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30 Minutes or Less

Whipped Feta Crostini Recipe – 3 ways!

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overhead close up image of whipped feta crostini.

This whipped feta crostini recipe is a flavor-packed, bite-sized wonder that’ll steal the spotlight at your next holiday party! Perfectly toasted crostini and a tangy whipped feta, topped three different ways. This easy appetizer recipe is a total crowd-pleaser!

whipped feta crostini 3 ways on a plate with wine and fresh thyme on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Whipped Feta Crostini

Baguette (1-inch slices): The crunchy canvas for your culinary masterpiece. Go for a good-quality baguette that will hold up to the whipped feta goodness. Or use a gluten-free baguette for an entirely gluten-free appetizer.

Feta: The star of the show! Opt for a high-quality feta for that perfect blend of creaminess and tanginess. I use and recommend this barrel-aged feta.

Yogurt: A dollop of yogurt adds a touch of smoothness to the whipped feta. It’s the secret ingredient for that irresistible texture.

Good Quality Olive Oil: A drizzle of liquid gold to tie it all together. Don’t skimp on the olive oil; it’s the finishing touch that elevates this crostini recipe. I use and love this Graza Olive Oil in my whipped feta!

close-up image of whipped feta crostini.

Tips and Tricks

  • Whip It Good: When blending the feta and yogurt, let the mixer work its magic. Whip until the texture is smooth and creamy. You want that dreamy consistency that spreads like a cloud on your crostini.
  • Get Ahead of the Game: This recipe is a winner for planning ahead. Whip the feta mixture in advance and store it in the fridge. Toast the baguette slices separately. When it’s party time, assemble the crostini with a dollop of whipped feta right before serving.
  • Top it Off Creatively: Let your creativity shine by trying different toppings. Pomegranate seeds and honey add a burst of sweetness, while sliced pears, walnuts, and honey provide a perfect blend of textures. For a classic touch, go with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky salt – my favorite!
Whipped Feta Crostini - 3 ways!
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Whipped Feta Crostini – 3 ways!

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: AppetizersDifficulty: Easy
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

This whipped feta crostini is a flavor-packed, bite-sized wonder that’ll steal the spotlight at your next holiday party! Perfectly toasted crostini and a tangy whipped feta, topped three different ways. This easy appetizer recipe is a total crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients

  • For the crostini:

  • 1 baguette, cut into 1-inch slices

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • For the whipped feta:

  • 5 ounce block feta

  • 1/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • pinch of salt

  • For topping:

  • pomegranate seeds

  • sliced pears

  • chopped walnuts

  • honey

  • olive oil

  • flaky salt

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Arrange the baguette slices on the baking sheet and brush both sides of each slice with olive oil.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and toasted. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the whipped feta.
  • Add the feta, yogurt, olive oil, and salt to a large bowl. Use either a hand or stand mixer to whip the feta until mostly smooth and combined (some lumps of feta may remain).
  • Top each crostini with about a tablespoon of whipped feta, then top however you’d like. I recommend either pomegranate and honey, sliced pears, walnuts, and honey, or olive oil and flaky salt.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Stuffed Dates with Cream Cheese, Pistachios, and Honey

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close-up overhead image of stuffed dates with cream cheese, pistachios, and honey.

Fancy, but super easy stuffed dates with cream cheese, pistachios, and a drizzle of honey! A perfect no-bake appetizer or snack that comes together in just a few minutes. They’re gluten-free with a dairy-free and vegan option!

honey being drizzled over stuffed dates.

What You’ll Need to Make Stuffed Dates

Medjool Dates – Soft and sticky medjool dates are naturally sweet and totally delicious! I enjoy medjool dates completely on their own, but stuffed with cream cheese, pistachios, and honey take them over the top. You can either buy dates with the pits removed, or buy whole dates and remove the pits yourself before eating.

Cream Cheese – Either cream cheese or goat cheese will work great in this recipe. Both are soft, creamy, and perfectly tangy. A scoop of soft cheese helps to balance out the sweetness of these stuffed dates.

