These Top-Rated Mezze Recipes Celebrate Small Plate Dining

This phenomenal thick and creamy dip is completely vegan. It requires a couple of specialty ingredients, pomegranate molasses, and Aleppo pepper both of which can be found in a gourmet shop or online. You can roast the red peppers or use the kind you find in a jar.

A much loved Spanish dish, it requires very few ingredients, mostly it's just eggs, potatoes, and onions. Baking it ensures even and gentle cooking. It's delicious served hot or cold and also makes a surprisingly good sandwich filling or breakfast entrée. Serve with aioli or hot sauce on the side.

Served warm or cool, the combination of cinnamon, mint, dill, allspice, and cumin gives these vegetarian and gluten-free stuffed grape leaves an intriguing flavor. A great make-ahead dish, they can be served warm or cool and pair well with a variety of other dishes. Recipe reviewer CookinginFL says you can replace the currants with raisins.

This incredibly impressive dish from Chef John requires no special equipment or ingredients and you can swap out the lamb if you prefer beef or even a vegetarian filling. It's delicious served warm, but can also be made ahead and served at room temperature, with or without the yogurt dipping sauce.

This vegan dip is a surefire crowd-pleaser. Recipe creator Chelsey says it's great with veggies, pita chips, or anything! Reviewers suggest using peanut butter if you can't find tahini and topping it with a dash of cumin, olive oil, or even cayenne pepper if you like it spicy.

If you're looking for a good make-ahead appetizer, this is a perfect vegetarian dish. Using the largest Spanish green olives you can find will make the process of stuffing them easier. They are a great savory snack to go with drinks like martinis, a white vermouth spritz, or dry white wine.

These Turkish meatballs come together quickly because they are made using the food processor to crumble the bread and thoroughly mix all the ingredients. While the meatballs should be served soon after cooking, the mixture can be refrigerated for an hour before frying them. A garnish of fresh chopped mint or parsley makes an attractive presentation.

Grilled eggplant is flavored with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. A touch of Greek yogurt gives it an extra creamy texture. "This is a wonderfully savory yet refreshing vegetable dip," says Chef John. Serve with warm pita bread. 

"This flatbread brings me back to my early childhood when the Syrian lady across the street from my grandmother made it and always gave us some," says Chef John. "It's my first food memory. The bread is thinner and stretchier than pita, has a unique texture, and gorgeous appearance."

If you like Caprese salad, you'll love this dish that features mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil piled on toasted baguette slices. Some reviewers suggest adding some Balsamic vinegar to boost the flavor of the tomatoes. It beautifully shows off the colors of the Italian flag.

If you've enjoyed the typical tomato-based bruschetta in the past, this artichoke version is a nice change of pace. The topping is very similar to artichoke dip and features just four ingredients, marinated artichokes, Romano cheese, red onion, and mayonnaise. Reviewers recommend toasting the baguette slices first and also adding minced garlic.

An irresistible Spanish tapa, the secret to making the potatoes crispy is a two-step frying process. The combination of a spicy tomato sauce and mayonnaise makes this dish a favorite. Served piping hot, it complements a variety of other dishes that can be made ahead of time for easier entertaining.

A classic Greek dish, if you keep phyllo dough and spinach in the freezer, you can make it in a snap. While not traditional, the mozzarella adds a gooey stringy texture that is very appealing. Note that you can freeze the triangles before baking them and then bake them at your convenience without bothering to first defrost.