An appetizer is a small serving of food before the main course. It is usually a bite-sized, light, flavorful, colorful, and visually-enchanting recipe that enhances your appetite. Appetizers also help to moderate hunger if you enjoy a drink before dinner. Occasionally, if your party extends beyond mealtime, you can serve appetizers as snacks. There are seven main types of appetizers, and you can mix and match your meal plan based on the event you’re hosting.

Seven main types of appetizers
Appetizers are tasty and eye-catching, so choose colorful and fresh ingredients and serve them in attractive, stylish and convenient platters and trays to enhance their appeal.

Cocktail appetizers
Cocktails are small portions of cold food with a tangy or flavorful sauce. They are easy to eat and help to tone down your hunger. You can prepare the cocktail and sauce and plate them before serving. Some of the most popular, easy-to-prepare cocktail appetizers include:

Bacon and date
Chicken liver pate with white wine sauce
Cocktail meatballs
Veggie platter
Deviled eggs
Grilled mushroom and chicken skewers

Canapes
Canapes is a dish made with bread, a topping, and a garnish. You can also use puff pastry, fresh thin slices of vegetables, or crackers as a base instead of bread. Canapes can be sweet or savory and are usually decorative and dainty. Some easy-to-prepare and visually appealing examples of canapes include the following:

Snow crab and egg salad on brioche toast
Eggplant and chickpea bits
Potato and beef canapes
Smoked salmon and beetroot
Dinner sausage rolls

Crudites
Crudites are an appetizer where you serve raw vegetables with a dipping sauce or a vinaigrette. You can serve the following vegetables, typically combining more than one:

Cauliflower
Asparagus
Snap peas
Cucumbers
Celery
Carrots
Endives

You can serve crudites with innovative, tasty, creamy dips using mayo, sour cream, yogurt, and feta cheese. You can also use dips like tahini, baba ganoush, raitas and salsas.

Salads
Appetizer salads are small meat or vegetable salad portions served with a sauce or dressing before the main meal. Salads should have a base, body, garnish and dressing. The function of an appetizer salad is to increase hunger and help you enjoy your main meal. Some popular examples of appetizer salads include:

Antipasto appetizer salad
Caprese appetizer salad
Strawberry spinach salad
Crab meat salad
Seafood salad

Chips and Dips
As the name implies, these are chips, crackers, and raw vegetables served with salsas or dips. The dips are generally creamy enough to be scooped by the chips. Some of the combinations of chips and dips that are party favorites are:

Tortilla chips with guacamole
Blue corn chips and salsa
Pita chips and hummus
Nachos and cheese dip sauce
Spicy sweet potato chips with dill dip

Soups
Soups not only serve as an appetizer, but they can also aid in digestion. You can serve a small portion of soup in a small bowl or a shot glass. When you know the number of guests, you can make and freeze a big batch of soup in advance; you can warm it just before serving. Here are some soup ideas for your next party:

Red bell pepper, garlic, and basil soup
Wonton soup
Creamy potato leek soup
Chicken enchilada soup
Chilled pea soup

Hors D’oeuvres
While appetizers indicate the beginning of a meal, Hors D’oeuvres are served while people are mingling and talking; it is not part of a meal and is served in smaller portions than appetizers. Some examples include:

Crab toast
Grilled oysters
Crostini
Mozzarella sticks
Cornbread muffins