Pistachios – A sprinkling of chopped pistachios contribute the perfect crunch to this dish! Without it, these dates are all one texture, and lack variety. Therefore, for an exciting appetizer, add some chopped pistachios, or your favorite chopped nut to the top of these stuffed dates.

Honey – The finishing touch to this fancy-tasting app is a drizzle of honey. After we’ve added in all our savory components, it’s always nice to round out the dish with an extra bit of sweetness.

Flaky Salt – I seriously put this Maldon flaky sea salt on everything! It instantly elevates any dish, and makes it taste like you spent hours on it, when in reality these stuffed dates come together in under 5 minutes.

stuffed dates on a plate.

Tips and Tricks

  • If your dates are too hard/dried out, zap them in the microwave for about 20 seconds. This’ll heat them up just enough to help them open with ease!
  • Prep these dates ahead of your next dinner party or potluck! If prepping more than an hour in advance, I recommend leaving the pistachios and honey off your stuffed dates until right before serving. Leaving them to sit for too long could cause the pistachios to go soft and soggy.
  • Feel free to totally customize this recipe and make it your own! Use any soft cheese you’d like, and any chopped nut you’d like. Have fun with this appetizer, and don’t overcomplicate it!
close-up image of stuffed dates on a plate.

Adjust this Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version, stuff these dates with your favorite non-dairy cream cheese instead.

Make it Vegan: Make these stuffed dates vegan by taking the dairy-free option above, and replacing the honey with a drizzle of maple syrup!

Stuffed Dates with Cream Cheese, Pistachios, and Honey
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Stuffed Dates with Cream Cheese, Pistachios, and Honey

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: AppetizersDifficulty: Easy
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

Fancy, but super easy stuffed dates with cream cheese, pistachios, and a drizzle of honey! A perfect no-bake appetizer or snack that comes together in just a few minutes.

Ingredients

  • 12 medjool dates, pits removed and sliced open

  • 4 ounces cream cheese (or goat cheese)

  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

  • honey, for drizzling

  • pinch of flaky salt

Directions

  • Fill the cavity of each date with a couple teaspoons of cream cheese.
  • Press chopped pistachios into the cream cheese on top of each date.
  • Arrange stuffed dates on a serving plate, drizzle with honey, then sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt.

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30 Minutes or Less

Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

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close-up overhead image of shrimp spring rolls on a plate with peanut sauce.

Fun and delicious shrimp spring rolls with an irresistibly good peanut dipping sauce! These spring rolls are an easy and exciting way to pack veggies into your diet – they’re super healthy and tasty.

overhead image of shrimp spring rolls on a plate with peanut sauce on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Spring Rolls Rice Wrappers – These light little rice-based wraps are what hold these spring rolls together! I’ve had lots of luck finding these at my local grocery store, in the ethnic food aisle. However, if you can’t seem to track these thin rice sheets down, I recommend ordering these on Amazon. Leftover rice wrappers? Try making my summer rolls recipe next!

Cooked Shrimp – Buy pre-cooked shrimp, or quickly boil it yourself before adding to your shrimp spring rolls. The only thing to note here is that you must remove the tails from your shrimp for this recipe! Removing the tails can happen either before or after cooking – it makes no difference.

Fresh Mint and Cilantro – These Asian-inspired rolls taste extra fresh thanks to a few sprigs of fresh mint and cilantro! I highly recommend adding fresh herbs to your rolls. Though if you don’t like cilantro, or don’t like mint, simply swap it out for a different fresh herb.

Peanut Butter – Unsweetened creamy peanut butter is the base to our peanut sauce. However, if you don’t like peanut butter, you can use cashew butter instead. Or, for a nut-free version, try tahini!

Soy Sauce – Found in most Asian recipes, soy sauce adds the perfect savory component to this dish. However, you can certainly swap out the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos if that’s more your thing.

shrimp spring rolls on a plate with peanut sauce and fresh limes on the side.

