Menu Idea Roundup: Thanksgiving Appetizer Party

Cook’s notes: Two excellent discussions at Chow and at thekitchn.com centered around having a Thanksgiving party with just finger foods and appetizers. As one reader noted, “a Thanksgiving cocktail party instead of the traditional gut-stuffing menu” sounds like a really fun idea. Notice that no one suggests a green salad! This party is one in which you have all appetizers for the menu.

For a regular Thanksgiving dinner, the suggestions for appetizers were consistent: a raw vegetable (crudite) platter with a light dip, shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushrooms, and spiced nuts.

I was inspired to take reader suggestions from both discussions, sort them by category, add a few ideas, and add links to recipes and other related sites. Remember, you would not serve all of these dishes at one party! (nor have I tested all of these recipes!)

When planning your party menu, pick a few items from each category. Diane Phillips recommends a cocktail party menu similar to the following:

• 1 to 2 signature cocktails
• 1 dip with veggies
• 1 cheese platter with breads and crackers
• 5 to 7 “small bites”, including spiced nuts
• 2 dessert offerings

Since this appetizer menu is in place of a meal, you’ll want some substantial offerings. Pick at least one turkey dish. It’s Thanksgiving, after all.

SIGNATURE COCKTAILS / BEVERAGES (1 to 2)

Be sure to have at least one non-alcoholic offering for the designated drivers. Sparkling cider is easy: just pop the cork.

• Autumn Sangria with figs, plums, and dried apricots (Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens)
• Cider or sparkling cider
• Cosmopolitans or cranberry martinis. Presentation tip: For the martinis, skewer cranberries on swizzle sticks and freeze.
• Maiden Madras: Blend 4 oz cranberry juice and 1/3 c orange juice
• “The Signature Cocktail”: Fill a 12-oz glass with ice. Stir together and pour in: 2 oz simple syrup, 1.5 oz cranberry juice, and 1 oz vodka. Top drink with club soda.
  Source: USA Weekend, Nov. 10 – 12, 2006, p. 7

SPREADS AND DIPS (1 dip plus veggies)
Presentation tip: Scoop out some mini pumpkins and serve dip in them

• Baked Brie cheese topped with cranberry sauce appetizer, such as Cranberry Sauce with Cherries, Marsala and Rosemary (link)
• Baked sweet potato fries with dipping sauces
• Cranberry Chutney served over a block of cream cheese
• Blanched Green Beans (link) served with an onion dip (link): these are green beans served as crudites instead of green bean casserole
• Mediterranean 7-layer dip: layer hummus, scallions, cucumber, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, roasted red pepper, and chopped fresh parsley. Serve with pita crisps or flatbread. (This is “easy and a hit even with unadventurous eaters,” says Chow reader “intuitive eggplant”)
• Pear chutney and goat cheese bruschetta (link)
• Raw vegetable platter with a bowl of blue cheese dip (link) and Terra Chips (Sweet Potato, naturally)

SMALL BITES – Pick 5 to 7

Include 1 cheese platter with assorted breads and crackers.

• Black Pepper Almonds (link)
• Chicken wings or small drumsticks
• Mini butternut squash and cheese tarts (link)
• Mini corn muffins
• Mini turkey sandwiches: 1) buttermilk biscuits flavored with sage and spread with cranberry sauce and dressing or
  2) whole wheat rolls with sliced turkey, cream cheese and cranberry sauce
• Olives wrapped in cheese dough (link)
• Orzo salad-stuffed tomatoes (link)
• Potato pancakes (link) or sweet potato latkes (link)
• Pumpkin bread
• Relish tray: black olives, mini sweet pickles, and carrot sticks.
• Fancy additions to the relish tray: Harvard Beets (link) or stuffed olives: Get fancy with green olives stuffed with blue cheese, whole garlic cloves, or whole almonds.
• Shrimp Cocktail (the absolutely best recipe is by Alton Brown)
• Spiced nuts or pumpkins seeds (18 recipes and counting here)
• Stuffing-stuffed mushrooms (link)
• Stuffing baked in muffin cups (such as Rachael Ray’s version)
• Turkey Crescents with Cranberry Sauce (link)
• Turkey Cutlets
• Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels (link)

SOUPS

Presentation tip: Serve the soup shots in espresso cups with tiny cheese straws.

