30 Healthy Appetizers You'll Want to Make Forever
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This is your one-stop shop for some of our most highly-rated appetizer dishes. Whether you and your crowd are hankering for salmon bites you can serve with toothpicks or veggie-packed dips to prepare for the main course, there’s a healthy and appetizing recipe here for everyone to enjoy. Plus, every dish has received four- and five-star reviews from EatingWell readers, so we’re sure you’ll love them. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself wanting our Panko-Crusted Butternut Squash Fries with Creamy Feta Dipping Sauce or Easy Stuffed Mushrooms alone as your evening meal.
Sticky-Sweet Balsamic Butter Chicken Bites
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
These balsamic butter chicken bites are crispy and sticky sweet, thanks to balsamic glaze. Cooking balsamic vinegar with a bit of brown sugar helps it achieve the perfect consistency to cling to the chicken. Serve these tasty bites on a platter with wooden picks for guests to enjoy, or get creative by wrapping them up in a sandwich or using them as a flavorful salad topper.
Garlic Hummus
This garlic hummus recipe couldn't be easier—just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away!
Panko-Crusted Butternut Squash Fries with Creamy Feta Dipping Sauce
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
These crispy, tender butternut squash fries are paired with a creamy feta cheese dipping sauce, creating the perfect combo of sweet and salty flavors. Optimize time by choosing pre-halved and peeled butternut squash from the prepared produce section if it's available. For a twist, try this method with other winter squash like delicata or acorn squash.
Crispy Hot Honey Salmon Bites
Matthew Francis
These sweet-and-spicy salmon bites are seasoned with a hot honey–lemon glaze that clings nicely to the broiled salmon. Serve this easy appetizer with wooden picks at your next party. Turn this appetizer into a main dish by serving over brown rice and roasted veggies, or add to your favorite salad or grain bowl.
Creamy Cucumber Soup
There's no reason to only eat cucumbers raw—they are wonderful sautéed then pureed with avocado for a silky cucumber soup that's good warm or cold.
Parmesan Crisps
These crisps are terrific to float on top of Creamy Tomato Soup or Creamy Broccoli Soup for an extra kick of flavor.
Smoked Tuna Spread Canapés
Try this easy canapé recipe for your next cocktail party. Made with canned tuna, cream cheese and cucumber slices on crunchy almond crackers, this is an appetizer that your guests will be reaching for first.
Easy Stuffed Mushrooms
This healthy stuffed mushroom appetizer is a nice balance of soft mushrooms, creamy filling and crunchy topping. This combination tastes downright decadent, but these easy stuffed mushrooms are actually good for you.
5-Ingredient Zucchini-Feta Roll-Ups
These zucchini-feta roll-ups are a quick and easy appetizer to pull together, and the recipe is easily doubled (or tripled!) for a larger gathering. You can use summer squash in addition to the zucchini for a pop of yellow color. They are plenty flavorful on their own, but they can also be served with marinara sauce or pesto for dipping.
Baked Brie with Jam in Puff Pastry
This best baked Brie recipe is also the easiest. Serve this simple appetizer with apple wedges and crackers and watch it disappear in seconds! It's bound to be your new party go-to.
Air-Fryer Buffalo Wings
A sports bar favorite comes home with these deliciously crispy chicken wings in the air fryer, which require just 10 minutes of active prep time. In fact, one of EatingWell's recipe testers declared this air-fryer Buffalo wing recipe "a reason to buy an air fryer." Add a spicy sauce, carrot sticks, celery sticks and ranch dressing for dipping and you have a healthy take on wings that's sure to score.
Jalapeño Popper Casserole
In this jalapeño popper casserole, tender, juicy bites of chicken are slathered in a creamy, slightly spicy sauce with a crunchy topping of panko breadcrumbs and crispy bacon. Enjoy this casserole over rice for dinner or serve it with chips as a game-day appetizer.
Lemon-Garlic Marinated Shrimp
Marinating precooked shrimp in garlic- and lemon-infused oil is a simple yet elegant appetizer.
