For the past few Thanksgivings, I’ve become more adventurous in the dishes I make for the holiday (just don’t ask me to make a whole turkey please; I’m not there quite yet!).
Whether you’re celebrating at home or with friends and extended family this year, I’ve curated a handful of my favorite easy and delicious dishes that will make everyone fight over who gets to take the leftovers home!
I absolutely love creamy mashed potatoes, but I love pumpkin and squash even more. Combining the two is a match made in heaven as far as I’m concerned.
I like that this recipe cuts the heaviness of potatoes with silky butternut squash puree. It adds texture and a slightly more interesting flavor than regular potatoes alone. Plus, when you pipe them out and bake them, they look like they took a ton of skill and effort (but it really only takes about 15 minutes).
This recipe is also vegan/vegetarian friendly!
In my opinion, baked mac and cheese is a staple of any good Thanksgiving meal. To keep my clothes fitting properly, though, I try to limit my serving sizes (it’s hard!). One of my favorite ways to pre-portion foods is to make miniature versions in a muffin tin. (This is also a great way to make COVID-friendly side dishes.)
This mac and cheese recipe is simple, cheesy and delicious, especially with that golden cheddar crust on top. If you want to make it a little more festive, you can sub in ¼ cup of pumpkin puree to amp up the creamy fall flavor.
What would we do without Martha Stewart to save us from a boring Thanksgiving meal? Making pizza would have never occurred to me as a Thanksgiving potluck addition, but as soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it.
I also like that you have the option to make your own dough or just use store-bought. That makes it easy to whip up a big batch of these pizzas with minimal effort.
The recipe calls for mozzarella and ricotta, but you can easily swap these for vegan cheese alternatives to make this dairy-free!
I’ll be honest. As much as I love stuffing, sweet potatoes, and all of the other delicious carbs of the season, sometimes I just really want a big, tasty salad.
This fall salad is filling, flavorful, and absolutely perfect. It mixes squash, chickpeas, cranberries and a melange of spices with a creamy, zesty maple tahini dressing for an easy, amazing side dish.
While the recipe calls for feta crumbles, you can always omit them or leave them on the side for a hearty, vegan-friendly meal.
Homemade cranberry relish is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving, so combining a tangy cranberry sauce with Brie? Perfection. These are great as an addition to the main meal or as a less-sweet option on the dessert table.
The recipe calls for store-bought cranberry sauce, but I prefer to take a little extra time to make my own!
I switch between the New York Times cranberry relish recipe, which is a five-minute miracle dish, or the equally quick and tasty cranberry sauce from Damn Delicious. You can make it in a slow cooker, Instant Pot or on the stove.
