Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Ok, this might not be the type of "light" you were thinking of, but how about gougeres? They are very light cheesy puffs made of choux pastry. Easy to make and you can use whichever cheese/spice combination you like. I like Parmesan or Gruyere for the cheese. Make them ahead of time and simply crisp in oven, or even serve at room temp. They travel well and one batch makes up a lot of small cocktail size bites.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Miniature-Gougeres-11379

Keep the ideas coming!! My brain needs to filled with things other than Managing Human Resources and Marketing Strategies. :)

When I meant light I was going for something that isn't going to fill someone up with a couple bites. As far as ingredients are concerned-light is not on my radar for Thanksgiving! :)

www.puffpastry.com Great ideas!

I am a huge fan of brie en croute as a starter that won't fill you up, you can use puff pastry, or crescent rolls, it's easy and really tasty with some apples and grapes.

One 8oz. brie wheel serves 3-4 in my family, so you may want to make a few, they bake up quickly, can be set out awhile, but usually disappear immediately!

I cover the brie with jalapeno jelly for a kick, or apricot spread for a sweet touch before wrapping. I'd probably choose a few options, perhaps a couple more cheeses, add some crackers, fruit, and there you go.

I also like the idea of filled puff pastry shells. Welcome back.

How about a manchego cheese and membrillo "sandwich"? I'm talking tiny (or not so tiny)squares of both, with the membrillo in the middle. You can put a toothpick in to hold it together but you could also just press it with your fingers. You don't need to buy a lot of manchego to make these little bites.
Another take on antipasti plate: everything from from a jar or a can arranged nicely on a platter: cut up roast red and yellow peppers, stuffed grape leaves, chickpeas with a little parsley or other herb sprinkled on them; and if you really want to knock yourself out, add those artichokes in oil. All from jars and cans and people love it. Provide toothpicks. Try not to let juices run all over the plate. That is a little harder, but it is possible.

Hey Butrflygirly! Welcome back. You have been missed. I figured you were busy with school.

I really feel a cheese plate with seasonal fruits and crackers would be the perfect appetizer.

Mini Crab cakes

Since it's Thanksgiving - forget the diets, go for something that's just darn good. So my suggestion is jalapeno wrapped shrimp wrapped in bacon. Quick review is: take a fresh jalapeno - cut it in half - clean out the insides / wrap it around a peeled shrimp (not necessarily cooked) / then wrap them with a piece of bacon. You can then cook them on the grill or just bake them at 425 in the oven - about 20 minutes or till done.. Estimate 4 pieces per person. Time to prepare and cook about 1.5 hours.

Homemade spiced nuts with fruit and cheese tray.

Spanakopita. However, this is time-consuming, so maybe not the best choice. But they're light (on the stomach, not the calories) and delicious.

Here is a simple "light" one: Take a couple of firm, but ripe, pears (Bosc works best) and cut them into slices so they almost resemble crackers. Then slice some Pecorino cheese on top of it. Then drizzle honey over them. Direct imported recipe from Italy -- delish!

The old fashioned "relish tray" works well. Assorted veggies (you can stuff the celery or not) olives, pickes, cheese cubes, marinated mushrooms, radishes, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers...whatever makes you happy.

The nice thing is that you can have everything ready to go in ziplocs or containers, and just arrange it on a plate when you're ready. And a lot if it, you're just buying as-is, like the olives.

@Iz: Hey girl! I was busy with school-but that's not the only reason I've been MIA. We made the mistake of bringing someone into our home to help her (and her daughter) get back on their feet and it was not what we expected. Needless to say, I have learned a life lesson on that one. But, things should be getting back to normal for now and I am glad to be back and "talking" to you fine people on SE. :)

@Ribster: It's funny you say that...My BF asked me to make those since he loves them. I have made them before and they were gone in minutes. I add cream cheese to mine tho. This time I am going to add dry ranch mix to the cream cheese (a tip I got from Izzy. :) )

I've made this many times. This is fabulous and highly addictive. Its from Epicurious. Don't let the amount of black pepper scare you (like it scared me). It mellows out after cooling.

black pepper almonds
Servings: Makes 2 2/3 cups.
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
4 teaspoons water
2 2/3 cups blanched whole almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheet with foil. Lightly butter foil. Mix pepper and salt in small bowl. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add sugar and 4 teaspoons water; stir until sugar dissolves. Add almonds; toss to coat. Cook over medium heat until syrup thickens and almonds are well coated, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle half of pepper mixture over.
Transfer almonds to baking sheet. Using spatula and working quickly, separate almonds. Sprinkle remaining pepper mixture over. Bake until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer sheet to rack; cool. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

With regards to brie en croute--you can top the brie with any kind of preserves you like! I think strawberry would be just fine, there are plenty of options.

