This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Lots of Thanksgiving recipes to help you set the perfect table for one of the best days of the year. It’s all here: turkey, stuffing, vegetables, cranberries, desserts and breads! Included is a handy day-by-day, hour-by hour guide for a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner.
Isn’t Thanksgiving just the best? I love it! It’s a wonderful time to gather around the table with family and friends, appreciating each other and sharing good food. Take time to acknowledge the many ways we’ve been blessed.
Tips For Success
Plan ahead. If you haven’t nailed down every last detail of your Thanksgiving meal, I hope this round-up of delightful recipes will help you plan your dinner. I’ve also included a guide with a day-by-day, step-by-step plan for preparing for the big day. Hopefully that will make the preparation just a bit easier for you. (It’s always a good idea to have a plan.)
Ask guests to help out. Don’t hesitate to share the load. Your guests will love having the chance to bring their favorite sweet potatoes, salad, rolls, or dessert. Ask a younger member of the family to set the table or serve the dessert. Give everyone a chance to shine.
Just enjoy yourself! This is my favorite tip: Don’t sweat the small stuff. It doesn’t matter if everything doesn’t go perfectly. I remember one Thanksgiving dinner when I forgot to take the stuffing out of the oven until dinner was completely over! Nobody even noticed, or if they did, they were too nice to mention it. Trust me, everything does not have to be perfect.
We’ve created an ultimate guide to hosting a stress-free Thanksgiving with your friends and/or family. It includes a menu to get you started, a grocery list, and a plan for time management and getting everything done at the same time.
Even if you don’t use the menu, I’m sure you’ll find the schedule super helpful!
If you aren’t inclined to roast an entire turkey, here are a few alternatives, including a couple of recipes for a turkey breast which is perfect for families who don’t care for dark meat. I’ve also included a sheet pan turkey dinner (turkey and all the fixings on one pan!) and a roasted chicken recipe for those of you who may be cooking for fewer people.
This section also contains an easy, make-ahead gravy that you won’t want to miss!
Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
4.74 from 15 votes
Herb roasted turkey breast is a delicious and flavorful choice for special occasions, like Thanksgiving dinner, or for food prepping.
With lots of flavorful herbs, a quick-cooking Instant Pot turkey breast is always juicy, tender, and perfectly done. And the bonus? There's no need to thaw it first!
Cooking a smaller dinner for Thanksgiving? You love this sheet pan Thanksgiving dinner with turkey breast, stuffing, potatoes, and asparagus all cooked on one pan. So delicious and such an easy clean up!
Perfect for Thanksgiving when oven space can be limited, crockpot mac and cheese is creamy, flavorful, and so easy to make. Ready to serve in just 2 hours!
With no boiling or draining required, easy crockpot mashed potatoes are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. The crockpot keeps the potatoes warm until you're ready to serve them.
Creamy and buttery, with loads of flavor, mashed red potatoes are an easy side dish to prepare. Throw away the box and enjoy freshly made mashed potatoes!
Twice baked sweet potatoes have a sweet creamy filling with a crunchy streusel topping. If you're feeding a crowd, the recipe can easily be made into a casserole, too.
A classic French recipe, green beans almondine elevates ordinary green beans into a memorable side dish with the addition of toasted almonds, browned butter, shallots, and lemon zest.
I don’t think I could choose a favorite from this list of salads, I love them all! Each of these recipes is made with seasonal ingredients that are abundant during the Thanksgiving season.
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Walnuts
5 from 5 votes
With crisp tart apples, sweet dried cranberries, and crunchy walnuts, this Brussels sprouts salad is a great holiday salad, easy to make and healthy, too.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Arugula & Sweet Potato
5 from 2 votes
Bursting with flavor, roasted cauliflower salad with sweet potato, arugula, and pomegranate is a feast for the eyes and taste buds. You'll love this salad!
With the surprising addition of fresh mint leaves, this kale and pear salad combines tender kale, juicy ripe pears, briny feta cheese, and a sprinkling of savory granola, topped with a creamy yogurt dressing.
Kick the canned sauce to the curb! Cranberry sauce is easy to make and so much more flavorful than the canned sauces.
Cranberry Orange Sauce
4.58 from 14 votes
Kick your cranberry sauce game up a notch with this homemade cranberry orange sauce. This is an easy Thanksgiving recipe that you can make ahead (only 3 ingredients).
This flavorful cinnamon apple cranberry sauce is super easy to make and can be made in advance. Homemade cranberry sauce is far superior in flavor to commercial sauce and is inexpensive to make.
Cranberry Sauce with Roasted Grapes, Apples, and Shallots
5 from 4 votes
Add this beautiful jewel toned side to your holiday menu! Cranberry sauce with roasted grapes, apples, and shallots provides a burst of flavor, both sweet and savory, that is unforgettable.
Bake your own classic Parker House rolls, filling your kitchen with the tantalizing fragrance of yeast and butter. So soft and delicious! Even a novice baker can handle these.
There’s a pumpkin dessert for everyone on this list, from classic pumpkin pie to easy four ingredient pumpkin pudding. Cranberries and apples make the dessert list, too. Make Thanksgiving an extra special occasion by whipping up a bowl of homemade whipped cream to top the desserts! So, so good!
