Overwhelmed Planning Thanksgiving? Choose from Our Menus (2024)

"No Thanksgiving is complete without a food hangover," says designer Lela Rose of her unapologetically indulgent approach to the holiday.

That more-is-more mentality is likely why there’s no shortage of standouts on the sideboard at her annual Texas gathering, which merges a mix of family mainstays with new interpretations.

Starters

• Grandsue’s Sweet-and-Spicy Roasted Pecans
• Cranberry Mulled White Wine

Main Course

• Turkey Roulades with Sourdough Pancetta Stuffing and Gravy
  

Side Dishes

• Cream Cheese Herb Biscuits
  
• Easy Root Vegetable Gratin
  
• Big Green Winter Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
  
• Sweet-and-Sour Onions
  

Desserts

• Braided Cranberry-Orange Pie
  
• Brown Butter Apple Pie
  
• German Chocolate Pie
  
• Peanut-Salted Caramel Slab Pie
  

In England, where they don't celebrate Thanksgiving, turkey is traditionally served at Christmas. As such, a traditional British Christmas spread makes an excellent Thanksgiving feast! All the standards are there — stuffing, sprouts, etc. And the dessert is stunning!

Drinks

• Champagne or sparkling wine is traditional. We highly recommend Nyetimber if you can get it, but any good sparkling will do.
• Mulled wine is also a fine option.

Main Course

• Rosemary Roast Turkey with homemade gravy

Sides

• Pork-and-Sage Stuffing
• Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Lardons and Chestnuts
• Spiced Red Cabbage and Cranberries in Cider

Dessert

• Christmas Plum Pudding — though it doesn't take long to assemble, you'll want to do it at least a week, and as much as a month, ahead, to let the flavors meld.

Fourth-Generation oyster famers and cousins Travis and Ryan Croxton of the Rappahannock Oyster Co. cook a menu of simple Southern-costal fare—with lots of local oysters, of course—that "predate[s] any of us" says Ryan. After all, if it's already outstanding, what is there to improve upon?

Drinks

• The Croxtons like a cold sparkling wine or brut Champagne with their feast. If you can splurge, try a bottle or two of Nyetimber or just get your favorite bubbly.

Main Course:

• Simple Herbed Turkey with Easiest Ever Gravy—loads of butter keep the meat moist, and handfuls of flavorful fresh herbs keep it simple and tasty.

Sides:

• Oyster Pie
• Crab Cakes
• Oyster Stuffing with Bacon-Scallion Cream Sauce
• Bourbon Yams
• Lima Bean and Corn Succotash
• Nana’s Famous Corn Pudding

Dessert

• Cranberry Walnut Shortbread Bars

Grilling isn't just for warm-weather get-togethers. In fact, Thanksgiving may be the perfect time to break out the Weber: Wood chips will impart incredible flavor to turkey meat, and it frees up valuable oven space for making a variety of delicious sides, such as potatoes and cornbread.

co*cktail:

• M5 Sidecar

Main Course:

• Grilled Citrus-and-Spice Turkey

Sides:

• Crispy Brussels Sprouts Salad with Citrus-Maple Vinaigrette
• Cast-Iron Hasselback Potatoes
• Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter

Desserts:

• Salted Caramel-Apple Slab Pie
• Ginger Pumpkin Pie
• Brioche Bread Pudding with Bourbon-Butterscotch Sauce

If you're a traditionalist, this menu has everything you want: Namely, the entrées, starters, and sides you've been looking forward to since, well, last Thanksgiving! It's chock full of tried-and-true favorites, all of which have been upgraded a touch to ensure maximum flavor and deliciousness. Let's just say we'd be surprised if your family doesn't fall hard and fast for these Thanksgiving menu ideas.

Main Course:

• Seasoned Roasted Turkey with
• White Wine and Rosemary Gravy

Sides:

• Fresh Herb Stuffing
• Corn Salad With Bacon and Honey
• Composed Waldorf Salad
• Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin
• Sweet Potato Casserole with Homemade Marshmallow
• Parker House Rolls

Dessert:

• Pecan Slab Pie
• Fruit and Nut Trifle

Believe it or not, you can make almost every Thanksgiving course in your trusty slow cooker (along with dozens of every-day recipes). You can even cook the turkey! Just use an extra large slow cooker, and our herbed chicken recipe, below. Save yourself time and effort by letting a few of these dishes cook while you work on other recipes.

