Anyone who has ever hosted knows just how crucial good appetizers can be, and if you’ve hosted Thanksgiving before, you know how stressful and time-consuming it can be. Yet, many people don’t have Thanksgiving appetizers.
A well-placed appetizer can create a buffer to give you more time to finish preparing. It can also serve as a conversation point and something to occupy your guest’s time, even if it’s just family members who are feeling peckish.
Thanksgiving is definitely about the main meal, the star of the show that you will return to a few more times that day, but why not create some super easy options that allow you and your guests to have a smoother transition into dinner?
What Makes A Good Thanksgiving Appetizer?
The key components of a Thanksgiving appetizer are going to be ease, time, ability to prepare ahead, and flavor. You obviously have a lot on your plate during Thanksgiving, whether you are the host or a guest bringing a dish. So you want whatever you contribute to be easy to make and not take too much time away from your schedule.
A good Thanksgiving appetizer will also complement the other dishes well. It will either introduce the main meal or pair well with it. With typical Thanksgiving dinners being pretty seasonal, a good appetizer will also lean into seasonal ingredients and flavors.
A Spin On Tradition
These appetizers have been chosen for their unique spins they have put on familiar foods. The familiarity serving as a connector that will make family and friends more likely to eat them. However, they remain different enough to be an enticing adventure. So yes, deviled eggs are on the menu, just not the deviled eggs you know!
Thanksgiving Appetizers People Will Actually Eat
1. Savory Cheese Thumbprint Cookies with Bourbon Tomato Jam
Savory and cookie absolutely can and should be in the same sentence! Especially when it’s this cheesy thumbprint cookie that tastes like all things hearty and delicious. The thumbprint cookie stands out all on it’s own but the bourbon tomato jam takes it to a new level that is sure to have guests popping these by the handful.
2. Sweet Potato Deviled Eggs
If there was ever an appetizer that deserved a spot at most meals, it’s the deviled egg. Super easy to make and perfectly portioned for guests to devour with ease. It is also incredibly customizable, which is why this sweet potato deviled egg deserves a place with your Thanksgiving appetizers this year. The sweet potato links the deviled eggs to the main meal while also creating an interesting and new appetizer that people will be intrigued to try.
3. Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
What’s Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce? Like the sweet potato deviled eggs, this cranberry dip uses the idea of common ingredients to link the appetizer to the meal. This dip is full of bold and complex flavors, but no worries, it’s incredibly simple to make!
4. Pumpkin and Rosemary Puff Pastry Bites
Puff pastry is an easy hack when it comes to easy appetizers but you’ve never seen puff pastry like this! These savory bites are full of subtly sweet earthy pumpkin and bold herbaceous flavor from the rosemary. Even better, these fall-flavored bites are easy to prepare ahead of time!
5. Goat Cheese Spread with Fig Jam
Any type of dip is usually a great option for an appetizer because it involves a quick combination of ingredients. This one in particular is an amazing combination of sweet, salty, and nutty flavors and it’s served warm so it brings all of the cozy atmosphere you need to Thanksgiving!
6. Cranberry Brie Bites
If ease and low effort are a priority for you, it does not get much better than these cranberry and brie bites. These can be prepared well ahead of time and placed in the oven for a few minutes before serving. These are a crowd favorite due to the subtle combination of sweet and salty from the cranberry sauce and brie, so much so that these are a yearly treat in my house.
Any appetizer is a good appetizer if it does its job well. The job of maintaining the peace while hungry mouths start to stir!
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving or just bringing some bites to a holiday party, these Thanksgiving appetizers serve you very well. These bites are not only delicious, they are easy to make, and interesting recipes people will actually be interested in trying!
Need more Thanksgiving Recipe Inspiration? Check out these! Plus more Seasonal Content for all of your Fall Food Needs!
Share your favorite holiday appetizer in the comments to share the inspiration!
