Does the thought of Thanksgiving cooking bring you exhilaration and joy? Or are you on the verge of a meltdown just thinking about having to step foot in the kitchen?
Though I'm obviously a fan of a full fledged, homemade Thanksgiving, I know that not everyone enjoys the cooking aspect of turkey day. I've got plenty of friends who are pretty impressed with themselves if they can manage to pop open a can of biscuits and successfully bake them without setting off the fire alarm. It takes all kinds!
With cooking-phobes in mind, I thought it would be fun to create a little something that anyone can put together using just a handful of inexpensive ingredients. Everyone deserves to have that moment of pride around the Thanksgiving table, and I've got just the thing that will elicit "oohs" and "ahhs" from guests without even having to turn on the oven...
It's a turkey-tizer platter!
Isn't this little fella cute?
I made him in just a few minutes from bits and pieces I found in my fridge. His body is made from half a pear and his plumage is an assortment of crackers, cheeses, meats and greens that can be put together as an easy {but impressive} appetizer tray. This design is pretty simple, but you could get as elaborate as you want!
So don't panic if you've been asked to contribute to dinner this year and you don't know the difference between the dressing you serve with a turkey and the one your pour over your salad. Whether you're running short on time or patience, you'll have one of the prettiest dishes on the table!
Thanksgiving Turkey-tizer Platter
{This "recipe" is a guideline, but feel free to get creative with your turkey!}
Assorted green leaves {I used 3 pieces of Swiss chard}
Assorted cheese {I used 4 pieces of muenster cut with a leaf-shaped cookie cutter}
Assorted meat {I used a few slices of prosciutto}
Assorted crackers
½ a pear, cut in half vertically
2 peppercorns
1 small piece of baby carrot, preferably a pointy piece
1 small piece of walnut
1 pretzel stick, broken in half
Assembly:
Arrange leaves on platter in a fanned out fashion to form the back of the turkey's plumage.
Place meats in desired pattern, then do the same with the cheese slices. Fan crackers out so you can still see the cheese and meats behind it.
Place pear in the center. To make the turkey's face, press 2 peppercorns into the pear for eyes. Press a small piece of carrot in place for the beak. Press a piece of walnut under the beak for the turkey's "gobbler" {it's actually called a wattle!}. Insert pretzel stick pieces into the bottom of the pear for the turkey's legs.
Serve with condiments such as spicy mustard and jam so guests can "dress" their crackers. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
bmayer says
Cute! but looks like more work than "cooking"!
thekitchenprep says
@bmayer - I promise it was easy! I don't have patience for fussy kinds of assembly. 😉 But I'm with you, I don't mind spending the time cooking!