Keep the hangry's at bay this Thanksgiving with a mix of salty-sweet, no-cook nibbles! This is a Thanksgiving Snack Board to put an end to both the complaints and the hunger pains while you and your crew are waiting on the turkey to finish cooking.
It's a perfectly seasonal appetizer made for tiding over a hungry crowd on Thanksgiving Day or entertaining all throughout the fall. Bonus? It's ready in less than 20 minutes. Just pick your three favorite cheeses, a jam to keep things interesting, add some fresh or dried fruits for pops of color, a cluster of sweet nibbles, and of course, a medley of nuts and crackers for some savory crunch!
THE ULTIMATE THANKSGIVING SNACK IDEA
As we all know by now, Thanksgiving is as much about the sides and the dessert table as it is about slicing into that golden, perfectly roasted turkey. But one aspect of the gathering that is often sadly overlooked, are the appetizers.
Of course, we wouldn’t want to spoil our appetites on the greatest eating day of the year, but we certainly don’t want our people to go into starvation mode either, now do we? No. What we need is an appetizer worthy of Thanksgiving day, yet one that won’t stuff us like the turkey we’re expecting to devour, and this, my friends, is where the Thanksgiving Snack Board comes in.
No-cook items like snack boards are particularly wonderful additions when you're hosting Thanksgiving because they require no cook time and won’t take up a bit of oven space. It’s an appetizer you’ll find your family and friends gathering around, and a wonderful conversation starter for your guests.
CHEESES FOR THANKSGIVING SNACK BOARD
As for the cheeses, pick your three favorites and for best quality, buy it in block form, not pre-sliced:
- Gruyere
- Aged Cheddar
- Wensleydale
- Gouda
- Havarti
- Brie
- Gorgonzola
- Goat Cheese
CHOOSE FALL FRUITS
- Pears
- Apples
- Pomegranate
- Cranberries
- Grapes
An assortment of fruit is another wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving Snack Board. Think seasonal when choosing your fruits: apples, pears, grapes, pomegranates, and cranberries would be great choices. You could go with fresh or dried fruits, but if you should choose to go with fresh apples or pears, be sure to give the sliced fruit a 10-minute soak in a bowl of ice water with a tablespoon or two of lemon juice first. This will keep them from discoloring too soon on your platter.
NUTS
- Pecans
- Glazed Nuts
- Almonds
- Walnuts
As for the nuts, you can’t go wrong with pecans come Thanksgiving time, and bonus if you can find glazed pecans for an extra salty-sweet vibe. Roasted and salted almonds or walnuts are also a great addition. In particular, my guests have always gone wild for Marcona almonds — a little harder to find, but insanely delicious.
CRACKERS
- Water Crackers
- Stone-Ground Crackers
- Triscuits
- Bruschettini
- Keebler's Toasted's
While we’re on the topic of salty, crunchy deliciousness, let’s talk crackers. Don’t allow the crackers to cover up the flavor of your selected cheeses. Go with a variety of water or stone-ground crackers instead of über buttery, salty crackers.
SWEET IDEAS FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING SNACK BOARD
- Ginger Snaps
- Ginger Molasses
- Maple-Flavored Cookies
- Biscotti
If you’d like to add a little more sweet to your board, consider throwing in nibbles equipped with fall flavors like biscotti, ginger snaps, maple-flavored cookies, or even one of The Anthony Kitchen’s all-time favorites — Ginger Molasses Cookies!
These cookies can be made in advance and frozen until the big day to keep your day-of preparations at a bare minimum!
JAMS AND SPREADS
- Fig Jam
- Pear Jam
- Bacon Jam
- Pomegranate Jam
Last of all, jams -- they're perfect for serving with cheeses. It’s a little something extra and unexpected. You can serve it on the side or top off a soft cheese like brie, blue cheese, or goat cheese. Fig, pear, and even bacon jam would be great additions to your platter. If you want to go the extra mile, consider mincing up a bit of fresh thyme or rosemary and sprinkling it over the jam.
4 MORE THANKSGIVING APPETIZERS YOU’LL LOVE
- Cranberry Salsa has a combo of spice and tang, and is perfect for serving at the Thanksgiving table! Pair it with turkey or goat cheese for a seriously delicious spread!
- Goat Cheese Ball made with cream cheese, white Cheddar, cranberries, almonds, and fresh thyme feeds a crowd, is beautifully festive, and made for fall entertaining!
- Baked Brie with Cranberry Chutney is baked inside puff pastry, then slathered with a tart homemade Cranberry Chutney.
- Easy Cheese Dip comes together with just two ingredients and 10 minutes! Perfect for whipping up on a busy day in the kitchen.
Thanksgiving Snack Board
Ingredients
- 2-3 apples, sliced (or use pomegranate or pears)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 8 ounces aged White Cheddar, sliced
- 8 ounces Wensleydale with cranberries
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- ¼ cup jam or fruit spread (use pear, fig, bacon, or pomegranate jam)
- 2 cups grapes
- 1 (4 ounce) package water crackers
- ½ (14 ounce) package ginger snaps, cranberry almond thins, or your homemade favorite fall cookie
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup salted nuts
Instructions
- If you are using sliced apples or pears, slice the fruit into ¼" thick slices and transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Top with a cup or so of ice and fill with water. Stir in the lemon juice and set aside to sit for 10-15 minutes.
- On a large serving platter or board, add the sliced Cheddar, the Wensleydale, and the goat cheese to the board.
- Add the jam either on top of the goat cheese or place it in a small condiment bowl and set it on the board.
- Arrange the crackers and cookies around the cheeses, followed by the grapes and sliced fruit (patted dry with a clean kitchen towel).
- Add the cranberries and nuts to the board, filling in any gaps. Alternatively, you could put them in small condiment bowls and arrange on the board to your liking. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
rebecca says
You've added all my favorite components to your snack board! I'll make this now, no need to wait for Thanksgiving
Erika says
This board looks so delicious. I would love to eat it year round!
Tracey says
I love snack boards and this recipe with all the fixings was perfect. Savory with a little sweetness. It was so good!
Toni says
This is really awesome! Such a great idea for entertaining!