Making a tray of Thanksgiving appetizers should not feel like cooking a second dinner. This is the moment for a salty snack, a swoosh of dip, or a flaky, cheesy bite you can eat while shaping the rolls. They should keep everyone happy—especially the cook!—while dinner comes together.
The recipes below include a smoky (cheap!) carrot dip you can make up to a week ahead and a feta and sun-dried tomato dip you can blitz up in about five minutes. For a manageable spread, pick one rich option (like a retro cheese ball because it’ll make your aunt happy) and one crisp, crunchy counterpart. Add a third snack if you have time or the guest list calls for it—or, better yet, mix yourself a Thanksgiving cocktail to sip while you nibble.
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Photograph by Andrew B. Myers, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Emma RingnessFeta and Sun-Dried Tomato DipFive minutes, a food processor, and you’re in business. Sun-dried tomatoes, feta, and Calabrian chile paste make a salty, tangy dip that needs no cooking and can be refrigerated two days ahead.View Recipe -
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Peden + MunkCaramelized Shallot DipFrench onion dip gets a tangy Greek yogurt base and a generous helping of jammy shallots. Salt-and-vinegar chips make a very welcome accompaniment.View Recipe -
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser, prop styling by Marina BevilacquaClassic Cheese BallA cheese ball makes an entrance, especially one with cheddar, cream cheese, and a retro coating of toasted pecans. Bring on the Ritz.View Recipe
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Alex LauMarinated Goat Cheese With Herbs and SpicesSoft goat cheese gets a bath in citrus-and-spice-infused olive oil. Spoon some of that fragrant oil over each serving, and keep crusty bread nearby—this isn’t the moment for a timid little cracker.View Recipe -
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Alex LauHerbed Baked BrieA wheel of brie, a few herbs, and olive oil are the main event here. The oven softens the cheese, making it scoopable; crackers and sliced pears make excellent vehicles.View Recipe -
Rosemary-Sizzled Salami, Dates, and PecansCrisped-up salami coins, dates, and pecans bring salty, sweet, chewy, and crunchy textures to the same bowl, with rosemary tying it all together.View Recipe
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Justin J WeeChipotle Cheddar CrackersIna Garten’s smoky cheddar crackers are a strong argument for keeping cocktail-hour-ready dough in the freezer. The log can stay there up to four months, ready to slice and bake when company is coming.View Recipe -
Alex LauCacio e Pepe ChipsA bag of kettle chips is already a respectable contribution. Add Pecorino and black pepper, then give it four minutes in a hot oven, and suddenly everyone wants to know what you did.View Recipe
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Photograph by Clay Williams, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Alexandra MassillonDeviled CashewsFresh curry leaves, golden onions, and a good hit of chile turn cashews into a salty, spicy snack worth hovering over. You make it all on the stovetop, leaving the oven for the turkey.View Recipe -
Photograph by Jessica Pettway, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Sophie StrangioSpiced PecansA little honey, plenty of garlic, and a mix of fennel, coriander, and paprika make these pecans sweet, salty, and decidedly savory. Save a handful to scatter over a salad.View Recipe
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De LucaTangy Tomato-Chile PopcornTomato powder, garlic, and cayenne give popcorn a tangy, spicy kick. Mix the seasoning up to three weeks ahead, then pop a batch when guests start getting peckish.View Recipe
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Toast With Tomato Jam, Boquerones, and Lemon OilSweet tomato jam, tangy white anchovies, and lemon oil make a toast worth taking your time over. The jam needs a long cook, so make it up to five days ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to assemble.How about some wine to pair with your tinned fish? →View Recipe -
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D’mytrek Brown, Props from Meilen CeramicsBeet Fritters With Beet Greens YogurtThese crisp little beet-and-potato fritters come with beet-green yogurt for dipping. They require last-minute frying, so put someone else on turkey duty.View Recipe
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Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Christina AllenExtra-Creamy Deviled EggsThe trick to these generously filled deviled eggs is to add more eggs: Blend a few whole, cooked eggs into the yolk mixture to make the generous filling especially smooth and creamy.View Recipe
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Photograph by Laura Murray. Food Styling by Yekaterina BoytsovaRanch Fun DipNot a creamy dip—a tangy, savory powder for dunking vegetables. Pistachios, nutritional yeast, and dill give this vegan snack its ranch-like appeal. Make the powder two weeks ahead, then store it in an airtight container at room temperature.View Recipe -
Alex LauHand Salad With Yogurt-Lemon DressingSkip the forks. Crisp romaine leaves are perfect for dunking in garlicky lemon-yogurt dressing and provide a crisp, cool, no-cook counterpoint to all that cheese and pastry.View Recipe
Source: www.bonappetit.com
