The Meal Before The Meal
While there are some who like to eat outside of the box, for the most part, we all eat the same stuff on Thanksgiving. There aren’t too many surprises from table to table. If there is one thing about Thanksgiving that varies widely, it is when we eat the feast. Turkey timing can pose some significant problems if you are trying to keep your sanity and still have room for the meal. Let me explain.

Those who eat their Thanksgiving meals in the evening have the easiest time of it. You can get up, eat a regular breakfast, do whatever you need to get done until it’s time for a reasonable lunch, and then you coast into the dinner hour for the main event.

For those of us who eat in the early afternoon, it’s a challenge to balance the need for sustenance and making sure there is enough room come meal time—all while the scent of roasting turkey taunts you from the kitchen. The struggle is real.

The truly blessed are the ones who have multiple stops on the turkey train. They have the early meal with family and/or friends at one house then head out to round two at another friend’s/family’s house, thus avoiding the problem altogether. And if there is pie at both stops, you, my friends, are the winners of turkey day.

The solution, obviously, is to have some snacks to keep you going until it’s time to dig in. But, the last thing you want to do is add more to the list of things that need to be cooked and/or prepped. Also, you don’t want it to be too filling.

A veggie platter is great ‘cause it’s easy and light but sometimes you just need a little bit more—probably because the kids have stuck all of the olives from the platter on their fingers. (And, sometimes it’s not just the kids.)

The following two easy appetizer recipes can get you through those hours ‘till Thanksgiving. They are no-cook, easy-to-assemble tidbits that require ingredients you can just throw in the cart when you pick up your turkey. It’s also a great way to entertain the teenagers who are soooooo bored! ‘cause they can assemble the appetizers themselves and leave you to the other stuff.

With both of these recipes, you can adjust the quantities for the size of your crowd. Check out these recipes for Cranberry Walnut Bread with Brie and Sliced Fruit and Endive with Dill and Smoked Salmon.

No matter what hour you choose to dig in here’s wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Two Easy Appetizers for Entertaining
Cranberry Walnut Bread with Brie and Sliced Fruit
This one is super easy.

Ingredients
Acme Cranberry Walnut Bread
Softened Brie Cheese
Pink Lady Apples or D’Anjou Pears

Directions
Grab a loaf of Acme Cranberry Walnut Bread and slice it thinly into single serving sized pieces. Smear your favorite brie on the slices and top with thinly sliced pink lady apples or D’Anjou pears.

Endive with Dill and Smoked Salmon

Ingredients
Several Heads of endive
Piedmont Grocery’s Dill Dip
Smoked Salmon
Optional: Capers

Directions
Separate the endive lives from the head, and swipe the leaves with a spoonful of our Piedmont Grocery Dill Dip. Top each with a piece of smoked salmon and three or four capers (if using) for a tasty and gluten-free snack.