Name: Thanksgiving Appetizer Board
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 of a red pear; 5 Belgian Endives (both red and green)*; 2 candy eyes; 1-centimeter triangle of cheddar cheese; 8 ounces feta cheese; 7 ounces Greek yogurt; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon sumac; 2 tablespoons pepitas; 2 tablespoons roasted sunflower seeds; 3 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries

Jump to Recipe

This delicious turkey-shaped Thanksgiving appetizer board is made with a few simple ingredients, but it's tasty and very cute.

The key to this recipe is really the pear and the endive leaves - they make up the shape of the bird.

I'll show you how to make a whipped feta dip as a filling, but you could use hummus or anything else you'd like.

An overhead shot of a Thanksgiving turkey design made out of a pear and endives with feta dip and nuts.

Why You'll Love this Appetizer Board

This is really the cutest Thanksgiving appetizer tray! It's a great plate to set out while people are waiting for the main meal or would be a perfect addition to a Thanksgiving potluck.

It's easy to eat this appetizer as well because the endive leaves are only two bites and easy to hold!

Feta cheese, yogurt, olive oil, seeds and dried fruit, endives, and a pear on a marble background.

Ingredients You'll Need

Pear - You'll need half of a pear to make the body of the turkey. I like using a red pear because I think the color pops a bit more, but you can also use a green or brown pear.

Endives - You'll need at least 5 Belgian endives to make the feathers of the turkey. I like to use a mix of the light yellow/green ones and the red ones. I found mine at Trader Joe's.

Face Pieces - You'll need two candy eyes and a cheddar cheese triangle to make the beak/face of the turkey.

Feta Dip - You'll need 8 ounces of feta, 7 ounces of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon sumac.

Toppings - These are optional and you can make substitutions, but I recommend 2 tablespoons each of pepitas and sunflower seeds, as well as 2 to 3 tablespoons of dried cherries or cranberries.

More Thanksgiving Recipes to Try

If you are looking for other great Thanksgiving recipes, check out our other posts and recipes!

20 Healthy Thanksgiving Desserts - healthier desserts to serve after your feast!
35 Healthy Thanksgiving Sides - a bevy of delicious side dishes for your holiday table.
Persimmon Salad - This beautiful persimmon and pear salad is a perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast - An easy and delicious way to cook a turkey breast that results in a succulent bird.

An overhead shot of a Thanksgiving appetizer tray made from endives, feta dip, and a pear.

Tips for Making this Recipe

Specialty Ingredients - To make the face of the turkey, you'll need some candy eyes (that can be purchased online and in many grocery stores). I know this seems like a lot of candy eyes for just one recipe, but you can use them for Halloween as well (make these apple monsters).

I piped my feta dip into the endive leaves because I find it easier than spooning it in and it looks a little tidier. I use Wilton decorating bags for piping.

Recommended Tools - I recommend using a large round serving plate for this recipe. The one I used was 13 inches in diameter (it's this Acacia Wood Plate from Target)

Storing Tips - You can save this recipe in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you are making it in advance, I do suggest pulling it out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving - the feta dip will taste better closer to room temperature. Because this recipe has dairy in it, it shouldn't sit at room temperature for longer than 4 hours.

Diet/Allergy Alternatives - If you'd like to make this recipe vegan, substitute the feta filling for hummus.

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Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Thanksgiving Appetizer Board

This adorable Thanksgiving appetizer board is a beautiful addition to your holiday table!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

½ of a red pear
5 Belgian Endives (both red and green)*
2 candy eyes
1-centimeter triangle of cheddar cheese
8 ounces feta cheese
7 ounces Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon sumac
2 tablespoons pepitas
2 tablespoons roasted sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries

Instructions

Place the halved pear at the base of a large serving plate.
Trim the base of the endives and remove the leaves carefully, making sure not to tear them.
Affix the candy eyes and cheddar cheese to the pear using a small dab of the yogurt.
Blend the feta cheese, Greek yogurt, olive oil, sea salt, and sumac together in a food processor for 2 minutes or until it is fully mixed and smooth.
Either spoon the feta mixture into the endive leaves or place the dip in an icing bag and pipe it into the leaves.
Sprinkle the pepitas, sunflower seeds, and dried fruit on top of the dip and endives.
Arrange the endive leaves around the plate, started from the edges of the plate and working in. If possible, have one layer of green leaves and then alternate with another layer of red leaves, then back to green.
Serve immediately after assembling or store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 549mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 9g

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