24 Olympics Watch Party Snacks That Are Golden
The Summer Olympics are finally here! Get ready to become the watch party host with the most, thanks to these crowd-pleasing summer snacks. Whether you want to keep it patriotic—Star-Spangled Fruit Kebabs, anyone?—or stick with tasty dips and finger foods that everyone will enjoy, there's an appetizer for you. Recipes like our Spiralized Onions with Crispy Parmesan Breadcrumbs and Ultimate Summer Fruit & Cheese Board are healthy, group-friendly snacks.
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Spiralized Onions with Crispy Parmesan Breadcrumbs
You may not have considered onions as candidates for the spiralizer, but you should. They create beautiful ribbons that make this recipe reminiscent of fried shoestring onions. And because this onion ring-inspired recipe is baked rather than fried, they're really easy to make. Serve them as a side with burgers or as a crunchy healthy snack for game night.
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Cheesy Jalapeño Corn Dip
Creamy melted cheese brings sweet corn and spicy jalapeño together with a nice pop of brightness from lime juice and cilantro in this tasty dip inspired by Mexican elote and esquites. This creamy and satisfying dish can be served with tortilla chips and veggies for dipping.
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Classic Southern Appetizer Board
Treat your party guests to a classic Southern spread with deviled eggs, spiced pecans, ham, cheese and fresh fruit with this festive party board. We've included a combination of homemade and store-bought ingredients for an abundant board that doesn't take too long to assemble. A note on nutrition: This board is hearty enough to stand in for dinner or lunch, but if you're planning on serving it as an appetizer before the main meal, go light on things like nuts, crackers and cheese dip to keep sodium and calories in check.
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Loaded Black Bean Dip
This is 7-layer black bean dip simplified: just heat and season refried beans, then top with fresh vegetables for a texturally exciting dip.
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Star-Spangled Fruit Kebabs
Cutting naturally red and white fruits into star shapes to pair on skewers with blueberries makes a fun, patriotic fruit dessert you can feel good about eating and serving to your kids. This red, white and blue fruit "salad" will be a hit at summer barbecues, especially for the Fourth of July.
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Ultimate Summer Fruit & Cheese Board
This easy cheese board features a bounty of seasonal vegetables and fresh fruits, which add color and complement the variety of cheeses. We've made cheese suggestions, but feel free to mix and match with your favorites. For the fresh produce, improvise based on what's available at your market and what's in season.
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Cucumber Salsa
This fresh, tangy cucumber salsa is perfect for grilled fish or on its own as a simple side salad. Well balanced and easy to make, the flavor mellows and the cucumber softens as this sits, so it can easily be made a day or two ahead of time--or enjoy it right away, fresh and crisp.
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Fiesta Appetizer Board
A jazzed-up guacamole takes center stage on this low-fuss snack board. A jumble of miniature bell peppers and tortilla chips serve as the sturdy scoopers, with slices of Colby Jack cheese as their creamy counterpart. Roasted red peppers provide tangy sweetness.
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Peach Caprese Skewers
Fresh peaches liven up a classic caprese salad in this super-fast snack. Make this recipe for one or make a bunch for a party appetizer.
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Summer Melon & Cheese Board
Serve this pretty appetizer board for summer parties when watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe are at their juiciest and tastiest. The sweetness of the melon plays wonderfully against the salty cheese and prosciutto, while a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of fresh herbs add bright flavors and colors to the board.
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Yogurt with Beets (Borani Chogondar)
Borani, a Middle Eastern yogurt dip, can be made with anything from spinach to eggplant to carrots. This recipe gets its shockingly pink color from grated beets. Make it ahead--the longer it sits, the better it tastes.
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Cheesy Zucchini Breadsticks
Shredded zucchini, eggs and cheese combine in this easy recipe for low-carb cheesy breadsticks like you would get from the pizzeria, but healthier! Dip this gluten-free appetizer in marinara or pico de gallo for even more flavor.
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Avocado-Yogurt Dip
Update your guacamole recipe by adding protein-packed yogurt to make a healthy dip recipe. For an extra kick, add minced jalapeño or your favorite hot sauce for some zing! Serve this healthy dip recipe with crunchy vegetables, pita chips or pretzels, or use as a sandwich spread.
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Mediterranean Appetizer Board
Channel the flavors of the Mediterranean in this bountiful appetizer board. A duo of classic hummus and roasted eggplant dip offers dunking options for seeded crackers, carrot sticks and raw fennel slices. Juicy grapes and dried apricots provide a sweet counterpart to salty prosciutto and feta cheese.
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American Flag Caprese Salad with Blueberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette
This caprese salad with a patriotic twist marries the flavors of cherry tomatoes and creamy fresh mozzarella with fruity blueberries. A sweet and tangy blueberry dressing served on the side helps pull it all together on the plate. Garnish with fresh basil leaves to round out the summery flavors.
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Lobster Roll Dip
This quick and easy summer appetizer turns all the simple flavors of a lobster roll into a warm and bubbling dip that's perfect for slathering on slices of baguette or fresh veggies.
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Greek Salad Skewers
Turn classic Greek salad into finger food appetizers on a stick. The cute presentation is also super easy to prepare and makes for easy eating at a cocktail party or on game day. Just skewer tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta and olives and serve with a side of Greek salad dressing for dipping!
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Double-Tahini Hummus
You'll look like an expert with this easy hummus recipe that produces the lightest, silkiest hummus you've ever had. Chilling the cooked chickpeas ensures that when they're blended with the oil and cold tahini the hummus will come out creamy rather than oily. In a pinch, you can use the quick-soak technique (see Step 1), reduce the chilling time and still get great hummus.
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Mediterranean Eggplant Dip with Sizzled Garlic
The smoky char of roasted eggplant meets the nuttiness of tahini and tang of lemon in this crowd-pleasing dip that's reminiscent of classic baba ganoush. We finish the dip with sizzled garlic and a drizzle of heart-healthy olive oil.
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Manchego-Stuffed Shishito Poppers
We used shishito peppers in this recipe makeover of classic game-day jalapeño poppers. They're typically mild, but 5 to 10 percent of them pack some heat, which makes eating them like a game of spicy roulette. Manchego is a sheep's-milk cheese made in Spain that has a buttery texture. Look for it in your supermarket's specialty-cheese section.
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Green Pea-Chimichurri Dip
This take on the Argentinian classic is full of bright spring flavor and will be your new go-to dish for parties. Chimichurri is a sauce that is typically served with grilled meats. This version--made with fresh English peas, parsley and tofu--is served as a dip with either toasted baguette slices or vegetable dippers.
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Red, White & Blue Corn Chip Bites
Blue corn tortilla chips make this Mexican-style red-white-and-blue appetizer pretty, but any variety will work. Look for cotija cheese, a type of aged Mexican cheese, near other specialty cheeses or in Mexican grocery stores. You may also find it labeled "queso añejo" or "queso añejado." Finely crumbled Parmesan cheese can be used as a substitute.
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Chocolate-Dipped Pineapple Rings
Dried pineapple rings dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkled with chopped macadamia nuts are a healthy dessert with tropical flavor. Customize this chocolate-dipped fruit recipe by using different nuts or even dried papaya spears instead of pineapple.
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Middle Eastern Zucchini Dip
This creamy and tangy Middle Eastern zucchini dip recipe, also known as Koosa Ma Laban, is best served with baked pita chips or crunchy vegetables.