42 Best Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

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Fill our simple pastry crust with butternut squash, sliced apples and decadent Stilton cheese. Then bake until golden brown for a beautifully seasonal appetizer.

Snack on Trisha's buttery cheese straws before you sit down to feast.

Ree rolls goat cheese in freshly chopped dill and serves it with crackers for an appetizer that's ready in just 20 minutes.

Ina tops grilled bread with red and yellow bell pepper strips and creamy Gorgonzola. While sauteing the peppers, add a tiny bit of sugar to bring out intense color and caramelization.

These are classic tapas, but they never get old, especially spruced up just a bit with a touch of ricotta cheese.

This gooey cheese is a classic appetizer that no one can resist — and with a homemade fig compote, everyone will be coming back for seconds (and thirds)!

A little bit of sage and balsamic vinegar goes a long way in this recipe, adding great depth of flavor to a simple fall soup.

Sage, red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan add rich, warm notes to this gnocchi dish, perfect for easing into a comforting Thanksgiving meal.

This spicy dip is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Serve it with crisp crudité for the perfect pre-Thanksgiving bite.

The shrimp gets a ton of flavor from the paprika and thyme marinade — even without the bacon. But, of course, the bacon only makes it better.

Sweet apples and nutty squash make an excellent pair in Ina Garten's hearty soup.

Fresh green food is a rare but welcome sight on the day of the year's biggest feast. Serve veggies like haricots verts, broccolini and roasted Brussels sprouts with yogurt-dill dip and spiced pepitas to entice even the pickiest of eaters.

Giada's crispy, smoky sprouts and cranberries plumped in Champagne vinegar add bite to creamy ricotta spread on toasts.

Food Network Magazine’s cleverly named Popcornucopia captures the essence of fall in each kernel. With poultry seasoning, pecans, apple chips and herbs, the snack will tease guests with a preview of the sweet and savory flavors soon to come.

When you need an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer for holiday entertaining, try pigs in blankets. We wrap premade pizza dough around sausages and sprinkle with poppy seeds before baking. Even the dipping sauce is easy; simply serve with mustard.

Guests will gobble up these crispy, cheesy pre-dinner snacks — we suggest you make a double batch.

With roasted acorn squash and multicolored baby carrots, ranch dip just won’t do for this vibrant crudite platter. Blend together a beautiful orange romesco sauce featuring New Mexico chile pepper, garlic, toasted bread, smoked almonds and paprika. Add some crunch to the spread with raw radishes and any extra almonds that didn’t go into the dip.

Valerie Bertinelli jazzes up pumpkin seeds with cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves for an addictive treat. Before guests arrive, set bowls out in conversation spaces around your home.

Biting into creamy risotto coated in crispy breadcrumbs is always a delight, but Giada hides an additional tasty surprise in these arancini — a bite of chicken-apple sausage in each one.

Keep things bright and light during the appetizer hour. Balance crisp produce (like green apple and jicama) and cool, tangy blue cheese dip with roasted cauliflower and candied walnuts.

These savory hors d'oeuvres require only four slices of white sandwich bread for their crispy crust. Dip them in Dijon mustard for an extra-peppery app.

Pick up a loaf of French bread and get inspired by dozens of savory and sweet topping ideas. Try No. 24, with Taleggio cheese and candied nuts.

For fresh citrus flavor, Alton drains off the olive brine before submerging the olives in a zesty marinade of vinegar, lemon zest and juice, red pepper flakes, tarragon and curry powder. Make them a day or two before your party, so they have time to soak in the flavors of the marinade.

Alton Brown caramelizes Vidalia onions until they're sweet and tender before adding them to the broth, making this soup extra rich and flavorful.

This homemade creamy mushroom soup sure beats the canned variety; it's flavored with bits of ham and dry sherry, and it's ready in under an hour.

Katie's deviled eggs are simple, classic and easy to prepare.

Brie isn't the only cheese worth baking. Cheese curds get perfectly melty inside golden brown puff pastry for a comforting starter.

Serve this strudel with honey on the side. It will cut through the strong blue cheese as a touch of sweetness to balance out the salt.

These tiny phyllo cups are one-bite dips. You'll layer cream cheese, smoked cheddar and roasted squash for a sweet, savory and smoky bite.

Take butternut squash soup to the next level by adding a shrimp and sliced almonds for a nutty crunch.

