Thanksgiving Appetizers on the Lighter Side

Like many other American families, my family tends to stick with a very set menu for Thanksgiving dinner every year: Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green peas, rolls, pumpkin pie, and apple crisp. The type of roll varies from year to year; the sweet potato dish used to be squash, and apple crisp used to be apple pie, but other than that, this has been the menu since I started hosting Thanksgiving dinner nearly 20 years ago. 

What DOES vary from year to year, however, is the appetizer selection. I generally do some kind of crudite plate in the shape of a turkey:

In addition to the veggie plate, I like to have another appetizer (sometimes two). But since it's so easy to fill up on appetizers and run out of room for the turkey and fixins, I try to keep the appetizers light. Seven years ago, I posted some of my favorite recipes (Thanksgiving Appetizers), but since then I've discovered so many more! Here are some of my latest favorites.

Cranberry Brie Bites

1 (8-oz.) tube crescent dough
Flour
8 oz. brie
1/2 c. whole berry cranberry sauce (seedless raspberry jam is also good)
1/4 c. chopped pecans
6 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a mini (24-cup) muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with mini muffin cup liners. On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough and pinch together seams. Cut into 24 squares. Place squares into prepared cups. Cut brie into small pieces and place inside dough. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce, pecans, and one small sprig of rosemary. Bake bites until pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Feta, Apple, and Hazelnut Breadless Crostini

1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup cream cheese (regular or low-fat)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
Honey
2 medium sweet apples (Gala, Fuji, and Honeycrisp are all good)
fresh thyme sprigs

Chop hazelnuts and toast in a dry skillet until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool. Combine feta, cream cheese, lemon juice and zest, and 1 tsp honey in a mini food processor or blender, or whip with a hand mixer.

Core apples and slice into ¼ inch thick slices. To prevent browning, rub both sides of each slice with the cut side of a lemon, or toss in a ziploc bag with a teaspoon of lemon juice. Spread a little of the cheese mixture on each of the apple slices. Top with chopped toasted hazelnuts, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with a few fresh thyme leaves and serve.

Honey Mustard Chex Mix

6 cups Chex or Crispix cereal (any combination or rice, corn, wheat, and/or bran)
2 cups pretzels (any shape; break into bite-size pieces if needed)
1 1/2 cups white cheddar Cheez-its
1 cup Melba toast, broken into pieces
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 tsp. dried mustard
3/4 tsp. salt

*Note: Any of the cereals and crackers can be omitted or substituted with your preferred crispy/salty snack: Kix, Cheerios, Goldfish crackers, standard Cheez-Its, mixed nuts, etc. Just keep the overall volume to roughly 10-11 cups.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together cereals and snacks. In a smaller bowl, combine melted butter, honey, Dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, dried mustard and salt. Pour over snack mix and stir until coated. Pour onto a cookie sheet (can line with non-stick foil) and spread out evenly. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes or so. Allow to cool completely and store at room temperature in an air-tight container. 

Antipasto Kebabs

12 cherry or grape tomatoes
12oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
4 fresh basil leaves
¼ lb salami, pepperoni, or summer sausage, cut into bite-size chunks or sliced thin and folded
8 oz mozzarella balls (herb marinated or plain)
12 olives (black or kalamata)

Optional: Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, or pesto for drizzling

Thread the ingredients onto a 6-inch wooden skewer, placing one of each antipasto item on the stick. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil or with pesto before serving, if desired.

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay the rinsed and drained chickpeas on paper towels and pat dry. Spread on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and shake. Return to oven for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine seasonings and brown sugar in a small bowl. Remove chickpeas from oven and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with spices and shake pan again to coat chickpeas with olive oil and seasonings. Return to oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until browned and very crunchy.

Deviled Eggs with Bacon

6 hard boiled eggs

¼ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoons mustard

4 strips of bacon, crisped and crumbled (set aside a small amount for garnish)

⅓ cup chives

Pepper to taste

Salt if needed

⅓ cup cheddar cheese, grated

Chopped chives and smoked paprika, for garnish (optional)

Peel hard boiled eggs and cut into half lengthwise. Scoop yolks into a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and mash with a fork until smooth and creamy. Stir in cheese. Transfer egg yolk mixture into piping bags fit with star nozzle and pipe over egg white. Alternatively, you can spoon the mixture into the whites. Garnish with reserved bacon bits, chives, and smoked paprika, as desired.

Fiesta Shrimp Bites

1 cup extra small frozen shrimp (defrosted, peeled, deveined, tails removed)
1 tsp. taco seasoning
2 tsps butter or olive oil
12 round or cup-shaped tortilla chips

¾ cup refried beans

½ cup nacho cheese sauce

¾ cup guacamole

¾ cup diced tomatoes and green chilies (Ro-tel)

Optional: Sliced jalapenos or fresh cilantro for garnish

Toss the defrosted and cleaned shrimp with taco seasoning. In a medium frying pan on medium heat, melt butter then add seasoned shrimp. Cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes each until lightly toasted and cooked through. Set aside.

Arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer on a serving plate. Warm refried beans and spread a spoonful on each chip. Warm cheese sauce and drizzle carefully over chips. Add a spoonful of guacamole and a spoonful of Ro-tel, then top each chip with a shrimp. Garnish with jalapenos or cilantro if desired and serve immediately. 

Crab-Stuffed Cucumber Cups

2 large cucumbers

5 ounces lump crab meat

1 tsp hot pepper sauce (adjust amount to taste)

1 tsp prepared mustard

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp sour cream

1 tsp lemon juice

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 spring onion, finely diced (set aside a small amount for garnish)

Salt & pepper to taste

Old Bay Seasoning, to taste

Celery leaves, for garnish

Peel cucumbers in a striped pattern. Cut ends of and slice into 1-1/2" to 2" sliced. With a lemon baller or small spoon, scoop each slice into a cup shape. Arrange on a serving tray. 

Combine remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper and Old Bay, in a large bowl and mix well. Fill cups with crab meat mixture. Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning and salt and pepper. Add a slice of spring onion and a celery leaf on top of each cucumber cup.

Happy Thanksgiving!