Thanksgiving Recipes: Classic Dishes and Other Simple Ideas 🥧

Classic Thanksgiving Recipes

Easy Turkey Recipe, from here

Ingredients:

• 1 12-14 pound turkey

• 3 large carrots, cut lengthwise into quarters

• 2-3 yellow onions

• 2-3 lemons

• 1 tsp salt

• Black pepper

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups water

Instructions:

• Prep the turkey. If defrosting, make sure it’s thawed fully, inside and out. 

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

• Place sliced carrot, onion, and lemon quarters on the bottom of a large roasting pan.

• Rub butter all over the turkey, then roast with aromatics in the oven until the turkey is golden on top.

• Rub butter all over the turkey skin. Season the turkey inside and out with ½ teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. 

• Place turkey, breast side up, on top of vegetables and lemons in the roasting pan. 

• Roast turkey until golden brown on top, about 40 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

• Pour 2 cups of water into the roasting pan and continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees.

• Transfer the bird to a carving board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving the turkey.

• Turkey stuffing – bread with herbs and/or chestnuts.

Here are some great tips for turkey recipes. 

 

Turkey Gravy

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Flour
• Chicken or beef broth

Instructions: 

• Dissolve stock cubes or powder in boiling water.
• Melt butter in a saucepan and mix in the flour.
• Pour in stock water while whisking and cook for 1.5 minutes, until thickened.

 

Alternate way to make Turkey Stuffing

Put herbs and aromatics in the turkey cavity. Before serving, remove the aromatics and transfer separately cooked stuffing into the cavity. 

 

If you have leftover Stuffing

Here’s a resourceful list of recipes for stuffing leftovers, with everything from meatloaf to 2-ingredient dishes. 

 

Vegetarian Main Dish – Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto, from here

Ingredients: 

• Short grain brown rice, butternut squash, Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, vegetable broth, dry white wine, fried sage

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup water

• 1 ½ cups brown arborio/short-grain brown rice

• 1 small butternut squash

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ cup dry white wine, optional

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, to taste 

• Fried sage

Instructions: 

• Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
• Meanwhile, fry onion and garlic in olive oil.
• Add 3 cups of broth and water, bring to boil.
• Add the rice, and bake in the oven till it is cooked through.
• Also bake cubed butternut squash with olive oil in the oven along with the rice.
• Remove rice from the oven, add remaining broth, wine, butter and Parmesan.
• Add salt, pepper, red pepper to taste.
• Then stir in the butternut.
• Sprinkle fried sage over the risotto before serving.

 

Mashed Potatoes, from here

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds baking potatoes
• 3 cloves garlic (Optional)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Boil cubed potatoes and garlic in salted water, till tender.

• Heat milk and butter separately till the butter melts.

• Drain potato water, then stir in the milk mixture into the potatoes while mashing them, using a potato masher or an electric mixer, till the texture is smooth and creamy.

Green Bean Casserole, from here

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen cut green beans thawed

• 10.5 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 can

• ½ cup milk

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 ½ cups crispy fried onions

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Boil beans just until tender crisp. 
• In a large bowl, combine green beans with soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, salt, 1 cup of crispy onions, and cheese if using.
• Transfer to a 2qt baking dish.
• Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes  or bubbly.
• Remove from the oven and stir.
• Top with remaining onions and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes or until golden.

 

Before baking: 

You can refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. Keep outside for at least 30 minutes before baking. 

You can also freeze before baking. 

 

Pumpkin Pie Filling, from here

Ingredients: 

• Egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 3 eggs
• 1 and 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup milk

Instructions: 

• Whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and sugar together until combined.
• Add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, heavy cream, and milk.
• Vigorously whisk until everything is combined.
• Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm crust.
• Whether you use homemade crust or store bought crust, pre-bake it for 10 minutes.

Here’s a comprehensive list of popular Thanksgiving recipes and this is a list of 35 meatless Thanksgiving recipes.

Simple Thanksgiving Recipes

Mini Turkey Veggie Platters

Ingredients:

• Baby carrots

• Cucumber slices

• Olives

• Bell pepper strips

• Celery

• Cherry tomatoes

• Ranch dip

Instructions: 

• Arrange the veggies in a fan shape around the small bowl of ranch dip to resemble turkey feathers

• Use olives and bell pepper strips to make eyes and a beak on the dip for the turkey’s face

 

Stuffing Muffins

Ingredients:

• Bread – one loaf, cubed

• 1 small onion, chopped

• Chicken broth

• 2 celery stalks, chopped 

• Butter

• Eggs

Instructions:

• Saute onion and celery in butter

• Mix with bread cubes, broth and eggs

• Divide the mixture in a muffin tin

• Bake at 350 deg F for 20 to 25 minutes 

 

Turkey-Shaped Cheese and Crackers

Ingredients:

• Sliced cheese

• Crackers

• Salami or pepperoni

• Pretzel sticks

• Raisins

Instructions: 

• Arrange cheese slices and crackers in the shape of a fan on a plate

• Use salami to create the body

• Add raisins for eyes and pretzel sticks for legs

 

Sweet Potato Coins with Marshmallows

Ingredients:

• Sweet potatoes

• Mini marshmallows

• Butter

• Cinnamon

Instructions:

• Slice sweet potatoes into rounds

• Bake at 400 deg F for 20 minutes

• Top each round with a mini marshmallow and broil until marshmallows are golden

 

Fruit Cornucopia Cones

Ingredients:

• Waffle cones

• Fresh fruit like grapes, apple slices, berries

Instructions: 

• Fill each waffle cone with fruit for a cornucopia-inspired treat 

 

Turkey-Shaped Cheese and Crackers

Ingredients:

• Sliced cheese

• Crackers

• Salami or pepperoni

• Pretzel sticks

• Raisins

Instructions: 

• Arrange cheese slices and crackers in the shape of a fan on a plate

• Use salami to create the body

• Add raisins for eyes and pretzel sticks for legs

 

Pumpkin Pie Pops

Ingredients:

• Store bought pie crust

• Pumpkin pie filling

• Egg

Instructions: 

• Roll out the pie crust and cut into small circles

• Spoon a bit of pumpkin pie filling in the center of half the circles

• Top each with another circle

• Seal the edges with a fork

• Brush with beaten egg and bake at 375 deg F for 12 to 15 minutes

 

Cranberry Jello Cups

Ingredients:

• Cranberry juice

• Gelatin powder

• Fresh cranberries

• Whipped cream

Instructions: 

• Prepare the cranberry juice with gelatin according to the instructions on the package 

• Pour into small cups and chill until set 

• Top with fresh cranberries and whipped cream

You can also use cherry-flavored Jell-O and add crushed pineapple on top, like in this recipe, to add to the fruity flavor.

 

Add and Manage your Lists on the app

We’ve added these recipes to Mom-Life Templates > Thanksgiving Planning, in the Commons section.

 

Click on any list and make it your own by adding or removing items, then add it to My Day. Now you can check them off as you get through them!