[Photographs: J. Kenji López-Alt, Vicky Wasik]
When I was growing up, our Thanksgiving festivities usually took a predictable path. My family would make a bunch of food and take it over to the house of some family friends for a big collaborative dinner. But before that dinner even got started, we'd pop open bottles of sparkling apple cider for the kids, pour some more grown-up drinks for the adults—and, most importantly, we'd eat. Inevitably, a huge selection of hors d'oeuvres weighed down the kitchen table, and we'd consume so many of them before we moved to the dining room that dinner would begin to seem superfluous—but, of course, that never stopped each of us from continuing to stuff our faces.
So maybe it's just nostalgia talking, and maybe it is a tad unwise to fill up before the real Thanksgiving feast begins, but I fully support having a (reasonably sized) selection of appetizers to work on while you're putting the finishing touches on the meal. To that end, we've collected 17 dangerously addictive pre-feast recipes for your consideration, from the down-home (spiced nuts and deviled eggs) to the chi-chi (pâté and oysters). Just try to save a little room for the turkey, okay?
Bourbon Old Fashioned Glazed Pecans
[Photograph: Marvin Gapultos]
No, we don't mean "old-fashioned." We mean "Old Fashioned," which is exactly where these irresistible glazed pecans get their inspiration. They're flavored with the typical ingredients and garnishes in an Old Fashioned cocktail—brown sugar, bourbon, cherries—plus a little cayenne and black pepper, then mixed with a sprinkling of orange zest for a raw citrusy finish.
Get the recipe for Bourbon Old Fashioned Glazed Pecans »
Olive-Rosemary Spiced Cashews
[Photograph: Daniel Gritzer]
Spicing nuts with rosemary is tricky—sprigs of fresh rosemary are too big to coat the nuts, and store-bought dried rosemary doesn't have the best flavor. The solution is to dehydrate fresh rosemary in the microwave, then grind it into a powder with a mortar and pestle. We apply the same treatment to oil-cured olives and use the combined Mediterranean flavors to coat these addictive cashews, along with a little sugar and cayenne for balance.
Get the recipe for Olive-Rosemary Spiced Cashews »
Smoky Candied Almonds
[Photograph: Daniel Gritzer]
Inspired by a barbecue dry rub, these almonds are flavored with smoked paprika, Old Bay, and cayenne, contrasted effectively by a dark brown sugar–based glaze. The key to getting the candy coating just right is adding a single egg white, resulting in a shell that's light and crisp, but not too airy.
Get the recipe for Smoky Candied Almonds »
Mexican Spiced Chocolate Pecans
[Photograph: Daniel Gritzer]
These pecans mimic the flavor profile of Mexican hot chocolate, pairing dark chocolate and cocoa powder with salt, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. But their extreme chocolatiness is more bitter than sweet, keeping them from entering dessert territory.
Get the recipe for Mexican Spiced Chocolate Pecans »
Sea Salt and Vinegar Peanuts
[Photograph: Marvin Gapultos]
Peanuts and salt-and-vinegar potato chips are both great bar snacks; combining the two yields an unbeatable treat to pair with a beer before dinner. Soak the peanuts in apple cider vinegar, dry them, then fry them. A generous sprinkling of sea salt and parsley, plus a final dose of vinegar, highlights the snack's tangy and salty flavors.
Get the recipe for Sea Salt and Vinegar Peanuts »
Basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
If your Thanksgiving dinner preparations involve fresh pumpkin, you've got a snack practically ready and waiting for you: roasted pumpkin seeds. After they're washed, dried, and roasted, they need little more than oil, salt, and pepper—but if you want to spice things up (heh), we've also got nine variations, incorporating flavor combinations like chorizo and smoked paprika or curry and mint.
Get the recipe for Basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds »
Buttered Rum and Cranberry Popcorn
[Photograph: Marvin Gapultos]
Aside from forming the basis for Snoopy's Thanksgiving dinner, popcorn is a fine choice for a Thanksgiving snack, as it's not too filling. But plain old popcorn isn't very festive, so we brighten ours up and offset its butteriness by mixing it with dried cranberries. Plus a couple of tablespoons of rum for a boozy kick—because why not?
Get the recipe for Buttered Rum and Cranberry Popcorn »
Stuffing-Flavored Potato Chips
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
Everyone agrees that stuffing is one of the best parts of Thanksgiving, right? We like it so much, in fact, we want to start eating it before dinner even hits the table. Hence these homemade stuffing-flavored chips, seasoned with a blend of sage, celery leaves and seeds, marjoram, onion, and rosemary (a mix of fresh and dried herbs gets the flavor spot-on), plus powdered chicken bouillon for a meaty note.
