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Thanksgiving is a marathon, not a sprint, and the appetizers are what keep everybody happy while the turkey finishes and the gravy comes together. These 32 Thanksgiving appetizers are the ones we set out for our own family every November: a homemade everything bagel cheese ball, warm spinach artichoke dip, crisp bruschetta, slow cooker cranberry meatballs, sausage stuffed mushrooms, cranberry turkey pinwheels, deviled eggs, spiced nuts, and a fluffy cranberry dip the girls treat like dessert. Most of them are from scratch, plenty can be made ahead or kept warm in the slow cooker so your oven stays free, and every one of them disappears before dinner is called. We also invited two blogger friends to share their favorite holiday bites. Pick three or four and let the grazing begin.
Cheese Balls, Baked Brie and Cheese Boards
Pimento Cheese Recipe
Creamy, tangy, and just a little spicy, this is the Southern spread that disappears the second you set it out. Make it the day before, pile it next to a sleeve of crackers, and the kids will slather it on everything. Get the recipe →
Baked Brie in Puff Pastry
A whole wheel of brie wrapped in flaky puff pastry and baked until the center is warm and melty, from my friend Erin over at Plating and Pairings. It looks like a showstopper, but it is one of the easiest appetizers you can put on the Thanksgiving table. Get the recipe →
Goat Cheese Cranberry Appetizer
Creamy goat cheese baked right in a bright, orange kissed cranberry sauce until it is melty and spreadable, from my friend Lori over at Foxes Love Lemons. Make the cranberry sauce ahead, bake it when guests arrive, and pile it onto crostini. Get the recipe →
Everything Bagel Cheese Ball Appetizer Recipe
A creamy bacon cheddar and scallion filling rolled in homemade everything bagel seasoning. It is the appetizer that empties first at every party we throw, and it has anchored our holiday spread for years. Get the recipe →
Mini Goat Cheese Balls
Herbed goat cheese rolled in crunchy crouton crumbs and served on little pretzel sticks, with zero baking involved. They look adorable on a platter and they always vanish first. Get the recipe →
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Ball (Dessert)
This one goes sweet and tastes exactly like a cinnamon roll, with a creamy brown sugar center rolled in crunchy praline pecans. Set it out with graham crackers and apple slices for the folks who want dessert before dinner. Get the recipe →
How To Make a Basic Charcuterie Board
The easiest way to look like you spent hours in the kitchen when you really just went grocery shopping. Load it with fall fruit, a few cheeses, and cured meats and let everybody graze while the turkey rests. Get the recipe →
Warm Dips and Cozy Spreads
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Three cheeses, tender artichokes, and spinach baked until it is bubbly and golden. The kids hover by the oven waiting for it, and it never makes it past the first half hour. Get the recipe →
Easy Beer Cheese Dip Recipe (Pub Style)
Sharp cheddar, cream cheese, and a splash of your favorite beer whipped into the silkiest cold dip, no stove required. That matters on Thanksgiving, when every burner is already spoken for. Get the recipe →
Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese Dip Recipe
Rich, creamy, and loaded with sweet roasted garlic, it comes together in minutes when people are on their way over. Lizzie kept sneaking spoonfuls before anyone else even arrived. Get the recipe →
French Onion Dip Recipe
Made from scratch with real caramelized onions, it is a world away from the powdered packet kind and ridiculously easy. Grab a bag of ridged chips and watch everyone park themselves next to the bowl. Get the recipe →
Smoked Crab Dip
Warm, cheesy, and smoky, loaded with sweet lump crab and sharp cheddar and finished low and slow on the smoker. If the smoker is already going for the turkey, this one rides along for free. Get the recipe →
Crostini, Bruschetta and Bite Size Toasts
Bruschetta with Whipped Feta and Grilled Crostini
Sweet marinated tomatoes piled over a creamy whipped feta spread on crusty grilled bread. It looks fancy with almost zero effort, which is exactly what you want on a busy holiday afternoon. Get the recipe →
Creamy Goat Cheese Bruschetta (10 Minute Appetizer)
A whipped, tangy goat cheese spread with roasted garlic and basil on crisp toasted baguette, topped with juicy tomatoes. It takes ten minutes and the platter is always empty before the second round. Get the recipe →
Bruschetta with Garlic Crostini
