Alex Guarnaschelli’s 3-Ingredient Holiday Appetizer Recipe

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, you’re going to want quick and easy appetizers that keep hungry guests from turning into hangry guests. But who wants to spend more time in the kitchen than necessary, especially when the main meal is the main attraction—and when you’ve already got hours of work ahead of you?

While you might be tempted to do the typical cheese and crackers spread, there are so many other interesting and delicious—yet quick and easy—apps you can serve your guests. For example, a year ago, we introduced you to Alex Guarnaschelli’s Sweet and Sour Flowering Red Onions app. 

Now, the Iron Chef and cookbook author just shared an Instagram reel with another super simple and quick appetizer that can be served before Thanksgiving dinner—or any time you want a tasty starter that comes together in no time. 

Her appetizer is a combination of two simple but delicious foods: creamy cheese and roasted grapes. Guarnaschelli calls the recipe a “lighter and fresher” twist on baked brie, so you know it will satisfy hunger pangs without leaving everyone too filled up to enjoy dinner. Plus, it’s a super low-effort option that requires just three ingredients, plus pantry staples you have on hand, like olive oil, salt and pepper.

Guarnaschelli’s full ingredient list includes:

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 2-3 cups seedless grapes
• 6-8 ounce slab Gorgonzola dolce or other blue cheese

To start this recipe, the chef whisks together the olive oil, honey, sea salt and pepper. Then as she’s plucking the seedless red grapes off the vine, she gives an educational lesson on the white film that covers grapes.

“That white film that you see on grapes is actually a natural component secreted by the plant to protect the skin from cracking and drying out,” says Guarnaschelli. “So it’s like survival-of-the-fittest technique for the grapes. It’s not pesticide, it’s not a spray. It’s natural. And you’ll see that film, by the way, on plums and other fruit as well.”

After adding the grapes to the bowl with the oil and honey mixture, she gently folds them until they’re completely coated. The grapes then go onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and into a 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. When ready, the grapes will come out “sizzling hot,” Guarnaschelli says. She uses a spatula to move them right off the sheet pan and over to a wooden serving board, where her cheese is already waiting.

“I paired this with a Gorgonzola dolce cheese,” says Guarnaschelli, “which is an Italian—a classic Italian—blue cheese.” 

You don’t have to stick with Gorgonzola dolce, though. Guarnaschelli says you could easily swap in a different blue cheese, or even some brie. When commenters asked for other recommendations—just in case you’ve got some picky cheese lovers—she also recommended goat cheese or an herbed cheese, like Boursin. Whatever cheese you choose, just serve it cold or room temperature, and you’re all set.

As Guarnaschelli uses a knife to take a swipe of her cheese—which appears to be soft as butter—she smears it onto a grape and says, “It’s got a kind of sweet note, right. The dolce—meaning sweet—but it’s got that sharpness—just that little bit of sharpness from the blue.” 

She pops the warm grape and cheese into her mouth and is left almost speechless—and we’re left with our mouths watering.

Guarnaschelli recommends pairing a glass of wine with this starter, but she says everyone is sure to enjoy it no matter what your beverage options are like. “That salty yet ever-so-slightly sweet blue cheese with these roasted grapes—not too sweet, such great texture,” Guarnaschelli says. “Just do it.”

We love how Guarnaschelli roasts the grapes, which brings out their natural sweetness. We actually use that same method to add irresistible flavor to our yummy Almond Butter & Roasted Grapes Toast. Between the grapes and the touch of sweetness in the Gorgonzola dolce, there’s a nice balance between the funkiness of the blue cheese and the juicy, fruity flavor of the grapes. Plus, grapes are a great source of antioxidants, fiber and carbohydrates, which pair perfectly with the protein in the cheese to help quell rumbling tummies and stabilize blood sugar. 

Whether you opt for this simple appetizer or go for another easy-breezy option—like maybe our three-ingredient Everything Bagel Cheese Ball or tasty Apricot-Stilton Bites—your guests are going to be plenty thankful for the delish hors d’oeuvres. And if you need more inspiration, you can always consult some of our favorite options.