Molly Yeh's Quick Appetizer Is So Easy For Thanksgiving

What's on your menu for this year's Thanksgiving dinner? The most popular Thanksgiving side is exactly what you'd think, mashed potatoes. But if you want to change things up at the dinner table this year, we've rounded up recipes for 60 of the best Thanksgiving sides.

However, it can quickly get overwhelming to prepare a main dish, sides, and dessert. Do you also have to think about appetizers for your guests to nibble on before the big meal? Cookbook author and Food Network chef Molly Yeh says no in a recent Instagram post. In the caption, Yeh lists some of her tips for preparing for Thanksgiving, and number four is "pay no attention to appetizers or salads, no one will miss them. unless it's Jell-O salad. delegate that one."

While Jell-O salad is a more controversial dish, this vintage wine jelly should actually be added to your list of dessert recipes. But more people might agree with the idea that appetizers aren't needed for Thanksgiving since the meal is so large. However, if you do want to serve up an appetizer, Yeh also has a trick for making that as stress-free as possible. Yeh's fifth tip reads, "Ok if you need an appetizer, dump a jar of jalapeño jelly over a block of cream cheese and put it out with crackers."

If you felt inspired by Yeh's ideas about Thanksgiving appetizers, you're not alone. The cream cheese and jalapeño dip takes no time at all and just needs a few ingredients. Plus, people were enthusiastic about not needing a green salad on the table. On Yeh's Instagram post, one person commented, "Right about the salad! Unless, of course, it's cookie salad!" Another person loved the dip idea and wrote, "That is a delicious last minute app."

Another Instagram user riffed off Yeh's dip idea and shared their own cream cheese recipe saying, "Here's another quick appetizer that I make. A block of cream cheese and pour cocktail sauce over and cover with tiny salad shrimp or little pieces chopped shrimp." This adds a fun twist on a classic shrimp cocktail recipe and will be a hit for anyone who loves cheese.

Even if you don't plan on using this easy appetizer recipe for Thanksgiving, you can serve up a cream cheese dip for a Christmas dinner or to kick off a weekend dinner gathering. Need more appetizer recipes on hand? Here are 98 appetizers that will get the party started.