Bright, juicy pomegranate seeds complement creamy Brie cheese in these bite-sized apps.

French onion soup just got even more satisfying. You'll love this classic in creamy, cheesy dip form. And don't be surprised when you find yourself eating the bread bowl, too!

Butternut squash stands up to being battered and fried and a hot honey is the perfect addition to brighten up the flavor.

Don't be fooled: These roasted appetizers might look like melon, but upon a taste guests will discover they're actually seasonal squash.

Alton's sweet and spicy pecans are a perfect precursor to a Thanksgiving meal. The nuts' dark sugar and cinnamon coating will whet your appetite for the autumnal flavors to come.

Split pea soup is an old-fashioned favorite and Ina Garten's version is as easy to make as it is comforting and classic.

You only need three ingredients (and 45 minutes) to make this easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer. Better yet, these sweet-and-savory bites are delicious warm or at room temperature, which means you can make them before your guests arrive.

Surprise guests by serving this squash soup in a hollowed-out pumpkin for holiday entertaining. A range of toppings like pepitas, croutons and crisp prosciutto completes the festive bowls.

Sweet balsamic-roasted portobello mushrooms are the perfect base for gooey melted mozzarella cheese and a crumbly topping that has just a hint of nutty Parmesan.

Start with a platter of Giada's Italian-style crudite. She wraps the veggies in prosciutto and shaves Parmesan on top for some holiday decadence.

Guests will go crazy for this light, refreshing beet and orange salad, and best of all, they'll still have room left for the main course. A simple dressing of hazelnut oil, coriander and orange juice adds a touch of sweet, floral flavor.

Thanks to the air fryer, not only does puff pastry get perfectly golden brown and flakey, the overall cook time is a fraction of what it would take in a standard oven. Layered with pesto, sundried tomatoes and marinated artichoke hearts, this crowd-pleaser is loaded with flavor and festive charm.

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42 Best Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

Fill our simple pastry crust with butternut squash, sliced apples and decadent Stilton cheese. Then bake until golden brown for a beautifully seasonal appetizer.

Butternut Squash, Apple and Onion Galette with Stilton

Snack on Trisha's buttery cheese straws before you sit down to feast.

Trisha Yearwood's Cheese Straws

Ree rolls goat cheese in freshly chopped dill and serves it with crackers for an appetizer that's ready in just 20 minutes.

Goat Cheese with Fresh Dill

Ina tops grilled bread with red and yellow bell pepper strips and creamy Gorgonzola. While sauteing the peppers, add a tiny bit of sugar to bring out intense color and caramelization.

Bruschetta with Peppers and Gorgonzola

These are classic tapas, but they never get old, especially spruced up just a bit with a touch of ricotta cheese.

Ricotta-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Dates

This gooey cheese is a classic appetizer that no one can resist — and with a homemade fig compote, everyone will be coming back for seconds (and thirds)!

Baked Brie with Fig Compote

A little bit of sage and balsamic vinegar goes a long way in this recipe, adding great depth of flavor to a simple fall soup.

Butternut Squash Soup

Sage, red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan add rich, warm notes to this gnocchi dish, perfect for easing into a comforting Thanksgiving meal.

Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

This spicy dip is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Serve it with crisp crudité for the perfect pre-Thanksgiving bite.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

The shrimp gets a ton of flavor from the paprika and thyme marinade — even without the bacon. But, of course, the bacon only makes it better.

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Sweet apples and nutty squash make an excellent pair in Ina Garten's hearty soup.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Fresh green food is a rare but welcome sight on the day of the year's biggest feast. Serve veggies like haricots verts, broccolini and roasted Brussels sprouts with yogurt-dill dip and spiced pepitas to entice even the pickiest of eaters.

Green Crudites with Yogurt-Dill Dip

Giada's crispy, smoky sprouts and cranberries plumped in Champagne vinegar add bite to creamy ricotta spread on toasts.

Charred Brussels Sprouts Crostini

Food Network Magazine’s cleverly named Popcornucopia captures the essence of fall in each kernel. With poultry seasoning, pecans, apple chips and herbs, the snack will tease guests with a preview of the sweet and savory flavors soon to come.

Popcornucopia

When you need an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer for holiday entertaining, try pigs in blankets. We wrap premade pizza dough around sausages and sprinkle with poppy seeds before baking. Even the dipping sauce is easy; simply serve with mustard.

