3 Italian Appetizer Recipes You Must Try
Italian cuisine is always a crowd-pleaser. Perhaps you want to prepare Italian appetizers to accompany your favorite Italian meal. Alternatively, maybe you want some delectable Italian appetizers that you can whip up quickly and easily for any gathering or party. Here are 3 Italian appetizer recipes you must try.
Italian meatballs
Ingredients
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
½ cup milk
1 pound of ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ pound Italian sausage
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup grated parmesan
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
32-ounces marinara sauce
Directions
In a small mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Combine the beef, pork, sausage, onion, and garlic in a large mixing bowl with your hands. Season with salt and pepper, then gently fold in the bread crumb mixture, eggs, parmesan, and parsley until just combined. Form the mixture into balls.
Over medium heat, preheat the oil in a large, high-sided skillet. Sear meatballs on all sides in batches to develop a crust.
Remove meatballs from skillet and reduce heat to medium-low and add sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then return the meatballs to the skillet. Cover and cook until thoroughly cooked for about 8 minutes before serving.
Calzone pinwheels
Ingredients
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3-ounce diced pepperoni
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped mushrooms
¼ cup finely chopped onion
8-ounce crescent rolls
14-ounce warmed pizza sauce
Directions
Combine the Italian seasoning, salt, and ricotta in a small bowl. Add the mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, parmesan cheese, mushrooms, green pepper, and onion to the mixture.
Divide the crescent dough into four rectangles. Spread the cheese mixture within ¼ inch of the edges of each rectangle. Start with a short side and roll up jelly-roll style; pinch edges to seal. Cut each into four slices.
Place on greased baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown, at 375°F.
Stromboli sandwich
Ingredients
2 loaves of frozen bread dough (1 pound each), thawed
¼ pound sliced ham
¼ pound sliced pepperoni
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green pepper
14-ounces pizza sauce
¼ pound sliced mozzarella cheese
¼ pound sliced bologna
¼ pound sliced hard salami
¼ pound Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons melted butter
Directions
Let the dough rise in a warm place till the size has doubled. Form the loaves into a 15×12-inch rectangle.
On half of the dough, layer ham and pepperoni. Season with onion and green pepper to taste, and top with ¼ cup pizza sauce. Over the sauce, layer the mozzarella, bologna, salami, and Swiss cheese. Add basil, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Top with another ¼ cup of pizza sauce. Fold the plain half of the dough over the filling and seal well.
Place in a 15×12-inch greased baking pan and bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter to finish. Slice the stromboli and serve with the remaining pizza sauce.
