakfast toast like this one, you want to use the best ingredients available to you. Get a really good bread, brush it with really good olive oil, buy some bright ripe tomatoes, and use nice anchovies packed in olive oil. Every bite will be worth it. This savory breakfast toast, with its mellow sweet roasted tomatoes and briny anchovies, could really be a meal for any time of day. But if you wake up one morning in need of something delicious and easy, this meal is for you.

Chicken’s versatility has earned it a place on the table at least once a week. And while a golden roast chicken will always be a classic favorite, and chicken breast maintain their claim to ease, heartier cuts like chicken thighs and blank-canvas options like ground chicken allow us to do even more with the bird. Doing more now includes making these hearty chicken empanadas.

Of all the reasons cacio e pepe — a Roman pasta made with black pepper, Pecorino Romano cheese, and olive oil or butter — has skyrocketed back into the limelight, we’re willing to wager its simplicity is the key. Made with just three ingredients, the pasta has inspired everything from roasted potatoes to these savory cookies infused with Parmesan and flecked with black pepper.

Quesadillas are one of those foods that can go in numerous directions — the filling is 100 percent up to you. And when it comes down to it, they don’t really require a recipe. Instead, I like to pick one ingredient I’m currently inspired by and build a quesadilla around that flavor. And right now, I’m getting all the feels from sauerkraut.

When it comes to snacking on veggies, you’ve got some choices to make. Sure, you can eat them in their raw, crispy state, or you can follow my lead by roasting them until mellow and tender and then blending them into an ultra-creamy dip. Inspired by radish butter, the textured spread that makes everything it touches more delicious, this dip builds on that with deeper flavors and creamier nuances.

Move over, potato chips! There’s a better option in town; one that allows you to get your fill of cheese and chips — plus a dose of green veggies — all at the same time. You won’t accidentally mistake these chips for potato chips (not even close), but with about 10 minutes of prep work and another 10 minutes in the oven, you’re rewarded with a simple yet impressive Parmesan crisp flecked with shreds of asparagus.