Juicy diced tomatoes and fresh basil spooned over crisp garlic crostini. It is the fresh, bright bite that balances out all the rich food coming later in the day. Get the recipe →
Creamy Bruschetta Dip (Bruschetta Bites)
Everything you love about classic bruschetta turned into a creamy, scoopable dip with a whipped parmesan cream cheese base. It comes together in 20 minutes with no cooking at all. Get the recipe →
Easy Sweet and Spicy Chicken Canapes
Packed with flavor, easy to make, and fancy enough for the holiday table. These little sweet and spicy chicken bites are perfect for parties and family get togethers. Get the recipe →
Meatballs, Little Smokies and Party Meats
Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs (Holiday Appetizer)
Juicy homemade beef meatballs simmered in a sweet and tangy sauce made from jellied cranberry sauce and chili sauce, straight from the slow cooker. They were made for Thanksgiving and they disappear first at every holiday party. Get the recipe →
BBQ Bacon Meatball Appetizer
Three simple ingredients, almost no effort, and they vanish off the platter before anything else. Bacon wrapped and brushed with BBQ sauce, they are my secret weapon when the house fills up. Get the recipe →
Homemade Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
Juicy meatballs glazed in a glossy two ingredient sauce, and the slow cooker does all the work. They keep warm all afternoon so guests can keep coming back for more. Get the recipe →
Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
Each little sausage gets wrapped in bacon and coated in brown sugar until everything turns sweet, smoky, and sticky. Kids and grown ups alike devour them, so make a double batch. Get the recipe →
Bacon Wrapped Dates
Sweet dates wrapped in salty bacon look fancy but come together in minutes. They vanish off the platter faster than anything else I set out. Get the recipe →
Stuffed Mushrooms, Deviled Eggs and Pinwheels
Easy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms (with Cream Cheese)
Baby bella caps piled high with savory sausage, three cheeses, and a creamy filling that turns golden in the oven. The first tray I brought to a holiday get together was gone in minutes. Get the recipe →
Easy Deviled Eggs
Creamy, tangy, and perfectly seasoned with a sprinkle of paprika on top. I make a double batch for every holiday and they are always the first thing to disappear. Get the recipe →
Easy Turkey Pinwheels Recipe (Cranberry Cream Cheese)
Herbed cream cheese, whole cranberry sauce, and deli turkey rolled up in just 15 minutes with no baking. They taste like Thanksgiving in one bite, which is why they show up at our table every year. Get the recipe →
Spinach Puffs Recipe with Puff Pastry and Cheese
A creamy, cheesy spinach filling wrapped in flaky puff pastry and baked right in a mini muffin tin. They are easy to pass around and they are gone in minutes. Get the recipe →
Mini Pigs in a Blanket with Savory Glaze
Little smokies wrapped in buttery crescent dough and brushed with a savory everything style glaze. The kids line up before the tray even hits the counter. Get the recipe →
Spiced Nuts, Crackers and Sweet Fall Dips
Roasted Cashews (Spicy Rosemary Cashews)
Warm cashews tossed in rosemary butter with a drizzle of maple and a smoky pinch of chipotle. Five ingredients, and people hover by the bowl all afternoon. Get the recipe →
Savory Spiced Nuts (Oven Roasted in 20 Minutes)
Almonds and cashews tossed with chili powder, garlic, curry, and black pepper, then oven roasted in about 20 minutes. Put out a bowl for snacking and jar up the rest as hostess gifts. Get the recipe →
Bacon Crackers Recipe (Sweet Chipotle Brown Sugar)
Buttery crackers baked under brown sugar bacon until everything caramelizes into candied, smoky, one bite magic. It is a four ingredient party trick that empties the tray fast. Get the recipe →
Easy Pumpkin Dip (with Cream Cheese)
A creamy, lightly spiced pumpkin dip that comes together in one bowl. Set it out with apple slices and cookies and it is gone before the pie ever comes out. Get the recipe →
Cranberry Dip (3 Ingredient Cranberry Fruit Dip)
Cream cheese, marshmallow creme, and whole berry cranberry sauce whipped into a fluffy pink cloud in five minutes. Maddie and Lizzie treat the apple slices like spoons every Thanksgiving morning. Get the recipe →
Save This Thanksgiving Appetizer Lineup
Pin this roundup so every appetizer is one tap away when you start planning Thanksgiving week, and if you make one of these, leave a comment on the recipe and tell us which one disappeared first. From our kitchen to your table!
