What do you serve before the turkey?

15 years ago

Hey everyone!

What are your favorite snacks and hors d'oeuvres to serve before the big turkey dinner? I would like to make some savory tid bits that have WOW factor... They can be hot or cold, and I would really like them to be a finger food that is one or two bites.

Also, I need at least two that do not have seafood since I know one of the guests does not eat any form of fish/shellfish.

What have you put on your menu in the past or plan to make this year or just think would be a good pre-dinner morsel?

Thanks

Alexa

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Comments (19)

User
15 years ago
Hi Alexa,

These are some of my favourite one/two bite finger foods for a special occasion :

Spanikopita
Cheddar and Chive Gougeres
Stuffed Mushrooms (Cheddar and Green Onions, no way alike in flavour to the Gougere would serve them together)
Palmiers with Honey Mustard and Proscuitto
Selection of olives

I have recipes for all except the olives!

Here is a picture of the
triciae
15 years ago
Chase,

That pix is great! I've made Ann's gourgeres in a large ring but would like to make the bite-size. How long do you bake them?

Thanks,
/tricia
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How food is served, what is served, etc. is a bit of a touchy issue for me. I think, like everything else, different people have different lifestyles (and probably different histories). No big deal. Just as different families handle finances, discipline, decorating, and everything else differently. I really appreciate that attitude. That's the way I feel. When I'm invited to someone's home for dinner, I appreciate whatever they've done. If it's different than my own personal tastes, then I just appreciate the adventure of experiencing someone else's family culture or lifestyle. The reason it's a touchy issue for me is this: And some of us feel if you have company over, you should offer plenteous food, lots of choices, but leave to the guest which items they want to eat, and in what quantity. Just different styles That's the way my MIL feels about it, but without the "Just different styles". I've known my MIL for 30 years, and every meal I've ever had at her house offered lots of choices, tons of food, buffet-style, everything was delicious. I deeply appreciate all the effort she puts into all her meals, and they are always wonderful. But she just can't seem to accept any other way as appropriate for guests. When we were a young married couple, we almost always invited my inlaws if we had some type of special occasion or dinner. Sometimes I did a party with a theme, or served just one special entree, etc. It always clearly upset and embarrassed my MIL that I didn't have lots of choices and tons and tons of food. She tried to make up for my deficiencies by bringing lots of extra food. I'm not talking about dinners for her extended family, in which case I keep to their customs if I'm the hostess. In all the years I've known my MIL, her special meals have all been for family, no dinner parties with friends. And that's fine. Special meals involve 3 meats or more, all her regular every day homestyle vegetables dishes (mashed potatoes, peas, fried okra, etc.), served on paper plates. Basically the same as her every day meals, just more of it. And that is fine. It's wonderful, and I never have ever thought she should do anything different than that, I've always just been happy to eat it. I just wish she didn't see a special meal with only one entree, one salad, one fruit, one starch, one vegetable, and one dessert, plated and served on china as an offense against my guests. Like azzalea said, it's all good. I will be happy if you serve me on paper plates, hopefully you won't care if I serve you on china. I will be happy if you serve me mashed potatoes and peas, hopefully you won't care if I serve you marinated asparagus and fish with a garnish. I will be happy if you serve me 10 choices, all of them plain and family style. Hopefully you won't care if I go to a lot of trouble and expense to create that one special entree for you. I could go over to someone's house, step over the toys and the laundry that needs to be folded, eat hot dogs and chips that they plated on paper plates and have a wonderful evening. So I guess it just astounds me to meet someone who thinks you shouldn't invite someone over unless you're going to have 3 meats, 5 vegetables, 2 salads, 6 desserts, and deviled eggs and serve it buffet style, in a house that's immaculate. Whew! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!
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lindac
15 years ago
We serve martinis and Maytag blue cheese....and sometimes liver pate.
Linda C
susie_que
15 years ago
Great pic Chase!

I was going to suggest antipasta with pita toast...small nibbles of cured meats, cheese and olives.
Spiced nuts.
Shimp/crab toast.

Cheers!
Susie
shaun
15 years ago
We have the antipasta with cured meats, cheeses, pickled eggplant, olives, etc., and turkey soup and sausage bread. THEN we have to make room to eat! OMG.... my SIL is a very good cook. T-giving is usually at her house and she just goes all out.
teresa_nc7
15 years ago
One year I served hot mulled apple cider from the crock pot along with cheese biscuits (crackers) made with rice krispy cereal.

Guess I need to think about this for this year!
User
15 years ago
Tricia, ,here are the instruction from the a recipe I used to make individual Gougere. I use Ann's recipe for the batter sometimes adding chives and sometimes roasted garlic.

" Scoop up a heaping teaspoon of dough and with another spoon, push it off onto the paper-lined baking sheet (it should form a mound about 1 inch in diameter). Continue with the remaining dough, leaving an inch of space between the gougres (work in batches as necessary, the dough can stand, covered with buttered waxed paper or parchment, for up to 1/2 hour).

Bake until the gougres are puffy and light golden, about 25 minutes, switching pan positions halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving, or turn off oven and let gougres remain in oven, with door ajar, for up to 1 hour."
pat_t
15 years ago
Chase, would you please post the entire recipe for the gougeres? Thanks!
bunnyman
15 years ago
Linda has the plan!.. Martinis and cheese.

