B.C.
Wow!
You've got the appetizers pretty covered.
Almost anything I could think of you already have.
Warm cider in a crock pot (with or without spices) is a great drink when it's cold outside.
Hello. As Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I'm looking for new ideas for appetizers to serve before dinner.
We typically have:
Deviled eggs
Relish Tray (pickles, olives, antipasto style)
Potato Skins (fully loaded)
Vegetable platters
Cheese and cracker with apples platter
Pigs in a blanket
shrimp platters
chips/dip
I leave stuff out all day, sometimes have things in crock pots so they stay warm (Tyler makes sure the cords are out of the way or safely taped).
We typically eat around 5PM. I'm a family of 6, my MIL comes over to help. Tyler (my husband) has 3 brothers and families...so we will have about 40 people at the house this year.
We have a tent/canopy set up out back and have space heaters and tables set up. I have a big house and property.
Don't mind stuff I can do ahead of time. Warm or cold.
No food allergies. Don't really have picky eaters either.
FYI - my brothers in law bring cheese, crackers, veggie platters, etc. I have four boys that all like to help in the kitchen.
Yes. We have lots of food before the food. We've got 30+ people. I don't like people showing up "just to eat". We have games for the kids, etc. We make a day of it. People usually show up around 11AM, so it's heavy Hors d'oeuvres. I apologize for not clarifying that. As I stated we usually eat around 5PM. We need things to feed people.
I love the BBQ smokies! thank you!
Wow!
You've got the appetizers pretty covered.
Almost anything I could think of you already have.
Warm cider in a crock pot (with or without spices) is a great drink when it's cold outside.
This is not an original recipe, obviously, but it has been really popular. It's a salsa made from fresh cranberries, nuts or seeds, and some chiles, cilantro and lime. I serve it with tortilla chips. The original recipe calls for pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seeds, but frankly I can never find pumpkin seed oil so I use a very neutral oil. And sometimes due to where we've been living I can't find pumpkin seeds either, but I found that chopped walnuts made a great substitute.
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cranberry-salsa-with-ci...
It can be made well ahead of time and chilled.
I used to do a lot of appetizers, but people would just fill up before the meal. Now I just put out some cheese sticks, crackers and pepperoni (usually eaten by the kids), a veggie tray with ranch dip, and some tortilla chips with salsa. That's it.
We try to time it so the Turkey is ready shortly after people arrive. We let it sit for a little bit before carving. I find people hate to wait too long before eating. Usually, by the time we get it all on the table, about 45 min to an hour has passed after people arrive. That seems to be just right and people don't have time to fill up on appetizers.
Mini quiches. Tiny two-bite ones. You can get frozen ones at any grocery store, Costco, etc., in a variety of flavors -- quiche Lorraine (ham/cheese), spinach, mushroom, just cheese, plain. I would go with the frozen ones because frankly they're delicious, consistent and so easy, and making mini quiches would be much more expensive and too fiddly! These are a huge hit at all parties and church events etc. I've ever attended. I want some right now as I type this....
corn fritters, stuffed mushrooms, quesadillas, fried anything (pickles, mushrooms, cheese sticks, zucchini,) we deep fry bite size bits of biscuit dough and roll it in cinnamon, yum!
lil smokies (mini hot dog like thing in bbq sauce), sauerkraut meatballs, bacon wrapped greenbeans, bacon wrapped stuffed jalepinos. almonds or pecans candied or spiced and roasted, seasoned crackers or fruit dip,won tons,
here is a link to many more with links to recipes too http://allrecipes.com/recipes/993/holidays-and-events/tha...
i also make mashed potato soup. by using milk to water the mashed potatoes down then i add cheddar cheese and bacon to it, keeps well in a crockpot all day. simple and yummy too
I make my own guacamole. It's gone fast.
