Published: by Caitlyn Erhardt · This post may contain affiliate links. [feast_privacy_disclosure]
Thanksgiving is a great time of the year to spend time with family, friends and of course EAT! These Easy Thanksgiving Recipes are a fun mix of classic and new!
Thanksgiving is almost here, repeat, Thanksgiving is almost here! Okay, guys so one of the biggest cooking holidays of the year is just around the corner and I felt it was my duty to share some incredible recipes that could work wonderfully for Thanksgiving OR Christmas. Thanksgiving has always been a big celebration in my family, so I have a special love for all things Fall and sides dishes. These easy Thanksgiving recipes feature some classic favorites, and some new/fun out of the box ideas that your family will love! I hope you and your family have an incredible Thanksgiving holiday and do lots of cooking, laughing and eating.
My Must Have Tools For An Easy Thanksgiving Dinner
- A Roasting Pan- If you are planning to roast a turkey, ham or chicken in the oven this Thanksgiving then you will absolutely need one of these guys! The last thing you want for your holiday is a soggy skinned turkey, trust me. I love this roasting pan because it has a rack built in the list the meat up and allow for better airflow and ultimately a better turkey.
- A Crockpot-A adore my slow cooker all the time, but even more so for the holidays. I love incorporating at least one slow cooker recipe to make for an easy Thanksgiving dinner. I can set and forget something and not have to fit for oven or stove space! Smaller slow cookers also work great for appetizers like dips to stay warm throughout the entire Thanksgiving celebration!
- Serving Platters-Serving platters work great during the holidays, because it allows you to put your finished food out so your guests can easily serve themselves. It also helps heard everyone to one area, freeing up real-estate by the oven. And if your family is anything like mine then people love standing by the oven lol.
- Assorted Baking Dishes-Some big, some small depending on the size of your Thanksgiving dinner party you will need an assortment for all your recipes you are baking in the oven.
- A Few Pots and Pans-Again, the amount and sizes you will need for your holiday party will depend on how many people you will need to feed. I usually have at least 3 pots going at a time during our family's Thanksgiving dinner.
- A Good Meat Thermometer-If you are cooking a turkey, ham or chicken then you really need a meat thermometer that is going to give you an accurate temperature reading. Really, you do not want to eat raw meat during your Thanksgiving dinner. Also, it is important to check your meat in several spots to make sure it is cooked throughout.
Some Fun Thanksgiving Extras
- Cooking Utensils-I really love this gold and black utensils set. You could use what you have of course, but I think this set is extra pretty and fun for Thanksgiving!
- Pretty Dishes-Okay, so absolutely not a requirement, but I love have some "fancy" dishes on holidays. Growing up we were a paper plate sort of family, so whenever mom busted out the glassware we knew we were in for some great food and good times! Also, they will make all your food pop in pictures.
A Fun Family Thanksgiving Tradition
Every year my family and I attend several Thanksgiving celebrations between mine and my husband's extended family. Now that we live far away these family holiday gatherings are even more fun and special to me. A fun tradition that my family started was the white table cloth tradition. It is super easy to do with your family and all you need is a Plain White Tablecloth and Sharpies.
The tradition works like this: each person that attends the Thanksgiving party will sign the tablecloth. It could be something as simple as their name, what they are thankful for, or even a picture. Once they write their message they date it with the year. We have been doing this since I was young, and I love seeing all the messages from people that have joined my family for Thanksgiving. Plus, it is fun to look back at your own messages and see how much you have changed through the years. This year will be my baby son Harrison's first Thanksgiving and I can't wait to have him "sign" the tablecloth!
Love this collection of Easy Thanksgiving Recipes?! Comment below and let me know your favorite!
Love this Easy Thanksgiving Recipes Collection? Check out 25 Easy Family Dinner Recipes next!
Happy Eating!
These recipes are perfect for you Thanksgiving dinner! A great mix of classics and new takes on favorites that will leave your friends and family wishing for more. The start of the party! Many of these easy appetizers can be made ahead of time and are sure to be crowd pleasers! Looking for a fast and simple party appetizer? Here it is! These Ritz Bites with Ham, Cranberries, and Brie are ready in about 10 minutes and require no cooking. Photo Credit:www.diprecipecreations.com Perfect holiday appetizer! This Sausage Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip is cheesy, colorful and great for a holiday party or gathering. Serve warm with bread. These Everything Bagel Cheese Ball Bites are the perfect bite sized appetizers for holiday gatherings, game days, or a girls night! These mini cheese balls are great with crackers, bagel chips or with pretzels. Photo Credit:www.mealswithmaggie.com These Stuffed Peppers are the perfect bite-sized appetizer for your holiday get-together! This no-bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip is ready in only 10 minutes and makes the perfect Fall dessert or appetizer! Pair the pumpkin dip with sliced apples, graham crackers or vanilla wafers for the perfect party snack. The BEST part of Thanksgiving! These holiday side dishes are simple, and will please a crowd. My grandma’s Southern Classic Sweet Potato Casserole has been a family favorite for over 70 years! This recipe has stood the test of time and has been a staple at every single Thanksgiving celebration my entire life. The pecan topping is crisp and sweet while the sweet potato filling is smooth and creamy! Photo Credit:greedyeats.com Tall, soft and buttery biscuits with cheddar and herbs. They hide hundreds of flaky layers inside them! Photo Credit:www.lemonsandzest.com Best part