We. Love. Appetizers. Like, a lot. Who else is guilty of eating too many appetizers and not having enough room for the actual meal?
Us too! But, that doesn’t stop us from still serving them on the biggest day of food intake every year… THANKSGIVING!
Y’all, Thanksgiving is next week! There will be slaving away in kitchens, burnt turkeys, perfectly cooked turkeys, mashed potatoes, weird casseroles, and pie… lots of pie. Despite all of that, we still need to eat before dinner… or else we will just be hangry and what is supposed to be a meal of thankfulness could very quickly turn in to a hot bed of disaster. So, if you are entertaining this year, here are some of our favorite tried and true apps to keep out for grazing grandparents, BFFs, and third cousins.
The Classic: A Charceturie Board
Meat, cheese, fruit, and crackers. Easy to assemble and easy to eat. It can also be kept out for a while which ultimately means less maintenance for you!
Tip Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PNDmXXbWWQ
The Easy: Chips (or crackers) and Dip!
I love to go to Costco and grab my favorite dunking treats and a few dips. Not only are there usually aways leftovers, but it’s efficient. Serve up the dips in some fun bowls and spread the crackers or chips out in a serving bowl and voila! Food. No fuss, no muss. Save the extras for that upcoming ugly sweater party in a few weeks.
The Fancy: Stuffed Dates and Fruit
Grab some dates and halve them (if not pitted already, then get rid of the pit). Use a small spoon and spoon in some goat cheese to each half of the date. You can top with a fancy nut, herb, or whatever. Serve up with a side of fresh fruit. Dates are really filling and will probably fend of people’s hunger as dinner starts to run behind… because, let’s be honest, that is just what happens.
Also, if you plan on serving wine with dinner, try and provide an easy non-alcoholic drink BEFORE dinner. We love some sparkling water with fresh fruit or even a fun and festive punch. If people are guzzling too much wine, dinner can become a bit of hurried process to help get food in someones’ stomach… let’s avoid that. OR, have a cool cocktail prepped that isn’t super high in alcohol content but still tastes delicious and get’s people feeling all thankful and happy… like The Americano. It’s meant to be sipped before dinner and isn’t too strong!
Well, friends, happy cooking!
The Salty Exchange 