Thanksgiving Day is a day of gratitude, dedicated to gathering with loved ones to give thanks for the many blessings in life. It’s a reminder to appreciate all that’s joyful in one’s life, including family, friends, and colleagues as well as health and all things positive in life. This year, Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday, November 25th. If you are planning on enjoying a big feast with your family, we have prepared a list of some classic Thanksgiving recipes.
Historically, Thanksgiving Day celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Thanksgiving Day began in 1621 at the first harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and the Native American Wampanoag people.
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the United States and Canada as well as in other parts of the world. The United States celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November while Thanksgiving Day in Canada is celebrated on the second Monday in October.
The annual “Harvest Feast” signifies a day of all day eating and merriment. The day is centered around the preparation of the Thanksgiving Day meal.
For many, family Thanksgiving recipes are cherished and have been passed down through the generations. With turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie being included on the Thanksgiving menu, you’ll find that family Thanksgiving recipes differ from family to family. There have been many heated discussions among families over whose pumpkin pie or stuffing recipe is the best.
Each family also has its traditional items that are served year after year. These also vary from family to family. Are you a mashed potato or potatoes au gratin family, a pumpkin pie or pecan pie family, a green beans or smashed broccoli type of family?
These age-old debates continue to this day! Shall we just agree to disagree? Truthfully, you can hardly go wrong with a decadent home cooked Thanksgiving Day feast!
We’ve compiled a delicious and easy to prepare menu of some mouthwatering Thanksgiving Day classics with a few gourmet twists here and there.
Classic American Thanksgiving Day Menu
Thanksgiving Day is like a marathon, it is a full day of eating and socializing. So, pace yourself! Families have the whole day to enjoy being together and that means snacking your way through the day until the big meal is ready. We’ve compiled a list of awesome recipes for a classic American Thanksgiving meal including appetizers, mains, side dishes, and dessert. Have fun when setting your menu and feel free to experiment and have fun with it.
Thanksgiving Recipes
Appetizers
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a crowd-pleasing appetizer for any party. They are great for snacking on to keep your hunger at bay while you wait for the main feast. Serve chilled.
Recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/237400/classic-deviled-eggs/
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
This delicious spinach and artichoke dip will be your new go-to dip. This recipe is made extra rich and creamy by adding cream cheese and sour cream and will have your guests wanting for more. Serve with fresh vegetables, good rustic bread sliced thinly, or crackers.
Recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spinach-artichoke-dip
Main & Side Dishes
Roast Turkey
You want to make sure your turkey is the star of the night. For a moist and flavor packed roast turkey, the key is to brine the turkey the day before. No more dry turkey, this will be the best turkey you’ve ever made and will be your go-to recipe. You’ll enjoy this tender turkey for days with all the leftovers ready to make the perfect sliced turkey breast sandwich.
Recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/alton-brown-s-classic-brined-and-roasted-turkey
Classic Gravy with Thyme
Gravy rounds off the Thanksgiving Day meal and makes everything complete. Making a tasty and silky-smooth gravy is easy with this recipe.
Recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/classic-turkey-gravy-with-thyme
Mashed Potatoes
Say goodbye to bland and dry mashed potatoes. These are the best velvety smooth and creamy mashed potatoes. You can even make these mashed potatoes up to two days before the big night. Just reheat gently with a little more dairy or butter and they’ll be as velvety as if you had whipped them only moments ago.
Recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/make-ahead-mashed-potatoes
Stuffing
An all-time favorite, stuffing is an integral side to go with your turkey and mashed potatoes. With fresh herbs to add a robust flavor profile and the crunch of celery, this recipe is delicious. Make sure to add a more rustic touch by tearing up the bread instead of cutting it into cubes.
Recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/simple-is-best-dressing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a homemade sweet potato casserole. Top this lightened version of a basic sweet potato casserole recipe with a marshmallow and pecan topping to bring it to the next level of yum. You’ll become an instant favorite to everyone at the kids table, not to mention all the big kids at the adults table!
Recipe: https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/traditional-sweet-potato-casserole
Cranberry Sauce
Finally, a cranberry sauce recipe that everyone will love! This easy recipe is flavor packed and will be the perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving meal. It’s also a dairy free side for those looking to steer away from dairy heavy side dishes.
Brussels Sprout Salad
This fresh and tasty Brussels Sprout Salad with bacon, dried cranberries, almonds, and Parmesan cheese will easily convert any Brussel sprout rejectors. It’s crunchy, sweet, and salty to give a nice balance to the meal.
Recipe: https://kalynskitchen.com/brussels-sprouts-salad/
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts have never tasted so good! These tender roasted Brussels sprouts are caramelized with maple syrup and topped out with salty crunchy goodness of bacon to round off all the flavors of bitter, sweet, and salty.
Recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228875/maple-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-bacon/
Wild Rice
When it comes to sides for your Thanksgiving meal, a wild rice dish is a nice addition. The robust flavors of wild rice go nicely with turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, or anything other Thanksgiving Day standards. It’s also quick and easy to make. This is definitely a great Thanksgiving recipe to add to your repertoire for feast day!
Dessert
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is the quintessential dessert that screams Thanksgiving and wouldn’t be the same without it. Top it with fresh whip cream and you will be in heaven. This recipe adds a bit of pizzazz to the spice blend that takes it above and beyond your standard store-bought pumpkin pie and will quickly become your go-to recipe for years to come.
Recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/best-pumpkin-pie
Apple Pie
Americana isn’t any better represented than by a homemade apple pie. It’s actually not as hard or intimidating to make as you might think. Check out this recipe for an easy to bake apple pie loaded with flavor. Your guests will love it!
Enjoy these Thanksgiving recipes. Bon Appétit
