24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (2024)

You’re guaranteed to please your crowd every single year with these highly-rated Thanksgiving recipes. From roasted mains to classic sides and desserts, these four- and five-star dishes will leave your guests craving your cooking for months after the holidays. Recipes like our reliable Herb-Roasted Turkey and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate are fragrant, flavorful and festive recipes everyone will be asking for this Thanksgiving.

01of 24

Herb-Roasted Turkey

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (1)

This easy method produces all the good looks and moist flavor you dream of in an oven-roasted turkey. Make sure you show this beauty off at the table before you carve it. Garnish your serving platter with fresh herb sprigs and citrus wedges for a showstopping Thanksgiving turkey.

View Recipe

02of 24

No-Sugar-Added Sweet Potato Casserole

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (2)

Instead of loading up this comfort food side with tons of brown sugar and marshmallows, we have turned to sweet spices, vanilla and inherently sweet dried fruit to enhance the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes. A topping of pecans and pepitas replaces traditional marshmallow topping to keep it healthy and add texture and color for a beautiful casserole.

View Recipe

03of 24

Beet Salad

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (3)

This simple beet salad recipe uses just a handful of ingredients to create a delightful side dish. Roasted beets add a sweet, earthy and aromatic flavor that shines in this side salad.

View Recipe

04of 24

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (4)

This easy vegan pumpkin pie gets its structure from aquafaba (the leftover water from a can of chickpeas) whipped up into a meringue-like foam. When it's combined with pumpkin and poured into a gluten-free pecan crust, you would never know beans had anything to do with this vegan pumpkin pie recipe.

View Recipe

05of 24

Instant Pot Garlic & Rosemary Roast Pork Loin

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (5)

Using an Instant Pot is a game changer for this pork loin recipe. The gravy is rich and flavorful, the meat is moist and perfectly cooked, and it all comes together in a fraction of the time compared to oven roasting.

View Recipe

06of 24

The Best Homemade Cranberry Sauce

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (6)

This is our go-to recipe for homemade cranberry sauce. It's simple (just five ingredients!), is lightly sweet without being too sugary and has just the right amount of zesty flavor from orange peel. Plus, it's so easy--it goes from stove to table in just 20 minutes!

07of 24

Carrot Casserole

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (7)

Carrot casserole is a great holiday side dish that’s both creamy and savory with just a touch of sweetness from the carrots. Coriander and dry mustard add lovely background flavors to the cream sauce. Microwaving the carrots gives them a jump-start in the cooking process and ensures that they’re cooked through. The carrots should all be sliced thinly so they cook evenly. If you have one, a mandoline can make quick work of the slicing, but a good sharp knife will also do the trick.

View Recipe

08of 24

Kale Salad with Cranberries

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (8)

This easy holiday salad gets its flavor from a sweet citrus dressing that's infused into the kale by massaging the greens and the dressing together with your hands. We like a mix of kale for this recipe, but any type of kale will work.

View Recipe

09of 24

Diabetes-Friendly Carrot Cake

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (9)

With this luscious take on an all-time favorite, you can fit this low-added sugar cake into your eating pattern.

View Recipe

10of 24

Fennel & Meyer Lemon-Stuffed Salmon

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (10)

For this simple baked salmon recipe, just order the right size whole salmon from your grocery store or fish market and have them clean and scale it. You can also use two smaller fish (1 to 2 pounds each) and reduce the roasting time by about 10 minutes. If you like, you can opt for other species, such as striped bass, snapper or tilapia.

View Recipe

11of 24

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (11)

What could be more satisfying than mashed potatoes? In this garlic mashed potato recipe, the potatoes are flavored with poached garlic, thinned with chicken stock and enriched with a small amount of sour cream. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you're cooking for a crowd--say for Thanksgiving dinner.

View Recipe

12of 24

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (12)

This gorgeous warm salad with nutty roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet-tart pomegranate seeds and creamy goat cheese is perfect for any winter meal—from a weeknight dinner to Christmas dinner or any other holiday celebration. The recipe is easily doubled if you are entertaining a crowd: just be sure to spread the sprouts out (use 2 pans if necessary) so they roast instead of steaming.

