Are you thinking about your Thanksgiving meal yet? We are! We'll be pulling together some of our favorite Thanksgiving and holiday recipes from the archives this week, and we're starting with appetizers. As
Emma said earlier today, appetizers may not be the most high-profile part of the Thanksgiving meal, but goodies and special snacks were always a part of our family's Thanksgiving. Slow grazing, building to the climax of a meal!
Click through for a full gallery of some of our favorite holiday appetizers and hors d'oeuvre.
Holiday Appetizer Recipes
All of these are not too fussy, but still fresh - each with a new twist on tired basics. Mix up the appetizer tray this holiday season and try something new. Listed in the same order as the photos above.
• Pistachio and Chive Goat Cheese on Puff Pastry Wafers - Easy and beautifully impressive. (Anything piped out of a pastry bag is impressive, in our opinion.)
• Sweet Butternut Squash and Coconut Jam - Serve with light goat cheese on pepper wafers.
• Crab Apples Poached in Sweet Wine - Bright, unusual, and so easy.
• Butternut Squash and Parmesan Dip - Like a cheese dip, but much better for you. (And so delicious.)
• Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta - Shrimp and cocktail sauce always make an appearance at our uncle's Thanksgiving feast; this is a hot version that could double as a side dish.
• Cipollini and Mushroom Tart - Small wedges whet the appetite for dinner.
• Fresh Shell Bean and Sage Spread - Another dip, with a fresh herb that also shows up in most turkey stuffings.
• Savory Blue Cornmeal Griddle Cakes - Truly American - both corn and griddle cakes make a lovely nod to our heritage on Thanksgiving.
• Cinnamon-Spiked Tomatoes - An easy topping for cheese and crackers.
• Cheddar Olives - Way too addictive - make sure you make plenty!
• Spicy Oven-Roasted Chickpeas - Like popcorn, these are a salty, not-too-filling treat that you can't stop eating. Try with a little powdered ginger or curry.
• Juno's Pregnant Dates - Created for last year's Oscars party, these bacon-wrapped dates are a very indulgent and popular appetizer for the holidays.
• Delicata Squash and Gruyere Dip - Another squash dip. We like to serve this one inside the Delicata rind for pretty presentation.
• Baked Goat Milk Brie with Cranberry Sauce - Our personal favorite holiday appetizer. Bake Brie with a little leftover cranberry sauce - tada! Instant popularity.
• Blue Cheese and Rosemary Cheese Ball - A fresh update for the tired old cheese ball. This one has pungent blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and fragrant rosemary - rolled up in poppy seeds.
What are your favorite holiday appetizers and hors d'oeuvre?
I went through the recipe archives today looking for just these things! I fell for the Cheddar Olives and I can't wait to make them for Festivus. Yum!
view revolution9's profile
Perfect timing, I'm in need of a few appetizer ideas for Thanksgiving! Thanks!
view stlellen's profile
Thanks! I needed something impressive to bring to the in-laws. Looks like I'll have lots of dishes to practice!
view chottomotto's profile
Mmmmm, the Pistachio and Chive Goat Cheese on Puff Pastry Wafers look divine! Wait, they ALL look divine......
view The Urban Eater's profile
I'm wondering if the butternut squash parmesean dip would be a good topping for bite-sized blue cornmeal griddle cakes. WDYT?
view kimg924's profile
My oven is finicky, but holy cow, making those puff pastry wafers this weekend was a pain in the butt! they stuck to the parchment, which nearly ignited on fire at that temp. And then the goat cheese spread (which I followed the directions very closely) was so garlicky that I had to scrap the whole thing. The crackers that I was able to save weren't as beautiful as the picture. Ugh. Never again.
view purdygirl's profile