THANKSGIVING DINNER MENU AND RECIPES

I’m excited to share my Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and Recipes with you. This is the first time I’ve shared a holiday menu and tips with you. If you’ve been hosting family holidays for a while, this will seem second nature and elementary to you. I didn’t want to skip anything in case there are first-timers reading and hosting this year.

You will also want to check out my sister post to this, Kitchen Basics for the Holidays.

Collage of Thanksgiving dishes, featuring a pumpkin pie, stuffed turkey roll, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and a bundt cake. Explore our complete Thanksgiving dinner menu and recipes for a festive feast guide.

Table of Contents

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and Recipes

Pro Tip

Plan, Plan, Plan, then plan some more!!

My three biggest and best tips for any holiday, party, or celebration are

Seriously, plan your menu, plan your grocery list, plan the tablescape, plan the dishes and utensils, and plan a cooking schedule.
Ask for help. You aren’t Super Woman and you don’t have to do it all. Ask others to bring an appetizer, side dish, or dessert.
Make ahead. Whatever you can make ahead or prep ahead the better off you’ll be the day of and the less stressed you’ll be.

Breaking the fast

If you have overnight guests or guests coming for the day, consider offering breakfast so everyone isn’t famished by mealtime. I like to offer a self-serve buffet. Apple Cider Mimosa and Strawberry Fizz are boozy drink options. Of course, I also have coffee and juice available.

Quiche is great and can be made ahead, frozen, and cooked or reheated when you’re ready for it.

Overnight breakfast casseroles are perfect for the holidays. Put them together the night before and bake in the morning.

Or, send the men on a donut run, they’re usually itching to get out of the house anyway.

Sipping

Make ahead and refrigerate any drinks that you can. Obviously, if they have a carbonated soda, leave it out until you’re ready to serve. Stock the bar if needed or provide coolers with drinks (adult as well as kid-friendly drinks). Some people enjoy coffee all day, so set up a coffee bar.

Spiked Pineapple Lemonade Recipe

Spiked Pineapple Lemonade Recipe is a perfectly refreshing cocktail with a nice little kick thanks to the vodka.

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Quick Apple Pie Moonshine

Quick Apple Pie Moonshine, aka Apple Moonshine, is a fun cocktail recipe that you can make quickly and easily. It's slightly sweet and full of apple and cinnamon.

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Munching

Eating before you eat. When there’s a wait before a meal it’s a good idea to offer a little something for your guests to munch on especially if they’re kids. The reason I like Mexican restaurants so much is that you can immediately have chips and salsa. Appetizers don’t have to be elaborate but offer something to nibble. Charcuterie boards are ideal for this. You can put them together, refrigerate, and pull them out when you’re ready. (And don’t forget kid-friendly munchies. Little ones like to nibble often.)

Burrata Charcuterie Board. Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and Recipes

Print Thanksgiving Quantity Guide

THANKSGIVING DINNER MENU AND RECIPES

If you have a recipe box on Call Me PMc, you can save this Big List of Thanksgiving Recipes to your Recipe Box and create a grocery shopping list for it.

Mains for the big event!

How long to thaw a turkey. Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and Recipes

6 Best Turkey Recipes - Terrific Turkey Recipes to share with you that will help you roasting of your turkey. Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and Recipes

Below are my tried and true holiday mains. These are the recipes, plus Best Holiday Roast Turkey, that I turn to year after year.

Rolled turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce on a white plate, with a skillet and sauce cup in the background. — Stuffed Turkey Breast

Close-up of a glazed, cooked ham with a shiny, caramelized surface in a black dish, enriched with a maple brown sugar glaze. — Maple Brown Sugar Ham

Instant Pot Pineapple Brown Sugar Ham — Instant Pot Brown Sugar Ham

Sides

Side dishes are really what I love the most. In addition to the side dish recipes below check out this collection: 15 Thanksgiving Sides to Elevate your Feast. Of course, you can always peruse all my side dishes here.

Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Pecans — Candied Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes — Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Carmaelzied Shaved Brussels Sprouts — Caramelized Shaved Brussels Sprouts

Dessert

I’m a firm believer in having more than one dessert.

Mama’s Famous From Scratch Chocolate Pudding Pie

Mama’s Famous From Scratch Chocolate Pudding Pie is a very simple and quick pie to make. It can easily be made in 30 minutes. With a luscious, velvety texture and chocolate flavor this pie is a family favorite.

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Granny’s Classic Southern Pecan Pie

Granny’s Classic Southern Pecan Pie is a super simple crowd-pleasing dessert recipe. This delicious pie is a holiday staple in most Southern celebrations with the crunchy pecans, caramel-like nougat, and buttery flaky crust.

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Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe is tender and moist. It’s sweet and simple with a buttery flavoring that melts in your mouth!

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PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SWIRL BUNDT CAKE

Nothing is more comforting than this Pumpkin Bundt with Cheesecake Swirl. You start with a yellow cake mix and add in pumpkin and spices to make the moistest pumpkin cake! A cheesecake filling runs throughout the middle making it heavenly. Finally, it gets topped with a cream cheese glaze to really put this cake over the top. This is sure to be your new favorite this Fall!

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Timetable

THANKSGIVING DINNER MENU AND RECIPES: Two to three weeks out

Think about your menu
Make a To-Do List
Test your recipes (if they’re new)
Plan your shopping list
Make a food and oven schedule
It would be a great time to invest in a Slow Cooker and/or Instant Pot (or if you have Amazon Prime check the Instant Pot here and the Slow Cooker here.)
Purchase (or test your current one for accuracy) an Instant Read Meat Thermometer
Plan your tablescape and purchase what you need.