Main Course:

• Herbed Chicken with Beets and Brussels

Sides:

• Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Stuffing
• Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole

Dessert:

• Slow Cooker Pecan Bread Pudding
  

Thanksgiving only comes once a year—so you can afford to stop skimping on butter, cheese, and hearty sides, y'all. This menu incorporates the most seasonal flavors in the heartiest ways. From an amped-up squash dish with goat cheese and tangy poached cranberries to a Hasselback potato gratin that's simply bursting with flavor in every bite (and every crevice!), your guests are bound to leave the table with a few buttons undone.

Starter:

• Herbed Cheese Ball

Main Course:

• Butter-and-Herb Roast Turkey

Sides:

• Scalloped Oysters
• Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Shallots and Hazelnuts
• Roasted Squash with Goat Cheese and Poached Cranberries
• Hasselback Potato Gratin

Dessert:

• Cranberry Tart
• Double-Crust Apple-Cheddar Pie

Thanksgiving is about gathering together, not exclusion. Why not welcome everyone to the table with a decadent Thanksgiving dinner that everyone can enjoy? Ditch the meat and opt for these classic vegetarian dishes instead.

Starters:

• Corn Fritters
• Ricotta and Strawberry Toast

Main Courses:

• Roasted Beet and Squash Salad
• Bibb-and-Citrus Salad
• Orange Carrots with Yogurt-Parsley Dressing
• Baked Two-Cheese Rigatoni
• Fresh Herb Spoon Rolls
• Spicy Lemon Cauliflower
• Fresh Cranberry-Apple Relish
• Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Dessert:

• Apple Blossom Tart
• Fall Apple Cranberry Pie

When it comes to his Thanksgiving menu, Joe Randall—the coauthor of A Taste of Heritage: The New African-American Cuisine in Savannah—doesn't mess with tradition.

Main Course:

• Butter-Roasted Turkey with Giblet Pan Gravy

Side Dishes:

• Cornbread Dressing with Sage and Pork Sausage
• Mom Pan's Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Sun-Dried Cranberry Salsa
• Southern-Style Green Beans

If you (or family/friends) are not only meat, but animal-product free, our vegan menu ensures everyone at the table can fill up on delicious (truly delicious) foods.

Starters:

• Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
• Thanksgiving Harvest Salad

Main Course:

• Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Sides:

• Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes
• Vegan Mac and Cheese

Dessert:

• Vegan Pumpkin Pie

If you're not visiting relations this year, it doesn't mean Thanksgiving has to be a solo affair. Host a laid-back feast with your community. This BYOCACD ("Bring Your Own Chair and Covered Dish") party, courtesy of Home Town's Erin and Ben Napier features plenty of delicious sides that everyone can share. Assign recipes out to each friend—or go generous, and make it all yourself!

Main Course:

• Red Chile and Orange-Glazed Turkey

Sides:

• Erin Napier's Skillet Cornbread
• Grape Salad
• Cheesy Rice
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Squash Casserole
• Braised Greens
Dessert:

• Bourbon-Pecan Pie

This year, do yourself a favor and keep it simple. These blessedly easy low-lift recipes deliver on flavor while still allowing you time to, say, sneak a nip of bourbon with grandpa. Want to make guests think it was harder than it was? Wow them with one of these elegant (but also easy) table settings.

Main Course:

• Turkey Roulade Three Ways

Sides:

• Rosemary Monkey Bread Stuffing
• Brussels Sprouts Gratin
• Slow-Cooker Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potato-and-Cauliflower Salad

Desserts:

• Sweet Potato Snickerdoodles
• Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cookie Crust
• Grape Slab Pie

Whether you have a gluten intolerance or have decided to give it up for other reasons, these recipes show you don't need wheat to have a delicious Thanksgiving.

