From dips and hors d'oeuvres to canapes and "tapas", these tasty little treats are often more interesting and flavorful than more extensive meals. Since they are generally made ahead, they free the host and hostess to socialize with their guests instead of being tied to the kitchen.

The recipes we've gathered cover a wide range of styles, culinary complexity and ethnic flavors from miniature egg rolls and chicken on a stick to layered Mexican dips and roasted ravioli.

One appealing aspect of these recipes is that cooks are less intimidated by appetizers than they are by other more complicated preparation.

FIRST COURSE

Bacon Tomato Cups
Cauliflower Fritters
Dungeness Crabcakes
Escargots and Vegetables
Potpourri
Escargots en Champignons
Oven-Baked Wings with Spicy Peanut Dip
Roasted Artichoke Hearts
Sallie’s Oriental Wings
Scallion Pancakes
Snail Butter
Snails en Casserole, Amaud Type
Steamed Juicy Pork Bun

SPREADS AND DIPS

Appetizer Cheesecake
Artichoke Cheese Dip
Basil Parmesan Spread
The Best Cheese Ball in the World
Braunschweiger Ball
Caponata
Cheese Rolls
Cheese Torte Appetizer
Cobblestone Cheese Ball
Cup-A Cup-A Cup-A
Devilish Dip
Fresh Fruit Dip
Fruit Dip
Ginger Dip with Apples and Pears
Horseradish-Cranberry Relish
Hot Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Dip
HotTaco Dip
Liptauer Cheese Crock
Mexican Dip
Molded Herbed Cheese
Mushroom Pate
Nacho Dip
Nacho Dip
Old English Cheese Ball
Olive-Cheese Ball
Pennsylvania Pate
Pesto Cheesecake
Picante Dip
Potted Sardines
Potted Smoked or Cajun Catfish
Pumpernickel Dip
Reuben Dip
Salmon Party Bait
Shrimp Dip
Shrimp Spread
Shrimp Spread
Smoked Blue Fish Spread
Spinach Dip
Victoria’s Heart
White Bean Dip for Happy Hearts
World’s Fastest Appetizer

HOT APPETIZERS

Bacon Twists
Bacon Wrap Arounds
Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Breaded Cauliflower
Breaded Chicken Strips
Bull’s-Eye Meatballs
Cheese and Sausage Rolls
Cheese/Bacon Bruschetta
Cheese Bacon Hors D’Oeuvres
Cheese Olive Dreams
Cheese Puffs
Chicken Bites
Chicken Liver Boats
Cocktail Meatballs
Crab Melts
Crescent-Wrapped Brie
Easy Chicken Wings
Elegant Crab Meatballs
Fancy Franks
Focaccia
Franks on Rye
Golden Chicken Nuggets
Guyanese Plantain Marigold
Ham and Cheese Bake
Ham Triangles (Grzanki Szynka)
Italian Cheese Puffs
Italian Sausage Rolls
Mexican Cheese Puffs
Miniature Ham Puffs
Miniature Quiche
Mozzarella Sticks
Mussels and Peppers Vinaigrette
Pepperoni Rolls
Pizza Rustica
Plum-Glazed Franks
Quesadilla Squares
Quiche-Stuffed Mushrooms
Ricotta Balls
Rita’s Kolbassi Appetizer
Rye Treats
Sauerkraut Balls
Savory Stuffed Mushrooms
Scotch Eggs
Seafood Quiche
Shrimp in Jackets
Spinach-Cheese Balls
Stuffed Cherry Peppers
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed Mushrooms (Pieczarki Nadziewane)
Tithe’s Stuffed Mushrooms
Water Chestnuts
Zucchini Squares

COLD APPETIZERS

Deviled Almonds
Easy Prosciutto Appetizer
Exotic Fruit Tray
Ham and Egg Wraps (Jaja Zawijane Szynce)
Italian Mushrooms
Jimmy’s Classical Antipasto Symphony
Mozzarella and Ham Kabobs
Mushroom-Jarlsberg Antipasto
Party Deviled Eggs
Pickled Shrimp with Ginger Tartar Sauce
Salami Roll-Ups
Salami Stack-Ups
Smoked Turkey Canapes
Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Tomato Crostini
Tortilla Appetizer Wedges
Tortilla Roll-Ups
Tortilla Wrap-Ups
Tuscan Figs