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i'm a big fan of mushrooms in puff pastry- chop and sautee some wild mushrooms in butter with some salt, pepper, lemon juice, 1 clove of garlic, and thyme, remove from heat, mix in some cream cheese until it's evenly distributed, then spoon into small puff pastry shells and bake.

I try to put some simple nibbles out that don't take much work or effort on my part because my focus is on making the dinner portion.

I usually put out a cheese platter allowing guests to experiment with different cheeses. I do put out some "safe" cheese too (mild cheddar, jack, brie, etc.) I add a variety of crackers, crisini, some honey or fig jam, fresh fruit and the appetizer is done.
I set out a plate of sausage bites with picks (salami or summer sausage) to nibble on. Some hummus or other dip with some raw vegetables, a salmon or smoked fish spread (mousse) too.
I fill a small bowl with little pretzel sticks and open a jar or make some honey mustard to accompany it.
I place little bowls of nuts around the room and on end tables.
That's plenty of nibbles for all.

I would put some shrimp and cocktail sauce out too, but the hub is allergic to shrimp.

I find that wrapping anything in store-bought puff pastry makes it "fancy" and a big hit. Whether it's caramelized apples, onion and fontina, sauteed mushrooms with cream cheese (as mentioned above!), chicken curry (not quite "thanksgiving", but delicious) or chicken sausage for a fancy pig in a blanket - most can be made a day ahead of time and popped in the oven when you're ready to serve.

Also: spiced pumpkin seeds are great nibbles, seasonal and super easy to make.

Agree about the pastry. Try ground cooked sausage mixed with spicy tomato sauce and cheese baked in pastry rounds.

I also do mini-quiches a lot. Salmon, broccoli and stilton, in a small pastry pan, with the egg spooned over the filling. Top with a little cheese before baking (and keep an eye on them...the pastry will turn on you if you don't watch it.)

Kebabs are also good...maybe thick chunks of lamb with haloumi, plum tomatoes, mushrooms and onions. Cook in a hot pan with olive oil and garlic, maybe a few sprigs of rosemary. Keep the lamb pink.

I also really like seared strips of beef, served on a roasted tomato filled with horseradish cream. And batter-fried nuggets of shrimp and sliced fish fillet, with a selection of sauces (I'd go with aioli, cocktail sauce, and a lime mayo).

To end on a '70s classic, a whole wheel of Camembert with the yop rind sliced off, covered in sliced almonds, brown sugar and butter, chucked in a hot oven until melty and caramely, and served with fresh crusty bread.

A simple soup, held in a slow cooker, served in mugs with some oyster crackers would stave hunger among the waiting famished but not be too heavy before the main feast.

I make my own version of boursin cheese and stuff the multi colored sweet mini peppers with them. Way better and cheaper than store bought, I use roasted garlic cloves and fresh herbs. I also like to make portobellos stuffed with chopped artichoke hearts, parm cheese and the above mentioned boursin.

I also use the boursin shmeared between stacks of salami rounds, then quartered and toothpicked.

thanks for all the suggestions. i am definitely looking for something that does not have to go in the oven and that can be made ahead so i can just stick it out and work on the rest of the meal. i do think the soup in the slow cooker is a great idea, also.

I think I am going to make the same soup that I made last year - it was a hit. Roast a Red Kuri Squash (or any other that strikes your fancy) the night before. You may need more than one squash depending on how many people - we had 4 and there was plenty of leftover soup. On Thanksgiving, scoop it out and put in a soup pot. Add 1-2 cans of light coconut milk, as much red Thai curry paste as you can handle. Buzz with a stick blender or put it in your blender until smooth and add water or broth to thin to your desired consistency. You can let this sit in a slow cooker all day. Serve with croutons if you want a bit of crunch and a dallop of sour cream or yougurt.

We also had the cheese/cracker/bread plate.

bonappetit has a great recipe for pickled shrimp in the december issue that you can make ahead. it would also be really adaptable with any kind of seafood. i like the idea of something light like veggies or maybe an interesting ceviche. also one of my favorites is to use endive leaves as a wrapper for some kind of filling like crab/chicken salad etc.

I like to put some cranberry chutney on top of camembert or brie and bake it, then serve it with gingersnaps for a bit of a difference. I also just posted my Thanksgivign Popcorn, which is a great nibble with drinks or if you watch a game or the parade.