• “Shots” of butternut squash soup (link)
• Also suggested: chowders, creamy garbanzo bean soup, cream of mushroom, or pumpkin

DESSERT OFFERINGS – Pick 2

• Apple wedges and seedless grapes (fresh fruit)
• Bakerella’s mini pumpkin pie bites (link)
• Mini apple pies made in muffin tins
• Nantucket Cranberry Pie made in muffin cups with whipped cream (link)
• Pear slices with caramel fondue (link)
• Pumpkin and pecan tarts (link)
• Pumpkin pie cupcakes (link)
• Mini pumpkin cheesecakes (link)

Caprese Salad on Toothpicks

Skewer toothpicks with a cherry tomato, a fresh piece of basil, and a small mozzarella cheese ball.
No salad dressing is needed.

Antipasto platter
Serve Caprese Salad on Toothpicks with warm olives, marinated artichoke hearts, spinach tortellini salad, roasted red peppers, Parmesan cheese, spiced nuts, and marinated mushrooms.

Roasted Feta with Honey

8-oz slab Greek feta, blotted dry
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 400°F. Select a small oven-to-table earthenware dish or a small ovenproof sauté pan lined with aluminum foil to help transfer the cheese to a plate after roasting. Place the feta in the dish and cover with the olive oil. Bake until the cheese is soft and springy to the touch but not melted, about 8 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Heat the honey in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water until it is fluid enough to be spread with a pastry brush and then paint the surface of the feta with it. Broil until the top of the cheese browns and just starts to bubble. Season to taste with black pepper.

Serve immediately with toasted pita wedges and, if desired, sliced heirloom tomatoes, nuts, or pickled vegetables. Serves 4 to 6.

Adapted from Sara Dickerman and mattbites

Best Recipe: Warm Italian Cherry Tomatoes

Cook’s Notes: A variation on the amazing Spinach Tortellini Salad — these warm tomatoes have become one of my favorite appetizers or side dishes. The tomatoes burst and thicken the sauce as they cook. You can toss the tomatoes with mixed lettuce for a simple salad. These tomatoes are also great on slices of bread.

2 Tablespoons (1 oz) balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 Tablespoon dry Italian herb mix (see below)
2 Tablespoons (1 oz) olive oil
16 oz cherry tomatoes, heirloom mix (from Trader Joe’s)

Combine all ingredients in a skillet. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the tomato skins start to split and release their juices. Simmer for at least 15 minutes.

Italian Herb Mix (makes about 1/2 cup):
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Maple-Cayenne Pecans

Cook’s Notes: More popular at work than cinnamon-honey pecans. Tasty, sweet-hot, and only 5 ingredients!

4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) maple syrup
2 Tbsp (1/8 cup) olive oil
2 cups pecan halves
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp red cayenne pepper

Heat maple syrup and olive oil in a skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add pecan halves. Stir 5 to 10 minutes until nuts are fragrant and lightly toasted.

Combine sugar and cayenne pepper. Toss glazed nuts with sugar mix. Let cool on wax paper for 10 minutes. Separate nuts with a fork to keep them from clumping. Keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Adapted from a review of Small Bites by Jennifer Joyce

Best Recipe: Spinach Dip

Cook’s Notes: This dip is great served with jicama slices, carrots, cucumbers, celery, red pepper strips, and crackers. It looks beautiful in a bread bowl.

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
16 oz sour cream (or 12 oz sour cream and 4 oz mayo)
1.4 oz package Knorr’s vegetable soup and dip mix (or 1 Tbsp fresh dill and 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley)
8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 green onions, chopped and sautéed with 2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 red bell pepper, diced fine
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In medium bowl, combine spinach, sour cream (optional mayonnaise), soup mix (or fresh herbs), and veggies. Cover and chill 2 hours to blend flavors. Stir before serving. Top with the grated Parmesan.

Source: Family recipe adapted from several sources, including Knorr’s; Everyday Food; and The Quick Recipe by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated (Boston Common Press, 2003).

Canned Tomato Salsa

Cook’s Notes: I had trouble finding a good, mild salsa at my grocery store. I modified a recipe from the Taste of Home community to fit my needs. This recipe makes a mild, delicious salsa with canned tomatoes and chili peppers. It really does taste better the next day. Depending on the size of your diced tomatoes, you may wish to run half the salsa through the blender to refine the texture.

