Eloise Eason

With Thanksgiving around the corner, everyone is gearing up to dig into their favorite classic dishes like turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. This dish is the perfect quick appetizer to add to your Thanksgiving rotation. The seriously addicting crunchy cornflakes will be gone in minutes while greedy hands wait for dinner to be cooked. The whipped ricotta adds a creamy dimension to the dish, pairing perfectly with the cornflake crunch. 

Thanksgiving is the time of year when kitchens come alive, crowded with warm spices, busy hands and the hum of friends and family gathering together. Everyone has their favorite dishes they must have on the table, like a perfectly roasted turkey, piles of stuffing, warm mashed potatoes and a rich, velvety gravy. But after years of family Thanksgivings, I’ve noticed one thing — everyone is secretly (or not so secretly) on the hunt for a bite before the main event. After all, Thanksgiving dinner does take all day to prepare, so having something for guests to munch on while they wait is crucial to the perfect gathering. 

Enter this whipped ricotta with a cornflake crunch. It’s light, creamy and takes almost no time to prepare — the perfect appetizer to satisfy guests looking for something to snack on. While the turkey rests or the mac and cheese is browning in the oven, you can quickly whip up this dreamy ricotta, top it with golden, sweet, crunchy cornflakes and set it out for guests to enjoy. 

I’m telling you, those cornflakes are addicting — crunchy, sweet and just a little bit salty. If you’re not careful, they’ll disappear before you even set them out. It’s a little nod to childhood bowls of cereal, but reimagined in a more grown-up way. Just try to keep everyone from sneaking back for more as they wait for dinner to be served.

So, this Thanksgiving, bring a little something new to the table with this easy, unexpected appetizer that’s sure to have your guests coming back for seconds — or even thirds.

Cornflake Crunch Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornflakes 
• ½ cup sliced almonds 
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
• ¼ cup unsalted butter 
• 2 tbsp honey 
• Pinch of salt 

Cornflake Crunch Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a bowl, combine cornflakes, shaved almonds, sesame seeds and salt.
3. Over low heat, melt the butter and honey in a small saucepan.
4. Reserve half of the butter-honey mixture for later once the mixture begins to foam. With the remaining butter-honey mixture, still in the saucepan, continue browning until it resembles a light caramel color and set aside. There should now be two bowls, one which includes a brown butter honey mixture and one that includes melted butter and honey.
5. Pour the brown butter honey mixture into the bowl with the cornflakes, shaved almonds, sesame seeds and salt. Combine.
6. Pour the other butter-honey mixture over the cornflake mixture and combine until everything is coated.
7. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and dump the cornflake mixture onto it.
8. Bake for 15 minutes.
9. Leave to cool.

Whipped Ricotta Ingredients:

• 16 oz Ricotta 
• Squeeze of lemon juice 
• 2 tsp olive oil 
• 1 tbsp honey

Whipped Ricotta Directions:

1. While the cornflake mixture is baking, whip the ricotta in a food processor with the lemon, olive oil and salt.
2. This mixture can be kept in the fridge until ready to assemble.

To Plate: 

• Smear the ricotta mixture over a large dish or plate, leaving a crater in the middle to place a few spoonfuls of honey or honeycomb.
• Place a few shards of the cornflake crunch mixture around the edges of the dish, placing the rest in a dish to serve.
• Drizzle the dish with olive oil and honey.
• Sprinkle with dish with flakey sea salt and some fresh cracked pepper.