These Thanksgiving appetizers feature tons of options from chip dips to fried favorites, party platters, and more. They are a perfect way to kickstart the big day while waiting for the main course. Choose a few of these Thanksgiving snacks and they will certainly hold everyone over until it's time for turkey.
For more Thanksgiving ideas, try my Thanksgiving side dishes, what to serve with Thanksgiving turkey, and easy Thanksgiving desserts.
Jump to:
- 1. Cheese Croquettes
- 2. Pickle Roll-Ups
- 3. Antipasto Platter
- 4. Sour Cream Chip Dip
- 5. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- 6. Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- 7. Hummus
- 8. Ranch Cheese Ball
- 9. Pinwheel Sandwiches
- 10. Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
- 11. Spinach Artichoke Dip
- 12. Cheese Platter
- 13. Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- 14. Risotto Balls
- 15. Crab Stuffed Shrimp
- 16. Cheddar Swiss Cheese Fondue
- 17. Calamari
- 18. Crab Rangoons
- 19. Charcuterie Board
- 20. French Onion Dip
- 21. Bisquick Sausage Balls
- 22. Deviled Eggs
- 23. Breaded Stuffed Scallops
- 24. Olive Dip
- 25. Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
- 💭 Tips For Choosing The Perfect Thanksgiving Appetizers
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 25+ Best Thanksgiving Appetizers: Cheese Croquettes (More Recipes To Serve!)
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
Thanksgiving is a time of gathering with your family and catching up. What better time than enjoying some appetizers before the turkey dinner is ready?
These easy appetizers have enough variety for an epic Thanksgiving appetizer spread, or you can choose one or two recipes for some light snacking.
Whether you're a pro at hosting Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties or giving it a try for the first time this year, you're sure to find my ultimate guide to planning Thanksgiving a help! Don't forget to safely thaw your holiday turkey early, too!
1. Cheese Croquettes
These irresistible croquettes combine mashed potatoes with fontina cheese. The mixture is coated in breading and then fried until golden.
Try out my potato croquettes or Japanese korokke for different flavor variations.
2. Pickle Roll-Ups
This 3-ingredient appetizer is a snap to make. It's perfect for when you need something for everyone to snack on but are too busy to put in a ton of effort.
There's no cooking required. Serve with cocktail toothpicks for easy snacking.
3. Antipasto Platter
Whether you are hosting a formal Thanksgiving or one that's more casual, everyone can enjoy an antipasto plate. It is customized with your preferred meats, cheeses, and snacks, which will perfectly suit your needs, and you don't have to cook a thing.
4. Sour Cream Chip Dip
Everyone loves chips with dip, and Thanksgiving is no exception. This quick sour cream dip is incredibly easy to make and tastes great with anything from potato chips to vegetable sticks.
5. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
The combination of salty bacon and roasted asparagus makes this dish a real winner. Even if you aren't a fan of asparagus, the addition of bacon may change your mind.
6. Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
A mixture of cream cheese, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese is stuffed into cremini mushrooms and baked to perfection. You may want to double the batch because everyone will gobble these up.
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
7. Hummus
Hummus is a classic dip that pairs perfectly with crackers, veggies, chips, bread, and more. Not to mention, there are a ton of different flavor variations you can try out, like garlic, roasted red pepper, and more.
8. Ranch Cheese Ball
This impressive ball of cheese features cheddar, cream cheese, ranch seasoning, and bacon, plus an optional crunchy pecan coating. It can be made in advance and kept in the fridge until needed, then served with a side of crackers.
9. Pinwheel Sandwiches
Pinwheel sandwiches are an incredibly versatile appetizer with a wide range of easy and delicious filling options. My recipe includes multiple flavor and ingredient variations so there's a pinwheel sandwich for everyone.
10. Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
These tangy and sweet meatballs are pretty effortless and hands-off. Serve them with toothpicks for a simple appetizer that people can snack on while they mingle.
Crockpot grape jelly meatballs are another great choice if you aren't a fan of BBQ.
11. Spinach Artichoke Dip
Spinach artichoke dip may be one of the most popular chip dips out there, and it tastes even better baked hot, in my opinion. Take it up a notch, and try my lobster artichoke dip.
12. Cheese Platter
A quick cheese platter with a variety of cheeses, dips, and accompaniments is delicious and visually impressive. Not to mention, it's completely customizable and you can prep all the ingredients ahead of time.
13. Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
You can't go wrong with classic jalapeno poppers stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon, and baked. Check out my air fryer jalapeno poppers recipe or lobster jalapeno poppers recipe for more variations.
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
14. Risotto Balls
These crispy golden risotto balls have everything you love about classic risotto but in easy-to-serve, fried form. I recommend marinara sauce for dipping, though they are quite tasty on their own.
15. Crab Stuffed Shrimp
Combining two popular seafood options into one amazing appetizer, crab-stuffed shrimp is always a showstopper. It's surprisingly quick and simple for such an elegant dish, but you'd never know because it tastes so good.
16. Cheddar Swiss Cheese Fondue
Thanksgiving is a great time to whip up some melted, savory fondue for dipping bread, vegetables, and more. It's the perfect way to get everyone gathered around the table before starting the main course.
