Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

These sweet-and-sour onions are often part of Italian antipasti, served warm or at room temperature.

Fresh ginger provides a kick while crunchy apple adds sweetness to this mignonette served atop just-shucked oysters on the half shell.

To give them a light crust, which makes them easier to pick up, meatballs can be rolled in a breadcrumb-and-flour mixture before frying.

Polenta squares with prosciutto and Taleggio cheese can be made in advance and broiled just before serving.

These flaky, cheesy appetizers are the perfect addition to any occasion.

A wheel of brie is topped with a crackling layer of pecan-caramel brittle for this popular appetizer. Serve with toasted rustic bread or crackers.

Before the Thanksgiving feast, welcome guests and whet appetites with a relish tray -- including these Pickled Carrots, Garden Veggie Dip, Herb-Marinated Olives, and Smoky Almonds -- and a couple of classic gin cocktails (Negroni and Gibson).

These spicy cheddar crackers are hard to resist. Freeze some of the logs of dough to have on hand for unexpected guests.

Before the Thanksgiving feast, welcome guests and whet appetites with a relish tray -- including this Garden Veggie Dip, Herb-Marinated Olives, Pickled Carrots, and Smoky Almonds -- and a couple of classic gin cocktails (Negroni and Gibson).

These lightly sweetened nuts have a nice crunch that's equally enticing before and after a meal. Serve the almonds and pine nuts in small dishes alone or alongside cheese or other appetizers, or use them to fill individual cornucopia favors left at place settings.

Although it takes about an hour to prepare and fry enough chips for eight, it's worth the effort: They are absolutely irresistible. If kept in resealable plastic bags, they'll stay crisp for up to five days.

These crunchy thyme-flecked nuts are delicious served with sherry and slices of manchego cheese.

A warm, cheesy artichoke filling is at the heart of these puff pastry pockets.

At the Blue Hill at Stone Barns farm, Tuscan kale is picked when it's young. The leaves are tender enough that they can be roasted and eaten whole. This likely won't be the case with most kale found at farm stands and in grocery stores, so we recommend slicing the leaves into ribbons.

Crunchy and buttery, these puff pastry straws are a wonderful way to kick off a gathering and get your dinner guests hungry for the big meal. With three different ways to flavor them (gruyère, anchovy, or olive) you can either make one or buy extra puff pastry and make all three! Whichever one you pick, they all pair particularly well with a glass of crisp sparkling wine.

The crab cakes can be formed and chilled a day ahead, and can be fried up to an hour ahead; reheat them in a 250-degree oven on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack just until warmed through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Brown butter is enhanced with red onion, lemon, and fresh herbs to make a flavorful condiment for briny flame-kissed oysters.

Mini crab cakes encrusted with sesame seeds get a kick from wasabi and soy sauce. The toppings of wasabi, mayonnaise, cucumber, and pickled ginger add creaminess, crispness, and tang, as well as color.

Fresh thyme accentuates the earthy flavor of carrots and parsnips in this simple roasted vegetable dish. A lemony, minty yogurt dipping sauce is just icing on the cake.

Sweet, salty, and crunchy, these spice-dusted pecans and pepitas are irresistible.

For a festive presentation, serve this Winter Squash Dip appetizer in a large, round, hollowed-out squash, such as a turban.

Served in a roasted pumpkin, this hearty dip can be eaten on crackers, bread, or baby carrots.

These delicious grilled proscuitto-wrapped figs with blue cheese and pecans are an ideal accompaniment to many kinds of wine.

This is an easy, hearty soup for the cooler fall weather.