15 Easy Appetizer Ideas

By Karen Cicero
Paula Hible
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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

Alexandra Grablewski

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

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Stuffed 'Shrooms

Paula Hible

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

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Cucumber Bites

Thayer Allyson Gowdy

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

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Breaded Asparagus

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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