Appetizers for Thanksgiving Dinner?

[Kayelle]

Do you serve appetizers before TD dinner? If so, what?

My 10 member family will be arriving just shortly before dinner, and I'm tempted into not serving appetizers at all. Last year they gobbled up the appetizers before dinner , and I had way too many leftovers of the main event.

I might just put out a bowl of nuts, and call it good. After all, the feast should be anticipated and appreciated with a healthy appetite right?

What do you do?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Do you serve appetizers before TD dinner? If so, what?

My 10 member family will be arriving just shortly before dinner, and I'm tempted into not serving appetizers at all. Last year they gobbled up the appetizers before dinner , and I had way too many leftovers of the main event.

I might just put out a bowl of nuts, and call it good. After all, the feast should be anticipated and appreciated with a healthy appetite right?

What do you do?

When there's family, we set a small table up for the kids and any adults that feel like it, for making the apps. Cream cheese filled black olives, peanut butter filled celery sticks. And an assortment of pickles, green olives, carrot sticks, more cream cheese, pickapeppa sauce and a variety of crackers. But, this is usually an all day affair with dinner at 4 in the afternoon.

For just Shrek and I, two dessert plates filled with the above.

 

[babetoo]

i would go the nut route. there is so much food involved in thanksgiving. i want people to have a good appetite.

 

[Andy M.]

When I put out appetizers, it's minimal. I work too hard on the dinner for people to tell me they're not hungry.

 

[taxlady]

Put out some crudites and a healthy dip. Gives them something to munch and I bet they don't stuff themselves on raw vegis

 

[mollyanne]

I'm having 10 for Thanksgiving Dinner too. It has never occured to me to serve appetizers...maybe because it's the biggest feast of the year and it was never part of the tradition. It's odd because I never thought about that before. I always serve appetizers before other dinners where guests are involved. I like everyone extra hungry from the get-go for Thanksgiving.

 

[Kayelle]

Put out some crudites and a healthy dip. Gives them something to munch and I bet they don't stuff themselves on raw vegis

that would serve those teenage grands of mine right TL!! I'm sure it wouldn't be touched, and I'd get the evil eye. Nuts it is!


Mollyanne....I love your new avitar.

 

[CookLikeJulia]

For me, I would go for a crackers or cookies and a dip if, it would be for 10.

 

[4meandthem]

I keep going smaller and smaller on apps.
Some people just plow through them and don't eat their dinners.
I like to serve olives and nuts mostly.

 

[jabbur]

We have a traditional cheese ball with crackers that folks tend to snack on before the meal. It's not much and we always seem to have room for all the feast.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

My fav, fry the turkey liver let it cool, then chop with cold hard boiled eggs and spring onions, serve on crackers with a few slices of sweet and sour gherkin.

 

[MSC]

We also go along with minimal apps, nuts and olives, maybe cubes of cheese, just something to snack on with the pre-meal drinks.

 

[Uncle Bob]

If anything....Raw Oysters...

 

[SillyOldBear]

I agree with minimal being the best. One year I had around 25 coming for dinner. For the folks arriving early, I didn't want them milling around hungry while waiting for the rest of the guest to arrive. So I put out shrimp, cheese and crackers, artichoke dip, and a pickle and cheese tray. By the time dinner started, they weren't nearly as hungry. I love leftovers, and will package them up for later in the year. But I do want my guests to enjoy the meal I've spent two days preparing. So now I only do the pickle and cheese tray. If guests bring appetizers, I will put them out, but I politely discourage that. I prepare the entire meal, but if they want to bring something, I suggest a special side that they really like, that I'm not preparing. This has worked very well, and while I have fewer leftovers, I have the satisfaction that they have enjoyed the feast!

SOB

 

[letscook]

Just a platter of raw veggies and dip for me, They'll pick but won't stuff themselves.

 

[msmofet]

The appy's are usually our lunch and the feast is dinner. I am usually to busy in the kitchen for anyone to eat breakfast and appys are our "brunch". Heres what I will be doing for apps this year.

Cream cheese, stuffed green olives and walnut poppers

Stuffed mushrooms

 

[Selkie]

A relish tray of black & green olives, gherkins and pickled watermelon rind. Nothing here will fill anyone up, but merely enhance their appetite.

 

[taxlady]

The appy's are usually our lunch and the feast is dinner. I am usually to busy in the kitchen for anyone to eat breakfast and appys are our "brunch". Heres what I will be doing for apps this year.

Cream cheese, stuffed green olives and walnut poppers

Stuffed mushrooms

Those sure look yummy. They are making me hungry. What do you put in your stuffed mushrooms? (The olive thingee looks pretty straight forward)

 

[CharlieD]

Appetizers usually ruin appetite.

 

[kadesma]

Anti-pasto tray,olives, assorted Italian meats,peppers,provolone. Puff pastry shells stuffed with sauteed mushrooms.deviled eggs.
kades