The Three Best Appetizers to Bring to Thanksgiving
Whether you’re a guest or just looking for something amazing to bring to the table this year, these appetizers are sure to impress. They’re simple to prep, easy to share, and guaranteed to keep hungry guests happy while the turkey finishes roasting.
Here are three Thanksgiving appetizer recipes that will be the talk of the table this year:
1. Baked Brie with Fresh Herbs
An irresistible sweet, savory, gooey cheese encased in buttery puff pastry. A straightforward recipe that just requires a bit of assembly and time in the oven.
Ingredients
1 round Brie cheese (8-12 oz)
1 package frozen puff pastry
1/4 cup cranberry-apple sauce (or a fruit jam such as fig)
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, or oregano, chopped
1 egg
1 Tbsp honey
Optional: 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Crackers or sliced baguette for serving
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll out puff pastry into approximately a 10–11 inch square (trim if needed).
Place the Brie in the center of the pastry.
Top the Brie with cranberry-apple sauce, honey, chopped herbs, and nuts (if using).
Fold the puff pastry over the Brie and gently pinch and press to seal.
Beat the egg until smooth and brush over the top of the pastry.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes (or wrap and save until closer to serving).
Place the wrapped Brie on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for around 40 minutes, until the top is a deep golden color.
Let cool slightly before serving to prevent the cheese from completely pooling out.
Serve warm (can wrap in foil to retain heat for travel) or at room temperature with crackers or sliced baguette.
2. Sweet Potato, Sage & Whipped Feta Dip
This dip is creamy, colorful, and festive for Thanksgiving. It also comes together quickly and can be served with anything from sliced veggies to chips.
Ingredients
1.5 lb sweet potatoes (or any winter squash)
8 oz. feta
1 head of garlic
3 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp red pepper flake or cayenne (optional)
10–15 sage leaves
Olive oil
Instructions
Heat oven to 400°F.
Cut off the top end of the garlic and coat with oil.
Cut the squash in half, rub with oil and salt, and place both squash and garlic cut side down on a baking sheet.
Roast for about 30 minutes, until garlic is soft; squash may need 10–15 minutes more until fork tender.
While roasting, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.
Fry sage leaves until crispy, then remove to a paper towel, reserving the oil.
Once cool, scoop squash from the skin and squeeze out roasted garlic cloves.
Add squash, garlic, feta, honey, and red pepper flakes to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Spread into a bowl, crumble sage leaves on top, and drizzle with the reserved sage oil.
Optional: top with chopped nuts like pecans or pistachios for extra texture.
3. Caramelized Onion Dip
Who doesn’t love an onion dip to start a party? This recipe uses fresh ingredients (nothing from a package) and is sure to be a favorite this holiday.
Ingredients
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 leek, white and light green parts thinly sliced
6 scallions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
4–6 sprigs thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
4 tsp Worcestershire
2 tsp Dijon mustard
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp each salt & pepper
Instructions
Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, then add all onions, garlic, and thyme.
Cook on medium-low, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Stir in Worcestershire, a splash of water (or broth), and season with salt and pepper.
Continue cooking for another 15–20 minutes until onions are deeply browned and jammy.
Remove thyme sprigs, add Dijon and cream cheese, and stir until combined.
Let cool slightly, then mix in Greek yogurt and mayo.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve with potato chips, sliced baguette, or fresh veggies.
Want More Thanksgiving Recipes?
You can find all of our Thanksgiving recipes and resources here.
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