: )
lyra
caliloo
Original Author
15 years ago
Great ideas!

Sharon - that is a fab photo! I will definitely put the cheddar chive gougres on my list - they look positivlely melt in the mouth!

And Shaun - any chance you could get a recipe for the pickled eggplant? That sounds intriguing too.

I will definitely do a stuffed mushroom too - not sure what I will stuff them with yet - I still have LindaC's recipe for blue stuffed mushrooms and they are sublime, so maybe I will make both and let everyone decide.
Thanks for the ideas everyone!

A
Lars
15 years ago
My choice is almost identical to LindaC's, except that I serve Roquefort cheese and Duck Mousse, both of which I buy at the corner market, which happens to be French. The owners are from Paris and import the cheese and mousse themselves. I generally pick up a baguette while I'm there.

I like making spanakopita, but I try to keep hors d'oeuvres simple at Thanksgiving. Sometimes I serve tsukemono (Japanese pickles), which I buy at the Japanese market. I've tried to make them, but they are never as good as what I can buy.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: corner market/cafe
shaun
15 years ago
Caliloo, re: the pickeled eggplant; I'm sure she gets it from a jar already made.
lucygoose
15 years ago
Morning Alexa!! I have to say Hi!!

The picture of the mushrooms look soooo good!! I love those.....

At my parents house, we have all kinds of different finger foods. I can't think of anything specific. LOL..

Good Luck on your quest!! I can't believe that Thanksgiving is so close already! :-)
User
15 years ago
Here you go Pat, it's Ann T's recipe. As you can see in the picture I do individual puffs. Ann does a full ring.

La Gougere (Ann T)

1 Cup water (or half milk/halfwater)
1/3 Cup butter
1/2 Tsp salt
fresh nutmeg,Grated
cayenne pepper
1 Cup flour
4 eggs
1 Tbl Dijon Mustard
1 Cup gruyere cheese
1 Tsp milk
extra cheese for top

Bring the water/milk to a boil and add butter. When butter has~melted remove pan from heat and add flour, salt, cayenne, nutmeg, pepper and stir vigorously with a big wooden spoon.

The mixture should come away from the sides of the pan and form a ball.

Place mixture in the bowl of a large mixer and add one egg at a time beating well, After you add last egg continue to beat well.

Mixture will be shiny. Add dijon mustard and taste for~
seasoning. Adjust to your taste. Add coarsely grated cheese.

Butter a large cookie sheet and flour. Draw a small circle in the flour (about 2 inches wide) and proceed to drop the dough by tablespoon fulls around the outside of this hole, making a ring, or a crown. Dough should be piled high.
Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle the extra cheese over top.

Bake the ring in the over for 45 minutes at 400F. Do Not Open Door.

Aften baking, open the door of the oven and leave the gougere in the oven for 5 minutes. It should be firm to the touch and golden brown.

My Notes:

1)Do not refrigerate batter it needs to be at room temp. Do not place on the pan until ready to cook or they will spread. Cook as close to servng as possible...best warm but OK room temp

2)Gougere are best when cooked as close to preparing the batter as possible in order to get maximum "puff" and best texture.

3)I prefer individual puffs. Scoop up a heaping teaspoon of dough and with another spoon, push it off onto the paper-lined baking sheet (it should form a mound about 1 inch in diameter). Continue with the remaining dough, leaving an inch of space between the gougeres (work in batches as necessary, the dough can stand, covered with buttered waxed paper or parchment, for up to 1/2 hour).

Bake until the gougeres are puffy and light golden, about 25 minutes, switching pan positions halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving, or turn off oven and let gougeres remain in oven, with door ajar, for up to 1 hour.

4) Chopped chives make an nice addition so does roasted garlic .
lindac
15 years ago
How many individual little puffs does that recipe make? About??
Linda C
User
15 years ago
Linda I use a heaping TBSP full of batter and I'm guessing maybe 12, maybe 15, not 20. I know that I only use one cookie sheet! You know how it is! LOL
dgkritch
15 years ago
Anticipation.............

DARFC
Deanna
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
15 years ago
The best one bite appetizer weÂve ever had came from my husband watching the food network. He didnÂt write down the recipe but it was so simple. If you wanted the exact recipe IÂm sure it would be on their website. It was squares of Phyllo dough (like 4-5 layers of dough) pressed into mini-muffin cups. (I think they were brushed with a little melted butter). A teaspoon of white soft goat cheese put in each, then a scant teaspoon of whole-berry cranberry sauce in each. Then baked until brown and crispy. They are a combination of crunchyÂsoft-savory cheesy-sweet that cannot be imagined until you taste one. Everybody loved them so much now we have to make them every year. He was literally popping tray after tray into the oven and they were eaten before he could get another one in.
caliloo
Original Author
15 years ago
Well thanks for all the additional ideas! THose phyllo cups with the goatcheese and cranberry sound terrific - I think I will make those too.....

And Ms Goose! What a treat to see you over here! Please stick around - this is a GREAT forum!

Thanks again everyone!

A

What do you serve before the turkey?

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