Looking for a last-minute Thanksgiving appetizer? This cranberry baked brie kicks things off with seasonal flavors and will keep your guests happy if the turkey is a little slow arriving on the table — always a challenge if you’re cooking with toddlers underfoot!

Recipe: Cranberry Baked Brie

I couldn’t resist Whole Foods’ new Isigny Ste. Mere Holiday Brie, produced by a co-op of eco-friendly farmers in Normandy, France. It was fairly mild-flavored, creamy and rich, and went wonderfully with the sweetly tart tang of my spiced cranberry sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 12 ounce (6″) wheel of brie
• 8 sheets fillo dough, thawed
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• sliced apples and bread

Instructions:

Cover a baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap the brie and have the cranberry sauce and thyme ready before you begin working with the fillo dough. Lay out one sheet of fillo dough on a clean work surface and brush generously with melted butter. Repeat with the additional sheets of fillo.

After the last layer, spread cranberry sauce in a circle in the center, as wide as the round of brie. Center the brie over the sauce and lay thyme sprigs over the top.

Trim the corners off the fillo to make an oval shape. Working quickly, fold up the edges over the brie, brushing folds with melted butter as you go. Once it’s closed, gently flip over onto baking sheet and brush outside with butter. Bake for 25 minutes, until fillo is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 45 minutes, then serve with apples and bread.

If you’re impatient like me and can’t wait to dig in, be prepared for a gooey gush of warm, melted cheese. Mmm. Enjoy!

From the FoodieTots’ family to yours, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! And check back on Friday for some fresh turkey leftover recipes.

(Enough preaching - now on with the recipes!)

Autumn means two things at the farmers’ market: apples & squash! This week’s shopping bag contains 5lbs. Jonagold & Staymen apples, pork chops, spaghetti squash, arugula & aged cheddar, plus a loaf of sourdough and wedge of Smoky Blue cheese from the local bakery and cheese store. On the menu this week:

• spaghetti squash with mascarpone
• 5-spice pork chops with cider jus
• harvest salad (recipe below)
• apple-pumpkin muffins

Harvest Salad: For a quick lunch, I tossed arugula and a chopped apple with balsamic vinegar and topped with crumbled Smoky Blue cheese. The spicy arugula was a nice balance to the intense, nutty cheese. It would have benefited from some chopped hazelnuts, to complement the cheese which is cold-smoked over hazelnut shells.

Toddler Version: My kid has a pretty good appreciation for gourmet cheese, but even still isn’t quite ready for blue cheese. So for an easy kid’s plate, I serve chunks of apple, cheddar & gouda, and sourdough toast.