Hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year? I’d love to help you with your stress-free Thanksgiving menu.
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Can hosting Thanksgiving be stress-free? Stree free might be a stretch, but you can absolutely make it more simple and less stressful. It all starts with having a plan.
What is Served at Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner?
It’s time to think about what to put on your menu. What is traditionally served at Thanksgiving dinner varies by region in the United States, but here are the most popular items you’ll find on the table on Thanksgiving throughout America:
- Roasted Turkey
- Turkey Stuffing
- Mashed Potatoes
- Cranberries
- Green Beans
- Corn
- Dinner Rolls
- Pumpkin Pie
You can keep your Thanksgiving menu traditional, or add twists on the classic recipes. I tend to do a mix of traditional and classic recipes, and in true Happy Healthy Mama fashion, some recipes I “healthify” a little. 🤪(No one is ever the wiser!)
How to Plan Your Thanksgiving Menu
You start with the star of the show. The turkey, of course. Use this recipe for Foolproof Thanksgiving Turkey and you can’t go wrong. (Hosting a small Thanksgiving dinner? Consider this Butter and Herb Roasted Turkey Breast)
From there, you’ll want to choose your appetizers, salads, sides, and desserts. Having a special drink choice is a nice touch. Choose 1-4 recipes per category, depending on the size of your crowd and how big of a feast you want, and you’ll be golden.
Thanksgiving Appetizers
While everyone is waiting for the main event, it’s great to have some finger food available for munching. This is a great category to stray from the traditional recipes and bring some unique options to the table. Here are my favorite picks.
Sweet Potato “Toasts”
These are really easy to make and pair perfectly with all the Thanksgiving flavors.
Cranberry Salsa
Such a beautiful appetizer and it’s a delicious way to use fresh cranberries!
Easy Pumpkin Hummus
Your guests will love this sweet, seasonal hummus.
Sweet & Salty Chex Mix
This is a perfect make-ahead appetizer that everyone loves grazing on when watching the football game.
Hot Corn Dip
If you’d like a hot appetizer on your Thanksgiving menu, this Hot Corn dip is just what you need!
Skinny Spinach Artichoke Dip
This is another great option for a hot appetizer. This one will lighten your calorie load a bit, since we know the dinner is going to be A LOT.
Thanksgiving Salads
There are a number of different salads that go well on a Thanksgiving menu. These are my favorites.
Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pomegranate and Goat Cheese
I’ve served this at Thanksgiving dinner several times and there’s never any leftover. It’s a pretty, festive salad that has a wonderful combination of flavors.
Autumn Kale Salad
This Autumn Kale Salad is full of contrasting textures and is always a hit.
Chopped Kale Salad with Cranberries, Feta, and Walnuts
The relatives you thought would never eat kale will surprise you by loving this one!
Thanksgiving Side Dishes
This is my favorite category and I could totally make an entire meal of the Thanksgiving side dishes! Here are some classic recipes to add to your Thanksgiving menu.
Easy Sourdough Stuffing Recipe
What I love about this stuffing recipe is its simplicity and FLAVOR. It’s so good. That is all.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Free up your stovetop and put your Instant Pot to work this Thanksgiving. These are the easiest mashed potatoes ever and they are scrumptious.
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Not all sweet potato side dishes have to be super sweet! These Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes are super easy to make, take no oven space, and are a crowd-pleaser!
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
My version of Sweet Potato Casserole is vegan, gluten free, and has MUCH less sugar than traditional sweet potato casseroles. Plus, I love that crunchy pecan topping so much more than marshmallows!
Healthy Green Bean Casserole
Once again…this is a vegan and gluten-free version of the classic green bean casserole! WOO HOO!
Garlic Butter Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
Not into Green Bean Casserole? This easy side dish doesn’t take up any of that precious oven space!
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries, Feta, and Blue Cheese
I don’t need Thanksgiving dinner for this one because I love it so much AND it’s healthy! But this one on your Thanksgiving menu and you won’t be sorry!
Sweet Potato Tian
This is a beautiful alternative to Sweet Potato Casserole.
Maple Brussels Sprouts
These Maple Brussels Sprouts are made on the stovetop, so if you have a full oven these are perfect to add to the menu!
Roasted Butternut Squash
So easy. So good. Why not?
Butternut Squash Puree
Lightly sweet and spiked with cinnamon, this is another great side dish to add to your menu!
Perfect Dinner Rolls
If you ask both my kids what their favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is, I’m 99% sure they’ll say the dinner rolls. It’s worth the effort to make these from scratch–everyone will be begging you for the recipe!
Thanksgiving Desserts
What would Thanksgiving be without desserts? Here’s a variety to choose from!
Crustless Cranberry Pie
Pumpkin Pie Bars
If you need gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin pie, these bars are perfection.
Vegan Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Can you tell I think bars > pie? These are incredibly tasty!
Vegan and Gluten-Free Carmelitas
All I can say is that these treats are EPIC. If you want some chocolate in your Thanksgiving dessert spread, this is the recipe to use, whether you need your desserts to be vegan and gluten free or not!
Thanksgiving Drinks
Here are a few ideas for adding drinks to your Thanksgiving menu!
Crockpot Mulled Apple Cider
You can’t go wrong having a big pot of mulled apple cider staying warm in your Crockpot. The whole family will enjoy it!
Apple Cider Old Fashioned Cocktail
Skinny Vodka and Cranberry Punch
I originally created this one for Christmas, but cranberries fit right in for a Thanksgiving punch, too! Bonus that it’s super light, not adding a ton of extra calories to your day.
Cranberry Margarita
If you’re a margarita lover, this recipe is perfect for making it festive and perfect for Thanksgiving OR Christmas!
Final Thoughts on Your Thanksgiving Menu
I hope this helps you as you plan your big day! Remember, food is bringing us together, but this holiday is about remember what we’re grateful for and enjoying time with people we love. Don’t stress and have a memorable day!
This roundup looks amazing! I was only planning on making 1-2 things for an upcoming friendsgiving, but it all looks so good I was having trouble picking. I think I settled on making the sweet potato toasts, pumpkin hummus, cranberry salsa, and green bean casserole. Thanks so much for the awesome recipes!
Glad I could help!