It is time to finalize your Thanksgiving menu and start early shopping while you still can find what you need. Here are some of my favorite recipes. As always, all recipes are easy to make and have complete step-by-step photo instructions.
While I love Thanksgiving, the amount of work can be overwhelming. So let's get our plan started. First, how many dinners and how many leftovers do you want?
And second, how much time and energy do you have? Some super planners out there will pull everything off from scratch. I'm not there; honestly, I don't want to be. I have X amount of time and energy and will put it where it does most good.
Our smaller holiday feast is very traditional, with a Roasted Turkey Breast, Sausage Stuffing, and Sweet Potato Casserole.
🦃Turkey and More
Since this is cooking for two, we usually start with a turkey breast, not the whole bird. And you can do two if you need more. Other options are provided.
Roasted Turkey Breast—The Easy Way
Don't be intimidated by cooking a turkey breast. This simple Roasted Turkey Breast recipe has crispy skin with moist, tender meat. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday dinner.
Small Crock Pot Honey Glazed Ham
Small Crock Pot Honey Glazed Ham will enhance a small boneless ham with pineapple, honey, and spices to make a great holiday main dish—perfect for a small household.
Small Ribeye Roast
Ribeye roast is a classic main entree for special meals. A ribeye roast is Prime Rib without the bone, making it easier to cook and scale to the right size at home.
Turkey Tenderloin with Gravy
Use this Turkey Tenderloin Recipe for moist and tender turkey with gravy. A brief pan searing on the stove finishes by roasting in the oven.
Grilled Turkey Breast
Grilled Turkey Breast is amazingly easy. Moist, tender, and flavorful—perfect for smaller gatherings or Thanksgiving. Add the optional Brown Sugar rub for even more flavor or seasoning of your choice.
🍠Side Dishes
Side dishes make the meal. Every family has its traditions, so here are ours.
How to Make Gravy—Quick and Easy
Learn to make the best homemade gravy from scratch with these easy instructions. With or without pan dripping, you can have perfect gravy in about 10 minutes with either a roux or flour slurry. The same techniques can be used to thicken most liquids.
Easy Sausage Stuffing
Our family's favorite sausage stuffing with herbs and savory sausage makes the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving turkey or other large feasts. This smaller recipe fits our current lifestyle, but it is easy to increase for a larger holiday feast. Or make this delicious and easy side dish for everyday meals.
Green Bean Casserole Without Mushroom Soup
Now you can enjoy a delicious green bean casserole without the mandatory can of soup. Just green beans, a simple homemade sauce, and a topping of your choice will give you a new appreciation for this classic Thanksgiving side dish.
Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole with a pecan topping (or a marshmallow topping) has become a traditional holiday classic. This sweet family favorite can be made ahead with the easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions.
Broccoli Slaw Salad
Broccoli slaw salad is a healthy side dish with veggies, crunchy almonds, sunflower seeds, rice noodles, and topped with a wonderful homemade dressing.
🍞Bread
I do love great bread. Here are some easy homemade choices—except the Julia Child's bread, but it is worth the work.
Quick and Easy Yeast Dinner Rolls
These Quick and Easy Yeast Dinner Rolls are golden brown with a buttery crust and tender inside. Perfect for holiday meals or your family dinner.
Lunch Lady Rolls—Smaller Version
Old fashioned 60s school Lunch Lady Rolls, those wonderful hot rolls everybody loved in the cafeteria, can now be made with this smaller recipe mixed by hand or in a stand mixer.
Julia Child's French Bread - Simplified
Julia Child's French Bread recipe is the ultimate crusty artisan French bread. An excellent round bread, simplified to the essentials to get it done with less fuss. While speed was not a goal, it was 5 hours from the start to the cooling rack.
Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls
These soft, homemade Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls are perfect for everyday or special dinners. Vary the amount of whole wheat flour to your taste and add a touch of honey—quick to make in about an hour.
🥧Desserts
We must have something sweet to finish the feast. Here are some easy treats.
Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake
Learn how to easily make a Pumpkin Cheesecake without a water bath with pumpkin pie spice mix, pumpkin puree, cream cheese, and eggs. No water bath is needed to avoid cracks with just a few simple tips.
Philadelphia Cheesecake Recipe—Vanilla or Chocolate Chip
Philadelphia Cheesecake Recipe is a creamy, decadent dessert but is an easy recipe to make as classic vanilla or with mini chocolate chips—it will become your signature dessert.
Easy Apple Cake
Easy and delicious, this moist apple cake is bursting with cinnamon apple flavor. An old fashion cake like grandma would make with only a few pantry ingredients and your favorite fresh apples.
Apple Berry Crumble—Quick & Easy
A quick and easy version of an old-fashion apple crumble even the beginner can make. Go the easy route with frozen berries and pie filling, or use fresh berries and apples. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect company dessert or a family favorite.
