Food & Cooking Recipes Holidays & Events Thanksgiving Recipes 23 Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers (That Leave You Plenty of Time for Holiday Meal Prep) Some are make-ahead, some have just a few ingredients, but all of these nibbles are guaranteed to begin your annual gathering on the right foot. By Laura Rege Laura Rege Laura is a Los Angeles-based freelance recipe developer and food stylist. She has gained 14+ years of experience in the culinary and publishing industry as both a chef and a food editor. Laura is a former food editor for Martha Stewart Living where she developed original recipes and content for the magazine, cookbooks, and MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines and Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a freelance recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to MarthaStewart.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon. Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 23, 2024 Close Photo: Armando Rafael Before you bring out the bird, start the feast with one or more of these easy Thanksgiving appetizers that are sure to delight everyone at the table and leave you with plenty of time for the rest of the holiday meal prep. You might think there's no need for appetizers when you're preparing a big turkey dinner with all the classic sides (plus pies for dessert!), but having some easy bites that guests can nibble on when they arrive means that no one notices if it takes a few extra minutes to get the meal on the table. Your strategy? Choose make-ahead appetizers and recipes that keep the ingredient list to a minimum—without sacrificing the wow factor. For even less work on your part, doctor up the best store-bought ingredients by blending hummus with fresh herbs, using already-cooked frozen spinach in dips, and rolling out store-bought puff pastry for addictive puff pastry cheese twists. Whichever appetizer recipes you choose, these fast and simple bites are a great way to get dinner started. 26 Quick and Easy Appetizers That Make Entertaining a Breeze 01 of 23 Gooey Gouda Puff-Pastry Bites Con Poulos Store-bought ingredients like puff pastry can be such a lifesaver during the holidays. To make this quick appetizer, we cut the pastry into squares, fit them into mini muffin cups, and bake them with a dollop of mustard. Bake the mini pastries again, this time with some Gouda cheese, and watch them become puffed and bubbly. View Recipe 02 of 23 Low-Country Pickled Shrimp Mike Krautter This casual Southern dish has humble roots, but its bold flavor is perfect for entertaining. A combination of scallions, chile peppers, and lots of lemon spice up the slow-pickled shrimp. They need to refrigerate for at least 8 hours, so make them a day or two ahead of Thanksgiving. View Recipe 03 of 23 Potato-Chip-and-Pimiento Mini Crab Cakes Con Poulos Old Bay seasoning and minced pimiento peppers provide all of the flavor we know and love from crab cakes. These bite-sized balls are coated in something extra special—crushed potato chips. View Recipe 04 of 23 Crudites With Miso-Yogurt Dip Chelsea Cavanaugh We love to include a fresh element when passing around Thanksgiving appetizers. Raw autumnal vegetables like purple carrots, cabbage, and radicchio are perfect for dipping into this umami-packed yogurt dip. View Recipe 05 of 23 Pomegranate Relish Louise Hagger No charcuterie board would be complete without something a bit sweet and acidic to cut through the fatty meats. This pomegranate relish is the perfect thing for the occasion. View Recipe 06 of 23 Garlic-Herb Pinwheels These savory pastries are an elevated take on garlic knots. Instead of pizza dough, we brush the garlic-herb butter over store-bought puff pastry, then roll them into adorable pinwheel shapes. You could fill them with other things like pesto or sun-dried tomato butter. View Recipe 07 of 23 Pan-Roasted Marinated Mushrooms Nico Schinco Spend cocktail hour mingling over a relish tray that includes these marinated mushrooms. They pair perfectly with other nibbles, like quick pickled vegetables and poached shrimp. View Recipe 08 of 23 Baked Brie With Boozy Fruit Aya Brackett Warm and gooey baked brie is hidden under a decorative pile of puff pastry leaves that are perfect for scooping up the soft cheese. Serve it warm with port wine-stewed figs, apricots, pears, and raisins. View Recipe 09 of 23 Pear, Walnut, and Ricotta Crostini This