Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

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Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers to Start a Fabulous Feast

Before you bring out the bird (find the best turkey preparation tips by downloading our complete guide), these deliciously simple recipes will keep the hungry crowd happy while you finish the meal.

By Laura Rege

Warm Fennel-and-Parmesan Dip

A warm, golden dip always tempts guests to dig in. This one uses Parmesan cheese to season caramelized fennel and garlic.

Spinach Dip 2.0

For a lighter, healthier take on the creamy, cheesy classic, try this update made with ricotta. The savory spread makes an excellent Thanksgiving starter.

Cauliflower, Red Onion, and Chestnut Tart

A blue cheese bechamel makes this tart deliciously rich, so you need only a small piece. It's a good starter or side dish for a holiday meal, but it works just as well for lunch or a light dinner with a green salad.

Broiled Feta with Oranges

This salty-tangy appetizer is great with bread and only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Hot Spinach Dip

This rich, creamy dish makes the perfect party dip. Otherwise, you might devour it all yourself.

Polenta Squares with Prosciutto

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

Baked Brie with Pecans

Toasted pecans and maple syrup complement the creamy Brie in this hors d'oeuvre. For the best texture, let the cheese cool before topping it with the syrup mixture.This recipe is by Everyday Food reader Kathy Quinn of Montclair, New Jersey.

Pan-Fried Sardines

The canned sardines are coated in cornmeal and fried up in minutes for a delicious appetizer.

Spiced Nuts

A perfect spicy snack for the holidays.

Cheddar Biscuits with Pecans

This savory Southern hors d'oeuvre can be made up to a week in advance, giving you more time to enjoy your guests on Thanksgiving Day.

Herb-Marinated Olives

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

Inspiration and Ideas

15 Bite-Sized Thanksgiving Appetizers That Your Guests Will Adore

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Persimmon and Brie Crostini

Cocktail Meatballs

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Gruyere

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.

All Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

Potato Galette with Smoked Salmon

Smoked salmon adds just the right amount of saltiness to layers of golden spuds. Thinly sliced potatoes in concentric circles make a pretty galette. This one has a cool, fluffy spread that pairs perfectly with smoked salmon.

Savory Shortbread

For an extra indulgent hors d'oeuvre, top this cheddar cheese shortbread with smoked salmon and caviar, and serve with glasses of champagne.

Spinach, Bacon, and Onion Dip

Spinach, bacon, and onion make a flavorful match in this cheesy dip. Serve with crostini or pita chips and pair with a seasonal cocktail or two. This festive combination, great for company, might become a new holiday tradition.

Cipollini in Agrodolce

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

Gruyère, Anchovy, and Olive Straws

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.

Pickled Carrots

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).

Cheese Ball

A perfect snack to serve at holiday gatherings, this pecan-coated cheese ball is a party favorite. Serve it with raw vegetables and crisp crackers.

Pumpkin-Chestnut Soup

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

Garden Veggie Dip

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).

Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Minty Yogurt Sauce

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.

Fried Herbed Almonds

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

Chesapeake Crab Cakes

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.

Bacon-and-Caramelized-Leek Dip

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.

Smoked Trout on Pumpernickel

These savory bites make for great party hors d'oeuvres.

Sugared Almonds and Pine Nuts

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.

Chilled Oysters with Apple-Ginger Mignonette

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

Pomegranate Fontina Rice Balls

Use these Italian style rice balls to complement our chicken-liver crostini.

Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs with Blue Cheese and Pecans

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

Grilled Oysters with Compound Brown Butter

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

Cheddar Bites

The big aged-cheddar flavor of these little crackers stands up to bourbon cocktails.

Smoky Almonds

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).

Kale Crisps with Sea Salt and Lemon

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.

Winter Squash Dip

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

Spiced Pecans and Pepitas

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

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