We love a traditional Thanksgiving feast. But we pretty much know what to expect every year (roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing—you know the drill). Starters, on the other hand, can be full of delicious surprises. From finger foods to dips to vegetable sides, here are 65 appetizers for Thanksgiving that will kick off your celebration with a bang.
RELATED: 50 Fall Cocktails That Are Cozy, Refreshing and Oh-So-Seasonal
Otherwise known as Thanksgiving dip. (It’d taste even better topped with a mound of leftover turkey…just sayin’.)
Get the recipe
With just the right amount of spice. We used a mix of cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios, but you can use whatever assortment you’d like.
Get the recipe
A seasonal twist on a party classic that everyone can get behind—even picky kids.
Get the recipe
Anything starring Brie is a guaranteed hit. Set this warm, gooey app down and watch your guests instantly gather around.
Get the recipe
They sure beat a bowl of regular potato chips. Dip them in sweet yogurt or caramel sauce.
Get the recipe
Simply season and roast until shatteringly crisp and brown.
Get the recipe
We’ve never seen party dip look this adorable. Thanks, store-bought puff pastry.
Get the recipe
Serve an appetizer in a hulled-out pumpkin and let the oohs and ahhs roll in. Bonus: They make eye-catching table decorations, so you can save on flowers.
Get the recipe
Sweet, tart, crunchy and creamy in every bite.
Get the recipe
One of our favorite Italian mains, in finger food form. Pass the marinara, please.
Get the recipe
Baked, never fried. This version of the game day app is stuffed with herbed cream cheese, feta and sharp cheddar.
Get the recipe
Save the hot dogs for summertime. These cuties won’t spoil your appetite before the big feast.
Get the recipe
Sweet, savory and undeniably classy. (Oh, and they’re ready to eat in 15 minutes.)
Get the recipe
Crisp Pilsner + sharp cheddar = autumn bliss. Serve with plenty of crusty bread for dunking.
Get the recipe
Part holiday appetizer, part work of art. All the toppings will be easy to grab, thanks to the classy serving board.
Get the recipe
Complete with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds tossed in soy-maple glaze.
Get the recipe
Everyone’s favorite comfort food, only miniature. Feel free to spice up the mac and cheese recipe with hot sauce, shredded chicken or crumbled bacon.
Get the recipe
Hi, spicy yogurt dipping sauce. Hustle to the hors d’oeuvres table—these are bound to disappear fast.
Get the recipe
Salty, tangy and sweet. Plus, toothpicked apps are a hostess’s best friend.
Get the recipe
Choose your fighter: smoked salmon and cream cheese or dried cranberries, almonds and crème fraîche.
Get the recipe
Don’t come for us, but they’re better than the original (yep, we said it).
Get the recipe
Roasting grapes in oil and herbs will give them deep sweetness and complexity, making them the perfect pairing for salty, sharp cheese.
Get the recipe
Impeccably golden, crispy and briny. Slather on the garlic-lemon aioli with abandon.
Get the recipe
Squash season is back, and we are so ready for it. Here, roasted butternut squash meets tahini and chickpeas for fall twist on hummus.
Get the recipe
You can’t go wrong with this roasted garlic, sriracha and capers trio.
Get the recipe
Loaded with flavor and color. They’re also packed with protein (and avocado crema).
Get the recipe
Don’t skimp on the walnut pesto—we’d argue that it’s the best part.
Get the recipe
Maple syrup and brown sugar turn your favorite breakfast meat into a fall delicacy. Don’t look now, but we’re topping our apple pie with a few strips.
Get the recipe
Just like your favorite steakhouse makes them, only scaled down for minimal mess.
Get the recipe
Walnut taco meat, an ingenious way to accommodate your vegetarian guests.
Get the recipe
They’ll never know you started with store-bought dough. Your secret is safe with us.
Get the recipe
Hanukkah don’t start ’til the latkes arrive. We’ve given the potato classic an autumn update by substituting the season’s favorite vegetable.
Get the recipe
Store-bought cranberry sauce and pie crust can save cocktail hour in 15 minutes flat.
