25 One-Bite Appetizers

Photo: Marcus Nisson

Swiss Chard Tartlets with Gruyère

The tastes of Provence are on spectacular display in these special mini tarts, which, true to the region's cuisine, call for simple ingredients that pack intense flavor. And, so, the dough is basic, with a smattering of cornmeal for texture. The filling is a riot of sweet and savory, matching sautéed onion and fennel with Swiss chard, sweet dried currants, egg, crème fraîche, Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses and pine nuts. And—hooray for simplicity!—there are no special tools required to make this appetizer: You can make the tartlets using a mini muffin pan.

Get the recipe: Swiss Chard Tartlets with Gruyère

Photo: Marshall Troy

Cobb Salad Bites with Avocado Vinaigrette

Even veggie skeptics won't be able to turn down these savory bites, which take the beloved cobb salad's signature ingredients—avocado, tomato, blue cheese, hard-boiled eggs—and pile them into an edible bacon cup. You can make the delicious little vessels a day in advance and just refrigerate until you're ready to fill them. The finished hors d'oeuvre is crunchy, creamy, salty and totally addictive.

Get the recipe: Cobb Salad Bites with Avocado Vinaigrette

Photo: Angie Cao

Jell-O Petite Watermelons

We're going to come right out and say it: This is the most adorable appetizer you will ever serve. Wedge-shaped strawberry Jell-O, flecked with bits of fresh strawberries, sits inside miniature sliced lime rinds, and each one gets a smattering of black sesame seeds. Vodka optional.

Get the recipe: Jell-O Petite Watermelons

Photo: Johnny Miller

Blue Cheese Canapés

We have yet to meet an appetizer that screams "Please pair me with wine!" more than these lovely canapés. The bottom layer is a biscuit made with white wine; on top is a tiny spoonful of tangy blue cheese and a few grape halves. A sprinkling of coarsely chopped Marcona almonds comes next; and then, the pièce de résistance: a drizzle of honey and a smattering of lavender buds, which add a light floral note that beautifully complements all of the snack's other flavors.

Get the recipe: Blue Cheese Canapés

Photo: Georgia Glynn Smith

Cold Roast Beef, Blue Cheese & Grapes

Salty slices of cold roast beef, creamy and tangy blue cheese and tart green grapes threaded onto a skewer make for one of the most amazing, flavorful appetizers you can throw together with three common supermarket foods.

Get the recipe: Cold Roast Beef, Blue Cheese & Grapes

Photo: Thinkstock

Lemon Pepper Parmesan Crackers

Homemade cheese crackers are easy to make and customize, depending on the cheeses and herbs you like. This recipe combines thyme and Parmesan, but you could also use asiago and rosemary, Spanish manchego and sage, or any other combination you can dream up.

Get the recipe: Lemon Pepper Parmesan Crackers

Photo: Solomon Oh

Shrimp with Wasabi Mayonnaise

Chef, cookbook author and TV personality Sara Moulton makes these crunchy, savory, Asian-influenced snacks with store-bought convenience items: thin rice crackers, mayo, wasabi and precooked shrimp.

Get the recipe: Shrimp with Wasabi Mayonnaise

Photo: Georgia Glynn Smith

The Italian Job

The "recipe" for this Italian sandwich-on-a-stick is so simple, you'll make it once and remember it forever. All you need are cherry tomatoes, baby mozzarella (aka bocconcini), olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, basil leaves and a fistful of toothpicks.

Get the recipe: The Italian Job

Photo: Tiffany Burke Photography

Ham Roll-Ups

As chefs across the country continue to pickle everything from Brussels sprouts to cabbage, plain old pickles (er, pickled cucumbers) are still some of the best. Though many of the newer varieties hitting gourmet grocery shelves are terrific on their own, you can spruce them up with this no-brainer trick from Lynnae Schneller, founder of Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles: Spread them with cream cheese and wrap them with slices of ham.

Get the recipe: Ham Roll-Ups

Photo: Anjali Pinto

Stuffed Cherry Peppers

If you're expecting guests who like spicy food, you can't get much simpler (or tastier) than cherry peppers stuffed with extra-sharp provolone and thin slices of prosciutto, which chef Doug Psaltis serves at his Chicago restaurant RPM Italian. You can fill the peppers the night before—just bring them to room temperature before serving.

Get the recipe: Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Photo: Thinkstock

Smoked Mozzarella and Ricotta Fritters

A coating of panko bread crumbs ensures that these guaranteed showstoppers will have a perfectly crusted exterior. It's best to serve them hot while the cheese is still gooey.