Creamy Radish Soup
Sonia Bozzo Photography
In this creamy radish soup recipe, radishes are sautéed and pureed with potato, creating a velvety, healthy soup. Cooking radishes also tones down any bitterness, while leaving plenty of sweet, earthy flavors to enjoy. Using smaller radishes will give the soup a pretty pink hue, like the one pictured here, while larger radishes result in an almost white soup.
Avocado Hummus
This vibrant green hummus recipe couldn't be easier—just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) and avocado make this healthy dip extra smooth and creamy. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.
Balsamic-Butter Salmon Bites
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
These tender and buttery salmon bites are coated with a sweet balsamic glaze that clings nicely to the salmon after a few minutes under the broiler. Serve this easy appetizer with wooden picks and pack away any leftovers to use as a salad topper or wrap filling. Turn this appetizer into a main dish by making it the star of your next grain bowl.
Cranberry-Brie Bites with Puff Pastry
Sara Haas
Festive for any holiday gathering, yet simple enough for a weeknight dinner party, these cranberry-Brie bites are the perfect appetizer. Made with just three ingredients, these bites come together quickly and present beautifully.
Light & Airy Whipped Cottage Cheese
Photography: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Annie Probst
Give this whipped cottage cheese recipe your own spin by making it with your favorite fresh herbs. You can use it as a dip with fresh veggies or as a sandwich spread.
Whipped Feta with Cranberries & Walnuts
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This festive whipped feta dip is the perfect appetizer for any gathering. If the feta seems too thick, add 1 teaspoon water at a time until loosened. Walnuts provide a nice crunchiness, but you could easily swap in another nut like pecans or pistachios. If you have leftover cranberry sauce, try a dollop in some yogurt or oatmeal for an easy breakfast.
Bruschetta Caprese
This bruschetta caprese has tons of fresh flavor from tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, with a splash of balsamic vinegar pulling everything together. Don't skip the step of letting the tomatoes drain before mixing! The salt infuses flavor while drawing out moisture so the toasts won't get soggy before serving.
Cured or Smoked Salmon Appetizer Platter
This smoked salmon platter requires little effort, but the spread makes a big impression.
Baked Spaghetti Squash Fritters
These crispy loaded fritters are perfect for parties. Baking them instead of frying cuts down on labor (and oil splatters). Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid out of the spaghetti squash and onion mixture as possible--moisture is the enemy of crispiness.
Easy Black Bean Dip
This creamy bean dip is great for a party or picnic. Smoked paprika and ground chipotles add a robust, earthy flavor, but you can also use regular paprika and cayenne if you don't have the other spices on hand.
Oven-Fried Panko-&-Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini
These oven-fried panko- and Parmesan-crusted zucchini rounds are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a hint of Parmesan cheese in the crust. Dip them into marinara, pesto or ranch dressing for an irresistible snack or appetizer.
Lobster Roll Dip
This quick and easy summer appetizer turns all the simple flavors of a lobster roll into a warm and bubbling lobster dip.
Baked Broccoli-Cheddar Quinoa Bites
These savory muffin-like quinoa bites are low in carbs and a good source of protein--plus we love their cheesy flavor.
Air-Fryer Beets with Feta
This air-fryer beets with feta recipe is a great way to enjoy beets. It's super easy to throw together, and it's just as good eaten cold as part of a salad as it is warm on its own.
Spinach Puffs
These bite-sized spinach puffs are reminiscent of artichoke dip, with a slight hint of spice from ground pepper and za'atar seasoning. Puff pastry surrounds the savory filling, adding a crispy golden crust on the outside.
3-Ingredient Blue Cheese & Fig Bites
Salty-tangy blue cheese pairs beautifully with sweet fig jam in these easy appetizers, which are perfect for a holiday party. The optional minced chives add a nice pop of color, but these are just as tasty without herbs. Keep the ingredients on hand and you can whip these up for impromptu holiday cocktail parties.
Cucumber Salsa
This fresh, tangy cucumber salsa is perfect for grilled fish or on its own as a simple side salad. Well balanced and easy to make, the flavor mellows and the cucumber softens as this sits, so it can easily be made a day or two ahead of time--or enjoy it right away, fresh and crisp.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
