We all know that when it comes to Thanksgiving, the turkey is the “main event,” and when it comes to Thanksgiving appetizers, we are supposed to “pace ourselves” and “save room for dinner” or whatever. But—and people don’t talk about this enough—turkey is pretty mid as far as proteins go. That is to say, it’s fine. And Thanksgiving appetizers are, quite often, fantastic. So I say screw saving room and just eat a whole lot of what you actually like, and then just take a liiiiiiittle piece of turkey to be polite and acknowledge the approximately 193,943,025 hours of work your parents’ friend Greg put into roasting that big ol’ honkin’ bird. But if you are like us and the pre-meal snacks are the star of the show, here are some easy Thanksgiving appetizers you might consider adding to your list of potential appetizers for Thanksgiving this year.
- Nancy’s Petite Quiche
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We strongly believe Thanksgiving appetizers are made to be picked up and eaten anywhere but at the dining table. You’re going to be stuck at that table for ages waiting for some great aunt to finish her vittles, so the best Thanksgiving appetizers can be eaten while you circulate. Nancy’s frozen mini quiches are small, satisfying, and perfect to eat while you artfully dodge awkward conversations with distant relatives. The box comes with two flavors—lorraine and florentine—and they’re really good. The crust is buttery and savory, and the fillings are well-crafted and complex. We could even taste some tarragon in the lorraine. Sorry, freshly cleaned floors, but these are worth scattering a few crumbs.
Read the full ranking of the best quiche at the grocery store
- Stouffer’s Mac & Cheese Bites
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If you’re not serving mac and cheese as a side dish with dinner, serving mac and cheese bites as an easy Thanksgiving appetizer is a perfect way to get some cheesy goodness back on the menu. We taste tested a lot of mac and cheese bites, and Stouffer’s makes the best. They’re stuffed with loads of gooey cheese, big, fluffy pieces of elbow macaroni, and they have a coating that makes them taste a lot like the breadcrumb-topped baked mac and cheese people crave.
Read the full ranking of the best mac and cheese bites
- Trader Joe’s Pastry Bites with Feta Cheese & Caramelized Onions
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Trader Joe’s sells a lot of good frozen apps, but these are a standby. The cheese and caramelized onions are a delicious blend of sweet and salty flavors—and the little pastry cups are perfectly bite-sized, so you can scarf them down without paying too much attention to how many you’ve had (as we said, appetite-ruining is encouraged!). If you do choose to make these part of your Thanksgiving appetizers spread, make sure you buy extra—these things go fast.
Read the full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s frozen appetizers
- Marketside Spinach & Artichoke Dip
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Thanksgiving is all about tradition, for better or worse. And if we’re talking tradition, what other dip is more fitting to go with your fresh veggie platter or chips than our favorite spinach and artichoke dip? With three different cheeses and full chunks of artichoke in the mix, just make sure you don’t dip your fingers straight in there. Or do. Nothing like some outrage at the Thanksgiving table to kick off the festivities.
Read the full ranking of the best spinach dip
- MyThreeSons Pimento Cheese Emmy’s Original
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Listen. There are certain truths we hold to be self-evident, and one of them is that you can never have too many dips on the Thanksgiving appetizers table. So why not add some pimento cheese to the mix? This creamy, decadent, pepper-speckled cheese spread is a surefire way to put a Southern twist on Thanksgiving, even if you’re thousands of miles away.
Read the full ranking of the best pimiento cheese
- Trader Joe’s Natural Turkey Summer Sausage
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Yes, it’s called summer sausage, but this stuff is for eating when the temps start to drop. Trader Joe’s Natural Turkey Summer Sausage topped our summer sausage ranking due to its unique flavor and blend of spices that make it just that much more interesting to eat. If you need something meaty to snack on before the turkey lands on the table, this turkey summer sausage is both delicious and on-theme.
Read the full ranking of the best summer sausage
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!