Yield: About 2 quarts (64 oz) salsa. You could easily cut this recipe in half.

2 cans (28-oz each) diced tomatoes – do not drain
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (green onions)
4 oz can diced mild green chilies
1.5 Tbsp dried cilantro
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate overnight to let flavors blend. Serve with tortilla chips. Store any unused salsa in the refrigerator in sealed containers.

World’s Best Pimento Cheese

Cook’s Notes: The hardest part of this recipe is waiting the hour to let the flavors meld. It really is even better the next day. For a finer texture, puree the mayonnaise, cream cheese, garlic, and chili powder in the work bowl of a food processor.

Serving suggestions: Excellent on pretzel crackers. Also good as a sandwich spread, in grilled cheese, on hamburgers, on grilled black bean burgers, with Fritos, with tortilla chips, on bread, on crackers, with vegetables as a dip, a topping for baked potatoes, or a filling for celery.

4 T light mayonnaise
3 oz pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp mild chili powder
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
4 oz jar pimentos, undrained
8 oz shredded yellow Cheddar cheese (your choice of sharpness)
4 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
Ground black pepper

Beat the mayonnaise, cream cheese, garlic, chili powder in a stand mixer until smooth. Add toasted pecans and pimento juice and blend in. Chop the pimentos (or cut with clean kitchen scissors). Add pimentos and shredded cheese and beat well to combine. Add ground black pepper to taste.

Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

Source: “The Dairy Hollow House Cookbook”, recipe reprinted in the “Best of the Best from Arkansas Cookbook”. I originally got this from the Advocate newspaper site, which no longer has the recipe posted.

Best Recipe: Triple Garlic Almonds

Cook’s Notes: Makes 4 cups, and the recipe can easily be halved. “Pine nuts and hazelnuts are also great cooked this way,” says author Sally Sampson. She recommends adding these almonds to sauteed dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach. They would also make a great salad topper, instead of bread croutons.

4 cups raw whole almonds, skin on
2 T olive oil
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tsp garlic powder (I like Garlic Garni brand)
1 tsp garlic salt

Heat the oven to 250F. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil; lightly coat with cooking spray (or line the cookie sheet with parchment paper).

Place almonds, olive oil, minced garlic, and garlic powder in a medium-size bowl. Stir to coat the nuts evenly.

Transfer coated almonds to the prepared cookie sheet. Shake the sheet so the almonds are in a single layer.

Bake the almonds for 20 minutes until they begin to color. Stir nuts after 10 minutes. Make sure the minced garlic does not burn.

Transfer baked almonds to a double layer of paper towels to drain. Sprinkle the warm almonds with the garlic salt. Let almonds cool before serving.

Source: Adapted from the book “Party Nuts!: 50 Recipes for Spicy, Sweet, Savory, and Simply Sensational Nuts that Will Be the Hit of Any Gathering” by Sally Sampson (Hardcover – Nov 25, 2002).

Tamari Almonds

Cook’s Notes: These almonds taste even better once they have completely cooled down. Makes about 3 cups of delicious, savory almonds, which are great served with hummus and baby carrots.

16-oz bag unsalted roasted whole almonds (mine were from Trader Joe’s)
1/4 cup tamari (wheat-free soy sauce; preferably San-J)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (preferably Garlic Garni)

Place oven racks to divide oven into thirds. Heat oven to 300F.

Spread roasted almonds on an ungreased, rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

While the almonds bake, stir together tamari, sugar, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Stir together until sugar dissolves. Add hot almonds and stir until coated well. Let stand, stirring occasionally, at least 5 minutes (I let them sit almost 50 minutes and they turned out fine). Stir the marinated almonds well.

Coat the rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Return almonds to baking sheet with a slotted spoon, spreading them evenly. Discard any liquid remaining in bowl.

Bake almonds for about 5 minutes until they look dry and are toasted through. Be careful; the almonds will be quite hot. Remove baking sheet from oven and stir almonds to make sure they are not stuck to the sheet. Cool almonds completely on the baking sheet on a rack, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer cooled almonds to an airtight container.

Almonds keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks.

Source: Adapted from recipes by Gourmet (December 2006) and Frugal Veggie Mama