Starters:

• Feta-Stuffed Peppers
• Roasted Mushrooms and Radicchio

Main Course:

• The Perfect Roast Turkey

Sides:

• Crispy Garlic Smashed Baby Potatoes
• Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls
• Green Bean Casserole
  
• Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries

Desserts:

• Pumpkin Roll
• Maple Pumpkin Pie

Pull out the vintage china! We added a few fresh twists to time-tested staples, from green bean casserole to cranberry sauce, for a retro meal rooted in nostalgia. Oh, and don't forget to queue up an old-school playlist to match.

Main Course:

• Herb and Citrus Butter Roasted Turkey

Sides:

• Apple-Walnut Stuffing
• Maple Meringue Sweet Potato Casserole
• Green Bean Casserole with Fried Shallots
• Rosemary-Port Cranberry Sauce

Desserts:

• Chocolate Brown Sugar Butter Cake with Spiced Pumpkin Frosting
• Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Fudge Pie

This down-home gathering has a hint of Texas twang (deep-fried turkey! cranberry salsa!) and is perfect for the casual, potluck kind of crowd. Opt for simple dishes (serve the chili spoonbread straight out of the cast iron skillet!) and use wood slices instead of chargers.

Main Course:

• Fried Turkey

Sides:

• Pickled Peach-and-Cranberry Salsa
• Jalapeño-Green Chili Spoonbread
• Baked Kale Gratin
• Sorghum-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Desserts:

• Apple Crostata
• Maple Granola Pecan Pie

This spread celebrates the season's bounty with crowd favorites taken up a notch. A simple white table runner and fresh flowers set the scene beautifully.

Main Course:

• Pear-Thyme Brined Turkey

Sides:

• Buttermilk-Boursin Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple Bacon Drizzle
• French Green Beans with Garlicky Almond Breadcrumbs
• Shaved Brussels Sprout-and-Chestnut Salad

Desserts:

• Toffee Crunch Cake
• Spiced Pumpkin Latte Cheesecake
• Lemon-Coconut Tart

This rich menu will guarantee every single guest experiences a post-dinner food coma.

Appetizer:

• Cable-Knit Breadsticks with
• Three Cheese Fondue
  

Main Course:

• Pear-Thyme Brined Turkey
• Rosemary and Bourbon Gravy

Sides:

• Fresh Herb Spoon Rolls
  
• Apricot-Wild Rice Stuffing
  
• Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
  
• Baked Two-Cheese Rigatoni
  

Desserts:

• Pumpkin Pie with Oat-Pecan Crust
• Mocha Cream Pie

South Carolina baker Carrie Morey doesn't hoard her family's best recipes. She spreads the love—and tweaks the traditional Thanksgiving favorites. Find even more delicious recipes in her book, Callie's Biscuits and Southern Traditions: Heirloom Recipes from Our Family Kitchen.

Appetizers:

• Collard and Brussels-Sprout Salad

Main Course:

• Sage-Butter Roasted Turkey

Sides:

• Cornbread Dressing
• Citrus-Cranberry Sauce
• Caramelized-Onion Galette
• Skillet Green Beans
• Potato Gratin
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Carrots
• Buttermilk Biscuits

Dessert:

• Pecan Pie

This menu has all our most flavorful recipes, such as cranberry sauce with a hint of orange, dressing with bay leaf and sage, and salad with slightly bitter chicory.

Main Course:

• The Perfect Roast Turkey with Herbes-de-Provence Rub

Sides:

• Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Orange Star Anise
• Wild Rice and Basmati Dressing with Sausage and Sage
• Edyth Newman's Matzo Stuffing
• Ruby Red Grapefruit and Chicory Salad
• Light and Fluffy Carrot Soufflé

Desserts:

• B. Smith's Bourbon-Cranberry Bread Pudding
• Chocolate-Chunk Pecan Pie

From grits to bacon, this menu is chock full of delicious comfort food.

Main Course:

• Perfect Roast Turkey

Side Dishes:

• Cheese Grits and Corn Pudding
• Roasted Sweet Potato Casserole with Praline
• Marvin Woods's Brussels Sprouts, Red Pepper, and Avocado Salad
• Potato and Celery Root Gratin
• Green Beans with Bacon
• Cracked Pepper Dinner Rolls

Desserts:

• All-American Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Pie with Walnut Crust