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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for so many reasons. There’s nothing like gathering with the people you love and enjoying delicious food together. These are the memories we carry with us for the rest of our lives, and they truly are so special. 

Our family likes to take turns when it comes to hosing Thanksgiving and we always celebrate Thanksgiving potluck style. Everyone makes their favorite dish and we always end up with so much delicious food to enjoy and share. FOOD4LESS® has a great selection of my family’s favorite ingredients needed for our go-to recipes, which makes our holiday prep so much easier. 

Prepping the day before

I am all about saving time and money ahead of the holiday season. I start the holiday season by pre-planning what we are going to be sharing for Thanksgiving. Our family has a group chat where we all bounce around ideas, so we avoid repeat dishes and we all share what we ultimately be bringing. 

I always contribute with appetizers and side dishes and leave the main course to the real chefs- this is definitely not me. I like to focus on easy appetizers that are tasty and seasonal that I know the whole family will enjoy. FOOD4LESS® saves me money and time since they carry all my ingredients for my go-to dishes at one place.

If you’re not highly skilled in the kitchen like me, you have come to the right place. I like to put together recipes that require minimal ingredients and have simple instructions.

Here are a few of my go-to appetizer/side dishes

Garlic Green Beans

One of my favorite side dishes is garlic green beans and they are so easy to make. FOOD4LESS® has a ton of fresh produce and using fresh green beans is what makes this dish come out so tasty. 

What you’ll need

• Fresh green beans
• Minced garlic
• Parmesan cheese
• Italian seasoning
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Butter
• FOOD4LESS® Private Section All Butter Croissants
• Honey ham
• Swiss cheese
• Butter
• Dijon mustard
• Butter

Recipe

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
• Melt butter and whisk together salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic & parmesan cheese until you have a thick and consistent texture
• Toss green beans in mixture until evenly coated
• Spread green beans evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes (I like to broil for about 2 minutes at the end to get them crispy)

That’s it! They are so easy to make and can be served with appetizers or as a side dish during your Thanksgiving dinner. 

Ham & Cheese Baked Croissants

I love these baked ham & cheese croissants. It’s the perfect addition to your appetizer table at Thanksgiving and it’s always a hit with the kids. Pair FOOD4LESS® Private Selection All Butter Croissants with some simple ingredients for a family-favorite dish that can be served as an appetizer, or for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.

What you’ll need

Recipe

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Slice croissants in half and bake for 3 minutes until they are warm
• Take the croissants out of the oven and spread melted butter and Dijon mustard inside the croissant
• Add honey ham and Swiss cheese
• Lightly glaze the top of your croissants with honey and extra butter
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes 

The result is a warm flaky croissant that has an amazing combo of sweet and salty. These taste best baked on the spot, so if you are attending a Thanksgiving gathering outside of your home, I recommend prepping your dish and baking it right before its time to serve.

Chips & Dip

Sometimes I find myself guilty of over-thinking what I should make or serve for appetizers when it comes to holiday gatherings. The reality is that sometimes serving up something simple works much better and ends up being a bigger hit with the family. 

You can’t go wrong with Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips paired with Private Selection Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. There’s no prep time and all you have to do is serve and enjoy, which is also a win in my book. You can find pita chips & dips in the deli department at your local FOOD4LESS®.

Pumpkin Pie- who says you can’t have dessert as an appetizer after all?

Yes, I like to serve pie on the appetizer dinner. Why? Because it’s Thanksgiving and we don’t need to follow any set of rules when it comes to when and where we get to eat our dessert! 

Now, I am not a baker- yes, shocking I know, so I rely on store-bought pies from FOOD4LESS® to do all the heavy lifting for me. 

Slice up some pieces of pumpkin pie, top it off with whipped cream and enjoy that piece of pie for dessert or as an appetizer!

You can shop all of these items and much more at your local FOOD4LESS®.

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