Healthy Cheese Appetizer Recipes

Vary this quick-to-assemble vegetarian appetizer recipe with the season. Try sliced nectarines in place of the strawberries in the summer and halved grapes in the fall. Chopped pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts are all delicious in place of the walnuts as well.

Get a nice dose of potassium, protein and fiber--all for less than 120 calories--in this healthy snack.

Make nachos a healthy dinner when you top them with an easy 30-minute chili. Serve this healthy recipe with sliced scallions, avocado, fresh tomatoes and sour cream, if desired.

The alpine cheeses in this healthy cheese fondue recipe by Laura Werlin are known for melting smoothly, which is key in a fondue. Adding vegetables brings texture and bonus nutrition, while complementing the buttery nuttiness of each cheese. To serve 12, plan to offer 6 cups of cut-up vegetables for dipping, such as steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets or strips of raw fennel and red bell pepper.

This sweet carrot-shaped cheese ball recipe is a clever take on an Easter dessert favorite: carrot cake. Serve with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, gingersnaps or apple slices for dipping fun that both kids and adults will love.

This Southern favorite is a simple blend of Cheddar, mayonnaise and pimientos. If you like spicy foods, add a few shakes of hot sauce. Serve with crackers for an appetizer or as a sandwich spread for lunch!

Here we take the elements of a vegetarian lasagna filling--ricotta, spinach and Parmesan cheese--and nestle them into roasted portobello mushroom caps. The recipe works best with very large portobello caps; if you can only find smaller ones, buy one or two extra and divide the filling among all the caps. Serve with a tossed salad and a whole-wheat dinner roll or spaghetti tossed with marinara sauce.

Sweet pear, salty Cheddar cheese and crunchy nuts make this healthy cheese ball recipe an alluring holiday treat. Serve with an array of crudités and crisp party crackers.

In this beautiful grapefruit salad recipe we pair the salty flavor of halloumi cheese with sweet-tart ruby grapefruit and aromatic mint. Halloumi cheese has a texture similar to mozzarella, but it browns rather than melts when it is heated. Look for halloumi in tubs or airtight packs near other imported cheese in large supermarkets.

This olive-and-goat-cheese-stuffed cherry tomato recipe makes a great pop-in-your-mouth appetizer. Scooping out the insides to stuff the tomato can be a little tricky without the right tool--a 1/4-teaspoon measuring spoon works very well for the job.

Each of these bite-size savory treats has a bit of dried fruit tucked inside for a slightly sweet surprise. They make wonderful holiday gifts as well as elegant little hors d'oeuvres.

If you have a garden or farmer's market nearby, there's much to be said for setting out a plate of raw summer vegetables and serving them with nothing more than a great dip. Here is one that everybody seems to enjoy, a creamy blue cheese dip that's good with crunchy radishes (provide some toothpicks for impaling them), baby carrots, broccoli and the like. Use enough of any combination of veggies to feed 4 or 5 people.

Cheesy cornsticks are the perfect accompaniment to your favorite soup or chili.

These warm cheese puffs should be slightly crisp on the outside. Perfect for entertaining, they can be made ahead and frozen, then popped into the oven as guests arrive.

Traditional versions of this crisp Swiss potato cake virtually swim in butter. By baking the cake, we were able to dramatically reduce the fat yet retain crispness.

Perfect with soup or as an easy snack, this healthy cheese toast recipe pairs reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), smoked salmon and dill on top of crusty bread.

A perfect soup pairing or an easy snack, this healthy cheese toast recipe features fresh tomatoes, salty Cheddar cheese and cracked pepper atop slices of crusty bread

Creamy ricotta and lemon zest lend bright flavor to this healthy cheese toast recipe, for a perfect soup pairing or easy snack.

In this healthy cheese toast recipe. crusty bread is topped with ham, cheese and arugula for a perfect soup pairing or an easy snack.

Crusty bread is topped with a touch of creamy goat cheese, fragrant rosemary and a drizzle of sweet honey in this healthy toast recipe that makes a perfect soup pairing or an easy snack.