I make a pear and brie cheese bruschetta. You will need:
Pre-sliced bread (small pieces like a french loaf - like this size: https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-heat-up-a-loaf-of-fre...)
sliced pears (canned are fine) drained and patted dry
Brie cheese
candied walnuts
balsamic vinaigrette dressing
dried cranberries
butter
put the slices of bread on a cookie sheet and "toast" them - you don't want them dark, just not soft. Once toasted, place a piece of brie cheese on each piece, then a slice of pear on top of that, a candied walnut.
Put back in the oven (250'ish) for 5 minutes to melt the cheese and warm them.
Take out, sprinkle the balsamic dressing over them (lightly).
Serve warm.
this is another version of the recipe:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pear-brie-and-balsamic-br...
Wow - you are industrious! Looks like you don't have problems serving "heavier" things bfore the meal either. So here are my go-to items:
Fruit kabobs - if I have time, I do fruit "porcupines" and insert kabobs in an inverted watermelon half. Scoop out the pulp, and chop into cubes while you drain the watermelon half well. Assemble small bowls of other fruits in different colors: other melon types, any berries you can find (halve or quarter the strawberries), peeled kiwi chunks, pineapple chunks. I use the longer plastic appetizer picks with an arrowhead point - holds the fruit better than regular toothpicks. Poke holes in the outer watermelon rind with a knife point or skewer, put on a platter with some paper towels tucked inside to absorb juice. Then assemble a few different color fruits on each pick (not all types on each kabob), and insert into the holes you poked. When finished, it looks like a porcupine. Makes a nice centerpiece on the appetizer table and lets people eat something lighter.
Make-ahead cheese puffs: split and lightly toast English muffin halves. Make a paste of good mayo and shredded cheese of choice (cheddar works well, so does mozzarella or Monterey Jack or a mixture). I just eyeball it but it's about 1 cup of cheese to 1 cup of mayo - and it's forgiving if you have more of one than the other. You can spice up as you wish - chili powder in the cheddar, chopped scallions, etc. You can consider those tiny pepperoni slices for the mozzarella or Italian cheese mix ones. Some people mix crabmeat in with any mild cheese. Spread on the muffin halves almost to the edge. When done, cut muffin halves into 4 wedges, put on baking sheet. You can put refrigerate at this point. (I usually stick a few toothpicks in so the foil or plastic doesn't stick to the cheese.) When ready to serve, put under broiler for about 5 minutes until mayo puffs up and cheese is bubbly and browning. Serve hot. You can keep them hot on a tray or just make a batch when you have a few moments. They go fast.
Have you used the small phyllo cups? I use the frozen mini ones a lot for appetizers - you can Google recipes from Athens. I like the cheesecake ones with small fruit and nuts on top, sometimes a few chocolate chips. Mix & match berries, kiwi, almonds, walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips. There are some fun recipes with brie and with apple fillings too.
I also make sweet & sour meatballs in a casserole or crockpot - I use the unseasoned ones and mix equal parts of chili sauce (or ketchup if that's all you have) and currant jelly. They're delicious and super easy. Just put some toothpicks nearby. Go for the smaller meatballs because they go fast.
Good luck! Hope you have a great holiday. And I'll be checking back here to see what other recipes people suggest!
We can't have a holiday without bbq little smokies and meatballs in the crockpot. They keep well and are easy to make. My hubby has his "secret" recipe, but I will give you a hint: google bbq little smokies and grape jelly and you will find his "secret."
The other thing that is always present is homemade salsa and chips. We like a pico de gallo type of salsa, not a smoother type. Both spicy and mild versions are always served.
Finally, no holiday would be complete without homemade Chex Mix. A definite staple at every holiday. Again, a spicy and a mild version is offered.
Good luck!
Wow you have lots of food before the food ;-)
My standard apps are hummus with pita chips, caprese skewers (cherry tomato, mozzarella, basil on a pick drizzled with balsamic vinagarette) some kind of fruit, like cantaloupe wrapped in proscuitto, small bowls of different kinds of nuts, bruschetta, creamy spinach or shrimp dip, cheese tray with grapes and crackers.