65 Thanksgiving Appetizers for 2022 That Will Blow Your Relatives Away

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Time Commitment: 40 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian Otherwise known as Thanksgiving dip. (It'd taste even better topped with a mound of leftover turkey...just sayin'.)

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1. Cranberry, Brussels Sprouts and Brie Skillet Nachos

Time Commitment: 15 minutes Why We Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes With just the right amount of spice. We used a mix of cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios, but you can use whatever assortment you'd like.

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2. Roasted Mixed Nuts

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly A seasonal twist on a party classic that everyone can get behind. Cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg and cumin offer lots of warming spice to the dish.

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3. Sweet Potato Hummus and Cumin Flatbread Chips

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy Anything starring Brie is a guaranteed hit. Set this warm, gooey app down and watch your guests instantly gather around.

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4. Baked Brie with Figs, Pistachio and Orange

Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, make ahead, vegan They sure beat a bowl of regular potato chips. Dip them in sweet yogurt or caramel sauce.

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5. Cinnamon Apple Chips

Time Commitment: 1 hour Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, vegan You only *think* you don't like mushrooms. Simply season and roast the creminis until they're shatteringly crisp and brown.

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6. Crispy Mushrooms

Time Commitment: 45 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly We’ve never seen party dip look this adorable. Thanks, store-bought puff pastry and easy canned artichoke hearts.

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7. Artichoke Dip Bites

Time Commitment: 2 hours Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, high protein

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8. Baked Pumpkin with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Cheese

Serve an appetizer in a hulled-out pumpkin and let the oohs and ahhs roll in. Bonus: They make eye-catching table decorations, so you can save on flowers.

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8. Baked Pumpkin with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Cheese

Time Commitment: 45 minutes Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly Sweet, tart, crunchy and creamy in every bite. Prepare the jam ahead so all you have to do the day of is assemble.

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9. Cheese Crostini with Cranberry Fig Jam

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly One of our favorite Italian mains, in finger food form. Pass the marinara, please.

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10. Eggplant Parm Bites

Time Commitment: 35 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, keto-friendly, gluten free Baking instead of frying makes these a little healthier and way less messy to prepare. This version of the game day app is stuffed with herbed cream cheese, feta and sharp cheddar.

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11. Jalapeño Poppers

Time Commitment: 50 minutes Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, make ahead, vegetarian Save the hot dogs for summertime. These cuties won’t spoil your appetite before the big feast.

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12. Carrot Pigs in a Blanket

Time Commitment: 15 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy Sweet, savory and undeniably classy. (Oh, and they're ready to eat in 15 minutes flat.)

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13. Bleu Cheese-Stuffed Figs

Time Commitment: 40 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, one pot Crisp Pilsner + sharp cheddar = autumn bliss. Serve with plenty of crusty bread for dunking.

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14. Beer Cheese Soup

Time Commitment: 15 minutes Why We Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy Part holiday appetizer, part work of art. All the toppings will be easy to grab, thanks to the classy serving board.

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15. Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board

Time Commitment: 35 minutes Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly Complete with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds tossed in soy-maple glaze. Might we suggest adding them to a cheese board?

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16. Rosemary, Cheddar and Gorgonzola Pumpkin Crackers

Time Commitment: 1 hour Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead Everyone’s favorite comfort food, only miniature. Feel free to spice up the mac and cheese recipe with hot sauce, shredded chicken or crumbled bacon.

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17. Baked Mac and Cheese Bites

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly Hi, spicy yogurt dipping sauce. Hustle to the hors d'oeuvres table—these are bound to disappear fast.

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18. Spaghetti Squash Fritters

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, sheet pan recipe Salty, tangy and sweet. Plus, toothpicked apps are a hostess's best friend.

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19. Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese

Time Commitment: 40 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser Choose your fighter: smoked salmon and cream cheese or dried cranberries, almonds and crème fraîche.

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20. Sweet Potato Crostini

Time Commitment: 45 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser Don't come for us, but they're better than the original (yep, we said it). Your kids will be none the wiser—as long as there's ketchup on the table, that is.

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21. Cauliflower “Tater” Tots

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy Roasting grapes in oil and herbs will give them deep sweetness and complexity, making them the perfect pairing for salty, sharp cheese.

