Appetizers

From casual dips and crunchy finger foods to elegant canapés and seasonal small plates, this collection gathers crowd-pleasers and inventive starters that set the tone for any meal. Expect quick weeknight bites, make-ahead party staples, and a few showstopping recipes for when you want to dazzle.

Stone Fruit Caprese

By Ali Slagle

A standout caprese starts with great fruit. You need ripe tomatoes to weep juices, which then mingle with grassy olive oil and milky cheese to make your dressing. Basil adds freshness, black pepper and flakes of sea salt add crunch, and that’s it, a perfect combination. But if the stone fruit options are looking better than the tomatoes at the market, you can use them instead. They’re similar in flavor to tomatoes, but need cajoling to relinquish their juices. By letting sliced fruit macerate with salt, sugar and lemon juice, their fruitiness becomes more electric and their juices pool on the plate. Start with fruit you can smell and pair it with equally quality ingredients. Caprese is more about shopping than cooking.

20 min

Black and Tan Chocolate Popcorn

By Andrea Nguyen

This Black and Tan Chocolate Popcorn recipe by Andrea Nguyen is a two-toned sweet snack with caramelized white chocolate and bittersweet dark.

1 hr 45 min

Beetroot salmon gravlax blinis

The ultimate canapé, perfect for the holidays or any event for that matter! This beetroot cured salmon is so vibrant and pretty, and tastes just as good as it looks.

2 hr

Garlic Confit Recipe

This delicious garlic confit recipe is versatile, and easy-to-make, plus you can eat it on just about anything.

40 min

Honey Garlic Chicken Tenders

By Fitwaffle | Eloise Head

Crispy cornflake-coated chicken tenders tossed in a sweet, sticky honey-garlic sauce. Ready in about 20 minutes, these air-fried tenders are juicy, crunchy and perfect for a quick weeknight meal or snack.

20 min

Herby Feta and Yogurt Dip With Sumac

By Yossy Arefi

This tangy and creamy dip is the perfect appetizer for a warm summer evening outside, and it makes a nice condiment for grilled meats and veggies, too. Fresh green herbs brighten up the salty feta, and sumac gives it another layer of flavor and a gorgeous pop of color. Choose a feta in brine over vacuum-packed, if you’ve got the option. Feta varies a lot in salt content, so you won’t see a measured amount of salt here; just taste the dip and add a bit if you think it needs it.

5 min

Instant Pot Mini Frittatas

By Food Network Kitchen

Make a quick and delicious brunch appetizer or snack with your Instant Pot®.

Shrimp Dumplings With Saffron Shallot Sauce

By Korsha Wilson

Aushak and mantoo (or mantu), dumplings found in Afghan cuisine, are often filled with soft cooked leeks and onion or ground beef, but this shrimp-filled iteration is the product of the chef Shamim Popal’s journey from Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates and, eventually, Washington, D.C. After opening a French creperie in 2003, Mrs. Popal decided to share dishes inspired by her upbringing in Afghanistan at Lapis, a restaurant in the city’s Adams Morgan neighborhood. A filling, yet light appetizer, these are meant to be prepared by and for a group, which makes light work and speaks to Mrs. Popal’s own memories of making aushak in Kabul with family.

1 hr 30 min

Honey Butter Potato Chip Tower With Crispy Salami

By Jessie YuChen

Turn potato chips into a fancy snack. This salami and potato chip tower, inspired by Korean honey butter chips, is fun finger food for holiday entertaining.

Brownie Cookies

By Desserts

Fudgy, crackly-topped brownie cookies with an intense chocolate flavor and a soft, gooey center. Chill the batter for thicker, fudgier cookies and bake briefly for a crisp, crackly top.

1 hr 12 min

Greek fennel and leek pie (marathopita)

By Alexandra Harris

Chef and restaurateur Jonathan Barthelmess shares the secrets to one of his favourite family recipes.

1 hr 35 min

Crab and Artichoke Dip

By Melissa Knific

Briny crab and artichokes, paired with creamy cheeses, sour cream and mayonnaise, set the groundwork for this American coastal favorite with regional variations. On the East Coast, this dip is sometimes referred to as Maryland crab dip, as it uses blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay and Old Bay seasoning; in the Pacific Northwest, Dungeness crab and artichokes are essential to the mix. This version pulls inspiration from both, and you can use whatever variety is available to you at your local market. You don't need to use lump crab. Instead, look for less expensive options, which have small pieces of crab that distribute more evenly in the creamy base. The cheese pull — that long, gooey string that extends as a result of cheese being pulled apart — is the telltale sign that a dip has reached peak richness. Here, fontina achieves maximum cheesiness and doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Serve with crostini, pita or a sleeve of saltines.

50 min