10 5-Star Appetizers from Cooking Light

Updated October 26, 2009
Credit: Jan Smith

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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1 of 10

Tomato Crostini

Credit: 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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2 of 10

Pomegranate-Avocado Salsa with Spiced Chips

Credit: 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.

3 of 10

Mini Corn Bread Crab Cakes with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Credit: 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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4 of 10

Roast Pork Sandwiches

Credit: 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.

5 of 10

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.

6 of 10

Adobo Chips with Warm Goat Cheese and Cilantro Salsa

Credit: 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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7 of 10

Pinto Bean Nachos

Credit: 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.

8 of 10

Ginger-Shrimp Pot Stickers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Credit: 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.

9 of 10

Phyllo Purses with Roasted Squash, Peppers, and Artichokes

Credit: 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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10 of 10

Roasted Tricolored Peppers with Crostini

Credit: 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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