Home » Thanksgiving Recipes
The holiday season is a foodie’s paradise – give me all the delicious Thanksgiving recipes! For me, the holiday season means family gathered around the table, enjoying delicious comfort food recipes, conversations with the volume just a bit too loud, and an after-dinner gathering around the cleared-off table for boisterous laughter during family game night accompanied by wine and dessert.
Simple Yet Elegant Thanksgiving Recipes
Holidays are also all about tradition in my family; year after year, we indulge on the same menu (for the most part) because breaking holiday dinner tradition in a Midwest family is near sacrilegious. But, sometimes, the foodie side of me craves something new; and that’s where the idea forGatherbegan. Whether you’re the host of the dinner, or assigned to bring a dish,Gatheris a collection of recipes with a sprinkle of inspiration – inspiration to not only create delicious recipes but to also create a memorable holiday meal.
InsideGather,you’ll find a collection of 30 recipes designed to refresh your Thanksgiving menu, to help you to step out of the comfort zone of tradition and try something new. From adding in a new savory dish likeCreamed Spinachto switching up the traditional pumpkin pie for aSweet Potato Custard Pieto keeping your hungry guests at bay with a simple yet elegantThanksgivingCharcuterie Board.Whatever your foodie heart desires, you’ll hopefully find it insideGather.
Cheers to a delicious holiday season,
Jennifer
Grab a copy of Gather – A Thanksgiving Cookbook to create a memorable holiday meal!
Thanksgiving recipes
Main Dish
- Thanksgiving Maple Herb Turkey – with a seasoning rub is infused with flavors like maple, sage, and thyme – giving it a hint of sweet combined with the traditional seasonal flavors
Thanksgiving Sides
- Maple Roasted Parsnips – freshly roasted parsnips with a maple thyme glaze
- Cheesy Green Bean Casserole – an elevated twist to a classic dish
- Maple Pecan Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes – elevate your sweet potato recipe this year with these twice-baked sweet potatoes
- Sage, Fig, and Pancetta Stuffing– delicious flavors packed into this stuffing dish
- Maple Mustard Roasted Carrots– an elegant yet simple vegetable side dish
- Baked Elbow Macaroni and Cheese– a side dish loved by all ages
- Honey Caramelized Brussel Sprouts– another sweet + savory vegetable side dish
- – an easy one-pot vegetable side dish
- Maple Aioli– perfect for serving with sweet potatoes or poultry
- Orange Cranberry Relish– perfect relish for your Thanksgiving table
- Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad– fresh salad with all the seasonal fruit flavorings
- Bone Broth Gravy – a rich and flavorful gravy
- Mashed Parmesan Potatoes – an elevated mashed potato recipe
- Meringue-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole – a sweet and savory favorite
- Thanksgiving Brussel Sprouts – flavorful, hearty, and a serious comfort recipe
- Best Thanksgiving Salad – loaded with fresh ingredients and a flavor you won’t soon forget
- Thanksgiving Mac and Cheese – You can’t have a holiday meal without making up this cheesy dish.
- Apple Cranberry Thanksgiving Salad – a sweet dish that pairs perfectly with turkey and all the trimmings
- Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole – a staple for holiday meals
- Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes – perfectly sweet with a great texture that pairs with turkey, stuffing, and more
- Thanksgiving Spinach Salad – a balance of healthy and flavorful ingredients.
- Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes – a round-up of some of our favorite side dish recipes
Thanksgiving Desserts
- Pecan Pie Shortbread Bars – skip the pie and fix these buttery pecan pie bars
- Sweet Potato Custard Pie – custard pie with a light, airy filling that’s full of delicious flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg and topped with toasted marshmallows
- Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake – full of rich pumpkin flavor and drizzled with a sweet maple glaze
- Caramel Apple Galette – with an easy shortcut for the crust, just fill it with fresh apples, cinnamon, sugar, and then drizzle with caramel sauce for a simple yet elegant dessert.
- Pecan Pie Mini-Tarts– Easy individual-sized dessert
- Maple Bacon Spice Cupcakes– with a delicious maple frosting and topped with candied bacon!
- Orange Cranberry Bread Pudding– a delicious individual-sized dessert
- Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes – a round-up of some of our favorite dessert recipes for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Drinks and Apps
- Thanksgiving Punch – with a Thanksgiving Sangria option included!
- Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board – build a gorgeous Thanksgiving charcuterie board this holiday season that will keep your hungry guests at bay!
- Cranberry Caramel Baked Brie– feed your hungry guests this appetizer while they’re waiting for the main meal
- Fall White Wine Sangria – A simple wine recipe is great for sharing with family and friends.
- Thanksgiving Red Sangria – perfect for sharing with family and friends during the holiday season! All you need are a handful of easy ingredients to make this simple drink recipe right at home. Great for holiday parties or a nice toast to a quiet night at home.
- Friendsgiving Punch – a great way to bring everyone together at the holiday table! Serve up this simple punch recipe to those over the age of 21 to enjoy the flavors and taste.
- Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board Ideas – a round-up of delicious Thanksgiving charcuterie board ideas
Tips for creating a memorable Thanksgiving meal
Follow simple pre-ahead steps to create a stress-free kitchen experience
- Pre-cut produce – Once you have your menu planned, figure out what ingredients can be cut/diced/sliced ahead of time to cut down on time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving. Most fruit and vegetables can be easily cut ahead of time without negatively affecting the recipe.
- Make desserts ahead of time – Almost all desserts can be made ahead of time, some even 2+ days ahead of time. Doing this will drastically clear up space in your kitchen and add time to your day.
- Enlist kitchen gadgets – Your oven only has so much space, so when possible, enlist the help of kitchen gadgets like an electric skillet, air fryer, or slow cooker. Some recipes, like mashed potatoes, can be made ahead of time and transferred to a slow cooker to keep warm.
- Make a plan – Plan out your menu ahead of time. Plan from what items can be made ahead of time to the cooking order for each recipe. Think of it as an assembly line and know what needs to happen first down to what needs to happen last.
Create a memorable aesthetic experience
- Build a gorgeous tablescape – use simple items to create a gorgeous tablescape that will elevate the moment with your guests
- Decide on the mood – Do you want your tablescape to feel casual, rustic, elegant,sophisticated, welcoming? Decide on the mood you want to create with your tablescape first.
- Decide on a color scheme – Decide on a color scheme that supports the mood you want to create, then stick with that color scheme throughout the tablescape.Balance color with neutrals; don’t overpower the scene with too much color.
- Add warm lighting – Adding candles to your Thanksgiving tablescape will create a warm, inviting mood by adding warm lighting. You could use taper candles or votive candles; either one will produce a warm, yellow light.
- Include natural elements – Don’t be afraid to use natural elements in your tablescape – especially seasonalitems. Mini-pumpkins, dried wheat, fresh eucalyptus, or dried flowers are all great options for creating a simple yet elegant tablescape.
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Recommended kitchen resources for cooking Thanksgiving dinner
Recommended kitchen resources for Thanksgiving desserts
Recommended items for creating a gorgeous Thanksgiving tablescape
Looking for a specific Thanksgiving recipe? Shoot us an email or comment below to send us a request!
