Appetizer Recipes

Pulling a baking sheet out of the oven and realizing the breadsticks looked exactly like tiny witchy fingers, not bones at all. That was my … Read more

My neighbor wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder—ours had mysteriously vanished after a garage sale—and the smell hit me … Read more

My nephew, Leo, took one look at the appetizer table, pointed straight at the cheese ball wrapped in phyllo strips, and said, “Auntie, that mummy … Read more

My friend Jess showed up at my door with a bag of apples and a bottle of wine, and the only thing in my fridge … Read more

I figured these deviled eggs would be just another Halloween novelty — cute, sure, but probably more about looks than actual taste. It took about … Read more

Third time this week I’d made it, and I still hadn’t gotten the layers to stay perfectly straight. The dip looked like a delicious, delicious … Read more

“You have to make something that looks like a spider web.” That’s what my brother texted me the morning of our annual Halloween party, and … Read more

I was standing in the middle of a grocery store parking lot last July when the smell hit me — hot oil and cornmeal, sharp … Read more

“Wait—you mean we get to just sit here and eat cheese for dinner?” That’s what my boyfriend said when I set down the board. And … Read more

Marta wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place last February to pick up a casserole dish I’d left at a neighborhood potluck, … Read more

Halloween had always been a bit of a letdown in our house when it came to food. The kids would come home with bags of … Read more

The jack-o’-lantern was carved, the candy bowl was full, and I had exactly one hour before the first guests showed up for our annual Halloween … Read more

Third time in as many days I’d made these Spooky Mummy Jalapeno Popper Bites, and this time I realized I was out of cream cheese. … Read more

I had been looking for a game-day appetizer that actually felt special without turning into a whole production. You know the struggle—you want something that … Read more

My brother showed up at my door with a twelve-pack and a bag of tortilla chips at 4:47 PM on a Saturday. The game was … Read more

Third batch in two weeks and I finally figured out the cream cheese situation. Not too soft, not too firm—just right so it holds its … Read more

The first bowl was gone before the halftime show even started. I remember standing there, spoon in hand, watching a group of people I barely … Read more

My brother Mark called me two hours before the Super Bowl party he was hosting. “I forgot to make a dip,” he said, his voice … Read more

“You should make those spicy chicken poppers again,” my brother said, mouth half-full, reaching for another one before I’d even set the tray down. I’d … Read more

That first whiff of melting cream cheese and buffalo sauce—the kind that hits you before you even walk through the front door—still takes me straight … Read more