5 Great Appetizer Recipes For Thanksgiving

Preparing a Thanksgiving meal can be a stressful task; take some of the work out of your Thanksgiving meal with these 5 great appetizer recipes for Thanksgiving.  These recipes will taste delicious, and look fantastic, but don't require a lot of preparation time or work. Some of these 5 great appetizer recipes for Thanksgiving can even be prepared ahead of time!

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1/4 cup oat bran cereal
• 14 ounces ketchup
• 1 cup grape jelly
• 3 - 4 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Make meatballs. Combine turkey and cereal and shape into 1 inch balls. Assemble the meatballs the night before Thanksgiving to give yourself a little extra time on Thanksgiving day.  
2. Mix sauce. In a separate bowl, combine all the other ingredients in a Dutch Oven and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add meatballs. 
3. Cook meatballs. Cook on medium heat for 30 -40 minutes, uncovered.  Serve immediately.

Ham Roll-Ups

• 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 1 small can chopped olives (drain)
• 1/3 cup sliced scallions
• 8 to 10 pieces ham lunch meat

1. Make cream cheese mixture. Great appetizer recipes for Thanksgiving don't have to be hard to make, and this recipe proves it! To save time on Thanksgiving day, make these yummy ham roll-ups the night before and store in the refrigerator. To start, beat cream cheese until smooth and then fold in the onions and olives. 
2. Spread out lunch meat. Lay out the lunch meat on a flat surface. Spread each slice out so that it's open
3. Spread the mixture. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the ham
4. Make pinwheel shapes. Roll up the ham so it makes a pinwheel shape.
5. Cover. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Parmesan Knots

Ingredients:

• 3 12 oz. cans of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp. parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Combine ingredients. In a bowl combine all the ingredients except biscuits.
2. Shape biscuits. Cut each biscuit in half and roll each half into the shape of a rope. 
3. Form knot. Tie the ropes together to form a knot and place on a greased baking sheet. 
4. Bake. Bake at 450 for 6 to 8 minutes and then brush with parmesan mixture.  Serve warm.

Ranch Snack Mix

Ingredients:

• 8 cups Crispix cereal
• 2 1/2 cups small pretzels
• 2 1/2 cups Cheez-It Crackers
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 package dry ranch salad dressing mix

1. Combine ingredients. It's a good idea to use at least one small appetizer recipes for Thanksgiving for guests that don't want to eat a lot before the big meal.  To make this snack, simply place all the ingredients in a sealed Ziploc bag and shake well. 
2. Serve. Pour into a serving dish and serve to guests.

Relish plate

Ingredients:

• Bottled Ranch dressing
• Baby carrots
• Celery sticks
• Black and green olives
• Cubed cheese
• Beef summer sausage

1. Pour Ranch dressing. Pour Ranch dressing into a small container.
2. Arrange other foods. Arrange all the foods that will be dipped into the Ranch dressing attractively around the dressing container.
3. Variations. A relish plate is one of the easiest of all our great appetizer recipes for Thanksgiving, and it's healthy too! Feel free to add anything else you think your guests may enjoy. Pickles, peppers, bell peppers, etc., can all be added to your relish plate. (This appetizer can be made the night before Thanksgiving too!)

There you have it!  5 great appetizer recipes for Thanksgiving, none of which will a lot of time to prepare. Enjoy the extra time you have to spend with family and friends.