Start-to-Finish Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas
If you’re putting on your hosting hat and looking for inspiration to switch things up this year or add extra recipes to your lineup to accommodate extra guests, we have a start to finish guide to sides, pies, and drinks — basically, everything but the turkey. But you already have that, right?
Sides
Cornbread Stuffing
Give your stuffing some Southern charm by using cornbread as a base. The distinctive flavor and texture will finally give your stuffing the spotlight it deserves.
Get the recipe from the Food Network.
Mashed Potatoes With Leeks and Garlic
Elevate your mashed potatoes with flavorful leeks and garlic. Fair warning: These are addictive.
Get the recipe from Epicurious.
Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
Love it or hate it, no one can deny this dish’s place on the Thanksgiving table — or, if they can, then it’s a great conversation starter. And safer to argue about than politics.
Get the recipe from All Recipes.
Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Slightly sweet, slightly umami, and 100% delicious, these Brussels sprouts are tossed with hazelnuts for a perfect, crunchy taste of fall.
Get the recipe from NYT Cooking.
Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
Switch up your usual green bean casserole with a perfectly gooey, cheesy broccoli casserole. Mushroom soup gives this dish depth, while Ritz crackers give it an irresistible crunch.
Get the recipe from Bon Appetit.
Green Beans and Mushrooms With Crispy Shallots
Go lighter on the greens (and your oven) with these crispy sautéed green beans and mushrooms. It’s like a deconstructed casserole that doesn’t need to be baked at the same time as all your other sides.
Get the recipe from Bon Appetit.
Umami Gravy
Take one thing off your day-off list by making your gravy ahead.
Get the recipe from NYT Cooking.
Loyd Orange Rolls
A citrus spin off your family’s classic Texas rolls. You’ll need:
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 packet dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water with a pinch or sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
5 cups flour
Method: Scald 1 cup of milk in a saucepan. Meanwhile, dissolve yeast in sugar-water. Add sugar and shortening to scalded milk and stir until melted and dissolved. Let cool. Beat in eggs, orange zest, and orange juice. Add the yeast mixture. Add 1 cup of flour. Mix in around 4 more cups, depending on consistency, with an electric mixer. Knead by hand. Let rise in a greased bowl for about 2 hours; punch and then divide and make 24 knots. Rise again for 45 minutes and then bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Pies
Branch out from the classic pumpkin, pecan, and apple.
Cranberry Linzer Tart
This powdered sugar-dusted beauty captures the magic of linzer cookies in a latticed pie form. If you skipped the cranberry sauce, this is the perfect way to make up for it.
Get the recipe from Bon Appetit.
Tart Lemon Pie
Balance out all the sweetness of the other desserts on the table with a sharp, beautiful lemon pie — perfect for guests with a tart tooth.
Get the recipe from NYT Cooking.
Sweet Potato Pie With Marshmallow Whip
The only thing better than a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows? The pie version. Consider swapping out your every-year pumpkin pie for this similar but so much more surprising choice.
Get the recipe from Bon Appetit.
Grandma’s Velvety Custard Pie
Almost like a chess pie, almost like a pie version of eggnog, this original recipe is unbeatable.
Ingredients:
4 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups scalded milk
9-inch unbaked pastry shell
Nutmeg, grated, to taste
Method: Preheat oven to 475 F. Prepare a pie pan with an unbaked pastry shell. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Scald milk and slowly stir it in. Pour mixture at once into the pastry shell and sprinkle grated nutmeg on top. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 425 F and bake 10 minutes more, or until a knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean. Remove to a rack and let cool.
Beverages
Keep the party flowing with the perfect autumnal drinks.
Sparkling Cranberry Punch
This festive and refreshing punch is perfect for all ages, fruity enough for kids and elegant enough for adults.
Get the recipe from The Spruce Eats.
Mulled Apple Cider
Kids and adults alike will flock to mulled cider to warm up. It’s the taste of autumn in a mug.
Get the recipe here.
Hot Chocolate
Bring everyone in from the cold for mugs of hot cocoa. Setting up a hot chocolate bar with toppings to choose from turns this into a party.
Get our recipe here.
Eggnog
Kick off the holiday season with the quintessential taste of tradition as sweet as candy canes, caroling, and crackling fires.
Get our recipe here.
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