Thanksgiving Menu

in Holiday Favorites, Menus, Recipe Collections, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

You know what today is, right? Only 44 shopping days left ’til Christmas! As if you weren’t stressed enough, trying to figure out where everyone and their +1 is going to sit and then realizing that with each dish broken over the last year, you moved closer and closer to hosting Thanksgiving on paper plates.

Our menu is set! I mean, you know, mostly. I’m always on the look for the next new great side dish. I’m still debating between a classic baked mac & cheese or a fancier one that uses goat cheese.

And after I typed that, I’m not even sure why it’s still up in the air 🙂

If you’re still working on yours and need a little inspiration, I’ve pulled together some of our fall favorites and the greatest hits from our holiday menus over the last few years.

Items marked * are on our menu this year. Probably. Almost definitely.

Drinks
*Cranberry Margaritas
*And the usual drink selection (wine, water, sweet tea)

Appetizers
*Baked Brie en Croute with Orange Cranberry-Apple Sauce
Goat Cheese Phyllo Purses
*Veggie plate and Homemade Ranch Dressing for dipping

Soup & Salad
*Fall Salad with Roasted Pears, Cranberries, and Blue Cheese
Butternut Squash Soup

Main dishes
Roasted Turkey with Citrus and White Truffle Butter
Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic-Cranberry Sauce
*Garlic and Citrus Roasted Turkey (the drippings make a wonderful citrusy gravy)
Roast Pork with Pears and Caramelized Onions

Side dishes
*Dad’s Baked Beans
Butternut Squash Orzotto
*Baked Macaroni & Cheese
*Homemade Cranberry Sauce
*Roasted Chestnut and Sausage Dressing
*Thyme-Roasted Carrots with Goat Cheese
Grilled Sweet Potato Rounds with Maple Vinaigrette
Roasted Green Beans
*Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Wedges with Bacon Vinaigrette

Breads
Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread (round loaves)
*Soft Dinner Rolls with Black Pepper & Rosemary

Desserts
Pecan Pie Bars
Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Pecan-Pumpkin Tart
*Southern-Comfort Apple Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
*Apple Dumplings
*Pecan Pie

15 comments… add one
  • Wow that is quite the impressive menu!! You must have quite a few people coming!

  • This menu looks amazing! I found several things to bookmark that I haven’t before seen on your blog like the roasted green beans. I love roasted vegetables but never tried green beans that way. Can’t wait to try them!

  • Curse you for reminding me about Christmas!!!…or bless you. I can’t decide. So many of these recipes sound heavenly. You’re going to have an awesome Thanksgiving!

  • What a great round-up, your menu looks awesome! I will be headed to my parents for Thanksgiving so I will make something small, I can’t wait to host my own one day 🙂

  • Liz Parker

    You are so awesome! I have yet to nail down my menu and I was gonna go searching here and on Annie’s site. You have saved me so much work. Blessings to you and yours and happy holidays.

    • Thanks, Liz! Have fun planning your menu! And Annie’s blog is always stop #1 for me, too 🙂

  • What an impressive menu! I wish I could go! I will not be making half your list. I always serve mac and cheese too at Thanksgiving. It is very popular. I think classic mac and cheese is the way to go!

  • well I’m glad ONE of us has her menu planned! I say go with the goat cheese…I love that stuff.

  • Erin @ Cooking on Whim

    Sounds fabulous! When should I show up?? haha 🙂

  • Greeeat ideas! I can’t wait to host my own Thanksgiving- but I’ll have to use some of these dishes to take to Grandma’s this year!

  • Wow that’s so much variety, how many days it take to prepare? I’ve never celebrated Thanksgiving, so this is massive feast 🙂 and I thought Chinese have massive feast 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!

    • I prep as much as possible the night before – chop all veggies, cut the bread for the stuffing, and assemble any ‘casserole’ style dishes – and most desserts can be made and baked the night before. Everything’s ready in time for a 1pm lunch on Thanksgiving Day!

  • Thanks for all the great ideas! I had never seen the phyllo purses before. What a great appetizer for a wedding shower or girl’s night. Somehow I don’t think the men in my life would appreciate the adorable presentation.

  • Can you believe I still don’t know if we are hosting this year or not? I think I’ll make a menu anyway, just in case. Or, just default to this one. Yeah, I think I like that idea. 🙂

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