Food Recipes Appetizers Appetizer Boards 23 Appetizer Recipes to Create the Ultimate Grazing Table Expand your cheese and charcuterie board to get any party started. By Ashley Day Ashley Day Ashley Day is Food & Wine's associate editorial director. She's edited and directed food and travel content at USA TODAY, the Institute of Culinary Education, and Chef & Restaurant magazine, and contributed to The Food Institute, The Daily Meal, and the recipe app meez. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 30, 2024 Close Photo: Victor Protasio A grazing table combines the best of cheese and charcuterie boards with crudités and hors d'oeuvres. They are perfect for hosts who want to abate guests' hunger without filling them up before the main event — or to supplement a seated or coursed meal. It's an ideal format for large gatherings to facilitate mingling without the need to pass appetizers around and a great option for the holiday season. While many components shouldn't require much prep — like slicing apples, arranging fresh fruit or vegetables, and curating meats and cheeses — adding a few homemade jams, crackers, and pickles is an easy way to impress your guests with the very best. Here are our prime candidates for your next grazing table, from homemade crackers to pickles and spreads. Choose the best light appetizers to get your guests grazing. 01 of 23 Sourdough Crackers Caitlin Bensel Turn sourdough starter discard into crispy crackers with cornmeal, flour, and seeds. Top the two-hour snack flex with za’atar, smoked paprika, or finely chopped fresh rosemary mixed with finely grated Parmesan for added flavor. Get the Recipe 02 of 23 Feta-Stuffed Marinated Olives Photo by Dan Perez / Food Styling and Prop Styling by Nurit Kariv Adeena Sussman turns Castelvetrano olives into a fragrant, bright, and herbaceous addition to any grazing table spread with za'atar, feta, lemon, chile, and parsley. Get the Recipe 03 of 23 Green Peppercorn-Marinated Feta Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Marinate cubed feta to soak up the flavors of piquant peppercorns, crushed red pepper, and thyme for this make-ahead cheese board anchor. Get the Recipe 04 of 23 Fig Jam Julia Hartbeck All you need is figs, sugar, and lemon juice to make your own spread that pairs perfectly with cheese and crackers. Get the Recipe 05 of 23 Chicken Liver Pâté Diana Chistruga This silky-smooth and simple pâté from the legendary Jacques Pépin comes together in 35 minutes. You'll simmer pale chicken livers in water with aromatics before straining and blending it with butter in a food processor. Get the Recipe 06 of 23 Crispy Biscuit Crackers Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox Carla Hall has a great trick for leftover biscuits — cut them into thin slices and sprinkle with a dash of cayenne to make these ridiculously crunchy crackers . Get the Recipe 07 of 23 Classic Cheese Ball with Spiced Pecans Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke Cream cheese and cheddar cheese come together for this super savory Southern hors d'oeuvre with nutty crunch from chopped pecan halves. Get the Recipe 08 of 23 Candied Jalapeños Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Cook red and green chiles in a spiced syrup of ginger, coriander, allspice, and vinegar for spicy, sweet, and tangy cowboy candy. Serve these candied jalapeños alongside a wedge of brie or goat cheese on your grazing board. Get the Recipe 09 of 23 Suya-Spiced Mixed Nuts Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver F&W's Chandra Ram coats mixed nuts with butter and suya spice for a Nigerian-inspired riff on a popular bar snack. This hot, sweet, and salty recipe was inspired by chef Simileoluwa Adebajo’s Chicken Suya. Get the Recipe 10 of 23 Pickled Snack Peppers Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Thinly slice and pickle sweet mini peppers in a simple solution of white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and water. The peppers retain their brilliant colors to brighten any table. Get the Recipe 11 of 23 Rhubarb-and-Currant Mostarda Victor Protasio Give fresh rhubarb and dried black currants gentle heat and acid from dry mustard, mustard seeds, and red wine vinegar in this tart, juicy spread for cheese and crackers. Get the Recipe 12 of 23 Beer Cheese Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans A casual entertaining addition, this spread makes use of flat beer and comes together in 10 minutes with grated cheddar, cream cheese, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Get the Recipe 13 of 23 Air Fryer Burrata Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco Coat cream-filled burrata with breadcrumbs and then bake it in the air fryer until it is crispy on the outside and melty inside for a gooey cheese component in 40 minutes, sauce optional. Get the Recipe 14 of 23 Stilton-Stuffed Pickled Peppers Greg DuPree Pair pickled peppers, like spicy peperoncini and mild Peppadew, with Gorgonzola or Roquefort in these bite-sized snacks from Justin Chapple. Get the Recipe 15 of 23 Cheese Straws Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Shell Royster These crispy and salty cheese straws, from chef Scott Peacock and iconic Southern cher Edna Lewis have a playful presentation that's sure to please a crowd. Get the Recipe 16 of 23 Sugar and Spice Nuts © John Kernick Coat raw cashews and almonds with sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, chile, and salt, then brown for 45 minutes in this snack recipe from entertaining expert Bronson van Wyck. Get the Recipe 17 of 23 Dried Apricot and Cherry Mostarda © Helene Dujardin Grace Parisi's take on this Italian fruit and mustard condiment takes 20 minutes, complementing dried apricots and dried cherries with ginger and mustard. Get the Recipe 18 of 23 Sweet Cauliflower-and-Carrot Pickles © Fredrika Stjärne Showcase colorful market produce by marinating the vegetables in a sugar and Cointreau mixture with a spice bag and refrigerating them overnight to pickle. Get the Recipe 19 of 23 Cranberry-Licorice Compote © Tina Rupp This sweet and tangy compote is spiced with star anise, cinnamon, vanilla, citrus zest, and Pernod. It pairs well with fresh goat cheese. Get the Recipe 20 of 23 Porcini-and-Pecan Pâté © Sabra Krock Delight plant-based party guests with a vegan pâté made from porcini and portobello mushrooms, from chef Sean Baker of the Berkeley restaurant, Gather. Get the Recipe 21 of 23 Warm Olives with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon © Quentin Bacon Marinade olives in olive oil, lemon zest, rosemary, and garlic for a citrusy upgrade in just 25 minutes. Get the Recipe 22 of 23 Fresh Raspberry Preserves © Con Poulos Balance juicy raspberries with a bit of acidic red wine vinegar to temper the sweetness for this one-hour, four-ingredient spread from 2016 F&W Best New Chef Iliana Regan of Michigan's Milkweed Inn. Get the Recipe 23 of 23 Homemade Wheat Crackers © Petrina Tinslay Susan Spungen makes thin, crunchy crackers with pantry staples and an egg white in an hour and 15 minutes. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit