Cold Thanksgiving Appetizers

Do you need to buy yourself a little extra time to get Thanksgiving Dinner on the table? Serve these cold Thanksgiving appetizers while you wait for the turkey to cook!

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Cold Thanksgiving Appetizers

Thanksgiving day is one of those holidays where everyone is waiting for the food to be served. The adults and children alike are usually hungry and it seems like the turkey will never be ready. You can solve this problem without making a ton of extra work for yourself by serving a few of these Cold Thanksgiving Appetizers.

Do you need appetizers for Thanksgiving?

When you think of Thanksgiving dinner, appetizers are not what you typically think of. So, I would say they are not absolutely necessary, unless your Thanksgiving celebration is an all day affair like it is in our house.

In our house, the traditional Thanksgiving dinner is not served until the late afternoon or evening. Of course, that meal includes some of our favorite family Thanksgiving recipes including some of these Thanksgiving Corn Recipes. Keeping everyone fed just enough to keep them happy, but not letting them get over full is a challenge, especially for the children.

We typically start the day with this Biscuits and Gravy Casserole that is easy for everyone to walk by and pull a piece off even after the breakfast hour is over. They tend to munch on the casserole and my crock pot cinnamon roll casserole while they watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the National Dog Show!

We do begin to have issues, however, when the extended family starts to arrive but the big meal is not quite ready to serve.

Can you make ahead Thanksgiving appetizers?

There is so much cooking to do on Thanksgiving day that I make ahead everything possible, including the appetizers. I actually begin my Thanksgiving preparations many weeks before by saving the broth for the dressing from my crock pot chicken. I also make several pans of cornbread and freeze them for the dressing.

For may of the appetizers below, you can make them completely the day before and simply store them in the refrigerator and bring them out ahead of time like this easy meat and cheese tray, or these mini stuffed peppers.

Cold Thanksgiving Appetizers

These Cold Thanksgiving Appetizers are sure to keep the kids and adults happy while they are waiting for the turkey to come out of the oven. Most of these appetizers can be prepared the day before and chilled until your guests arrive.

Are there traditional Thanksgiving appetizers?

I wouldn’t really consider any appetizers to be “traditional” for Thanksgiving as the main meal is more of a tradition. Some families do have dishes that are traditionally prepared by certain family members and served at certain times during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Other Thanksgiving Recipes

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