13of 24

Wild Rice Stuffing with Apple & Sausage

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (13)

This amazing wild-rice stuffing recipe is bursting with fall flavors, including rye bread, sausage, apples, dried cherries, pecans and fresh herbs.

View Recipe

14of 24

Cranberry Buttermilk Pie

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (14)

This custard filling is what takes this buttermilk pie recipe to the next level. It tastes like a panna cotta with a bit of attitude from the tang of the buttermilk and a generous sprinkling of cranberries on top.

View Recipe

15of 24

Spatchco*ck Turkey with Sage & Thyme

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (15)

When it comes to cooking a whole turkey quickly and evenly, spatchco*cking--removing the entire backbone from the bird and splaying it open--is a great technique. This skin on this spatchco*cked turkey gets crispy and browned because nearly all of the skin is exposed. This recipe uses a simple blend of oil, fresh herbs and spices for classic roasted turkey flavor. Look for a small turkey, about 12 pounds, as it fits better in most roasting pans.

View Recipe

16of 24

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (16)

Sweet cherries complement the tart goat cheese in this easy shaved Brussels sprouts salad. Pistachios add an extra layer of crunch. A sharp chef's knife works well to slice the Brussels sprouts thinly. A microplane grater is best for finely shredding the goat cheese.

View Recipe

17of 24

The Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (17)

This healthy mashed sweet potato recipe has just 5 ingredients and is dinner-ready in 20 minutes. Using sweet potatoes for this classic side dish adds color to your plate along with a little sweetness and a boost of vitamin A. With classic and simple flavors, it can easily be paired with any of your favorite dishes.

View Recipe

18of 24

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (18)

The genius hack in this recipe: topping sweet potatoes with marshmallows while they're still piping hot from the slow cooker yields a baked marshmallow topping that's typical with baked sweet potato casseroles.

View Recipe

19of 24

Cranberry-Balsamic Chicken Thighs

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (19)

To round out this healthy chicken dinner recipe, put some farro on to cook before you start cooking the chicken. Add some steamed broccoli and serve with a glass of pinot noir.

View Recipe

20of 24

Apple, Onion & Cranberry Stuffing

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (20)

Apples and fresh cranberries add a unique twist to this variation on the classic stuffing. Use fresh sage or rubbed sage in this healthy stuffing recipe; the ground version is too bitter.

View Recipe

21of 24

Balsamic Oven-Roasted Carrots

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (21)

Roasting carrots in the oven brings out their sweetness, which is enhanced further with a tangy balsamic and maple glaze. Serve these balsamic roasted carrots as an easy weeknight side dish.

View Recipe

22of 24

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (22)

These scalloped potatoes are surprisingly rich and creamy even though they're made with no dairy (milk, butter or cheese)--vegan comfort food at its best. We use almond milk, herbs and spices to make a flavorful sauce and finish the dish with a crunchy almond topping. This makes a satisfying side dish if you're cooking for dairy-free or vegan diets.

View Recipe

23of 24

Apple & Pecan Stuffed Butternut Squash

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (23)

Let this cute little vegetarian stuffed squash side dish steal the show at the dinner table! Butternut squash is stuffed with a sweet and savory filling that gets a crispy finish under the broiler. If you can't find small butternut squash, honeynut squash is a great alternative. Shaped much like a butternut squash (but smaller), the honeynut squash has a deep orange skin and sweet flesh.

View Recipe

24of 24

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (24)

Now everyone can enjoy classic Thanksgiving favorites, like this dairy-free green bean casserole. We make a homemade vegan cream of mushroom soup using almond milk for the creamy base that's combined with fresh green beans. Top it off with classic french-fried onions (we have a vegan recipe for that, too!) for a side dish everyone will devour.

View Recipe

24 Thanksgiving Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever (2024)

FAQs

What are the top 10 Thanksgiving foods? ›

Top 10 Thanksgiving Dishes
  1. Turkey.
  2. Stuffing/Dressing.
  3. Pumpkin Pie.
  4. Sweet Potato Casserole.
  5. Mashed Potatoes.
  6. Ham.
  7. Green Bean Casserole.
  8. Cranberry Jelly.
Nov 22, 2023

What are the top 20 Thanksgiving foods in America? ›

Top 20 Thanksgiving Recipes
  • Creamy Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes.
  • Turkey Gravy.
  • Pumpkin Pie.
  • Southern Pecan Pie.
  • Apple Pie.
  • Baked Apple Pies.
  • Caramel Apple Pie Bars.
  • Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.

