Thanksgiving Recipes You Can Totally Count On (2024)

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A delicious collection of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

Thanksgiving Recipes You Can Totally Count On (1)

Looking for some five-star-reviewed, tried-and-true, all-time favorite Thanksgiving recipes that won’t let you down?

We’ve gotcha covered. ♡

From nostalgic old-fashioned classics to lightened-up modern twists, make-ahead options to last-minute quick fixes, sweet treats to savory faves, plus options for all kinds of dietary preferences around your table, there’s something delicious on this list for everyone. So whether you are just now starting to plan out your Thanksgiving menu, or maybe you’re simply needing a final recipe or two to fill in the gaps, scroll down through the list below or click on any of the following categories to find some tasty inspiration:

  • Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes
  • Thanksgiving Bread Recipes
  • Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes
  • Thanksgiving Potato Recipes
  • Thanksgiving Veggie Recipes
  • Thanksgiving Salad Recipes
  • Thanksgiving Soup Recipes
  • Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
  • Thanksgiving Drink Recipes

Wishing you all a cozy, safe, and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving this year!

Thanksgiving Recipes You Can Totally Count On (2)

Holiday Cheese Board:Easy to scale for different sizes of gatherings (from 2 to 20+ people) and always a crowd fave. See the full post for my best tips on how to create a balanced, beautiful, and irresistibly delicious board.

Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip:My go-to recipe for this classic dip. Just dump all of the ingredients in a Crock-Pot, stir, heat, and you’re ready to go. (Or if you don’t own a slow cooker, you can just as easily bake this dip in the oven too!)

Buffalo Cauliflower Dip:I promise — you won’t even miss the chicken in this irresistible vegetarian version.

Extra-Bold Chex Mix: Homemade Chex mix is always a tradition around the holidays in our family. I love to make it with an extra portion of that irresistibly salty, savory sauce. Feel free to add in some candies (such as M&Ms or chocolate chips) for a hint of sweetness too.

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1-Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls:Our readers all love this simple recipe for warm homemade dinner rolls! Easy to make by hand or with the help of a stand mixer in about an hour.

Perfect Pumpkin Bread:Perfectly moist, easy to make by hand (no mixer required), and full of thebest pumpkin flavor.

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No Knead Bread: I’ve experimented with many no-knead bread recipes over the years and this is my tried-and-true favorite. It’s incredibly easy to make, perfectly crusty and golden on the outside, and soft and flavorful on the inside. Two versions are included in this post — one that’s made with a traditional (overnight) rise, and one with a faster (1.5-hour) rise.

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Sausage and Sweet Potato Thanksgiving Stuffing:My all-time favorite stuffing recipe — packed with the perfect balance of sweet and savory ingredients, seasoned with lots of fresh herbs, and always so hearty and comforting.

Roasted Cauliflower, Mushroom and Wild Rice Stuffing:A different take on stuffing that’s a bit healthier, easy to make, and it’s also naturally vegan and gluten-free.

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Thanksgiving Recipes You Can Totally Count On (15)

The BEST Mashed Potatoes:My go-to recipe! They’re perfectly rich and creamy, full of great flavor, easy to make, and always a crowd fave. (Or if you happen to own a pressure cooker, check out my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes method too.) I love serving these mashed potatoes with my favorite Mushroom Gravy.

Perfect Baked Potatoes:Everything you need to know about how to make perfectly baked potatoes in the oven.

Scalloped Potatoes:My favorite recipe for cheesy, creamy, garlicky, crazy-delicious scalloped potatoes au gratin.

Baked Sweet Potatoes:My favorite method for how to bake sweet potatoes in the oven that are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Plus lots of ideas for fun baked sweet potato toppings too!

Savory Sweet Potato Casserole: A savory take on sweet potato casserole, made with a creamy garlicky mashed filling and sprinkled with the most irresistible maple rosemary walnut topping.

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The BEST Green Bean Casserole:Easy to make 100% from scratch with fresh green beans, a creamy mushroom sauce, and the most irresistible homemade crispy onion topping. Our readers agree that this casserole really is the best!

“Everything” Roasted Asparagus:Quick and easy to make, and sprinkled with irresistible everything bagel seasoning.

