Greek Antipasto Skewers are one of my favorite appetizers. They have lots of flavors, but require little effort no plate and no utensils!
These skewers are sure to be a hit at your next gathering! For more easy appetizers try my Italian and Chorizo Tapas Skewers!
Sabrina’s Greek Antipasto Skewers
These Greek skewers keep all the ease of the previous party skewer recipes while mixing up the flavors for a fun Mediterranean twist.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 24 cheese tortellini
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 24 kalamata olives , pitted
- 4 ounce block of feta cheese , cut into 24 cubes
- 8 stuffed grape leaves , cut into thirds
- 2 red bell peppers , roasted
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini one minute shy of the package instructions
- Drain water completely (leave the tortellini in) and let pot heat on high to dry out (this should just take a few seconds).
- You could also just drain the tortellini in a strainer and wipe the inside of the pot dry but I find prepping for a holiday party to be time consuming and this trick saves a couple of minutes and one less dirty strainer!
- Add the olive oil to the hot pan and add the garlic.
- Toss for 15 seconds until you can smell the garlic and oil.
- Remove from pan and let cool.
- Cut the roasted bell pepper into 24 strips.
- Add the pieces to a skewer in alternating patterns.
- Serve at room temperature, garnish bowl with lemon wedges if desired, they go great with the grape leaves and over the tortellini.
Nutrition
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Table of contents
About This Recipe
Skewers are an easy way to provide the variety while keeping the service moving quickly. Plus with skewers you don’t get people cherry picking only the stuffed grape leaves or only the tortellini…or those delicious Kalamata olives. I am totally guilty of snagging/hoarding those when I would go to Armenian catered events and they put three of them on top of a bowl of hummus for the table (and I’m not even sorry, haha). Plus, room temperature! A party hosts best friend. While I have given you guys three versions of skewers (my three favorite) I have made/served many more varieties that I love as well.
Chef’s Note
One of my favorite parts of being a private chef was working with clients on party menus, and more specifically small bite menus. I had a long list of items I would make because when it came to cocktail or holiday parties it was all about mingling. People didn’t want to be tied down to a table and served large meals. The downside to this was if you weren’t careful people would get bored with the spread and either not eat much of anything at all and leave hungry or they would find one thing they liked and eat it and nothing else. Skewers offer a variety that everyone will enjoy.
Can This be Made Ahead of Time?
Skewers are a great and easy appetizer you can make ahead of time. Made in under 20 minutes, just cover in plastic wrap or place in airtight container and set in the refrigerator. Once your guest arrive, all you have to do in uncover and you have an amazing starter that your guest are sure to love.
Tips and Tricks
I like to stick to these 5 basic rules when assembling my skewers. Of course you can make any adjustments, as long as you keep an eye towards a balance you can alter any/all ingredients quite successfully and chances are your skewers will be the hit of the party!
- The Starch: You are trying to fill up your guests here. The tortellini is the “filler” here and provides a good base to work off of.
- The Protein: Cheese/Meat. Starch will only go so far, people need to have some protein so they stay full through the evening.
- The Vegetable: I prefer roasted vegetables or soft raw ones like tomatoes.
- The Fat: Normally a butter sauce or olive oil. Your starch will suffer if dry, but just a bit of fat will go a long way in terms of creating a feeling of fullness/satiety.
- The Acid: You need something to cut the richness of the fat. This acid will balance out the whole skewer. It could be the pepperoncini or balsamic glaze. In this skewer it is the grape leaves, the lemon served with it and the Kalamata olives.
Related Recipes
More Delicious Greek Recipes
Photos used in previous versions of the post.
My mother-in-law made something similar to these but she wouldn’t tel me the name…but these look so good and I’ll definitely be giving them a try soon!
I hope you enjoy them!
Yes, please! I love anything Greek inspired so this would be a fun appetizer for me!
I love Mediterranean food, so this was right up my alley!
This looks so good. Gotta love anitpasto!
Thanks!
What a great way to serve antipasto as an easy to eat appetizer. I love stuffed grape leaves, especially, and this way when you eat it you don’t get oil on your hands.
Thanks! That’s something I like about this serving method too!
These look so good! I’m going to plan on having these as an appetizer at Christmas.
Wonderful! I hope you love it!
These look delicious. I would love to have these on my Thanksgiving table as an appetizer this week.
Skewers are great! These look so good! I think my husband would love them.
Thanks!
I need these on my Thanksgiving appetizer table! And again on my Christmas one. And then maybe also for New Year’s. :o) Weird that I never thought of chunking the grape leaves and putting them on a skewer! They’re perfect for that!
(Love your new profile pic, BTW! :O).
Aww thanks Dee Dee!
I have to admit – I am a sucker for just about anything on a skewer! They make such a great way to serve appetizers when entertaining.
I really think skewers are sort of underutilized when it comes to making finger foods less messy!
These would be so amazing at any holiday party!! So versatile and you could get really creative with them using whatever you had on-hand 🙂
Thank you! I agree – it’s so much fun to be creative in the kitchen!
Those look great. These are great appetizers to serve during the holidays.
Thanks!
I never thought to think about what goes on a skewer like this before! These look like they would be amazing appetizers for a holiday party!
These look so delicious and easy to make. I will have to try making these for my party this weekend.
I hope your guests enjoy it!
Party skewers are a great idea. I will have to make some of these for my next get together. I am sure it will be a big hit.
I would never have thought of adding in a tortellini as a starch. What a great idea. I know I am going to a couple of holiday parties and these would be perfect to bring with me. Thanks so much
Awesome! Glad to help!
This is awesome, I love skewers type meals. I will have to give these a try!
Oh these antipasto skewers would make the best appetizer for holiday parties. I love how easy they are to toss together and they would make delicious finger foods!
Thanks, Amber!
Skewers are the ultimate party food. I could live on cheese and olives, I can’t imagine how good it would be if it had balsamic glaze on it.
So so so good. Try it!
My hubby would love this. It is almost like a greek salad. His favorite food on the face of the earth.
I grew up eating Greek salad, I am a total sucker for it too!
These sound delish! The tortellini was a surprise but sounds great!
Thanks Scarlet!
I love these skewers, everything awesome in one place. It’s a perfectly balanced bite. Plus it just looks so darn pretty.
Thanks Kim!
Your antipasto skewers are the best ! I love the stuffed grape leaves in this one! Such a winner, I might take this to Thanksgiving dinner, for the first time in years it is not in my house! But i still bring the food that isn’t ordered lol
Aww thanks 🙂
This is so fun! What a great little appetizer.
Thanks!
I’ve never really made skewers for a party before but you make it sound like an idea worth trying! Thanks for the tips and the delicious recipe to get me started. I’m excited just thinking about all the different food combinations i could try! 🙂
what a fun way to pass appetizers for a party