Easy Homemade Apple Crumb Pie—Quick to Make
An everyday apple pie you will make over and over for the family. A refrigerated crust takes most of the work out of this homemade pie. Add a few fresh apples and some seasoning, and finish with an easy-to-make crumb topping. And you will be making this pie over and over.
Easy Crock Pot Apple Crisp
Celebrate fall and apples with this easy classic dessert with juicy cinnamon apple filling with a sweet buttery and crispy oat crust. Great for the smaller households but easy to double for larger families. You need 10 minutes of prep time, a few ingredients, and your slow cooker.
Easy Cheesecake Bars
These Easy Cheesecake Bars are creamy and delicious with a Graham cracker crust and lemon—the quick small-batch recipe you need with great tasting cheesecake bars.
🍬Candy
Time to get into the holiday spirit and give some love to those you care about.
Easy Oreo Fudge
This super Easy Oreo Fudge recipe has only 4 ingredients and is packed with great flavor. It will melt in your mouth with chunks of Oreo cookies in sweet white chocolate fudge.
Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Chocolate peanut clusters are the best candy treat and are super easy to make at home in your crock pot. Lightly salted peanuts covered with sweet chocolate coating make the perfect gift, or keep them all for yourself—you can always make more with this smaller recipe.Only a few ingredients.
Crock Pot Fudge
Let's make some great fudge with this super-easy recipe using the gentle heat of your crock pot and only 4 ingredients. Have fun making fudge with your child or just by yourself. This chocolate fudge recipe is just what you need for the holidays.
Easy 5-Minute Chocolate Fudge
With only 3 ingredients, you can make the best chocolate fudge. This easy, foolproof 5-minute fudge with sweetened condensed milk never fails and makes perfect holiday gifts, party snacks, or just for you.
Candied Almonds or Other Candied Nuts
This easy roasted candied almonds recipe makes the perfect holiday gift and a great crunchy party snack. Or make some delicious candied mixed nuts or other nuts with only a few ingredients and minimal skill.
Food Safety
When I was still practicing medicine, I saw several kids with food poisoning—primarily minor after every major holiday. After only a few questions, the cause was almost always apparent and preventable with little care.
Thanksgiving Food Safety
Thanksgiving is coming up fast, and many of us will be cooking large feasts. While many experienced cooks will be cooking, a lot of inexperienced chefs will be hard at work, too. So for everybody, experienced or novice, let's take a few minutes to review relevant food safety and find some resources if needed.
Don't forget the dogs
Low-Fat Homemade Dog Treats—Healthy & Delicious
Low Fat Homemade Dog Treats are the perfect low-calorie treat for your dog. With only five ingredients, your dog will love the peanut butter and pumpkin taste. Much healthier than commercial treats—any veterinarian would approve.
Are you feeling like a bit of holiday shopping early? Check out the new Holiday Shopping section in THE SHOP.
Have a great Thanksgiving from
Wifo, Molly, Lilly, and DrDan
Editor's Note: Originally Published November 17, 2016. Updated yearly with current recommendations and discussion.
Elisabeth Wasslen
Hello Dr. Dan,
It isn't Thanksgiving here right now, being in Canada, but I want to say I hope you and your family and your beautiful dogs have a Happy Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for, including your blog. Life is good.
Jean Rawlings
Hi Dr. Dan,
You'll get a chuckle out of this..I wanted to make your recipe for Sweet potato Casserole before the big day Thanksgiving to see if my husband of 50 years would enjoy it. Well he whined a bit when I told him there were no marshmallows going on top. He offered a half a dozen times to go to the store and get some because he was certain it would be a total failure without them. He loved your recipe. He had seconds and is waiting for the left overs for dinner tonight.
Thank you..thank you!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Warmly
Jean Rawlings
DrDan
Thanks Jean,
You can feel free to change the topping but I want the nuts.
I'm republishing that recipe Sunday.
Have a good holiday.
Dan
Leslie
Thanks for posting your menu ideas, makes cooking a special dinner easier (keeps me from getting anxious) thank you Leslie
DrDan
Thanks Leslie,
Have a good holiday.
Dan
laurajay
Thanks Dr Dan, I always love the blog, recipes and pictures. Happy thanksgiving to you and your family.
DrDan
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Joan
How I use leftover turkey
This is not a recipe although I am sure it started as one and is how my family uses some leftover turkey. My family calls it High Turkey Sandwich. It is really a form of a club sandwich and I first had it at Gilmore's Tea Room in Kalamazoo, Michigan and I think it may have been served at Marshall Field's in Chicago.
So here is my non recipe which I would like to share with you. One slice of white bread, a slice of cheese, cold turkey meat, a slice of bread, bacon, tomato, lettuce, a slice of bread, slices of hard boiled egg, and to top it off, Thousand Island dressing made from mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish. Once, I ate the whole thing, but now I leave out the center slice of bread and can't really get through that.
You are welcome to make it into a recipe if you wish, Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
DrDan
Thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays.
Dan