Tips on Handling Rice Wrappers

  • Submerge one rice wrapper at a time in the water! If you attempt more than one, they’ll stick together and you won’t be able to separate them.
  • Don’t leave the rice wrapper in the water for too long. Just 5 seconds submerged in a shallow bowl of warm water will do the trick. Leaving the wrapper to soak for too long will make it too soft and difficult to handle.
  • Place each rice wrapper (one at a time) on a damp paper towel or dish cloth before filling and rolling. The wrapper will lift easily off the damp cloth, making rolling a breeze. If you place the rice wrapper on a kitchen counter or cutting board, it’ll stick and be a nightmare to remove!
shrimp spring rolls being dipped into peanut sauce.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For vegan spring rolls, use extra firm tofu cut into strips in place of the cooked shrimp!

Make it Gluten-Free: The only non gluten-free ingredient in this recipe is the soy sauce. Therefore, use tamari instead, which tastes just like soy sauce but is 100% gluten-free!

Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
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Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

Fun and delicious shrimp spring rolls with an irresistibly good peanut dipping sauce! These spring rolls are an easy and exciting way to pack veggies into your diet – they’re super healthy and tasty.

Ingredients

  • 12 spring roll rice wrappers

  • 1-2 pounds cooked shrimp, shells and tails removed

  • 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks

  • 2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into matchsticks

  • 1 English cucumber, sliced into matchsticks

  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

  • For the peanut sauce:

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, unsweetened

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

  • 1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced

  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced

  • 2-3 tablespoons warm water

Directions

  • Fill a shallow bowl with warm water. Submerge one sheet of rice wrapper in water for 5 seconds, then transfer to a clean, damp dish towel.
  • Place 2-3 shrimp, a small handful of vegetables, and a few fresh mint and cilantro leaves in the center of the wrapper. Then, fold the end closest to you over the filling, tuck sides in and towards the center, and finish rolling to create a sealed spring roll. Repeat this process with remaining rice wrappers.
  • Make the sauce by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking to combine.
  • Serve shrimp spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce on the side.

Recipe Video

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Appetizers

Pizza Smashed Potatoes

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close-up overhead image of pizza smashed potatoes with oregano.

Irresistibly crispy pizza smashed potatoes! I took two of my favorite food groups and combined them into one delicious appetizer. Fun and easy to make, with only a handful of simple ingredients!

overhead image of pizza smashed potatoes on a baking sheet.

What You’ll Need to Make Pizza Smashed Potatoes

Baby Potatoes – These adorable little spuds come in all sorts of colors and shapes, and really any will work in this recipe. When selecting your baby potatoes, I recommend grabbing a bag that all look pretty similar in size, to ensure they roast up evenly! I used these to make my pizza smashed potatoes, and they were delicious.

Pizza Sauce – Either homemade or store-bought pizza sauce works! I used store-bought canned pizza sauce, to make this recipe extra quick and easy. But, if you’re up for the task, go ahead and whip up a homemade sauce – I’ll cheer you on!

Grated Cheese – Mozzarella cheese is the most common pizza topping, but there are plenty of other tasty options out there! I used a freshly grated goat cheese with a lower lactose content, because I’m sensitive to dairy. But feel free to use any kind of grated cheese you’d like! A freshly grated parmesan, provolone, or pecorino romano all taste amazing!

pizza smashed potatoes on a plate with beer on the side.

Tips and Tricks

  • Avoid over-boiling your baby potatoes in the first step. Over-boiling/cooking will make them too soft, and they won’t hold their shape when smashed. Therefore, boil potatoes until just fork tender, then strain!
  • You can make these pizza smashed potatoes in the air fryer! To do that, follow the recipe up to the point of roasting. Then, instead of roasting them in the oven, cook them in the air fryer at 400° Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
  • Prep this recipe ahead of time, then pop it in the oven 20 minutes before serving! This is a great game day, potluck, or dinner party app. It’s super hands off, and everyone LOVES them!
holding up a pizza smashed poatoes.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan/Dairy-Free: For vegan pizza smashed potatoes, replace the cheese with your favorite vegan/non-dairy cheese. Or, sprinkle with nutritional yeast and leave the cheese out altogether!

