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Great summer appetizer ideas

37 Recipes
Great summer appetizer ideas
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times )
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By Noelle Carter
Recipe: Smoked salmon pizza

Morton's smoked salmon pizza

15 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8
Go ahead and make an extra batch of these grape leaves -- they go quickly.

Aunt Mary's yalanchi (stuffed grape leaves)

2 hours
Makes about 5 dozen yalanchi
Recipe: Black bean hummus

Black bean hummus

20 minutes
Serves 12 to 16

Cheese-and-spinach phyllo rolls

1 hour
Makes about 3 dozen pieces
Philly cheesesteak lettuce cups comes in at just under 200 calories per serving.

Philly cheesesteak lettuce cups

20 minutes
Serves 1
Tender little cheese balls come together in minutes.

Cream cheese balls with sesame and pistachios

25 minutes
Makes 15 cheese balls

Super wings

3 hours
Serves 12 to 24

Pissaladiere with spiced ricotta, radicchio and poached apricots

2 hours 30 minutes
Makes 24 pieces

Mushroom and cheese calzones

2 hours
Serves 2 1/2 dozen

Romesco with grilled bread, spring onions and shrimp

45 minutes
Serves 4 to 8
Recipe: Ginger soy chicken wings

Ginger soy chicken wings

1 hour
Serves 4 to 6 appetizer portions
Recipe: Peel 'n' eat shrimp

Peel-'n'-eat shrimp

55 minutes
Serves about 5 (10 shrimp each)
110241.FO.0427.AvoGuacamole--Studio shot taken on 4/27/2006 of avocado guacamole. Guacamole in a molcajete with a paste of onion, cilantro, chiles, avocado, tomato and lime juice.

Guacamole

10 minutes
Makes 2 cups
Recipe: Beer-battered shrimp with classic tartar sauce

Beer-battered shrimp with classic tartar sauce

30 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Aperitivo-Stuffed Fried Olives

Stuffed fried olives

1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 12 to 16 (64 olives)
Tender and buttery, try to eat just one.

Parmesan balls

45 minutes
Makes 26 balls
Sweet with just a hint of spice, you can make these treats ahead of time. Recipe: Champagne nuts

Champagne nuts

1 hour 15 minutes
Serves 8
Recipe: Beer-infused chili con queso

Chile con queso

50 minutes
Serves 8 to 10
Mussels are steamed in a flavorful blend of fresh fennel, garlic, leeks, cream and white sambuca, the anise-flavored Italian liqueur. Recipe: Giuseppe's mussels in sambuca

Giuseppe's mussels in sambuca

35 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Recipe: Savory tomato galette

Savory tomato galette

1 hour
Serves 6 to 8
Recipe: Orso's Romano pizza

Orso's Romano pizza

45 minutes
Serves 8 to 12

Roasted pepper rolls stuffed with tuna

1 hour 30 minutes
Makes about 24 small rolls, serving 8 as an hors d'oeuvre
Recipe: Roasted zucchini and labneh dip with mint

Roasted zucchini and labneh dip with mint

1 hour
Serves 4
Grilled eggplant dip with tahini, yogurt and roasted chiles

Grilled eggplant dip with tahini, yogurt and roasted chiles

1 hour 15 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
An elegant mound of tiny Cabrales blue cheese beignets drizzled with a peppery honey gastrique.

Blue cheese beignets

1 hour 20 minutes
Serves 8 to 10
099371.FO.0706.food1.ls-------Fire Roasted Fresh Garbanzo Beans on July 6, 2005.

Pan-roasted fresh garbanzo beans

10 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe: Bacon-wrapped pork belly

Bacon-wrapped pork belly

2 hours 30 minutes
Serves 4 to 8
Recipe: Sweet potato and chickpea dip

Sweet potato and chickpea dip

1 hour 25 minutes
Serves 10 to 12
Flatbread with za'atar seasoning.

Cracked wheat mana’esh (flatbread with za’atar)

35 minutes
Makes 8 (6- to 7-inch) flatbreads
Seeded crackers and cheese from Leona.

Leona's seeded crackers and cheese

3 hours 15 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Farinata with pesto and ricotta.

Farinata with pesto and ricotta

1 hour
Serves 4 to 6
Socca with peppers, fennel and olives.

Socca with peppers, fennel and olives

55 minutes
Serves 2 to 4
Flame roasted eggplant spread with lemon and garlic

Flame-roasted eggplant spread with lemon and garlic

50 minutes
Makes about 2 cups
Classic elote from Casa Vega restaurant in Sherman Oaks.

Classic elotes

15 minutes
Serves 4

Beer nuts

1 hour 20 minutes
Serves 12 to 16

Baked chips with roasted garlic hummus

1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 8 to 12

Grilled shrimp cocktail

1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 8 to 12

Noelle Carter

Noelle Carter is the former Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen director. She left in January 2019.

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