Recipe Roundup

57 Cheesy Appetizer and Hors D'Oeuvre Recipes

Whether you're throwing a swanky soirée or a backyard barbecue, cheese is always a welcome guest. Here are our favorite ways to serve it.
Homemade Cheese Spread With Garlic and Herbs
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
  • Photo by Peden & Munk
    3/57

    Cheese Fondue With Beer and Bourbon

    The fancy French chef’s secret weapon for perfect fondue? Babybel cheese: it keeps the molten mixture from separating, and its unassuming flavor lets the Gruyère shine.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    4/57

    Polenta Bites With Wild Mushrooms and Fontina

    Store-bought tubes of polenta are the ultimate appetizer shortcut: just slice and toast in the oven, top with wild mushrooms and Fontina, then bake until melty and irresistible.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    5/57

    Crab Rangoon (Cream Cheese Crab Wonton)

    This classic tiki appetizer of wonton wrappers stuffed with cream cheese and lump crab meat is unbeatable party food.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    6/57

    Five-Cheese Pimento Cheese

    This addictive five-cheese version of the classic Southern spread is robust, creamy, and perfect on a sandwich or cracker.

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  • Photo by Deb Perelman
    15/57

    Herb and Garlic Baked Camembert

    Baked Brie and Camembert, rescued from the ordinary, are even better with an herby garlicky mess slathered over them before hitting the oven.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    16/57

    Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

    Make these quick and savory drop biscuits to serve alongside a big bowl of chili or as the base for an incredible breakfast sandwich.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    19/57

    Figs-in-a-Blanket With Goat Cheese

    Spicy, honey-glazed figs and creamy goat cheese are baked in puff pastry in this fun vegetarian play on pigs-in-a-blanket.

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  • Photo by Keirnan Monaghan and Theo Vamvounakis
    20/57

    Marinated Manchego With Orange Preserve

    Set this up on Sunday and have tapas at home when you get back from work, all week long. This recipe is from Morcilla, one of Bon Appétit's Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Jerri Joy, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    21/57

    Carrot Tart With Ricotta and Almond Filling

    Arranging the carrots in a geometric pattern transforms this savory tart into a truly show-stopping side or appetizer.

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  • Tara Donne, food and prop styling by Diana Yen
    22/57

    Endive Cups With Beet, Persimmon and Marinated Feta

    This is a gorgeous, seasonal hors d'oeuvre that would be lovely on a table or as a passed appetizer. The tang of the feta compliments the sweetness of the salad and the bitterness of the endive leaf, and the jewel tones of the beet and persimmon make for a beautiful bite.

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  • Photo by Peden & Munk
    29/57

    Flatbread with Fava Beans, Cucumbers, and Burrata

    Here, grilled bread is topped with milky burrata, fresh fava beans, and barely pickled cucumbers. It's basically summer on toast.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    30/57

    Simple Spinach Dip

    Sometimes simple is better. Case in point: this creamy, luscious dip you can throw together in a flash for any party or last minute guests.

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  • Photo by Deb Perelman
    33/57

    Kale-Dusted Pecorino Popcorn

    Given that this popcorn is green and has the word "kale" in the title, it has proved to be shockingly popular among the preschooler set (to whom I'd bring it for class snacks when it was our turn) as well as adults.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    34/57

    White Pizza With Shaved Vegetables and Pesto

    This so-good-you-won't-believe-it's-healthy pie is covered in pesto and cheese and topped with a veritable salad of peas, crisp asparagus ribbons, zucchini, leeks, and watercress.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    37/57

    Tomato Salad With Feta And Pistachios

    Serve this salad as soon as it is assembled so all of the tomato juices and flavor stay where they belong.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele
    38/57

    A Better Queso

    If you can't get your hands on hatch chiles, use a combination of Anaheims (or poblanos) and jalapeños instead.

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  • photo by Hirsheimer & Hamilton
    45/57

    Artichoke and Feta Tarts

    Puff pastry and jarred marinated artichokes make quick work of this impressive starter.

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  • Photo by William Abranowicz
    46/57

    Thyme Gougères

    These cheesy puffs are incredibly addictive. Make more than you think you'll need.

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  • Photo by Matt Ball
    53/57

    Roasted Garlic Pull-Apart Cheese Bread

    Pull-apart bread is the very definition of fun. Just plop it down in front of a table of people and watch it disappear within 2.4 seconds. It really is that good, and can pass as an appetizer or accompaniment to a pot of soup.

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  • Romulo Yanes
    54/57

    Queso Fundido

    Prepare this chorizo-studded dip in a cast-iron pan set right on the grill, alongside whatever else you're cooking.

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