Get the recipe
Just scoop out the seeds, pour in chicken stock and seasonings, then roast the whole darn thing in the oven.
Get the recipe
Serve this five-ingredient beauty with bread, crackers or slices of Granny Smith apple.
Get the recipe
Don’t peel the delicata squash’s striped skin off—it’s totally edible and offers serious fall flair to these handhelds.
Get the recipe
Bet you didn’t think you’d see *this* type of pie on your holiday table. Good looking out, canned pumpkin purée.
Get the recipe
Is there anything more comforting than a skillet of warm, melty cheese? Didn’t think so.
Get the recipe
Tangy goat cheese and salty pancetta hold their own against crispy cornbread-like morsels of Parmesan polenta.
Get the recipe
These prosciutto- and mozzarella-stuffed gems are dangerously poppable, so they won’t last long at the party.
Get the recipe
The only way to make this Gruyère-rich soup more decadent? By wrapping it in puff pastry, of course.
Get the recipe
Complete with toasted pecans, crumbled bacon and pumpkin purée.
Get the recipe
Meet a soup that’s pretty enough to steal the spotlight from any roast turkey.
Get the recipe
We have one question: Are you dipping in yellow mustard or beer cheese?
Get the recipe
Choose a pumpkin beer that’s loaded with fall spices and real pumpkin. The mini soft pretzels are optional (but we can’t imagine why you’d skip them).
Get the recipe
Behold, the cutest little casseroles you ever did see.
Get the recipe
Don’t have the patience for charring sprouts? Wrapping them in bacon will give them the crunch you crave minus the smoking pan.
Get the recipe
And you thought pasta salad season was over. The ingredients are decidedly autumnal, down to the pine nuts and fresh thyme.
Get the recipe
We like to think of this five-ingredient, half-hour app as savory monkey bread.
Get the recipe
No messy frying required. We’re definitely saving some for Black Friday brunch.
Get the recipe
This is probably a new addition to your holiday feast, but it’s about to become a family tradition. We like to add a few extra shakes of hot sauce to the mix, too.
Get the recipe
They’re bite-sized, meaning you can have as many as your cheese-loving heart desires.
Get the recipe
Bring this beauty to Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving or any other fall gathering. The pomegranate arils on top make it look beyond classy.
Get the recipe
These grown-up lollies are made with frozen puff pastry, leftover cranberry sauce and Brie, so all you’ll have to do is assemble and bake them.
Get the recipe
Deviled eggs are always a crowd-pleaser, so why not dress them up for the party? Avocado and chives add a little something that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
Get the recipe
Apply the Swedes’ method for cooking potatoes to this autumn gourd and let your guests shower you with compliments.
Get the recipe
Trust us: It’s a far cry from your grandma’s, thanks to crumbled bacon, sourdough croutons, sherry vinegar and a whole can of beer.
Get the recipe
Like a crispy biscuit-soft bun hybrid. Excuse us while we go for a swim in the sweet-and-salty honey butter.
Get the recipe
Proof that eggplant doesn’t need to be fried or blanketed in melted cheese to be enjoyable.
Get the recipe
As stunning as it is delicious. Think caramelized brown sugar-herb onions atop a bed of store-bought puff pastry.
Get the recipe
For when your guests are arriving in ten and you forgot to make an appetizer. (You can thank us later.)
Get the recipe
While it’s certainly a crowd-pleasing starter, you can also serve this cheese dish for dessert with wine and fruit.
Get the recipe
All tossed in a lemony Dijon dressing. Bonus points for candying the pecans in brown sugar and maple syrup.
Get the recipe
Traditional Caesar dressing uses eggs to achieve a creamy consistency. But this version calls on buttery, omega-rich avocado instead.
Get the recipe
You’re an adult now—you can have a little something sweet before dinner if you want to. (And there’s nothing Mom can do about it.)
Get the recipe
Additional reporting by Alexandra Hough
RELATED: 30 Brussels Sprouts Thanksgiving Recipes That Are Pretty Much Foolproof
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.