Thanksgiving Veggie Board
Sep 28, 2023 Updated Aug 15, 2024
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My take on the classic turkey shaped appetizer dish incorporates lots of veggies to make it so colorful and fresh. It’s a fun and fresh way to start off your Thanksgiving celebration! You know how much I love making festive boards, so be sure to check out my other Turkey Day ideas, like my Cheesegiving Meal Board, Thanksgiving Cheese and Dessert Board, and Thanksgiving Kids Snack Board.
For more autumnal ideas, try my Fall Dessert Board, Fall Harvest Board, Elevated Fall Cheese Board, Cranberry Goat Cheese Ball, Fall Burrata Board, Pumpkin Cheese Ball, Caramel Apple Board, and all my other Fall Recipes.
What’s On This Turkey Board?
Here’s how I put together this adorable turkey shaped appetizer board:
- Start with your dip. I used a basic sour cream dip. Anything would work well here, especially if it’s a white dip.
- Place the dip bowl in the middle, bottom half of your board.
- Make the tail feathers. I cut multicolored carrots, mini bell peppers, and green snap peas in half lengthwise. Then laid them all out, fanned beautifully alternating colors, so that the flat side is up.
- Add purple cauliflower florets where the bowl meets the tail feathers. This creates a fun texture and pop of color.
- I added pepperoni and radish slices at the bottom to fill in that section of the board. You can also leave this open if you want.
- Place more halved mini bell peppers in the dip bowl to make the inside part of the tail.
- Don’t forget your pretzel sticks for legs, cheese triangle beak, and bell pepper end for the waddle!
- And finally, top with edible eyes to finish off the fun turkey. Here I used the bigger version of edible eyes, however you can check out my many uses of the small edible eyes on The Kid’s After School Snack Board and Halloween Muffin Tin Board.
Turkey Day Facts, Gobble Gobble!
Thanksgiving was officially declared a national holiday in 1863, just after our country suffered great division and huge loss during the Civil War. The holiday was a way to remind everyone of all that they had to be grateful for and what they shared in common.
The most known commercial turkey purveyor in the US, Butterball, has a Turkey-Talk hotline you can call, day of if you’re having turkey trouble. Just know they probably won’t help much with this cute turkey appetizer!
One of the biggest reasons we eat turkey on Thanksgiving is because it’s a native bird to the US. Plus its size is best to feed a crowd (bigger than a chicken, smaller than other livestock). But the first few Thanksgivings that were held in Plymouth, Massachusetts did not have turkey on the menu!
Need More Healthy Thanksgiving Snack Ideas?
I used a smaller version of this turkey in my Thanksgiving Kids Snack Board with a number of other whimsical Thanksgiving eats.
What Size is This Board?
The board in these photos is 14.5in diameter and no longer available, however, you can check out my favorite round boards for alternatives.
Video How-To Make A Turkey Veggie Tray
Show Me Your Boards
I hope this post inspires you to create delicious holiday snacks. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful spreads you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share!
And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.
Thanksgiving Veggie Tray
Ingredients
Cheese
- Goat Cheese, Yogurt Dip, or Ranch
Produce
- Small carrots halved lengthwise
- Mini Bell Peppers halved lengthwise
- Snap Peas
- Purple cauliflower broken into florets
- Radishes thinly sliced
Carbs
- Beet crackers (from Trader Joe's)
Accoutrements
- Edible Eyes
Instructions
- Add the dip to a small bowl then place it in the center of the lower-third of your board.
- To create the tail feathers, working from the top of the board. First fan the carrots around the outer edger, then add and slightly overlapping layer of peppers. Next add layers of cauliflower, more peppers, and snap peas making sure each layer gets more narrow as it gets closer to the bowl.
- Fan the beet crackers around the front of the bowl, then add the radishes to the empty spaces on either side of them.
- Finally, add a line of 4 or 5 peppers to the back of the dip bowl. Then cut out a beak and waddle shape from leftover peppers, then add them and the edible eyes to the center of the dip to make the turkey's face.
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So pretty and festive
Love the healthy options!
So fun!