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22. Ultimate Cheese Plate with Roasted Grapes

Time Commitment: 1 hour Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian Impeccably golden, crispy and briny. Slather on the garlic-lemon aioli with abandon.

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23. Roasted Artichokes

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, make ahead Squash season is back, and we are so ready for it. Here, roasted butternut squash meets tahini and chickpeas for fall twist on hummus.

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24. Butternut Squash Hummus

Time Commitment: 1 hour Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, special occasion-worthy You can’t go wrong with this roasted garlic, sriracha and capers trio. Make them ahead so you have one less thing to worry about on the big day.

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25. Deviled Eggs, Three Ways

Time Commitment: 50 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, vegetarian Loaded with flavor and color. The sweet spuds are also packed with protein (and avocado crema).

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26. Black Bean Sweet Potato Boats

Time Commitment: 50 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy Store-bought puff pastry saves the day, as always. Don't skimp on the walnut pesto—we'd argue it's the best part.

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27. Brussels Sprout and Apple Tart with Walnut Pesto

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly Maple syrup and brown sugar turn your favorite breakfast meat into a fall delicacy. Don't look now, but we're topping our apple pie with a few strips.

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28. Maple Candied Bacon

Time Commitment: 50 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly Just like your favorite steakhouse makes them, only scaled down for minimal mess. Don't even get us started on the horseradish dipping sauce.

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29. Baby Bloomin’ Onions

Time Commitment: 2 hours Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, beginner-friendly Walnut taco meat, an ingenious way to accommodate your vegetarian guests..

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30. Sweet Potato Skins

Time Commitment: 40 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly They'll never know you started with store-bought dough. Your secret is safe with us.

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31. Caramelized Apples and Goat Cheese Crescents

Time Commitment: 40 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy Hanukkah don't start 'til the latkes arrive. We've given the potato classic an autumn update by substituting the season's favorite vegetable.

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32. Brussels Sprouts Latkes

Time Commitment: 15 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy Store-bought cranberry sauce and pie crust can save cocktail hour in 15 minutes flat.

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33. Cranberry-Brie Pie Crust Bites

Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy Just scoop out the seeds, pour in chicken stock and seasonings, then roast the whole darn thing in the oven. Ingenious.

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34. The Best Damn Pumpkin Soup

Time Commitment: 25 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy Where dessert and cocktail hour collide. Serve this five-ingredient beauty with bread, crackers or slices of Granny Smith apple.

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35. Maple Pecan Baked Brie

Time Commitment: 40 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, kid-friendly Don't peel the delicata squash's striped skin off—it's totally edible and offers serious fall flair to these handhelds.

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36. Delicata Squash Rings with Garlic-Lemon Sauce

Time Commitment: 2 hours Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, kid-friendly Bet you didn't think you'd see *this* type of pie on your holiday table. Good looking out, canned pumpkin purée.

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37. Pumpkin Pizza Crust with Arugula and Prosciutto

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: one pan, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly Is there anything more comforting than a skillet of warm, melty cheese? Didn't think so. Dip with bread, crackers and crudités.

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38. Bacon, Onion and Asiago Fondue

Time Commitment: 45 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients Tangy goat cheese and salty pancetta hold their own against crispy cornbread-like morsels of Parmesan polenta.

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39. Cheesy Polenta Bites with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta

Time Commitment: 25 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes These prosciutto- and mozzarella-stuffed gems are dangerously poppable, so they won't last long at the party.

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40. Brussels Sprout Sliders

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly The only way to make this Gruyère-rich soup more decadent? By wrapping it in puff pastry, of course.

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41. French Onion Cups

Time Commitment: 10 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead Complete with toasted pecans, crumbled bacon and pumpkin purée. Serve with crostini or buttery, flaky crackers.

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42. Savory Pumpkin Dip

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: Instant Pot recipe, one pot, make ahead, vegan Meet a soup that's pretty enough to steal the spotlight from any roast turkey. Chalk it up to sesame seeds, roasted peanuts and a coconut yogurt swirl.

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43. Instant Pot Spicy Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes Why We Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients We have one question: Are you dipping 'em in yellow mustard or beer cheese? (Both is the only correct response.)