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Slow Cooker Creamed Corn:Easiest creamed corn recipe ever! Just dump everything in the Crock-Pot and you’re good to go.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:My best tips for how to make perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts. Plus lots of different ideas for seasonings!

The Most Amazing Roasted Artichokes:Barclay’s famous artichokes! To put is simply…we’re obsessed with them.

Roasted Cauliflower:One of my favorite roasted veggies that’s also easy to customize with your favorite seasonings.

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Feel-Good Fall Salad: One of our readers’ favorite autumn salads,made with a yummy mix of roasted sweet potatoes, fresh avocados, goat cheese, nuts, dried cranberries, and a simple lemony dressing.

Pear Salad with Gorgonzola and Candied Nuts:The most delicious seasonal salad made with juicy pears, crisp greens, tangy gorgonzola (or feta or goat cheese), creamy avocado, candied walnuts (or pecans), and a quick vinaigrette. One of my faves.

Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad:This beautiful shredded Brussels sprouts salad is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, and holds up beautifully in the fridge if you would like to prep it up to 3 days ahead of time.

Our Family’s Favorite Salad:So named because our family has served this salad for Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember! It’s made with a zesty blend of artichokes, roasted red peppers, toasted pine nuts, and a Parmesan dressing.

Everyday Salad:The super-simple easy side salad recipe that we make at least once a week in our house! The dressing is very flexible and can work with just about any other ingredients you might like to add in.

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Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup: My favorite soup of the season! It’s easy to make in the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot, or on the stovetop, and it’s also naturally vegan and gluten-free. And we absolutely love it.

Butternut Squash Soup:My tried-and-true butternut squash soup recipe! It’s also easy to make in the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop, and is both vegan and gluten-free.

Thai Curried Pumpkin Soup: A quick 20-minute recipe made with the most delicious curry seasonings! It’s also gluten-free and vegan.

Lemony Artichoke Soup:The credit for this soup goes to my lovely mother-in-law. It has been a family favorite for years and is easy to make in just 30 minutes or so with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.

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Best Pumpkin Pie: Naturally-sweetened with maple syrup (instead of white sugar), made with your choice of milk (regular cow’s milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc), and SO GOOD. Taste just like the classic pumpkin pie — just modernized a bit.

Pumpkin Roll:My all-time favorite pumpkin dessert, filled with the most delicious cream cheese filling and made a bit easier with my parchment rolling method. (No towels needed!)

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Maple Cranberry Sauce: Classic cranberry sauce that’s easy to make in 10 minutes, sweetened with maple syrup instead of traditional white sugar.

Cranberry Crisp:Easy to make in a single larger baking dish, or in cute little ramekins as pictured above. And so delicious!

Maple Pecan Pie:My naturally-sweetened take on classic pecan pie that is arguably even more delicious than the original! It’s sweetened with maple syrup (instead of corn syrup) and so, so delicious.

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Homemade Apple Cider:One of my favorite recipe for holiday entertaining. Easy to make from scratch in the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop, and so delicious. (It’s also great mixed with bourbon!)

Mulled Wine:Super-simple to make and guaranteed to make your home smell amazing. Feel free to make yours with red, white or rosé wine.

Hot Toddy:Easy to make in just 5 minutes with hot water, whiskey (or rum), lemon and honey. I love simmering some fresh ginger in my drink too.

Cranberry Bourbon Fizz: A quick, festive, 3-ingredient co*cktail that’s always a hit around the holidays.

Maple Old Fashioned:My favorite way to make this simple classic co*cktail — sweetened with just a hint of real maple syrup.

Thanksgiving Recipes You Can Totally Count On (50)

posted on November 22, 2021 by Ali

Thanksgiving

5 Comments »

Thanksgiving Recipes You Can Totally Count On (2024)

FAQs

What Thanksgiving dishes can be prepared ahead of time? ›

Dishes you should definitely make in advance
  • Thanksgiving stuffing. "We always make my mom's sweet potato stuffing ahead of time. ...
  • Casserole. "Pretty much anything with 'casserole' in the name is built for being made in advance." — ...
  • Mise en place. ...
  • Gravy. ...
  • Turkey and chicken stock. ...
  • Most desserts. ...
  • Brussels sprouts. ...
  • Dinner rolls.
Nov 14, 2023

Is it OK to make stuffing a day ahead of time? ›

No matter where you fall, getting a head start on what can be prepared before the big day is essential. One question that always crops up: Can you make stuffing ahead of time? The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes.

