I love the idea of celebrating this holiday with all our favorite foods, and making an appetizer board is a great way to kick off the holiday weekend. You can even serve it for Thanksgiving or Christmas, either for snacks while you’re cooking or for dinner itself!
How to create the make-ahead appetizer board
I was inspired by the tradition of The Feast of Seven Fishes for this appetizer board. Harry & David’s crab quiche is an easy and flavorful centerpiece. The crust is flakey and buttery, and the best part is it bakes in no time at all! It’s a delicious option to serve as the centerpiece for your appetizer spread. It’d also be incredible for brunch or lunch with a greens salad.
Next, every good appetizer spread involves cheese. The assortment I used involves blue cheese, cheddar, and gruyere. This gives the spread a range of flavors, from sharp or tangy to mild. I also included a trio of savory cream cheeses, which add more layers of flavor plus have a beautiful presentation. These are the true showstoppers! Just don’t forget the crackers to pair with them.
I also used smoked salmon to create little crostini. All you need is a sliced baguette, some cream cheese, and the salmon with a pinch of seasoning or herbs for the top. I love to use an everything-bagel seasoning or something like fresh dill or cracked black pepper. All are tasty!
Finally, the savory swirl appetizers are an incredible treat! Flakey and buttery, these pastry swirls are filled with seasonings and flavors that everyone will love. They bake up quickly and are super pretty on a platter.
With a beautiful appetizer spread like this, you might not even need dinner! Just don’t forget dessert, like these pear tarts that can be scaled to exactly the amount of people you’ll be gathering with this year.
Make-Ahead Appetizer Spread with Smoked Salmon Crostini
Ingredients:
For the Crostini
- 1 baguette (thinly sliced)
- Olive oil (for brushing)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 4 ounces smoked salmon
- Everything seasoning (for sprinkling)
Instructions:
To prepare the crostini
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice the baguette and place the pieces on a baking sheet. Brush with the olive oil. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden.
- Spread the slices with cream cheese. Top each with a slice of smoked salmon and a sprinkle of everything seasoning.
To make the appetizer spread
- Assemble the appetizers and salmon crostini on a board for serving. Serve the cream cheese trio with crackers or baguette slices.
