Post # 1
Member
4464 posts
Honey bee
This Thanksgiving is our first married Thanksgiving and our first time having guests for a holiday in our home. My mom is coming with her fiance, and my mother in law is coming with her soon-to-be fiance, his daughter, and my husband’s youngest sister.
So far this is our menu:
- Squash soup
- Turkey (recipe TBD)
- Cranberry crisp
- Shallot butter mashed potatoes
- Green bean casserole
- Stuffing
- Corn on the cob
- Caramelized shallots
- (Jalapeno dip)
- Pumpkin pie
- Pecan pie
- Brownies
Appetizers is where I’m stuck, since my husband will want to snack throughout the day and I want something for when his family arrives so we don’t just jump right into the meal. So far I only have cheese and crackers and chips and dip, nothing I actually have to cook. Is that ok?
I have to say, I cook weekly for guests over the weekend, so I’m no stranger to making huge meals. But on Thanksgiving I want to be impressive. I want my mother in law’s eyes to pop out of her head. With that being said, is my menu enough?
Post # 3
Member
1093 posts
Bumble bee
@star_dust: My tummy just grumbled reading your post. It sounds delicious!
I think your appetizers sound great. 7-layer dip is always a crowd-pleaser if you want to spice up your dip a little.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/lucky-7-layer-dip-recipe/index.html
Post # 4
Member
246 posts
Helper bee
What about adding peperonis to cheese and crackers tray? Appatizers you could even do a fruit and veggi tray…super easy to do.
One of my favs is Brocolli, Cheese, Rice casseroll! I DIE for that! I would also add apple pie or cherry pie (on of the generics for most people’s thanksgiving).
Post # 5
Member
46590 posts
Honey Beekeeper
You could do a knock off of sushi.
Lay some slices of smoked salmon overlapping on a piece of waxed paper. Cover with a sheet of nori. Spread with a mix of cream cheese to which you have added some chopped red onion and some fresh dill. Roll up and slice .
Another appetizer people love- cover water chestnuts with soy sauce, remove the chestnuts and roll each in sugar. Wrap with 1/2 strip of bacon. Secure bacon with a toothpick. Broil until bacon is done. Serve hot. You can make ahead of time and cook in small batches.
Post # 6
Member
777 posts
Busy bee
I’m bringing a sausage cheese dip. SOO good and so easy. Jimmy Dean pork sausage, 8 oz of cream cheese and one can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles. Brown the sausage and put it all in a crock pot until the cream cheese is melted. Awesome with crackers and chips!
Post # 7
Member
2781 posts
Sugar bee
Give a variety of 2 or 3 dips for the crackers and chips, throw in some cut up veggies, maybe a fruit plate and one hot appetizer option. A good inexpensive option is meatballs in a bbq or sweet and sour sauce; mini quiches are another great option or how about bacon wrapped water chestnuts in a light teriyaki sauce, always a hit.
For my MOH’s baby shower I made these blt bites, I took plum tomatoes, hollowed them out, cooked and crumbled bacon, mix the bacon with mayo, shredded cheese of your choice and some shredded lettuce and insert the filling into the hollowed tomatoes. They make delicious bite sized appetizers, look very elegant and like you made a huge fuss, but are actually quite simple and easy.
Post # 9
Member
1935 posts
Buzzing bee
If your hubby needs to snack (and quite frankly, I wouldnt change a thing on your menu – YUM!) I’d focus on that. Do a vegetable & dip display, and go to a nice deli and get an assortment of cheeses and meats (some itialian cheeses, camembert, smoked cheddar, gouda, salami, soppresata, prosciutto, etc.) Add some crackers/petit toasts and thinly sliced baguette.
I’ve made spinach and atrichoke dip, as well as bufflo chicken dip. Both are easy and can be made ahead of time. Not to mention, they’re both crowd pleasers.
I think anything from Cooking Light’s Top Rated Party Appetizer list would be yum. My personal faves: mini spanikopitas and orange-chipotle spiced nuts.
Post # 11
Member
397 posts
Helper bee
For munchies before I like to do simple things (we have 6 kids running around though too)
Veggie tray: black/green olives, red/yellow/orange peppers, califlower/broccoli and dip
Ham rollups (some with pickles and some with green onions)
For us with the kids it is easier to do something like this. They range from 6 to 14 though too and that makes a difference on “munchies”
Post # 12
Member
2781 posts
Sugar bee
Anytime me and my bff put together a party, we have are typical go to appetizers:
-Spinach dip with cut up bread
-taco chips and 7 layer taco dip
-warm crab or bacon and onion dip and crackers
– fruit and veggie tray
-baked goods tray (brownies, cookies, cupcakes, etc.)
-bacon wrapped water chestnuts
-mini quiches
We always have those items with a selection of other various choices depending on the length of party, type of party and what we haven’t had in a while. Pretty much anytime either of us has some sort of party, we are both jointly automatically in charge of food, we both enjoy cooking and baking and are damn good at it. The menu for her baby shower for instance was:
-spinach dip and cut up bread
-taco chips and 7 layer taco dip
-warm crab and crackers
– fruit and veggie tray
-baked goods tray of brownies, cookies, mini cupcakes and carrot cake squares
-bacon wrapped water chestnuts
-meatballs in a sweet and tangy sauce
-Blt bites
-mini quiches
-stuffed croissants
-sloppy joe buns
Post # 13
Member
4464 posts
Honey bee
Thank you for all of the suggestions guys.
I can’t use the options mixing meat and cheese or sausage/ham, however I can buy MorningStar soy and I can use the dairy options.
Great appetizer idea. I also though of another one I might do, make homemade hummus (one of my specialities) and put it out with pita chips.
Thanks Bees. You da best!
Post # 14
Member
192 posts
Blushing bee
My faveorite appetizer is dates stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in proscuitto. You can make them well ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until 5 minutes before serving.
1-2 lbs dried, pitted, whole dates (any variety)
1 lb nice blue cheese (splurge by going to the fancy cheese section)
10-15 slices of proscuitto
Tear the proscuitto slices up so that you have pieces that will wrap roughly once around a date, set aside. Pick up a date, smoosh some cheese in the cavity with your fingers, repeat until all dates are stuffed. Wrap proscuitto pieces around dates. At this point you can refridgerate or even freeze them on a sheet tray.
When ready to serve, turn on your oven broiler to high and move a rack up to the top position. Place the dates on a cookie sheet and pop into the ripping hot oven for 3-5 minutes. You want the cheese to just start leaking out and the edges of the proscuitto to just start turning brown and crispy. These are a huge hit at every party, and you can make them throughout the day by just heating up a new batch when you want some.