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44. Brie-Stuffed Pretzel Bites

Time Commitment: 45 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy Choose a pumpkin beer that's loaded with fall spices and real pumpkin. The mini soft pretzels are optional (but we can't imagine why you'd skip them).

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45. Pumpkin Beer Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Time Commitment: 50 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy Behold, the cutest little casseroles you ever did see. We have a feeling these will win over even the pickiest eaters at the kids' table.

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46. Mini Mason Jar Chicken Potpies

Time Commitment: 1 hour Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, dairy free Don't have the patience for charring sprouts? Wrapping them in bacon will give them the crunch you crave minus the smoking pan.

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47. Crispy Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Time Commitment: 50 minutes Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser And you thought pasta salad season was over. The ingredients are decidedly autumnal, down to the pine nuts and fresh thyme.

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48. Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad

Time Commitment: 40 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, one pan, crowd-pleaser We like to think of this five-ingredient, half-hour app as savory monkey bread. Your guests won't miss the cinnamon, promise.

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49. Baked Gorgonzola Bites

Time Commitment: 45 minutes Why We Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, special occasion-worthy No high-maintenance frying required. We're definitely saving some for Black Friday brunch.

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50. Baked Maple Glazed Donuts

Time Commitment: 15 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser This is probably a new addition to your holiday feast, but it's about to become a family tradition. Add a few extra shakes of hot sauce to the mix if you want it extra spicy.

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51. Buffalo Pecan Pimento Cheese

Time Commitment: 25 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser They’re bite-sized, meaning you can have as many as your cheese-loving heart desires. (We'd probably make a second batch just for the hostess, if we were you...)

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52. Easy Cranberry Baked Brie Bites

Time Commitment: 10 minutes Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <30 minutes, no cook Bring this beauty to Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving or any other fall gathering. The pomegranate arils on top make it look beyond classy.

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53. Pumpkin Hummus

Time Commitment: 40 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly These grown-up lollies are made with frozen puff pastry, leftover cranberry sauce and Brie, so all you'll have to do is assemble and bake them.

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54. Cranberry-Brie Puff Pastry Pops

Time Commitment: 30 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead Deviled eggs are always a crowd-pleaser, so why not dress them up for the party? Avocado and chives add a little something that will have everyone coming back for seconds..

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55. Avocado Deviled Eggs

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy Apply the Swedes' method for cooking potatoes to this autumn gourd and let your guests shower you with compliments.

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56. Hasselback Butternut Squash

Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, one pot, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser Trust us: It's a far cry from your grandma's, thanks to crumbled bacon, sourdough croutons, sherry vinegar and a whole can of beer.

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57. Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Beer

Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead Like a crispy biscuit-soft bun hybrid. Excuse us while we go for a swim in the sweet-and-salty honey butter.

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58. Sweet Potato Biscuit Rolls with Honey Butter Glaze

Time Commitment: 50 minutes Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, special occasion-worthy Proof that eggplant doesn't need to be fried or blanketed in melted cheese to be enjoyable.

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59. Miso-Tahini Glazed Roasted Eggplant with Farro

Time Commitment: 50 minutes Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, beginner-friendly As stunning as it is delicious. Think caramelized brown sugar-herb onions atop a bed of store-bought puff pastry.

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60. Jammy Upside-Down Onion Tart

Time Commitment: 5 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook, crowd-pleaser For when your guests are arriving in ten and you forgot to make an appetizer. (You can thank us later.)

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61. Five-Minute Bean Salad

Time Commitment: 25 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly While it's certainly a crowd-pleasing starter, you can also serve this cheese dish for dessert with wine and fruit.

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62. Feta Wrapped in Phyllo with Sesame and Honey

Time Commitment: 25 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser All tossed in a lemony Dijon dressing. Bonus points for candying the pecans in brown sugar and maple syrup.

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63. Apple, Grape and Pecan Pasta Salad

Time Commitment: 20 minutes Why We Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, crowd-pleaser Traditional Caesar dressing uses eggs to achieve a creamy consistency, but this version calls on buttery, omega-rich avocado instead.

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64. Caesar Pasta Salad

Time Commitment: 20 minutes Why We Love It: vegan, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly You're an adult now—you can have a little something sweet before dinner if you want to. (And there's nothing Mom can do about it.)

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65. Vegan Miso Caramel Dip with Pretzels and Granny Smith Apples