Top 12 Appetizers – Melissa d’Arabian

Entertaining — whether it involves work colleagues, PTA parents, or simply keeping your kids busy while dinner is being prepared — is a lot easier to do when there is something tasty on the table. Whether you’re looking for a low-maintenance snack like an Open-Faced Quesadilla, or a more refined first course like Salmon Cakes, I’m sure you’ll find something that pleases your palate in this list of my Top 12 Appetizers, based on ratings from FoodNetwork.com. And since many appetizers incorporate bread in some way, I suggest always keeping a baguette half or two in the freezer (which you can typically get for half price in the day-old bread section of your grocery store). Pop it in a hot oven for a few minutes and you have the perfect “fresh baked” canvas for a spread, dip or bruschetta!

1. Salmon Cakes
2. Café Green Salad
3. Black Bean Hummus
4. Caprese Tartlets
5. Spinach and Citrus Salad with Sweet and Spicy Pecans
6. Crispy Open-Faced Quesadillas
7. Buffalo Drumsticks
8. Winter Kale Salad
9. BBQ Ranch Deviled Eggs
10. Almost Raw Asparagus Soup with Yogurt and Almonds
11. Butter Lettuce with Lardons and Poached Egg
12.  Spicy Turkey Lollipops

Get these recipes and more on my Appetizer Recipes Pinterest board.