Enjoy the comforting taste of autumn with delicious appetizers. Made low in saturated fat and sodium, these dishes feature heart-friendly fall ingredients like beets, brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes to fit a heart-healthy eating pattern. Try recipes like Mushroom Jerky or Roasted Cauliflower and Walnut Dip that will keep you coming back for more.
Bite of blue cheese and figs made with 3 ingredients
Salty blue cheese and sweet fig jam combine beautifully in this easy appetizer, perfect for holiday parties. The optional chopped chives add a nice color, but it’s just as good without the herbs. With the ingredients on hand, you can make these for an impromptu holiday cocktail party.
easy mushroom stuffing
This healthy stuffed mushroom appetizer strikes the right balance between tender mushrooms, creamy filling and crunchy toppings. The combination tastes really decadent, but this easy stuffed mushroom is actually good for you.
Yoghurt with beets (borani chogondar)
Bollani, a Middle Eastern yogurt dip, can be made with anything from spinach to eggplant to carrots. The shocking pink color in this recipe comes from grated beetroot. Let’s make it early. The longer you leave it, the better it tastes. Learn more about this recipe here.
roasted cauliflower and walnut dip
This creamy roasted cauliflower dip has the texture of hummus, but substitutes roasted cauliflower for chickpeas and tahini for walnuts. Roasted garlic heads cooked at the same time as the cauliflower add great flavor.
Crustless Caramel Onion & Cheese Mini Quiche
These crustless mini quiches are packed with savory caramelized onions and flavorful cheeses. This technique of making caramelized onions uses a lot less fat, and using sweet onions (such as Vidalia if you can find it) eliminates the need for adding sugar in some recipes.
3-ingredient cheddar cheese and apple bites
A simple party hors d’oeuvre with creamy apple butter and sharp cheddar cheese. This recipe is super easy to make as it uses pre-prepared puff pastry and presses it into mini muffin tins to create tiny tart shells. Add apple slices for extra crunchiness or keep it simple if you prefer. Either way, consider creating two batches. It will be completed soon.
mushroom jerky
This vegan version of beef jerky has the same level of smoky spice as the real thing. Serve as a snack or on top of a salad for a burst of meaty flavor. It’s also perfect for snacks to bring to camp! Mushrooms remain quite chewy (no crunchy except for some of the crispy edges). This method is best if you don’t have a dehydrator.
Crispy mashed potatoes with feta and dill
Mash cooked potatoes before roasting them in the oven to increase their surface area and give them a nice golden brown, crispy skin. Garnish these smashes with feta cheese, dill, and a dash of lemon zest for added Greek flavor.
Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Packed with protein, these garlic butter steaks are perfect for parties and gatherings. Enjoy delicious toothpick skewered treats with skewered vegetables.
Pomegranate, Cranberry, Brie Bruschetta
Make this easy festive appetizer for your holiday guests. It’s topped with a mixture of oranges, cranberries, and pomegranates on slices of toasted baguette served with creamy, melty brie. Explosive flavors and textures spread with every bite.
Roasted garlic and caramelized onion flatbread
Create flavorful baked goods with fragrant garlic and onions in just 10 minutes of activity time. This flavorful flatbread is a delicious and fresh addition to any table.
hasselback cheese garlic bread
Potatoes were the first to benefit from Hasselback technology. Make thin slices across the bottom of the vegetables, but don’t slice them all the way through, so fan the potatoes to season and bake until crisp. Here, we’ve applied that concept to garlic bread and updated it with cheese to create an easy and mouth-watering cheese-filled bread side dish.
Pesto stuffed mushrooms
This finger food is the perfect healthy appetizer to liven up your party. Only three ingredients are needed to make this elegant hors d’oeuvre. No one can imagine how easy it is to make. Want to keep things plant-based? Use vegan pesto for crumb fillings. You can also substitute whole wheat bread crumbs for gluten-free bread crumbs.
Salade de Christophines (chayote salad)
This simple summer salad is inspired by similar salads served in Guadeloupe, such as Christophine in Guadeloupe, chayote in Mexico and parts of the United States, chocho in Jamaica, sucus in Brazil and New Orleans. It features a pumpkin called Milliton. Adds a refreshing accent to Caribbean curries and other spicy dishes. Learn more about this recipe here.
3- Ingredients cranberry – brie crostini
With just three ingredients, you can create an impressive appetizer that’s perfect for holidays and dinner parties. Tangy cranberries offset the richness of the cheese, creating a well-balanced bite. This easy appetizer can easily be doubled for a larger crowd.
stuffed brussels sprouts
This festive side dish is Thanksgiving in one bite! Brussels spouts are hollowed out, stuffed with sausage and breadcrumb stuffing, and baked until the surface is brown and crisp. Large brussels sprouts work best here. You can enjoy it as a side dish or as an appetizer.
Jonathan Pernod Spiced Candied Pecan Nuts
Chef Jonathan Perno likes to serve guests with spiced New Mexican pecans, both at home and at Campo, the restaurant he oversees at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm in Albuquerque. You don’t see this in most spiced nut recipes, but Pernod blanches them to reduce some of the bitter tannins in the skin that can overwhelm the delicate flavor of pecans.
air fryer sweet potato chips
Thinly sliced sweet potatoes are deep-fried in a fryer until crisp. These homemade chips also use significantly less oil, reducing calories and fat. Adds natural sweetness to sandwiches, burgers, wraps and more.
Shallots with shallots and goat cheese and fig jam
Crisp, crushed shallots mellow when roasted, making a perfect vessel for sweet fig jam or creamy goat cheese. Serve these shallots as an appetizer or with grilled chicken or steak.
Mushrooms covered with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese
Thick, tender mushrooms, generously dusted with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, are served as an appetizer on their own or with anything from pork to fish. Look for similar sized mushrooms to cook evenly.