If you have mini cookie cutters, like leaves (or are good with a paring knife), you can make cutouts from the corners of the dough, then wrap the brie, brush with egg wash, cover the seams/top with cutouts, brush that with egg wash and you'll have a really pretty golden brown treat.

This stuff is addictive, used to be a "special occasion" treat for us, but we've been enjoying it almost weekly this fall because it's just so good!

And adding ranch dip to the cream cheese in stuffed jalapenos--very clever! I usually do a cream cheese/ shredded monterey jack blend.

Cranberry Appetizer Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 2-oz. pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 C. seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg

Sauce:
16 oz. catsup
16 oz. water
1 C. brown sugar
1 16-oz. can whole cranberry sauce
1 16-oz. can sauerkraut, rinsed/drained

Directions

Combine all meatball ingredients and form into cocktail-sized balls. Place in a large shallow roasting pan. For sauce, combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer 10 minutes. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Keep warm in a covered ovenproof serving dish until serving. Serve with fancy toothpicks. These can be prepared a day or two ahead of your party and reheated/served in a crock pot.

Hillary
Chew on That

get some thick bacon and sea scallops ,lemons and wooden skewers.
cut the bacon in half. wrap around 2 scallops and tread onto the stick. 3-4 per stick. broil seam side down for 8-10 drain drippings and flip over and broil for about 10 more. give or take. the bacon should be a little crisp. draining will keep the bottom from getting greasy and soft. turn the oven to 300 and throw a couple of whole lemons in the oven, don't cut them and let them back on the oven rack for 20 min. with the door open a little. turn the oven off and let them sit as long as possible .. you won't have any fishy smell in your home. works for any stinky foods or people.

Jack Daniel's spiced pecans have always reminded me of the holidays and they are a great snack for watching football before dinner or as something to hold you off after turkey but before pie!! They're just pecans in a butter, Red hot, and Jack Daniels glaze, throw in a little salt, pepper, and paprika then coat the pecans with the sauce and roast them for 15-20 minutes. They've got a little kick and they're seriously addicting!

Here are the two Brie en Croute recipes I use.

First link is for puff pastry (I use Trader Joes), second link for Crescent rolls. Pillsubry has a new version called Recipe Creations that come in sheets with less seams than the crescents, I used them last week and was happy with the outcome. (If you use crescents do make sure the seams are closed when you wrap it, or the brie can leak out--doesn't affect flavor at all, but ruins presentation somewhat!)

http://www.leitesculinaria.com/recipes/cookbook/baked_brie.html
http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=9907

I usually cut apple slices ahead of time and keep them in some acidulated (lemon) water to prevent browning, removing and drying off with a paper towel right before serving. Pears and grapes pair well too.

I also trim the rind of my brie as we don't like it--some love it--decision is yours. Enjoy!

I would keep it simple. At my family, the pre-dinner nosh is usually a cheeseball and crackers, maybe crudites, maybe nuts. If Mom's feeling particularly ambitious, she'll make shrimp cocktail. Other than that, we keep it light.

Spinach-artichoke dip? I can vouch for Alton Brown's version. It's wonderful, warm, cheesy, but not particularly "light". :)

@Butrflygirly ~ forgot to mention - you've REALLY, REALLY been missed. So glad to see your name again.

@Butrflygirly - what did you end up making? Hope you had a wonderful time!

@Butrflygirly - ((hugs)) right back at you! We had a great Thanksgiving (didnt' hurt that it was in-laws free, too:-)), and still have enough food for a decent-sized army!

Your apps sound absolutely lovely! OH is lactose intolerant, but I'm thinking I still should try those stuffed jalapenos, you've been raving about them for quite some time now and I feel that I simply have got to try them! Next time I have a party, I'm so making them. And have I mentioned - still sooo glad to have you you back!!:-)