Pizza Smashed Potatoes
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Pizza Smashed Potatoes

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: AppetizersDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

45

minutes
Total time

50

minutes

Irresistibly crispy pizza smashed potatoes! I took two of my favorite food groups and combined them into one delicious appetizer. Fun and easy to make, with only a handful of simple ingredients!

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds baby potatoes

  • salt, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce

  • 1 cup grated cheese (parmesan, asiago, provolone, mozzarella, etc.)

  • pinch of dried oregano

Directions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add in a big pinch of salt and the potatoes. Boil potatoes for about 15-20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.
  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
  • Drain potatoes from water and let cool slightly, then transfer to a large baking sheet. Use a bowl, mug, or a heavy glass to smash each potato until they’re about ¼-inch thick.
  • Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
  • Remove potatoes from oven and top each smashed potato with about 2 teaspoons of sauce and a tablespoon of grated cheese. Then, finish each potato off with a sprinkling of dried oregano, and roast for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days! To reheat, either microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or put them back in the oven for 5-7 minutes.

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30 Minutes or Less

Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

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air fryer sweet potato fries on a plate with ketchup

Perfectly crispy, yet healthy sweet potato fries! Four ingredients and 15 minutes is all it takes for this addictive appetizer or side dish. Don’t have an air fryer? No worries, I’ve included an oven-baked option that still yields incredibly crispy fries!

close-up overhead image of air fryer sweet potato fries on a plate with ketchup on the side

The air fryer is truly the kitchen device of the century (ok, well it’s right up there with the Instant Pot). I only just got my hands on about a year ago, and holy moly it changed the homemade fry game for me, forever. After quite a bit of research for the best air fryer out there, I eventually landed on the Cosori Pro Air Fryer. It’s fairly priced and works like a champ, can’t recommend it enough!

What You Need To Make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potatoes – The star of our show! You can use any variety of sweet potatoes you’d like for this recipe. Just remember, peel them and then slice them into thin matchsticks. Thinner = crispier. And try your best to cut them as evenly as possible, so that they “fry” evenly.

Avocado Oil – My oil of choice, but you can use any oil you’d like here. Just one tablespoon is all you’ll need, that’s A LOT less oil than if you deep-fried these!

Salt – Duh! Salt is non-negotiable for fries of any kind. Though start small and add more salt once the fries are done. You can, of course, salt to your preference.

Garlic Powder – This is my little special touch. I love the extra flavor garlic powder gives these fries, and I promise you will too. Though if you’re not a garlic fan (how?!), then you can leave this ingredient out.

air fryer sweet potato fries being dipped into ketchup

Tips and Tricks

  • The secret to these crispy sweet potato fries is working in batches when you air fry them. Just a single layer at a time, avoiding cramming too many into the air fryer, will give you the crispiest non-deep-fried sweet potato fry of all time.
  • No air fryer? No problem! See below for an oven baked option.
  • If you’re looking for something to pair with these sweet potato fries, I can’t help but recommend these crispy air fryer buffalo chicken wings! The perfect healthy game-day, or any day, appetizer duo.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

Perfectly crispy, yet healthy sweet potato fries! Four ingredients and 15 minutes is all it takes for this addictive appetizer or side dish. Don’t have an air fryer? No worries, I’ve included an oven-baked option that still yields incredibly crispy fries!

Ingredients

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, see Notes

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

  • In the air fryer:
  • Preheat air fryer to 380° Fahrenheit. While the air fryer preheats, peel and slice sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks.
  • Toss sweet potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Make sure each fry is evenly coated in oil and spices.
  • Transfer a third of the potatoes to the air fryer, then spread in an even layer and cook for 15 minutes. Pause air fryer to shake pan halfway through.
  • Remove fries and repeat for remaining batches.
  • In the oven:
  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. While the air fryer preheats, peel and slice sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks.
  • Toss sweet potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Make sure each fry is evenly coated in oil and spices.
  • Spread potatoes in an even layer on a large baking sheet – space fries about 1/8-inch apart.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Sweet Potatoes: Use any variety of sweet potatoes you’d like, white sweet potatoes are my favorite!

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