Homemade Pumpkin Pie
5 from 2 votes
Homemade pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving staple, but this recipe is so simple, you’ll be tempted to make it all year long!
It’s hard to beat a classic pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but add crumbly brown sugar streusel on top and you’ve just succeeded in one-upping the original!
Looking for a no-fuss alternative to pumpkin pie? Try a cranberry clafoutis, a classic custard-like pie that's a cinch to make. Serve it warm with a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.
This easy pumpkin poke cake recipe is the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert oozing with sweet cinnamon filling and smothered with tangy cream cheese frosting.
Serve festive appetizers and a refreshing cocktail while dinner is cooking. These fall-inspired appetizer ideas are perfect for Thanksgiving get-togethers because they aren’t too rich or filling.
Butternut Squash Crostini with Ricotta
5 from 1 vote
Butternut squash crostini appetizers elevate this humble fall gourd to super star status! Pomegranate seeds add a tart crisp note.
Imagine ruby red beets and tangy goat cheese, flavored with orange zest and fresh tarragon, layered on crispy slices of toasted bread and sprinkled with walnuts. Beet bruschetta with orange tarragon goat cheese are irresistible!
Beautiful sausage pinwheels are a delicious appetizer flavored with apple, sage, and Gruyère, attractively packaged in flaky puff pastry. These could be served as a side on the Thanksgiving table, too.
Celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with a festive easy-to-make cocktail!
Red Wine Spritzer
5 from 3 votes
Fortify red wine with orange liqueur, add soda water for bubbles, and serve on the rocks for a refreshing red wine spritzer. A perfect Thanksgiving cocktail, light and so easy to make.
This easy-to-make iced pumpkin spice latte is a perfect choice on Thanksgiving Day. Customize it with your favorite milk, top with homemade whipped cream, and enjoy every sip!
An orange gin and tonic with cinnamon is a fall twist on a classic cocktail. Sweet orange slices, spicy cinnamon stick, and star anise pair well with the botanicals of gin and the bitter notes of tonic water.
This apple cider Moscow mule puts a fall spin on a favorite classic cocktail. Fresh, zesty, served in a copper mug (of course), and festively garnished with a cinnamon stick and apple slice.
While you may enjoy simply reheating leftovers for an easy day-after Thanksgiving dinner, consider that those leftovers can be repurposed into another delicious recipe. Here are a few ideas for you. By the way, remember that leftover turkey can be used in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.
Turkey Salad (perfect for leftover turkey!)
5 from 3 votes
Transform leftover turkey into a flavorful turkey salad. Serve it in a wrap, in a sandwich, or on lettuce.
Turkey sliders, aka Rachel sandwiches or turkey Reubens, are a delightful twist on a traditional Reuben. You'll love these sliders stuffed with sliced turkey, creamy coleslaw and nutty Swiss cheese, baked in the oven until golden.
Mashed potatoes are great on their own but just wait until you try this loaded mashed potato casserole with lots of cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions. It's the best!
Have a bag of cranberries left over? Cranberry coffee cake with orange zest and cardamom will fill your home with scents of the holidays and is perfect for brunch.
Looking for recipes that are healthier adaptations of traditional recipes? Many holiday recipes can be lightened up with a few easy adjustments. Be sure to take a look at my list of 18+ healthy Thanksgiving recipes. It includes traditional favorites and lots of new recipes that you may not have considered before.
Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I’m grateful for all of you and hope that this roundup of Thanksgiving recipes is a blessing to you and your family.
Rachel,
Thanks for allowing me to share your round up in my Best Thanksgiving Round Ups post! I appreciate your contribution to the cornucopia of recipes. With your help, we’ve got hundreds of recipes for all sorts of Thanksgiving needs, from setting the table, to making ahead, to vegetarian dishes, to more desserts than my brain can comprehend.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I love to offer a buffet filled with side dishes! Makes leftover day more exciting. And yes, I am a stuffing addict….made with mushrooms and oysters and sausage! Add some gravy and the all day cooking is so worth every minute! Looking forward to the thanksgiving bounty show!
Rachel,
Thanks for allowing me to share your round up in my Best Thanksgiving Round Ups post! I appreciate your contribution to the cornucopia of recipes. With your help, we’ve got hundreds of recipes for all sorts of Thanksgiving needs, from setting the table, to making ahead, to vegetarian dishes, to more desserts than my brain can comprehend.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I love to offer a buffet filled with side dishes! Makes leftover day more exciting. And yes, I am a stuffing addict….made with mushrooms and oysters and sausage! Add some gravy and the all day cooking is so worth every minute! Looking forward to the thanksgiving bounty show!
I am so ready for Thanksgiving! So many great recipes here, awesome round up.
Thanks so much! So many of these look great. I’m going to pin them to my Holiday Meals board and hopefully come up with some good options!
Fantastic list of recipes, Rachel! I can’t wait for turkey day! Thanks for including my biscuits :)
Amazing list of links – saving Thanksgiving!! Thank you :)
Awesome awesome Rachel! Thanks so much for including my mac!!!
Thank you so much for sharing my Mushroom & Kale Sausage Stuffing Rachel!