Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it is one of my favorite holidays to host! After skipping 2020, I am excited to get to take the holiday back this year and put it together. On our biggest year, we hosted almost 50 people and did 3 turkeys! This year, we are just under 10 and I am just as excited. I have tried both traditional and non traditional recipes and made a few tweaks to some. Check out the best Thanksgiving recipes I have put together over the years.
Appetizers
I am personally a sucker for baked brie (or really any brie) and love putting a seasonal twist on this. Here are a few versions that are delicious and simple!
Pecan Raspberry Baked Brie En Croute – A great recipe with step-by-step instruction and even a video! **Tip: If you want to keep the cheese from oozing out of folds while baking, put it in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to baking.
Cranberry Brie Bites – I love anything that is individual servings for appetizers. I also love to substitute with fig jelly!
A couple of other (non-brie) favorites:
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Bread – This looks beautiful and can also travel if you are looking for something to bring with you. While the original slices the bread, I opt to serve it as more of a dip with extra bread and crackers on the side, trust me, there is enough dip to go around!
Let’s be honest, Thanksgiving is really ALL about the sides! From traditional to non-traditional (or a mix of both), we’ve got a recipe for you.
Traditional Stuffing – This recipe was a hit with both stuffing and non-stuffing lovers. If you are tired of the regular boxed mix, this recipe is simple and delicious. I tried it a few years ago and it has been a staple ever since. My only edit? I substitute fresh thyme for dried because it took way to long to strip on a busy Thanksgiving morning. Tastes great both ways!
Garlic Parmesan Mac & Cheese – Mac & Cheese is one of my favorites and whether this one makes it on your Thanksgiving table or not, it is definitely worth a try!
Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes – If we are a smaller group (like this year) I sometimes try to combo some favorites. What do I mean by that? I’m skipping mashed potatoes and mac n cheese (although I do love them) and going for this creamy, cheesy combo!
We know, you need a Turkey! And, in most homes, a ham is another must. We’ve added a couple others to include if you want.
Maple Bourbon Brined Roast Turkey – I’ll be honest, in my home the Turkey falls under my husband’s department and he uses the air fryer. But, another SoFlo mom shared this brine recipe was THE secret to her roast turkey!
Slow-Cooker Honey Glazed Ham – I actually looked this up one year as a solution for our office Thanksgiving party. It was the best way to have a warm ham at lunch without having to wake up at 3 am to bake or microwave reheat a large bone-in ham (which likely would not have been very good). Since, this has been a great option to keep the oven free for other sides and cut down on cooking time.
Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna – This was an AMAZING recipe that I decided to try out when we had a vegetarian guest one year. It was actually one of my favorite recipes I have tried and have made it on occasion for a flavorful fall dinner. **Note: this is not a Vegan recipe and contains egg, butter and cheese.
Smoked Lobster Mac N Cheese – This is one of my favorite smoker recipes and we try to fit it in as many meals as possible! If we have a large group and are looking for another ‘main dish’ this twist on the side is perfect! I have also added shrimp to this as well for a seafood mac-n-cheese. Not a seaood fan? Eliminate it and just make a smoked mac-n-cheese, you will not be dissappointed! It also reheats very well. We traveled to my sister in our RV last year and I made this ahead and froze it, baked it the morning of Thanksgiving and it still had all the amazing flavor!
Desert
Creme Brûlée Cheesecake – For the holidays, Cheesecake is my thing. I have made all different flavors and this twist on a classic is simple and tasty. It also makes a great base to add your own topping (skip the creme brûlée part and add your own!)
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding – This combines 2 delicious deserts into something really great! My husbands birthday is always right around Thanksgiving and he loves bananas so I made this in lieu of a birthday cake one year and it was a big hit!
Caramel Apple Crumble – Apple Pie is a classic on Thanksgiving and the crumble and caramel on this gives it a tasty twist!
Pumpkin Pecan Pie – With so many great classic pies, it can be hard to decide what to make. This gives you the best of both worlds and combines 2 favorites!
For these and more great Thanksgiving recipes, go to our Pinterest board. What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes? Let us know below or share your recipes with us on Pinterest!
Allison Vorcheimer 
