Appetizers

It’s no secret that I love a good party appetizer, and I think the best are ones that are simple to pull together that still allow guests to try out a few different things. Enter this super easy bread and oil appetizer dipping station! You know those restaurants where you get to munch on great crusty bread and delicious flavored oils while you wait for your meal? That’s totally the inspiration here. All you need is a few baguettes sliced up, olive oil and a bunch of yummy flavors to add into the mix like lemon zest, red pepper flake and minced garlic. Here I’m sharing a few of my personal favorite flavor combinations, but you should absolutely mix and match to your heart’s content using your favorite herbs and spices. To serve everything, cute little bowls for each oil concoction (I’d suggest at least two or three) and a pretty wooden board piled high with bread will do the trick.

Over the last few years I’ve been really into arranging a bunch of food on a board and serving it up as a casual weeknight dinner, a great party appetizer or a delicious mid-afternoon snack on a weekend. Something about food on a board is just so damn enjoyable, and people naturally seem to love food that’s interactive, which is why this one would make such a good addition to your next party. People love a great cheese board, but this is spin on the classic is even better with an excess of good fresh mozzarella and burrata, loaded up with a variety of tomatoes. Drizzle everything with a good olive oil, max out on fresh basil, then sprinkle the whole mess with yummy coarse grain sea salt and you’re in business.

We had a whirlwind of a weekend, hosting two parties and inviting a combined total of over 60 people through the house over the last two days. This morning it is dark and stormy, and I rolled out of bed a solid hour later than usual. I guess 48 hours of intense back-to-back entertaining will do that to you! When we’re throwing parties my rule of thumb is to keep the food simple, but also a touch unexpected and fun. It makes people feel special and gets them really excited to try something new. This strawberry feta bruschetta recipe perfectly fits that bill! It’s a departure from the tomato-based classic, but it’s equally, if not more, delicious. Plus, strawberries and feta always taste amazing together. In terms of prep, it’s also very easy! If you can dice up berries, you can feel confident serving this bruschetta at your next get together.

You guys know by now that I’m a vegetarian and have been for well over a decade, so you may be wondering why I’m serving you up an appetizer today that is the very definition of un-vegetarian. It turns out though that this prosciutto wrapped asparagus was a huge hit when I made it on a whim on Easter and at the time Bob made me promise I’d make it again and also that I’d share it with you since it was a huge hit. You know you have a winner on your hands when you write a blog for a living and the family is declaring, “You need to post this!” while they’re enjoying something new you just made. Bob is actually the one who suggested this would make a great Father’s Day appetizer since it could also be made on the grill. So there you go, the official word on this recipe, according to gentleman of the household.

There’s something about food served on sticks that people seem to instantly love. Case in point, the antipasto skewers I shared last year were one of your run away favorite posts of the year! (And, guys, they’re so damn tasty!) Spearing yummy little bites onto sticks is also a super easy way to serve up delicious, crowd-pleasing party appetizers. You can make them in advance, mix and match a million different flavor combinations and keep everyone begging for more.

Happy Monday, friends! I hope everyone had a beautiful weekend. After a long, gray week of nonstop rain, we finally had an abundance of sunshine this weekend and it felt incredible. And now it’s the run up to Easter! Naturally no Easter festivities are properly complete without a killer deviled eggs recipe, so today I’m serving up just that. To be honest, my mom tends to be the deviled egg maker in our family, but we love to make them at home from time to time, too.

Friends, this easy cheesy broccoli cornbread recipe is seriously incredible. Have you ever made cornbread with Jiffy mix? Because that’s the basis of this recipe! One of my friends made her version for our chili cook off Super Bowl party a few weeks ago and it was a huge hit, so naturally I had to give my hand a try at giving it my own twist and serving it up for you guys.

I have one final recipe for you as we head into Super Bowl weekend! This is a to die for slow cooker spinach artichoke dip recipe that really just wins on every level. The prep is minimal – just chop a few things, toss it all in a slow cooker and call it good to go. It’s …

I’m pretty sure most people will agree that one of the best parts about the Super Bowl is the food! Now, I’ll be so bold as to say that these crunchy veggie taco cups are one of the best Super Bowl appetizers going. They’re a cinch to make and they are so so tasty. They’re made …

Friends, it’s Thanksgiving week and I am so excited! My sister and brother in-law fly home on Wednesday, which also happens to be our sweet baby girl’s first birthday. We’re hosting a huge Thanksgiving dinner for nearly 30 of our closest family and friends, and then on Saturday we’re hosting a birthday party for the …

In approximately 3.2 seconds, we’re going to start talking about the holidays fast and furious around here. Because if you’re like us, you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner for like 90 people (exaggeration, slightly) and a birthday party two days later and then it’s going to be all Elf all the time. Who’s with me? But considering …

At our recent housewarming party, I wanted to create a couple of great party appetizers to serve our guests. These antipasto skewers were a major hit! I loaded them up with mozzarella, roasted peppers, salami and olives, but you can alter them to suit your personal taste. For the vegetarians in your crowd, skip the meat entirely and serve up vegetarian antipasto skewers that are just as delicious!