My in-laws make legendary Thanksgiving appetizers. So legendary, in fact, that I practically fill up on the apps before the meal is served. But I’m a trooper, and I manage to find my second wind in time for turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. If they served this appetizer, though, I’d probably polish off the entire thing and have to skip right to dessert.

WATERMELON CHECKERS

INGREDIENTS

• Seedless watermelon
• Your favorite cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cut equal size 1/2-inch-thick square shapes from watermelon and your favorite cheese. Arrange as a checkerboard on a serving tray. Cut small circles of the watermelon and cheese as the “checkers.” Enjoy, and try to resist the temptation to yell “King me!” every time you eat a piece from the last row.

I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving (or had a great Thanksgiving if you’re reading this after the fact). I’m getting ready to head out the door for my usual Thanksgiving tradition – dinner and dessert with the family at my parents’ house.

I’m certainly thankful for a good family, even if we are a bit dysfunctional sometimes. Then again, most families are in one way or another. In fact, I’d say the “perfect” families are the ones you have to watch out for!

Hopefully some of you were able to put the Thanksgiving-themed watermelon recipes I posted this month to good use. If so, drop me a comment or an email via the Ask the Experts link and let me know how they turned out. And even if you couldn’t use the recipes, that’s okay… more holidays are right around the corner!

Happy Thanksgiving,
The Watermelon Guy

By the way, I couldn’t find a picture of this pie, so I drew a picture of what I think it would look like (below). As always, please don’t make fun of my artistic skills.

QUICK AND EASY WATERMELON PIE

INGREDIENTS

1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounce container refrigerated non-dairy topping, thawed
¼ cup lime juice
2 cups watermelon balls
9-inch graham cracker crust

INSTRUCTIONS

Fold together milk and topping. Add lime juice. Fold in watermelon balls, reserving about 5 balls for garnish. Pour into graham cracker crust. Place remaining watermelon balls on pie to garnish. Chill for 2 more hours before serving.

MY FAVORITE VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

About 6 ounces baby spinach leaves, cut into strips
3 cups shredded carrots, blanched and cooled
3 cups small cubes of seedless watermelon
1 cup Japanese-style ginger dressing
1 cup toasted sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

In an 8 x 11 inch serving dish, layer the spinach on the bottom, then the carrots and the watermelon on top.  Pour the dressing over the top and sprinkle with almonds.  Serve immediately.

WATERMELON CRANBERRY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS
4 cups fresh cranberries
½ cup organic sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice from 1 lemon
Zest from 1 lemon
½ cup maple syrup
Dash cinnamon
2 cups minced watermelon

DIRECTIONS
Heat cranberries, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest in a 3-quart saucepan over medium low heat until it simmers. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the maple syrup and cinnamon to the pan. Simmer another few minutes. Remove from heat to rest for 10 minutes. Stir in watermelon and serve warm or chill and serve cold. Makes about 4 cups.

As promised, here’s the first of five Thanksgiving-themed watermelon recipes I’ll be featuring on the blog this month. This is the one I will be making for my dinner with my family later this month. It’s easy to make and it looks pretty tasty too. The picture above isn’t exactly what this recipe will look like, but it’s close.

WATERMELON HAM WRAPS

INGREDIENTS

(Makes approximately 15 pieces. Double recipe if needed)

1 tablespoon chive and onion spreadable cream cheese
1 large, burrito-size low-fat tortilla
1 ounce thinly sliced low-fat ham
1 lettuce leaf
1 seeded watermelon spear, about 1/2-inch thick, 1-inch wide and 9-inches long

INSTRUCTIONS

Spread cream cheese on tortilla, covering to edges. Place ham across center of tortilla; top with leaf lettuce, making sure edges to be rolled are not covered. Place watermelon spear on lettuce just off center. Roll tortilla over watermelon spear; continue rolling, tucking in ham and lettuce. Cream cheese will help tortilla stay rolled. Slice wrap into half inch to three-quarters of an inch pieces. Fasten pieces with wooden pick if needed.

I’ll feature five recipes to be exact, each featuring watermelon as an ingredient (truly adventurous chefs might try all five). The menu includes an appetizer (November 6), a sauce (November 11), a side dish (November 13), a salad (November 20) and, of course, a dessert (November 24).

As for specifics, I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but I will say that I plan to make the appetizer you’ll be seeing this Friday. Mainly because it’s easy, but also because I’ll be dining at my family’s house this year and my mother only asked that I bring an appetizer.