What are 5 traditional Thanksgiving foods? ›

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer. The classic Thanksgiving dinner includes old-time favorites that never change: turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, and pie.

What are 4 commonly consumed foods at Thanksgiving other than turkey? ›

Cornish game hen, goose, duck, ham, beef, salmon, and mushroom recipes make worthy centerpieces for holiday meals.

What is the most unpopular Thanksgiving food? ›

The Most Disliked Traditional Thanksgiving Foods
  • Ham — 25.57%
  • Coleslaw — 25.57%
  • Pumpkin Pie — 24.28%
  • Mashed Potatoes — 18.66%
  • Macaroni and Cheese — 17.47%
  • Carrots — 16.98%
  • Apple Pie — 16.29%
  • Corn — 15.50%
Nov 21, 2023

What are 3 main foods on Thanksgiving? ›

Many Americans would regard Thanksgiving dinner as "incomplete" without stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce. A recipe for cranberry sauce to be served with turkey appeared in the first American cookbook, American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons.

What is the unhealthiest Thanksgiving food? ›

Worst: Sausage Stuffing

It's often made with fatty processed meat, butter or margarine, and refined bread or rice. It's a high-calorie food that packs a load of fat, carbs, and nitrates, which are cancer-causing. If you add dried cranberries, there's a good chance they're sweetened and add sugar to your stuffing.

What is America's least favorite Thanksgiving food? ›

"For the third year in a row, cranberry sauce takes first place as the most disliked traditional Thanksgiving food. Over 31% of respondents, 82 million American adults, do not want cranberry sauce for their Thanksgiving dinner.

What was the original Thanksgiving dinner? ›

But according to the two only remaining historical records of the first Thanksgiving menu, that meal consisted of freshly killed deer, assorted wildfowl, cod, bass, and flint, and a native variety of corn harvested by the Native Americans, which was eaten as corn bread and porridge.

What is a traditional Black Thanksgiving dinner? ›

You will likely be eating roast turkey, barbecued turkey, deep fried turkey, glazed country ham, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes mashed and covered with marshmallows, corn, cornbread, yeast/potato rolls, black eyed peas, rice, gravy, potato salad, cranberry sauce from ...

What do Americans eat on Christmas day? ›

Roast turkey and ham are popular for Christmas dinner throughout the country, but depending on the region, so are tamales, roast goose with red cabbage, crawfish jambalaya, roast pork or “seven fishes” seafood salad.

What do you say instead of "Happy Thanksgiving"? ›

"May all the good things of life be yours, not only on this day but throughout the coming year." "Wishing you a harvest of blessings, good health and good times." "May you enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving, a joyous holiday season and healthful, Happy New Year."

What is America's favorite Thanksgiving side dish? ›

Mashed potatoes are the front-runner to be on the most plates this Thanksgiving. Turkey no longer reigns supreme. Findings showed that over half of the United States would be content to only have sides on their holiday plates and 67% of Americans prefer side dishes to the main entrée!

What are the top 5 Thanksgiving foods purchased in the US? ›

Here are my picks for the best Thanksgiving foods.
  • #5: Turkey. Coming in at number five we have the signature Thanksgiving dish: turkey. ...
  • #4: Sweet potatoes. ...
  • #3: Macaroni and cheese. ...
  • #2: Bread Rolls. ...
  • #1: Mashed potatoes.
Nov 22, 2023

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Sen. Emmett Berge

Last Updated:

Views: 6100

Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Sen. Emmett Berge

Birthday: 1993-06-17

Address: 787 Elvis Divide, Port Brice, OH 24507-6802

Phone: +9779049645255

Job: Senior Healthcare Specialist

Hobby: Cycling, Model building, Kitesurfing, Origami, Lapidary, Dance, Basketball

Introduction: My name is Sen. Emmett Berge, I am a funny, vast, charming, courageous, enthusiastic, jolly, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.