How to Make a Fun Fruit Appetizer for Thanksgiving

Photo: Kevin Hudson

Need a healthy snack to keep everyone out of the kitchen while you cook on Thanksgiving? Or are you interested in skipping the cheesy contribution to the office party? Then check out this fun and easy fruit platter you can build in just minutes. If you have kids, you might get them to build it for you, and even snack on the fruit while they work!

Video: Tim Allison

The amount of fruit you need depends on the size of your platter and the order you choose for the rows. Of course, you get to choose your favorite fruits, but we used:

Directions:

1. Wash all of the fruit.
2. Cut pear in half and place cut-side down on platter. This is the turkey’s body.
3. Take grapes off stems. Arrange around pear.
4. Peel cantaloupe and cut into chunks. Arrange around grapes.
5. Remove stems from blueberries if present. Arrange around cantaloupe.
6. Cut stems off strawberries. Place cut-side down around blueberries.
7. Peel tangerines and separate sections. Nestle tangerine ends on either side of strawberries.
8. Place blackberries in between each tangerine section.
9. Cut apples into slices. Dip in lemon juice. Arrange along the top edge of the platter.
10. Mix powdered sugar with scant amount of water, gradually adding more until mixture is the consistency of thick glue.
11. Dip each mini chocolate chip in the “glue” and attach to pear for the turkey’s eyes.
12. Cut a small piece of cantaloupe and attach as the turkey’s nose.
13. Set two tangerine sections on the bottom edge of the platter under the pear as the turkey’s feet. You could also use cantaloupe or pretzel sticks.
14. Keep chilled until ready to serve.