Upgrade any meal with the addition of a flavor-packed stuffed appetizer or side dish. Onions turn into vehicles for fragrant spiced rice, while tomatoes get a boost from fresh herbs and bread crumbs. Try stuffed jalapenos with a twist, or quirky hollowed dill pickles spread with pimiento cheese. Here are more than fifteen globally-inspired stuffed dishes.
See the Recipe Christopher Hirsheimer
Hickory House Stuffed Pickles
Homemade pimento cheese spread is the filling or the unusual appetizer. See the Hickory Stuffed Pickles Recipe
See the Recipe Maura McEvoy
Niçoise-Style Stuffed Vegetables
Vegetables stuffed with a hearty filling of salt pork, lamb, and rice—then topped with cheese and bread crumbs—make a satisfying appetizer. See the recipe for Niçoise-Style Stuffed Vegetables »
Virginie Blachere See the Recipe André Baranowski
This dish is based on the crab-stuffed jalapeños found on menus throughout southeast Texas. We found that chilling the chiles after stuffing them makes them easier to coat with bread crumbs and fry.
Herbs, garlic, and bread crumbs add a savory topping to tomatoes in this simple Tuscan side dish.
This meze is made in Macedonia with sweet Florina peppers, though Fresno or Anaheim chiles (the former being hotter than the latter) can be substituted. Get the recipe for Peppers Stuffed with Feta (Piperies Gemistes me Feta) »
Toltott Tojas (Chicken Liver-Stuffed Eggs) See the Toltott Tojas (Chicken Liver-Stuffed Eggs) Recipe Landon Nordeman
These beef-stuffed cabbage rolls in a tangy sauce are oven-braised until tender. This recipe first appeared in our October 2011 issue along with Katie Robbins’s story Season of Rejoicing. Get the recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Holishkes) »
Thyme and white wine bring out the sweet flavor of mussels in this classic dish.
Capers, tuna, and anchovies balance the heat in these small, stuffed cherry peppers.
This dish of zucchini stuffed with prosciutto, tomatoes, and cheese is a hearty finger food.
Simple and easy to assemble, these retro-inspired, two-bite hors d’oeuvres can be assembled up to two days ahead of time and baked off before guests arrive.
Pomegranate molasses, coriander, and curry powder perfume the filling for these tender stuffed onion rolls.
Pungent Robiola cheese can be substituted with brie, ricotta, or any other soft cheese in this simple no-cook appetizer. Get the recipe for Robiola-Stuffed Figs with Pomegranate »
These Georgian dumplings are traditionally made with a spiced meat filling; this cheese and herb version, once meant for religious fasting days, is now enjoyed year-round. Get the recipe for Cheese and Mint Stuffed Dumplings (Khinkali Qvelit) »
Grape leaves are stuffed with a beef, herb, and rice mixture in this slightly-sweet version of Iranian dolmeh .