of Thanksgiving? The stuffing! This simple stuffing recipe will be the hit of the holiday, full of juicy apples, herbs and flavor. Photo Credit:www.lavenderandmacarons.com This scrumptious Eggplant Gratin is smothered with a secret white sauce and topped with a generous layer or Gruyere cheese. It is a side dish that is so easy to make and never disappoints. This Spinach Apple Salad is healthy and perfect for Fall! This vegetarian salad is packed with apples, feta, walnuts, dried cranberries and red onion for a delicious combo that works great as a side dish for the holiday season! Photo Credit:www.platingsandpairings.com Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction & Cranberries make a simple and elegant side dish that both kids and adults love! Photo Credit:www.thesaucyfig.com This Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce is sure to be a hit at your Thanksgiving table! Spiced with cinnamon and naturally sweetened with maple syrup and orange juice; it’s the best combination of sweet and tart and can be made in under 15 minutes! Photo Credit:whipandwander.com Trust me friends, this Cauliflower Mac & Cheese with Kale and Sausage is low-carb comfort food at it's prime. Photo Credit:wholenewmom.com These Moroccan Carrots are the spiced just right and are the perfect easy side dish for every day, but great for special occasions too. Seasoned with cumin, coriander, parsley, in a warm vinaigrette, they're a lovely colorful vegetable side that the whole family will love. Photo Credit:www.passmesometasty.com Naturally creamy and delicious Japanese sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and garlic are steamed and then mashed with butter, sour cream, and milk to create these dreamy mashed potatoes that are the perfect side dish for any holiday gathering. Of course you can't forget the turkey on Thanksgiving! Or can you? Check out these traditional and non-traditional Thanksgiving mains! This Herb Roasted Turkey is crazy moist and flavorful. The perfect addition to any Thanksgiving table. This turkey is roasted upside down resulting in super moist turkey breast meat. Photo Credit:cookingformysoul.com For those who prefer something other than turkey, this Cranberry Orange Glazed Ham is the perfect choice! It's perfectly sweet and savory at the same time - Photo Credit:savoryspin.com Looking to jazz up your turkey this Thanksgiving? Well, then this slightly spicy, slightly sweet, fully-flavor-packed, Easy Spicy Honey Glazed Turkey is for you! Photo Credit:www.keepingthepeas.com Roasted acorn squash is filled with a gluten-free wild rice stuffing with flavors of carrots, red pepper, celery, and onions. This vegan stuffed acorn squash makes an excellent vegan main dish for your Thanksgiving dinner, Photo Credit:www.thisolemom.com Oven Roasted Cajun Turkey takes 3 ½ hours to bake which means you’ll have plenty of time to prepare side dishes or decorate the family dinner There is always room for dessert on Thanksgiving even if you are bursting! These recipes feature all the classic Fall flavors, but are super easy to make. Photo Credit:drivemehungry.com The ultimate pumpkin chocolate chip muffins filled with cream cheese swirls and topped with crunchy cinnamon streusel! The best pumpkin chocolate chip muffins to make this season! Photo Credit:celebratingsweets.com Maple Pecan Pie Bars made with a brown sugar shortbread crust and a gooey maple pecan filling. Photo Credit:www.mygorgeousrecipes.com Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and Butterscoth Sauce, an exquisite Fall dessert for your Thanksgiving dinner. Easy to make, beautifully moist and a big hit with the whole family. Photo Credit:whiskitrealgud.com A Classic favorite Thanksgiving favorite! You and your family will love this faster version. Photo Credit:www.orchidsandsweettea.com These Delicious Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bites are an awesome rendition of traditional Southern pecan pie except for the velvety texture of cheesecake. Can't forget the drinks during the holiday season. Some fun alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks great for parties! Photo Credit:practicallyhomemade.com A little bit of spirits…a little bit of fizz…a whole lot of fall flavors, this drink is made for Thanksgiving. Photo Credit:thetoastykitchen.com Slow Cooker Mulled Wine, or spiced wine, is a traditional holiday alcoholic beverage. Served warm, mulled wine is filled with seasonal spices like cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. Photo Credit:www.flavourandsavour.com Celebrate the season with this simple Cranberry Apple Cider Sangria flavoured with fresh cranberries and apples. This one is a crowd-pleaser for any season! Photo Credit:www.cravethegood.com Perfect for the kiddos and adults! A deliciously unique pumpkin pie recipe made with 3 simple ingredients for a flavor punch that's anything but!Easy Thanksgiving Recipes
Appetizers
Ritz Bites with Ham, Brie and Cranberries
Sausage Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip
Everything Bagel Cheese Ball Bites with Bacon
Simple Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms
Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip: No-Bake Dessert Appetizer
Side Dish
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
Cheddar Cheese Biscuits Recipe
Simple Apple Sage Stuffing
Eggplant Gratin With Feta Cheese
Spinach Apple Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction & Cranberries
Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Cauliflower Mac & Cheese with Kale and Sausage
Moroccan Carrots
Dreamy Mashed Potatoes with Butternut Squash
Main Course
Herb Roasted Turkey with Classic Pan Gravy
Cranberry Orange Glazed Ham
Easy Spicy Honey Glazed Turkey
Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash
Oven Roasted Cajun Turkey
Desserts
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cream Cheese & Streusel
Pecan Pie Bars - Celebrating Sweets
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Southern Sweet Potato Pie (The fast way)
Delicious Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bites
Drinks
Cider Sangria Spritzer
Slow Cooker Mulled Wine - The Toasty Kitchen
Cranberry Apple Cider Sangria
How To Make The Best Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
