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  5. 15 Easy Appetizer Ideas

15 Easy Appetizer Ideas

By Karen Cicero
September 28, 2014
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Invite your guests to mingle and munch on these tasty appetizers while you put the finishing touches on Thanksgiving dinner!
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Double Cranberry Crostini

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Top baguette slices with cream cheese, sliced deli meat, and cranberry chutney for a fall-inspired starter.

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Falling Leaves

Credit: Gemma Comas

Spice up wonton wrappers with curry, dill, basil, and juice from a can of beets to create these colorful crackers. Use cookie cutters to make leaf shapes, spritz them with vegetable-oil spray, and brush on one or two flavorings. Sprinkle the leaves with sea salt and bake on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for about 4 minutes. After they've cooled, let the kids rake them in.

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Food Editor Erica Clark demonstrates how you can make this fun fall snack with the kids using just a few simple ingredients.

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Berry-Good Apples

Credit: Heather Weston

Kids tend to like fruit more than veggies. Cut up red and green apples (brush them with a little lemon juice to prevent browning) and serve with this yummy raspberry spread.

Blend 12 ounces reduced-fat whipped cream cheese with 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry preserves until smooth. Serve with apple wedges.

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Kiddie Cheese Tray

Credit: Rita Maas

Sure, put out some trays of Brie and Camembert for the adults. But don't forget about your younger guests: Make a separate cheese tray filled with string and cheddar cheeses, grapes, carrot sticks, and other munchies that kids love.

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Feta Olive Toast

Credit: Ilisa Katz

This olive toast topped with feta looks fancy, but it'll take you only a couple of minutes to make!

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Amazing Onion Dip

Credit: Alison Miksch

Caramelizing the onions beforehand gives this dip its sweet flavor. Serve with sliced bell peppers, broccoli, and other veggies.

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Shrimp & Pepper Bruschetta

Credit: Tina Rupp

Topping bruschetta with shrimp gives this appetizer a fun twist! Toast the bruschetta in a grill pan, if you have one, to create clean grill marks.

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Polenta Pizzas

Credit: Jim Franco

For a snack the kids will love, top slices of packaged polenta with tomato sauce and cheese.

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Cheese-Stuffed Celery

Credit: Mark Ferri

Fill stalks with a seasoned cream cheese mixture and top with walnuts. Leave a few celery stalks with plain cream cheese in case some kids are allergic to walnuts -- or just picky!

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Flavorful Feta

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Dice your favorite brand of feta cheese into small cubes, and marinate the cubes in herbs and spices. Serve the feta solo or as part of a cheese tray.

  • Get the Marinated Feta recipe here.

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Healthy Hummus

Add this dip to your crudite platter, or, if you're short on time, simply serve it along with some pita wedges.

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Eggplant Caponata

Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

Simmer this delicious veggie-olive topping in your slow cooker, then serve warm or chilled.

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Stuffed 'Shrooms

Credit: Paula Hible

Fill mushroom caps with bread crumbs, chopped tomatoes, and cheese, then serve the caps upside down.

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Cucumber Bites

Credit: Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Top these light and refreshing veggies with a dollop of our special cheese mixture!

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Breaded Asparagus

Credit: Paula Hible

These asparagus stalks may look deep-fried, but (surprise!) we baked them instead. Serve these veggies with dipping sauce and watch the kids dig in!

Originally published in the November 2010 issue of Parents magazine.

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1 of 17 Double Cranberry Crostini
2 of 17 Falling Leaves
3 of 17
4 of 17 Berry-Good Apples
5 of 17 Kiddie Cheese Tray
6 of 17 Feta Olive Toast
7 of 17 Amazing Onion Dip
8 of 17 Shrimp & Pepper Bruschetta
9 of 17 Polenta Pizzas
10 of 17 Cheese-Stuffed Celery
11 of 17 Flavorful Feta
12 of 17 Healthy Hummus
13 of 17
14 of 17 Eggplant Caponata
15 of 17 Stuffed 'Shrooms
16 of 17 Cucumber Bites
17 of 17 Breaded Asparagus

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15 Easy Appetizer Ideas
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