Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

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

These elegant mixed nuts perk up a plate of seasonal snacks.

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.

These little toasts make a delectable Thanksgiving appetizer. Be sure to use Fuyu persimmons -- they should be ripe but sliceable.

Cottage cheese may seem like an unusual choice, but it adds a tangy flavor similar to that of sour cream. The potatoes can be prepared through step 4 up to a day ahead; refrigerate, covered, until ready to proceed.

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.

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

For an unconventional pre-turkey bite, serve a seafood appetizer at Thanksgiving. This dish is the love child of two retro hors d'oeuvres: relish trays and shrimp cocktail. Build-your-own crostini topped with quick-pickled shrimp and vibrant fixings will tide people over and wake up their taste buds.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Whole peeled chestnuts add structure to this pumpkin soup, texture that's important if the squash is too watery. 

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Carve an eye-catching serving bowl for this dip (and any others): Cut about a 4-inch-diameter round out of the top of a head of cabbage using a paring knife, then scrape out the center using a large metal spoon.