10 5-Star Appetizers from Cooking Light

Updated: October 11, 2014
These popular appetizer recipes have all earned a 5-Star rating from our online reviewers and are the appetizers to go to when you need the "Wow" factor.
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Tomato Crostini

Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Tomato Crostini Recipe
Create a colorful and flavorful topping for the toasted bread by combining plum tomato, basil, olives, capers and balsamic vinegar. Online reviewers rave about how easy it is to make.
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Pomegranate-Avocado Salsa with Spiced Chips

Photo: Jan Smith
Pomegranate-Avocado Salsa with Spiced Chips Recipe
Make a statement with this unique salsa featuring pomegranate seeds, clementine sections and avocado. The flavors are amazing together, and making your own chips helps keep the fat in line.

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Mini Corn Bread Crab Cakes with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Cindy Barr; Leigh Ann Ross
Mini Corn Bread Crab Cakes with Lemon-Caper Sauce Recipe
Add the "Wow" factor to your appetizer lineup with these bite-size crab cakes with a tangy lemon sauce.
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Roast Pork Sandwiches

Howard L. Puckett
Roast Pork Sandwiches Recipe
Sure to be a hit at your holiday table, these little sandwiches feature thinly sliced roast pork, cheesy herbed rolls, and a tangy horseradish cream sauce. You can roast the pork and make the sauce a day ahead, and substitute store-bought rolls if you're running short on time.

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Clams Casino with Pancetta

Clams Casino with Pancetta Recipe
Top fresh clams with a savory mixture of pancetta, breadcrumbs, herbs and Parmesan cheese for a first-rate first course.

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Adobo Chips with Warm Goat Cheese and Cilantro Salsa

Oxmoor House
Adobo Chips with Warm Goat Cheese and Cilantro Salsa Recipe
Go one step beyond chips and salsa and serve them with a dish of creamy goat cheese topping for a flavor trifecta. The addition of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce makes this salsa distinctive.
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Pinto Bean Nachos

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke
Pinto Bean Nachos Recipe
Enjoy refried beans without all the fat by cooking mashed pinto beans in a skillet with a tiny bit of oil plus cumin, chili powder and garlic, then mashing them until slightly thick.

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Ginger-Shrimp Pot Stickers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Photo: Howard L. Puckett; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Ginger-Shrimp Pot Stickers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe
Flavorful and fun, these tasty Asian appetizers pack big flavor into small packages, and they're much easier to make than you might expect.

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Phyllo Purses with Roasted Squash, Peppers, and Artichokes

Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke
Phyllo Purses with Roasted Squash, Peppers, and Artichokes Recipe
Celebrate the flavors of the season with these little phyllo pouches stuffed with butternut squash, bell pepper, leek, and poblano chiles. You can make the filling and the sauce ahead and stuff the pouches just before baking. This is a unique first course dish for a festive harvest meal.
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Roasted Tricolored Peppers with Crostini

Photo: Jan Smith
Roasted Tricolored Peppers with Crostini Recipe
Roasted bell peppers in red, yellow and green make a colorful and tasty topping for crostini. Roasting creates a rich, mellow flavor in the peppers, and it's accented by fresh basil and cilantro.
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