How far in advance can I make Thanksgiving sides? ›

Whether your family demands green bean casserole or scalloped potatoes alongside their turkey, these dishes can be prepped and assembled two whole days before the big event. Make sure to cover and refrigerate them, then stick the dish in the hot oven once you've taken the turkey out to rest.

Can you make Thanksgiving sides the night before? ›

That's why we love getting a jump-start with one or several make ahead Thanksgiving sides. From stuffing to potato sides to cranberry sauce, rolls, and more, we've got 54 make ahead Thanksgiving sides that can be prepped, assembled, or even totally cooked anywhere from a day to a month in advance.

Can you prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate? ›

If you don't plan on stuffing the bird, but preparing the dressing as a side dish, you can prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time as long as you freeze the stuffing immediately after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing.

Can you use week old bread for stuffing? ›

In fact, using stale bread and fresh bread will both leave you with equal amounts of mush. The longstanding tip to use old, stale bread for the perfect stuffing is actually a myth. Letting bread go stale doesn't actually dry it out. After sitting out on your counter, bread goes through the process of retrogradation.

How long does homemade uncooked stuffing last in fridge? ›

Do not refrigerate uncooked stuffing. If stuffing is prepared ahead of time, it must be either frozen or cooked immediately. To use cooked stuffing later, cool in shallow containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Use it within 3 to 4 days.

When should I start the mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving? ›

You can make the mashed potatoes a few hours before dinner, and then keep them warm on the stovetop. When you should start cooking: A couple hours before dinnertime.

What to make 2 days ahead for Thanksgiving? ›

Pie, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce the day before. Day of I just have to roast the turkey, do the veg and make gravy. Anything that reheats nicely, mashed potatoes, sweet potato, stuffing I do in the crockpot in the morning, cut veggies for salads, potato salad.

What time should I start Thanksgiving dinner? ›

Twenty-nine percent like to chow down between 4-5 p.m., and 14 percent sit down to dinner between 5-7 p.m. Another 12 percent turn Thanksgiving "dinner" into lunch by eating between 12-1 p.m., and even fewer people, 4 percent, say they prefer to eat at 8 p.m. or later. It all depends on the plans you have for the day.

When should I make pies for Thanksgiving? ›

For best results, I typically bake pies up to no more than 2 days in advance if I plan to store them in the fridge or at room temperature. All pies made with eggs and dairy products like milk, cream, cream cheese, sour cream need to be refrigerated. This includes pumpkin pie, cream pies, etc.

What is the day before Thanksgiving called? ›

Local bartenders say the day before Thanksgiving, known as Drinksgiving or Blackout Wednesday, is the busiest drinking day in America beating out traditional drinking days such as New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo.

What should I do 3 days before Thanksgiving? ›

3 Days Out

Defrost your turkey in the refrigerator over the course of the next three days. When it's defrosted (or if you're starting with a fresh bird) you can start the flavoring process with a simple dry or wet brine. Shop for perishable ingredients like vegetables and any fresh herbs.

Can you prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it? ›

If you don't plan on stuffing the bird, but preparing the dressing as a side dish, you can prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time as long as you freeze the stuffing immediately after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing.

How to make Thanksgiving turkey the day before? ›

It's easy: Simply cook it a day or two in advance, let it cool completely, then carve the bird into large pieces—breasts, wings, thighs and drumsticks. Store in a container in the refrigerator until the big day. This method actually result in juicier meat—and an infinitely more relaxed host.

How do you reheat pre made Thanksgiving dinner? ›

Transfer the turkey and mashed potatoes into oven-safe dishes, add a little stock to the turkey and butter to the potatoes, and cover both dishes. Reheat them together for about 30 minutes at 350°F. You're winning the leftover dinner game right now.

Can you cook turkey day before and reheat? ›

When serving your turkey the next day, the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline advises that cooked turkey may be eaten cold or reheated. To reheat your turkey, USDA gives the following recommendations: In the Oven: Set the oven temperature no lower than 325°F.

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