Get the recipe: Smoked Mozzarella and Ricotta Fritters

Photo: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Polenta Mini Pizzas

Using a tube of prepared polenta is the brilliant idea behind these ultrasimple little pizza rounds. Stick with traditional tomato sauce and cheese, or top with extras, such as roasted vegetables, fresh herbs or pepperoni.

Get the recipe: Polenta Mini Pizzas

Photo: Thinkstock

BLT Bites

Serve these open-faced on a quarter of a slice of toasted bread, or make a microsandwich by sticking a toothpick in each one to keep the top piece of bread from sliding off. Using mini everything is a must, from baby lettuce to sliced cherry tomatoes.

Get the recipe: Mini BLT Sandwiches

Photo: Guy Ambrosino

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Pesto

Though this appetizer is best in summer when tomatoes and basil are at their peak, you can make it any time of year. However, be sure to use cherry and not grape tomatoes; otherwise, they won't stand upright and the filling will spill out.

Get the recipe: Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Pesto

Photo: Ben Fink

Tiny Twice-Baked Potatoes with Smoked Paprika and Bacon

This is a textbook example of the "work early, relax later" school of appetizers. Cheesy, twice-baked potatoes get salty crispness from bacon bits and warm spice from Spanish pimenton.

Get the recipe: Tiny Twice-Baked Potatoes with Smoked Paprika and Bacon

Photo: Scott Suchman

Pickled Shrimp with Parsley Oil

Bright and tangy, this hors d'oeuvre from chef Dennis Marron of Poste Moderne Brasserie in Washington, D.C., has notes of coriander, mustard, ginger and lemon. Drizzling the shrimp with a citrusy parsley oil just before serving helps bring out the flavor even more.

Get the recipe: Pickled Shrimp with Parsley Oil

Photo: Thinkstock

Grape-Nut Halves

Whether you use red or green grapes, tart goat cheese or buttery Brie, these snacks—each of which also include a walnut half—are among the easiest salty-sweet finger foods you can make.

Get the recipe: Grape-Nut Halves

Photo: Ben Fink

Figs Stuffed with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

You can make this appetizer with fresh or dried figs. Just cut them, stuff them and roast them until each one is melted and toasty on top.

Get the recipe: Figs Stuffed with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

Photo: Kana Okada

Cantaloupe Balls

For this simple nibble, brothers and cookbook authors Matt and Ted Lee substituted fresh mint for the mint jelly called for in the Junior League of Charlotte's recipe in The Charlotte Cookbook, 30th Edition, and added their own flourish: black pepper.

Get the recipe: Cantaloupe Balls

Photo: Thinkstock

Devils on Horseback

Built on the premise that anything wrapped in bacon will make the crowd go wild, this classic appetizer consists of a blue-cheese-stuffed date surrounded by a little blanket of bacon, and then the entire bundle is roasted.

Get the recipe: Devils on Horseback

Photo: Con Poulos

Spicy Mini Meatballs

Instead of presenting guests with been-there-done-that Swedish meatballs, try this zingy version, which combines ground pork with hot cherry peppers and a bit of their pickling liquid.

Get the recipe: Spicy Pork Meatballs

Photo: Thinkstock

Snap, Crackle & Pop Shrimp

These savory shellfish bites get their crunch from a dip in Rice Krispies just prior to frying. At Jerry's restaurant in Winnetka, Illinois, chef Bridget Burns offers them alongside a wasabi-soy dipping sauce.

Get the recipe: Snap, Crackle & Pop Shrimp

Photo: Rick McKee

Crispy Okra Chips

Southern chef Bob Carter serves these treats at Carter's Kitchen, his new restaurant in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Tomato aioli lends a bright punch to crispy okra, which is a regional staple.

Get the recipe: Crispy Okra Chips with Tomato Aioli

Photo: Ricky Eisen

Baby Crab Cakes

The nice thing about this recipe is that you fry the cakes on the stovetop only until they're golden brown, and then finish them in the oven—so you're only standing over the stove for about five minutes, leaving you more time to mingle.

Get the recipe: Baby Crab Cakes

Photo: Luca Trovato

Toasted Cumin and Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese

You can mold this savory cream cheese into little balls that guests can eat with toothpicks, or you can spread it onto tortillas, roll the wraps up and cut them into spirals.

Get the recipe: Toasted Cumin and Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese with Flatbreads

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