Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers....Everyone will love them!

For my family, Thanksgiving is more than just a dinner, it is an all day food event! The more food we have around to munch on all day long, the longer we get to spend with family we do not see very often. I know, this could be a bad thing in some cases, but all in all Thanksgiving is a day to spend with loved ones. Right?

Everyone loves to have something to munch on while watching the football game, even if they are full from dinner. Having a few simple finger food items on hand to put out for guests is a great addition to whatever you are preparing for the main meal.

A bowl of seasoned mixed nuts is an easy dish to set out just about anywhere. Even your gluten-eating guests will love them and your gluten-free guests will know they are safe to enjoy as well. Even a bowl of Chex party mix made with only gluten-free Chex cereal is a great option. Use the same amounts of cereal as in the regular version and make sure you use gluten-free ingredients to make it. Both of these options are quick and easy to make and can be made up ahead of time. Just store them in zipper bags and put them out when guests arrive.

Looking for something a bit more extravagant? Why not, it is Thanksgiving after all! One of my family's favorite appetizers are cranberry glazed meatballs, they were a favorite before we went gluten-free and were super easy to convert to gluten-free. They are super easy to make and making them ahead of time works well.

My husband is a huge fan of my whiskey kielbasa and best of all, it is also a very easy dish to throw together a few hours before your guests arrive, put in your crock pot and forget it until you need to serve it. The flavor is amazing as well so it is perfect for your family dinner.

Looking for something on the sweet side to wet your guests appetites? Try gingersnap dip or harvest pumpkin dip. Serve up these sweet dips with sliced apples, gluten-free pretzels, old-fashioned molasses cookies, gluten-free graham crackers or even a nice sugar cookie cut out in fun festive shapes. If you want to cut time and not have to bake something to go with them, there are many cookie varieties that you could buy at your local specialty grocer. Either way, this will be a hit for you and your guests this Thanksgiving.

One of my favorite dishes to prepare for any holiday meal when gluten was not an issue for us was stuffed mushrooms, you can easily adapt just about any of your favorite recipes and no one will be the wiser. I did find one recipe recently that was already gluten-free, it's also egg-free and soy-free. If dairy is an issue, it could even be adapted to be dairy-free as well. These mushrooms would make a great addition to your appetizer table. So good!

It seems that when the holidays roll around, everyone is making their favorite cheese dips, logs, balls and cheese platters. Cheese is just an easy appetizer to serve and comes in so many forms. You can serve any cheese with gluten-free crackers, pretzels and even sliced apples. Try some flat bread cut into small squares, you could even toast them a bit if you wanted.

Try a Bacon-Broccoli Cheese Ball, so easy to put together the night before. Just take it out of the refrigerator a few minutes before serving. It will be ready for your guests in no time. There are many other varieties to choose from, take a look on Gling for more ideas.

Seafood is another wonderful appetizer and cocktail sauce is always a must. My family loves shrimp in just about any way you can serve it, having a safe cocktail sauce that everyone will love is a very easy gluten-free appetizer to serve and everyone will love it.

From fruit to cheese, and everything in between, there are many options out there for a wonderful gluten-free appetizer tray that any guest would enjoy! Even your gluten-eating guests will love the treats that can come from your kitchen in no time at all. Sweet, savory and just plain good!

Most appetizers can be made ahead of time, or at least some of the steps done before your guests are due to arrive. Leaving you with more time to spend with your family and friends. Not entertaining at your place, most any appetizer is very portable as well.

Have fun with your food, try new flavors and put a smile on your guests faces...gluten-free or not, everyone will be pleased!

Don't forget to visit our Thanksgiving page for more great ideas and menu options. We are here to make this Thanksgiving and EASY one to plan and enjoy!