no-fuss appetizer will allow you to spend more time in the kitchen finishing up dinner. Simply spoon dollops of fresh ricotta over slices of toasted bread and top each with a few slices of pear, crushed walnuts, and a drizzle of honey. View Recipe 10 of 23 Saffron Shortbread Gentl and Hyers Saffron is a festive spice—perfect for the holiday season. These savory, crumbly biscuit cookies can be served as is, but they also disappear fast on a cheese or charcuterie board. View Recipe 11 of 23 Slow-Roasted Pear Chips Aaron Dyer The ideal make-ahead appetizer exists in the form of these crispy seasonal baked pear chips. Serve them with your favorite spreadable cheese in place of crackers and your guests will be pleasantly surprised. View Recipe 12 of 23 Ham and Spinach Dip Armando Rafael Here's a Thanksgiving crowd-pleaser made with frozen spinach, ham, and nutty Spanish Manchego cheese. When mixed together they turn into a quick homemade bechamel that gets a bubbly cheese topping for extra richness. Serve this warm dip with freshly made crostini, crackers, and crunchy vegetables like halved mini bell peppers for dipping. View Recipe 13 of 23 Puff-Pastry Cheese Twists David Malosh This shortcut version of cheese straws begins with store-bought frozen puff pastry, which is brushed with egg and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a touch of cayenne pepper, then formed into decorative twists. Also try the twists with different flavor combinations—sesame and poppy, tomato and rosemary, or pecorino cheese and black pepper—these tasty variations are all in the recipe. View Recipe 14 of 23 Warm Olives With Cracked Coriander Justin Walker Transform store-bought olives into an impressive Thanksgiving appetizer by simmering them in olive oil infused with coriander and bay leaves. View Recipe 15 of 23 Blue-Cheese Spread Nico Schinco Blue cheese lovers know its crumbly consistency makes it difficult to enjoy all that salty sharp flavor on a cracker. That's where this recipe really shines. Mix blue cheese and cream cheese until you're able to spread the mixture on crackers, toast, you name it. View Recipe 16 of 23 Artichoke Dip With Fontina Warm and bubbly right out of the oven, this dip will be a hit as a Thanksgiving appetizer. Canned artichoke hearts are even more flavorful when cooked with white wine, then combined with fontina and Neufchâtel cheese and served with toasted pita wedges. View Recipe 17 of 23 Cheater's Deviled Eggs Raymond Hom Deviled eggs have a place at every gathering, especially with this updated spin that simplifies their preparation. Top crackers with a mustard-mayo mixture and slice of hard-boiled egg, then finish with paprika and dill for all the deviled egg flavor with an added crunch from the cracker. View Recipe 18 of 23 Brown-Butter Nut Mix With Rosemary and Thyme Mixed nuts are tossed with brown butter, brown sugar, cayenne, rosemary, and thyme, then roasted until golden and crisp. These buttery nuts pair so well with Thanksgiving cocktails. View Recipe 19 of 23 Beet, Cheddar, and Apple Tarts Bryan Gardner Store-bought puff pastry, cheddar cheese, and thin slices of beets and apples are layered to make an elegant looking but simple-to-make Thanksgiving appetizer. This recipe takes less than half an hour from start to finish and can be served warm or at room temperature. View Recipe 20 of 23 Herb-Cheese Palmiers Store-bought puff pastry is spread with cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and fresh herbs to make these crisp, flaky appetizers. Call them by their other name (elephant ears) and even the kids will enjoy them! View Recipe 21 of 23 Smoked Salmon Dip With Bagel Chips A little smoked salmon goes a long way in this easy, sophisticated Thanksgiving appetizer. It's blended with cream cheese, capers, horseradish, red onion, and a touch of lemon juice to make a chunky dip. View Recipe 22 of 23 Spicy-Sweet Maple Snack Mix John Dolan More addictive than a the typical nut mix with pretzels, cheese crackers, and cereal, this snackable, spicy-sweet snack mix is an easy make-ahead Thanksgiving appetizer. Divide the snack mix into smaller bowls for serving and place them around the room. View Recipe 23 of 23 Dates and Blue Cheese Sharon Radisch Salty blue cheese mixes with sweet dates and honey plus the added crunch of sliced almonds for a surprising new favorite at the table this year. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit