18 Appetizer Ideas That Won’t Ruin Thanksgiving Dinner

This appetizer looks absolutely perfect, 10/10, no notes. Baked brie is a crowd-pleaser and is easy to make — just pop it into the oven and then onto a serving platter. The maple pecan topping on this recipe from Damn Delicious is what makes it feel extra Thanksgiving-y.

Charcuterie boards are popular for a reason — they let guests pick and choose the flavors they want, and it gives you something to do with your hand while you chat around the kitchen counter. A Cozy Kitchen’s winter board includes figs, pears, caramelized pecans, and other festive foods to nibble on.

Spinach artichoke dip will never disappoint, and it’s science that anything you serve in a cast iron skillet is going to taste better, so All The Healthy Things’ take on the classic is perfect. Serve with tortilla chips or crostini.

These baked brie bites from Brown Sugar Food Blog are topped with seasonal fruit (figs) and a year-round favorite (bacon). All together, the flavors make for a perfect sweet, savory, bite-sized app.

How impressive does this recipe sound? But don’t panic, these stuffed mushrooms with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes from Gimme Some Oven are show-stoppers, but easy enough to whip up. They are the perfect savory little bite, and you can even prep them a day ahead and just toss them in the oven when you’re ready to serve.

There could always be more goat cheese. This dip recipe from A Beautiful Plate calls for garlic, dill, parsley, and a few other pantry staples, and comes together in minutes in a food processor.

This dip is the color of Thanksgiving. It’s a creamy blend of butternut squash and hummus with a little hint of satsuma tangerine and sage in there too. You could adjust the flavor to be sweeter with a pinch of cinnamon, or hotter with a little cayenne.

While you have squash on the brain, you should know that slicing them longways and roasting turns them into the more autumnal version of potato wedges. This recipe includes a yogurt-based garlic dipping sauce makes for the perfect tart complement to the sweet, salty squash.

Some families serve salads along with their Thanksgiving meal, but if you’re saving the dining table space for mac and cheese and hot rolls, you could always serve a salad appetizer. This fall harvest salad from All The Healthy Things has a delicious crunch (courtesy of the candied pecans and green apples), and some seasonal flavors from the butternut squash.

Insert cranberries, jalapeno, sugar and water into pot. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until saucy. Spoon over room temp cream cheese and serve. That’s how simple this appetizer recipe from Budget Bytes is, and from the look of it, it’s as tasty as it is quick.

If you want to serve something super light that requires no cooking or space in the oven, pumpkin hummus is the move. Wholefully’s recipe is a little bit sweet but mostly savory, and shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to make and plate.

Beer cheese and pretzels might be a little on the heavy side, but if you serve them well in advance of dinner, I’m sure no one would complain. This vegan beer cheese sure looks every bit as delicious as the dairy kind, and Make It Dairy-Free also has a recipe for one-hour vegan soft pretzels to go with it.

Deviled eggs are one of those holiday appetizers everyone looks forward to. If you want to spice them up a bit this year, try Averie Cooks’ Bloody Mary deviled eggs. You will definitely be asked for this recipe later so keep it handy.

If you want something simple to make and satisfying to eat, whip up some goat cheese in a food processor, spread it on crostini, and top with pears and honey, a la A Classic Twist’s recipe.

Just yank and dip — these pull-apart garlic rolls are a yummy starter any time of year. It might be cumbersome to make homemade dough just for an appetizer, but if you’re already kneading some together for another recipe, then making this bread wreath wouldn’t be such a big deal.

Flaky puff pastry with parmesan and romano cheeses and lots of sun-dried tomato? You won’t hear anyone complaining about these homemade palmiers. One or two make for a yummy appetizer that isn’t super heavy, and won’t steal the show from whatever bread you’re serving with dinner.

If you weren’t planning on serving an appetizer but you hear people mentioning they’re peckish, you can throw together some cinnamon-y popcorn to snack on in a matter of minutes. All you need are popcorn kernels (or the microwaveable kind), honey, cinnamon, sugar and salt. It’s just enough to hold everyone over until they turkey’s done.

You know what never lasts very long at a party? Some kind of Chex mix. This recipe for “nuts and bolts” from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs is the perfect blend of salty crunch that is super easy to prepare and will keep your guests nice and happy while they wait on the turkey to finish.