17. Calamari
Crispy rings of fried squid are always a crowd favorite, no matter the occasion. Serve with marinara sauce or some homemade ranch dressing, and watch them disappear.
18. Crab Rangoons
Crab rangoons are one of my favorite Chinese takeout recipes, and they make a perfect finger food that tastes even better homemade. If you aren't a fan of crab, you could try out my shrimp rangoons, too.
19. Charcuterie Board
Everyone loves a charcuterie board, and you can customize your board with your family's favorite snacks. Slice the meats, cheeses, and veggies ahead of time for an easy arrange-and-eat appetizer you can quickly offer guests.
20. French Onion Dip
Creamy homemade French onion dip tastes so much better than the store-bought version. It's great with wavy potato chips (my personal favorite), veggie sticks, crackers, crostinis, and more.
21. Bisquick Sausage Balls
Using Bisquick baking mix makes these sausage balls extra simple to prepare. Blend the Bisquick with cream cheese, cheddar, and pork breakfast sausage and bake for an easy-yet-satisfying snack.
22. Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a classic Thanksgiving appetizer. One that simply cannot be missing from the Thanksgiving dinner table per my family.
This is my tried-and-true recipe with a perfect blend of mayo and mustard for that classic creamy tang and optional crumbled bacon for crunch.
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
23. Breaded Stuffed Scallops
If your guests love seafood, these stuffed scallops will be a new favorite. Served in the shell, they have a stunning appearance with an incredible flavor to match.
24. Olive Dip
This briny olive dip pairs amazingly with buttery Ritz crackers. It's a true treat for anyone who loves olives, and it's made with just a few simple ingredients.
25. Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
Sausage cream cheese crescent rolls are a 20-minute appetizer with only four ingredients. They're surprisingly filling and flavorful, perfect for watching football before Thanksgiving dinner.
💭 Tips For Choosing The Perfect Thanksgiving Appetizers
- Prep in Advance. Choosing appetizers that can be prepared ahead of time will certainly help you out. Cold chip dips can be chilled overnight, and cheese boards or charcuterie can be sliced and portioned the day before.
- Finger-Friendly Options. If you want your friends and family to be able to chat and move around, try to add some options that are finger-friendly. This is important if you plan to watch football from the couch.
- Portion Control. You don't want everyone to fill up on appetizers. Keep the portions small so that there is still plenty of room for turkey and dessert.
- Include Familiar Favorites. While it's fun to experiment with new recipes, don't forget to include a few familiar favorites that are sure to be crowd-pleasers.
- Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas
- Mashed Potato Recipes
- Easy Thanksgiving Breakfasts
- Thanksgiving Turkey Cake Pops
Is there a favorite Thanksgiving snack or appetizer your family insists on for the holidays every year? Let me know in the comments.
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📖 Recipe Card
25+ Best Thanksgiving Appetizers: Cheese Croquettes (More Recipes To Serve!)
Ingredients
Cheese Croquette Filling
- 8 oz fontina cheese
- 2 ½ cups mashed potatoes (about 1 ¼ lbs of mashed Russet potatoes)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (fresh, chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (to taste)
Cheese Croquette Coating
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs (beaten)
- 2 cup breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned breadcrumbs)
- frying oil (favorite neutral-flavored frying oil like canola oil or vegetable oil)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Combine & Shape Croquettes
- Remove the rind off of 8 oz fontina cheese and cut it into thin strips about 1 inch long. Set aside.
- Add 2 ½ cups mashed potatoes, 1 large egg, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon parsley, ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepperand ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg to a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Grab a small handful of the potato mixture and flatten it into a pancake. Put a thin slice of fontina cheese in the center, then mold the potato pancake into an oval shape around the cheese. Set it aside and repeat with all of the remaining potato mixture.
- Set up a dredging station by placing 3 shallow dishes side-by-side. Add ½ cup all-purpose flour to the first dish, 5 large eggs beaten in the second dish, and 2 cup breadcrumbs in the third dish.
- One by one, coat the balls of potato in flour, followed by the eggs (letting the excess drip off), and then the breadcrumbs. Repeat this process a second time with each croquette to get a thick coating.
- Put your prepared croquettes on a baking sheet and pop them in the fridge to chill for 1 hour before frying.
Fry or Bake The Potato Croquettes
- Heat a large frying pan filled with a good amount of frying oil to medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add 2-3 cheese croquettes (or more, as long as you don't overcrowd the pan). Use tongs to turn each croquette until golden brown on all sides, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack with a paper towel underneath. Repeat with remaining croquettes.
- Once you have fried all of the croquettes, they can be served immediately.
Notes
- Chives would make an excellent addition to these cheese croquettes!
- Traditionally, croquettes are oval-shaped, cylindrical, or disc-shaped rather than round.
- Use neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point for frying, like peanut, vegetable, canola, safflower oil, or beef tallow.
- Preheat your oven to 250°F (121°C/Gas Mark ½) to keep the first batch of croquettes warm while you fry the remaining batches.
- To bake your cheese croquettes, cook at 400°F (205°C/Gas Mark 6) for 20 minutes.
- To store: Place cooled croquettes in a Ziploc bag or airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
- To freeze: Store in a heavy-duty Ziploc freezer bag to freeze for up to 3 months,
- To reheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and put your croquettes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
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