Whip up one of these soup-to-nuts Thanksgiving menus, or mix and match recipes for appetizers, dessert, and everything in between.
With these tempting menus, your whole Thanksgiving feast is covered from dinner to dessert.
A Laid-Back Feast
This year, do yourself a favor with blessedly simple recipes that deliver on flavor while still allowing you time to, say, sneak a nip of bourbon with grandpa.
Main Course:
Sides:
Rosemary Monkey Bread Stuffing
Sweet Potato-and-Cauliflower Salad
Desserts:
A Retro Menu
Pull out the vintage china! We added a few fresh twists to time-tested staples, from green bean casserole to cranberry sauce, for a meal rooted in nostalgia.
Main Course:
Herb and Citrus Butter Roasted Turkey
Sides:
Maple Meringue Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole with Fried Shallots
Desserts:
Chocolate Brown Sugar Butter Cake with Spiced Pumpkin Frosting
A Rustic Menu
This down-home gathering with a hint of Texas twang (deep-fried turkey! cranberry salsa!) is perfect for the casual, potluck kind of crowd.
Main Course:
Sides:
Pickled Peach-and-Cranberry Salsa
Jalapeño-Green Chili Spoonbread
Desserts:
An Elegant Menu
This spread celebrates the season’s bounty with crowd favorites taken up a notch.
Main Course:
Sides:
Buttermilk-Boursin Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple Bacon Drizzle
French Green Beans with Garlicky Almond Breadcrumbs
Shaved Brussels Sprout-and-Chestnut Salad
Desserts:
A Show-Stopping Feast
This tasty menu will guarantee every single guest experiences a post-dinner food coma.
Main Course:
Easiest Salt-and-Pepper Turkey
Sides:
Desserts:
Southern Flavor
South Carolina baker Carrie Morey doesn’t hoard her family’s best recipes. She spreads the love—and tweaks the traditional Thanksgiving favorites.
Appetizers:
Collard and Brussels-Sprout Salad
Main Course:
Sides:
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Carrots
Dessert:
Full of Flavor
Cranberry sauce with a hint of orange, dressing with bay leaf and sage, and salad with slightly bitter chicory give this Thanksgiving menu huge bursts of flavor.
Main Course:
The Perfect Roast Turkey with Herbes-de-Provence Rub
Sides:
Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Orange Star Anise
Wild Rice and Basmati Dressing with Sausage and Sage
Ruby Red Grapefruit and Chicory Salad
Light and Fluffy Carrot Soufflé
Desserts:
All-American Thanksgiving Menu
From grits to bacon, this menu is chock full of delicious comfort food.
Main Course:
Side Dishes:
Roasted Sweet Potato Casserole with Praline
Marvin Woods’s Brussels Sprouts, Red Pepper, and Avocado Salad
Desserts:
Farm-to-Table Menu
A pioneer in California’s farm-to table movement, chef Cindy Pawlcyn’s menu offers a touch of exotic to tried-and-true recipes.
Starter:
Main Course:
Roast Turkey with a Pipian Sauce of Tomatoes, Chiles, and Sesame Seeds
Side Dishes:
Cornbread Stuffing with Sweet Peppers, Onions, and Celery
Chinese-Inspired Menu
Anita Lo, the owner and executive chef of Annisa in New York City, says that the Chinese have a classic hoisin-glazed duck dish that’s stuffed with sticky rice. “With that as my inspiration,” she says, “I prepared the rice stuffing on the stovetop to make sure it didn’t overcook.”
Main Course:
Roast Turkey with Hoisin Gravy
Side Dishes:
Sticky Rice Dressing with Chinese Sausage, Edamame and Chestnuts
Pureed Yams with Ginger, Star Anise, and Cinnamon
Cranberry Sauce with Dried Orange Peel
Dessert:
Sweet and Savory
What is Joan Nathan’s favorite part of Thanksgiving? “I love planning and cooking with my family,” says the author of Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France.
Main Course:
Brined and Roasted Turkey with Pan Gravy
Side Dishes:
Challah Stuffing with Chestnuts and Dried Fruit
A Traditional Feast
When it comes to his Thanksgiving menu, Joe Randall—the coauthor of A Taste of Heritage: The New African-American Cuisine in Savannah—doesn’t mess with tradition.
Main Course:
Butter-Roasted Turkey with Giblet Pan Gravy
Side Dishes:
Cornbread Dressing with Sage and Pork Sausage
Mom Pan’s Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Drink:
A Spicy Twist
Tim Love, the owner and executive chef of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and Love Shack, both in Fort Worth, Texas, gives his turkey flavor from the outside in by using a spicy game rub, then covering the bird in prosciutto.
