Valentine's Day

40 Valentine's Day Appetizers That Set the Right Mood

And that mood is: "satiated."
Easy Vegetarian Appetizer Figs in a Blanket with Goat Cheese.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen, Food Styling by Molly Baz
    3/40

    Niçoise Toast

    Fried bread is our contribution to the classic Niçoise. Here, oil-packed tuna gets a boost from mayo flavored with garlic, sherry vinegar, and smoked paprika, plus mixed fresh herbs.

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  • Photo by Peden + Munk
    4/40

    Charred Bread with Ricotta and Cherry Salsa

    This cherry salsa recipe is also delicious as a condiment for grilled or roast pork or pulsed in a food processor to make a vinaigrette for a salad of tender greens.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi
    5/40

    Savory Mushroom and Parmesan Palmiers

    Store-bought puff pastry makes these savory "elephant ears" an easy bite-sized appetizer for your next party.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Sue Li
    6/40

    Lemon-Pepper Salami Bites

    Bright citrus and fresh-ground pepper put a festive spin on two party staples: cured meat and Marcona almonds.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi
    7/40

    Country Pâté Toasts With Pickled Grapes

    Pickled grapes make a refreshingly sweet-tart companion to rich country pâté in this simple bite-size appetizer.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    8/40

    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 Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Liza Jernow
    9/40

    Clams Casino With Bacon and Bell Pepper

    A vinegary red bell pepper mixture cuts through the richness of this classic Italian-American appetizer for a bite that's salty, smoky, and sweet.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Katherine Sacks
    10/40

    Homemade Herbed Paneer Cheese

    Serve this take on the traditional Indian fresh cheese with olive oil, salt, and pepper for a simple yet impressive appetizer. The tofu-like texture also works well folded into soups or curries or pan fried and tossed into salads.

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  • Zach DeSart
    19/40

    Horseradish Cherry Tomatoes

    The horseradish makes these just sliiiightly hot.

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  • photo by Kana Okada
    20/40

    Marinated Baby Vegetables

    Be sure to buy a colorful assortment of baby vegetables. Serve as a side for roasted meat or fish, as an antipasto with salumi and breadsticks, or as an appetizer with crusty bread and goat cheese.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    25/40

    Shrimp Toasts With Sesame Seeds and Scallions

    These dim sum–style shrimp toasts make a surprisingly simple—and utterly addictive—at-home snack. With this method, you don’t even need a deep fryer to pull them off.

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  • Photo by Alice Gao, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen
    26/40

    Shredded Brussels Sprout and Ricotta Toast

    A bright tangle of shredded Brussels sprouts, raisins, and pine nuts tops silky ricotta in this snappy, satisfying toast.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    31/40

    Figs-in-a-Blanket With Goat Cheese

    This spicy-creamy appetizer toes the line between savory and sweet. It would even work as a snacky Valentine’s Day dessert.

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  • Photo by Peter Frank Edwards
    32/40

    Bacon Crackers

    Magic happens when a cracker slowly sops up the fat from smoky, crisping bacon; it transforms into something more akin to piecrust. Unadorned, bacon crackers are pure pork perfection. The addition of a tine bundle of rosemary needles makes for a fancified version, while topping the "belt" of bacon with a bit of brown sugar adds a hint of sweet to the smoke.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    35/40

    Spinach-Yogurt Dip With Sizzled Mint

    Our version of this dip uses spinach, but it can be made with cooked beets or roasted eggplant, too.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini
    36/40

    Crudités With Chile-Lime Salt

    Forget dip: this zesty spiced salt wakes up any sliced raw fruit or veggie—don’t feel limited to the ones listed in the recipe.

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  • Photo by Danny Kim
    37/40

    Roasted Beet and Walnut Dip

    No dip has ever been more V-Day ready than this bowl of purple, pulverized beets.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt
    38/40

    Boneless Buffalo Chicken "Wings"

    These fried and sauced chicken breast strips have all the spicy flavor of Buffalo wings—without the hassle of bones. Serve them with a tangy blue cheese dip and celery sticks.

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