Soup and/or sandwiches. You don't want them to be to full to eat Thanksgiving dinner.

Soup and a BIG veggie platter and some cheeses with crackers or small breads for people to pick-up as desired. Wine!

We always have turkey egg drop soup [with or without noodles]. I said on the whats for Thanksgiving thread that I make extra broth for the stuffing by cutting off the wings and butt, along with the neck and other parts. So, soup and maybe some nice homemade bread or rolls would be good. That's also when we bring out the stuffed celery, so some raw veggies and crackers would add to it. Fruit too. Keep it simple and easy for you. The bread can be made ahead and frozen of course. The soup is super easy since you already are making broth for the stuffing. Add some noodles if you want, whip up some eggs and drizzle into the simmering broth, add some parmesan cheese. Eggdrop soup. We really look forward to that as lunch before the bird feast.

Soup! Excellent! Thank you!

and bread and vegies and fruit...

(and the wine is a forgone conclusion - at least for the cook)

If you are thinking that your guests will be ready to eat at different times, a soup and a "salad bar" would be a good idea. You could set the soup out on warm in a crock pot, and then have a big bowl of mixed lettuces next to smaller dishes of toppings and dressings so people could help themselves. Blue ice blocks in trays covered with towels will keep everything cool enough.

Soup is the best answer ...maybe even two or three different ones. Rather than a salad bar which needs to be refreshed, I'd let them self serve themselves in the soup in mugs ( get them at the Dollar store, just oversized coffee cups ) and have a nice selection of toppings. Oyster crackers, veggie crisps, goldfish, grated cheese, croutons, whatever makes sense with the soups you choose
So easy, can present very well and can be enjoyed when it suits the guests.

so what time should I come over?

(don't worry, we'll be preparing for our own T-day)

We have dinner earlier than usual, so 'lunch' usually consists of hearty appetizers...A hot cream cheese, shrimp, and pepper dip/spread with small French bread slices, smoked salmon dip with celery and crackers, chips and salsa or a layer bean dip, and a veggie platter.

For the ones who really want a late breakfast maybe a sliced banana or pumpkin bread and /or mini bagels with cream cheese. Both go nicely with soup and a fruit and veggie platter.

We do a late breakfast. Bagels, smoked salmon etc. People can toast a bagel if they want something. I put out the snacks around 2 and we eat around 3:30. I may make some tomato soup or something like that.

Same here on the appetizers around noon and the big meal at around 2. By the time we finish eating dessert it's usually around 3:30 or 4. We have time to go for a walk, nap etc and then anybody who's hungry around 8pm can fix themselves a turkey sandwich that night.

Grace

Thank you!

As granjan suggested, I think I will add a quick bread and maybe try those cranberry scones I saw somewhere here.

Jessica, come anytime, I don't know when dinner will be yet, but there will be something to eat anytime.

Lunch? Nah, we eat at 1 p.m. then pick at leftovers all day!

I have coffee for breakfast so I don't miss out on any of the Thanksgiving dinner goodies but I always have cheese and crackers, some of that veggie pizza made with crescent roll dough that Amanda loves, olives and pickles, so people can snack if they are hungry before dinner.

Oh, yeah, wine. LOL Elery likes wine with his meal, but I have a bottle of ice wine that we'll have as dessert or after dessert or later or something. (grin) I also have a bottle of "Naughty Red", a very dry red wine that was a wedding gift, maybe later after everyone is gone Elery and I will drink that. Well, he'll drink it, I'll have a glass that I'll sip because I still haven't learned to like dry/red wine. I'm told it's an acquired taste and I just haven't acquired it yet!

Annie

Thanks Cooking Forum!!

Soup was the perfect thing, thank you. I made chicken soup, my girls made two quick breads, pumpkin and orange cranberry. We also had fruit and everyone was happy.

I put off the wine til later :) so nothing was burned or forgotten or dropped on the floor.

Hey Denise did it take you that long to recover? darfc