Pigs in Blankets

Guests will gobble up these crispy, cheesy pre-dinner snacks — we suggest you make a double batch.

Parmesan Breadsticks

Red Crudites with Romesco Sauce

Valerie Bertinelli jazzes up pumpkin seeds with cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves for an addictive treat. Before guests arrive, set bowls out in conversation spaces around your home.

Sweet and Salty Pepitas

Biting into creamy risotto coated in crispy breadcrumbs is always a delight, but Giada hides an additional tasty surprise in these arancini — a bite of chicken-apple sausage in each one.

Stuffed Arancini

Keep things bright and light during the appetizer hour. Balance crisp produce (like green apple and jicama) and cool, tangy blue cheese dip with roasted cauliflower and candied walnuts.

White Crudites with Blue Cheese Dip

These savory hors d'oeuvres require only four slices of white sandwich bread for their crispy crust. Dip them in Dijon mustard for an extra-peppery app.

Mushroom Croquettes

Pick up a loaf of French bread and get inspired by dozens of savory and sweet topping ideas. Try No. 24, with Taleggio cheese and candied nuts.

50 Toast Toppers

For fresh citrus flavor, Alton drains off the olive brine before submerging the olives in a zesty marinade of vinegar, lemon zest and juice, red pepper flakes, tarragon and curry powder. Make them a day or two before your party, so they have time to soak in the flavors of the marinade.

Citrus-Marinated Olives

Alton Brown caramelizes Vidalia onions until they're sweet and tender before adding them to the broth, making this soup extra rich and flavorful.

French Onion Soup

This homemade creamy mushroom soup sure beats the canned variety; it's flavored with bits of ham and dry sherry, and it's ready in under an hour.

Creamy Portobello Soup

Katie's deviled eggs are simple, classic and easy to prepare.

Katie's Deviled Eggs

Brie isn't the only cheese worth baking. Cheese curds get perfectly melty inside golden brown puff pastry for a comforting starter.

Cheese Curds and Sausage in Puff Pastry

Serve this strudel with honey on the side. It will cut through the strong blue cheese as a touch of sweetness to balance out the salt.

Blue Cheese and Pecan Strudel

These tiny phyllo cups are one-bite dips. You'll layer cream cheese, smoked cheddar and roasted squash for a sweet, savory and smoky bite.

Cheesy Phyllo Cups with Butternut Squash

Take butternut squash soup to the next level by adding a shrimp and sliced almonds for a nutty crunch.

Butternut Squash Bisque with Shrimp

Bright, juicy pomegranate seeds complement creamy Brie cheese in these bite-sized apps.

Pomegranate-Brie Phyllo Cups

French onion soup just got even more satisfying. You'll love this classic in creamy, cheesy dip form. And don't be surprised when you find yourself eating the bread bowl, too!

Brie-Onion Dip in a French Bread Bowl

Butternut squash stands up to being battered and fried and a hot honey is the perfect addition to brighten up the flavor.

Fried Butternut Squash with Spicy Honey

Don't be fooled: These roasted appetizers might look like melon, but upon a taste guests will discover they're actually seasonal squash.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Butternut Squash

Alton's sweet and spicy pecans are a perfect precursor to a Thanksgiving meal. The nuts' dark sugar and cinnamon coating will whet your appetite for the autumnal flavors to come.

Spiced Pecans

Split pea soup is an old-fashioned favorite and Ina Garten's version is as easy to make as it is comforting and classic.

Parker's Split Pea Soup

You only need three ingredients (and 45 minutes) to make this easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer. Better yet, these sweet-and-savory bites are delicious warm or at room temperature, which means you can make them before your guests arrive.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Surprise guests by serving this squash soup in a hollowed-out pumpkin for holiday entertaining. A range of toppings like pepitas, croutons and crisp prosciutto completes the festive bowls.

Squash Soup in Pumpkin Bowls

Sweet balsamic-roasted portobello mushrooms are the perfect base for gooey melted mozzarella cheese and a crumbly topping that has just a hint of nutty Parmesan.

Mozzarella-Stuffed Portobellos

Start with a platter of Giada's Italian-style crudite. She wraps the veggies in prosciutto and shaves Parmesan on top for some holiday decadence.

Giada's Prosciutto-Wrapped Crudite