Main Course:
Spice-Rubbed Turkey Wrapped in Prosciutto
Side Dishes:
French-Bread Stuffing with Oysters, Bacon, and Chipotle
Classic New England Thanksgiving Menu
A juicy, flavorful turkey is almost guaranteed if you soak or “brine” the bird in a saltwater bath before roasting, like the turkey featured on this festive menu.
Starters:
Peppered Goat Cheese with Citrus-Carrot Marmalade
Main Course:
Roasted Apple Turkey with Apple Brandy Gravy
Side Dishes:
Cranberry-Pear Wild-Rice Stuffing
Whipped Root Vegetables and Potatoes
Winter Squash and Sage Dinner Rolls
Desserts:
Drink:
The Beekman Boys’ Thanksgiving Menu
Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell take old family recipes in a decadent new direction with their fresh approach to Thanksgiving.
Side Dishes:
Buttermilk Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage
Green Bean Salad with Red Onions
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Roasted Chestnuts
Sweet Potatoes with Ancho-Maple Glaze
Cranberry and Dried-Cherry Sauce
Desserts:
A Fresh Spin on the Thanksgiving Menu
In their hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, cookbook authors (and brothers) Matt and Ted Lee serve up an annual holiday menu that remains true to tradition while putting a fresh spin on classic recipes.
Starter:
Buttermilk Fresh Cheese with Spiced Figs, Pickled Fennel, and Pistachio Crust
Main Course:
Smoked-Paprika-Rubbed Turkey with Madeira and Shallot Gravy
Side Dishes:
Corn Bread and Sausage Stuffing
Cold Brussels Sprout Slaw with Toasted Benne Seeds
Dessert:
Sweet-Potato Pie with Buttermilk Ice Cream
Drink:
Autumnal Abundance Menu
This old-fashioned menu features earthy potatoes and turnips with smoky bacon and rosemary as an appetizing alternative to mashed potatoes.
Starter:
Main Course:
Butter-Basted Roast Turkey with Mushroom Gravy
Side Dishes:
Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Orange
Desserts:
Make-Ahead Menu
Chef Tom Valenti’s strategy for this menu? The stuffing can be made in advance, as well as the soup, the compote, and the desserts.
Starters:
Artisanal cheese plate, olive bread, French baguette
Main Course:
Side Dishes:
Spiced Apricot, Cranberry, and Golden Raisin Compote
Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Red Onions
Desserts:
Roasted Pear and Maple Cream Trifle
Pumpkin-Goat Cheese Cheesecake
Assorted chocolates
No-Stress Southern Thanksgiving Menu
Serving a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast can be an exciting prospect, especially with a menu like this one that includes country-inspired dishes.
Starters:
Main Course:
Roast Turkey with White Wine and Rosemary
Side Dishes:
Wild-Rice, Corn Bread, and Pecan Stuffing
Honey-Glazed Ham
Dessert:
Napa Valley Thanksgiving Menu
For celebrated chef and cookbook author Michael Chiarello, Thanksgiving is a way to honor his Italian and California heritage by cooking with seasonal organic products featured in this menu.
Starters:
Olives, salami, cheese
Main Course:
Spice-Rubbed Whole-Roasted Turkey with Cranberry Gravy
Side Dishes:
Pumpkin Risotto with Pumpkin Butter
Desserts:
A Family Thanksgiving Menu
This menu puts an emphasis on tradition, using simple and classic recipes.
Starters:
Cheese plate with nuts and dried fruits
Main Course:
Side Dishes:
Glazed Pearl Onions and Shallots
Desserts:
Cinnamon and Vanilla Fruit Compote
Coffee and chocolates
Country Farmhouse Thanksgiving Menu
The lush color and rich harvest of autumn fruit—persimmons, pomegranates, and quinces—are incorporated in this menu.
Starters:
Main Course:
Roast Turkey with Pomegranate Sauce
Side Dishes:
Cornbread, Quince, and Pecan Stuffing
Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin
Desserts:
Drink:
Trisha Yearwood’s Family Thanksgiving Menu
Country singer Trisha Yearwood fills her Thanksgiving menu with Southern comfort foods, like pecan pie and buttermilk cornbread.
Starter:
Main Course:
No Baste, No Bother Roasted Turkey
Side Dishes:
Grandma Lizzie’s Cornbread Dressing
Dessert:
Leave a Comment