Ina Garten Appetizers That Will Please Every Crowd

Publish date: 2024-06-26

With summer rapidly approaching, we’ve got one thing on our minds: Al fresco dining. We’re ready to have an Ina Garten-style East Hamptons summer and that entails, of course, hosting lots of swanky dinner parties for our friends and family. One of the trickiest parts of any menu to figure out is the appetizers. When we’re in need of delicious appetizers that won’t take hours to prepare, we turn to our culinary icon, Ina Garten.

Warm potato salad with bacon, onion, fresh herbs and vinegar dressing in a bowl on a gray concrete background. German Kartoffelsalat

One visit to Garten’s website will leave you with plenty of irresistible beginner- and intermediate-level appetizer recipes, including everything from butternut squash and ricotta bruschettas and roasted figs and prosciutto (both beginner recipes) to pan-fried onion dip and tomato crostini with whipped feta (both intermediate recipes). But thanks to Garten’s slew of cookbooks (she has a staggering 13!), we found even more appetizer recipes that food bloggers have covered on their respective websites over the years, many of which are just as simple and equally as delicious-looking.

Let’s dig in, shall we?

A version of this article was originally published December 2019.

Warm goat cheese in phyllo
Who doesn’t love phyllo-wrapped goat cheese? Plus, this appetizer takes just 40 minutes to make.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Tomato & goat cheese tarts
Top puff pastries with thinly sliced yellow onions, freshly grated parmesan, garlic and herb goat cheese, sliced tomatoes, and herbs and spices, toss in the oven, and you have yourself delicious tarts.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Sausage-stuffed mushrooms
The stuffing alone looks incredible; it’s comprised of a flavorful concoction of Italian sausage, scallions, garlic, panko, Italian mascarpone cheese, parmesan cheese, and more.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Camembert & prosciutto tartines
Published in Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, these layered tartines are broiled for about five minutes.
Get the recipe from Williams-Sonoma.
Roasted red pepper hummus
Hummus is one of the best appetizers for al fresco dining, but Ina Garten uses roasted red peppers to give her an extra kick of sweetness and smokiness.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Tomato crostini with whipped feta
The most difficult part of this recipe is making the whipped feta, but don’t get too intimidated; it’s actually very easy to do if you have a food processor.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Roasted shrimp cocktail
A beginner recipe, Garten’s roasted shrimp cocktail requires only four ingredients for the shrimp and six ingredients to make the cocktail sauce.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Roasted figs & prosciutto
This recipe is so easy, it takes just three ingredients — fresh ripe figs, thin slices of prosciutto, and olive oil — and takes just 10 minutes in the oven.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Smoked salmon deviled eggs
For a larger party, opt for this smoked salmon deviled eggs app; it makes 16.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Herbed ricotta bruschettas
Really take this recipe to the next level by grilling the olive oil-brushed sourdough bread slices before topping them with the ricotta mixture.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Pan-fried onion dip
This pan-fried onion dip makes two cups — so make two servings, just in case it’s a hit (which it will be).
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.
Ham & cheese in puff pastry
Another incredibly easy appetizer with familiar flavors, Garten’s ham and cheese-stuffed puff pastry requires just five ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to prep.
Get the recipe from Food Network.
Tzatziki
Last but not least, the lightest, most refreshing dip of them all: tzatziki. And Garten’s recipe makes five cups and does not disappoint.
Get the recipe from Barefoot Contessa.