Get the recipe for Stuffing-Flavored Potato Chips »
Stuffing Fritters
[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]
Working off the same logic, these hush puppy–like flour and cornmeal fritters get their stuffing flavor from a mix of onions, apples, celery, sage, and thyme. You can experiment with other ingredients in order to match your personal stuffing preferences—sausage, cranberries, and mushrooms are all possibilities.
Get the recipe for Stuffing Fritters »
Cheesy Smoked Paprika Crackers
[Photograph: Yvonne Ruperti]
These thick, deeply savory crackers are a far cry from the humdrum variety you'll get from a box. Their intense cheese flavor is due to a mixture of Parmesan and sharp cheddar, and smoked paprika gives them a subtle warmth and kick. Best of all, they're super easy—the butter-and-flour dough comes together in minutes.
Get the recipe for Cheesy Smoked Paprika Crackers »
Whole Wheat Sables With Za'atar
[Photograph: Carrie Vasios Mullins]
Whenever my dad's mother came over for Thanksgiving, you bet your life there was some za'atar on the table—it's a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine, and most often seen caked onto warm pita bread. We certainly never ate za'atar like this, though. As a topping for French butter cookies, the earthy spice blend creates a savory-sweet effect that totally, unexpectedly works, and pairs beautifully with a glass of wine.
Get the recipe for Whole Wheat Sables With Za'atar »
9 In-Your-Face Deviled Egg Variations
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
Deviled eggs were a holidays-only treat in our house, so even the simplest, most traditional preparation, using mayo and Dijon mustard and a sprinkling of paprika on top, still gets me excited. But that classic recipe is just the tip of the iceberg. Here, we've got variations to suit every palate—Buffalo blue cheese deviled eggs, an everything-bagel version with caraway and smoked salmon, versions with chorizo and confit tuna and fried capers—enough to get you more worked up about deviled eggs than you ever thought you could be.
Get the recipe for 9 In-Your-Face Deviled Egg Variations »
Kale, Parmesan, and Fried Egg Tartine
[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]
This is the more formal, composed kind of starter that you'll need to serve on plates —on the plus side, you can just double the recipe and have enough to serve a table full of holiday guests. Broiling kale on toasted bread slices makes it crisp and sweet, and the runny fried egg and Parmesan on top conveniently form a sauce to dip your crusts in.
Get the recipe for Kale, Parmesan, and Fried Egg Tartine »
Spaghetti Squash-Pesto Crostini With Prosciutto
[Photograph: Lauren Rothman]
Spaghetti squash is a bit bland and delicate on its own, but pair it with the big flavors of a parsley pesto and salty prosciutto, and it makes a satisfying topping for crostini. Replace the parsley in the pesto with basil if you prefer.
Get the recipe for Spaghetti Squash-Pesto Crostini With Prosciutto »
Rosemary and Lemon White Bean Dip
[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]
This ridiculously easy white bean dip makes a not-too-out-there alternative to hummus. Pulse canned white beans in a food processor with garlic and lemon juice, slowly drizzle in olive oil, and stir in some rosemary and lemon zest—it'll be done and on the table in 10 minutes flat.
Get the recipe for Rosemary and Lemon White Bean Dip »
Chicken Liver Pâté With Bourbon and Cranberry Gelée
[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]
If you've never made pâté before, know beforehand that it feels intimidatingly fancy, but it's really not that difficult to make. Besides, isn't Thanksgiving a good time to get a little fancy? This recipe starts with a traditional chicken liver pâté, but gives it a distinctly American, Thanksgiving-appropriate twist by flavoring it with bourbon and apple cider and topping it with a cranberry gelée.
Get the recipe for Chicken Liver Pâté With Bourbon and Cranberry Gelée »
Irish Stout Granita With Raw Oysters
[Photograph: Marvin Gapultos]
Oysters are a traditional feature of Thanksgiving meals in some parts of the country, but usually only incorporated into dressing. That's a shame, because late November is a great time to get fresh oysters, and a perfect excuse to serve them on the half-shell as an hors d'oeuvre. In a nod to an old-school British pairing, this recipe complements sweet, briny raw oysters with the bitter, malty flavors of an icy granita made with porter or Irish stout.
Get the recipe for the Irish Stout Granita With Raw Oysters »
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