Appetizers, Dips, & Snacks

Who doesn’t love a good snack?? I’ve got some of the best appetizers, dips, & snack recipes to get any party started, or just make Sunday afternoon awesome.

Maybe you’re looking for something fancy to serve before dinner or an indulgent snack. Maybe you believe guacamole is a meal in and of itself (no judgment here). Regardless, I’ve got you covered.

Here are a few of my faves to get you started:

You can see the full recipe index here or a more visual index here, or you can browse the archives below. One note, I haven’t included soups and salads here, but you can find them in the Side Dishes & Veggies section.

Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

January 10, 2013

I have a confession. I’m not a salad person. I just can’t get excited about them. Because of that, I never make them. Seriously, I’ve made a big salad once or twice in my entire life.

So when my friend was making me dinner, I asked what I could bring and he said a salad. And he made fun of me later because he noticed my almost-imperceptible hesitation before I said ‘yes’. Because I don’t really know how to make a nice salad. And since I can’t do things halfway, I decided I needed to make it special somehow, which is how I came to try making a nice homemade salad dressing.

I did some Pinterest searching and found a few options to give me an idea on proportions, ingredients, flavors, etc. But then I just played around and figured out the exact recipe on my own. So the recipe below is more of a general guideline, and you can increase or decrease based on what your tastes prefer. I also remembered that I had some raspberry extract, so I added some of that to make my own version of a raspberry vinaigrette.

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Rosemary Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

December 12, 2012

Our family’s Thanksgiving traditions are long-standing—tons of great food for lunch, followed by football (playing and watching), cards, then we kind of just snack and eat leftovers for dinner. There’s a veggie platter, plenty of desserts, crackers, chips, and there’s always a cheeseball. The kind my family makes is generally savory, with pimentos and covered in nuts. But this recipe I found on Pinterest intrigued me with its combination of sweet and savory, so I decided to whip it up for Thanksgiving.

Funny enough, we were all so full that we didn’t even get it out on Thanksgiving, but we devoured it a couple days later and it got rave reviews from my family.

Even better, the cranberries were a great Thanksgiving tie-in!READ THE POST

Summer Staple: Corn & Black Bean Salsa

June 30, 2012

I originally got this corn & black bean salsa “recipe” (in quotes because the word implies consistency) from my awesome friend Casey, who brought it to a Mexican-themed summer get-together we had with friends. I was immediately smitten because it didn’t include 1) green bell pepper, 2) hot peppers, or 3) cilantro. I’m just not that fond of those ingredients, and finding a salsa without them is quite difficult.

However, that’s not to say this salsa CAN’T include them—its beauty is in its versatility. I’m pretty sure I’ve never made it the same way twice (let’s face it, mostly because I can never remember how).

So I’m just going to give you the guidelines and some other thoughts on how to adapt. You’ll have to play around with it to figure out how you like it best. People seriously scarf this, and rave about it every time I bring it somewhere.

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Farmer’s Market Paradise: Cherry Tomato, Spring Onion, & Goat Cheese Tart

June 10, 2012

As I may have mentioned (a hundred times), I went to the Farmer’s Market last Friday after work. I was dumb and forgot my reusable grocery bag, so I just loaded myself up with as much as my little arms could carry. Not a bad haul, for my first try—spring onion, scallions, the best cherry tomatoes I’ve ever eaten, locally-made chevre cheese, and a chocolate croissant. Which I ate for breakfast the next day.

So when I started thinking about what lovely delicacies I could make with my new veggies and tasty Georgia cheese, I of course turned to Pinterest, which directed me to this awesome tart.

And if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m in love with anything involving pie crust (or resembling something with pie crust). Seriously, that was my biggest criteria for what I ate in Ireland last summer (steak & Guinness pie, chicken & mushroom pie…you get the picture).

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Aunt Tina’s Chicken Salad (The Best In The World)

June 6, 2012

I’m pretty sure I didn’t even know chicken salad existed when I was growing up (now, TUNA salad I was familiar with…).

But when I moved to Atlanta and began having catered rep lunches, I fell in love with it. The best part is how many variations there are. There’s regular, Southern-style, with mustard, with curry, Waldorf, just about anything really.

We were in Texas visiting family four or five years ago, and my Aunt Tina (who has other amazing talents, like cake baking/decorating) made this chicken salad. It’s in the ~~(Blair)~~ Waldorf family, and is the best chicken salad I have EVER had in my life. The combination of cider vinegar, honey, and white pepper in the dressing is the secret, I think.

It’s like crack. Sweet, tangy, mayo-covered crack.

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Brie & Jam Pastry Appetizers

May 12, 2012

A friend of mine posted this recipe on Pinterest a while back, and I was immediately taken. Brie + jam + pastry?? Sign me up! Problem was, I didn’t have a really good reason to make something like this, and if I just made them for myself I would eat them ALL, which is a bad idea.

So when I was in Dallas last weekend my friend Kristine and I decided to prepare a big Sabbath dinner for us, her boyfriend and her roommate. I suggested these little pastry brie & jam bites as an appetizer, and she immediately agreed.