Everything you need to throw a ridiculously delicious Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family! Matching dinnerware totally optional.
Kyle and I have a jam-packed holiday season this year, and I’m not complaining about it! We’re headed to my family’s house on Thanksgiving day and his family’s house the day after, so we get two T-day dinners in a row. This is livin’, baby.
And a week and a half later, once we’ve had some time to recuperate, we’re hosting our own Friendsgiving with all our closest pals at our apartment! I’ve been looking for an excuse to put the leaf in my dining room table and cook a giant meal, so this is it. Some of our friends are bringing additional sides and desserts, but this is everything I’ll be making on the big day!
Pomegranate Spritzers by Cooking Light
It isn’t a party if you don’t have a pre-batched cocktail to hand your guests before they even take off their shoes. I spied these festive cuties in the final print issue of Cooking Light (*sniffle*) and I knew I had to make ’em! Served, of course, in cutesy mismatched glassware to round out the homey, cozy vibes.
Prosciutto, Fig & Goat Cheese Crisps (by me!)
There are two types of people in this world: Those who eat absolutely nothing all day on Thanksgiving, so as to save themselves for the giant meal, and those who know that a small snack will actually prime their stomach to receive AS MUCH STUFFING AS POSSIBLE. I fall into the latter camp. Plus, I can’t cook a whole meal when I’m hangry. These are the perfect easy appetizer, especially when you serve it up on a cheese board and let your guests assemble their stacks themselves.
Herb-Roasted Turkey by What’s Gaby Cooking
As a semi-vegetarian, I cannot claim to be an expert at whole-animal cooking. But this turkey looks so delicious and user-friendly, I just might be able to pull it off. I prefer dry-brining my birds, partially because I think it works better than wet-brining, and partially because I can’t fit a turkey-sized tub of liquid in my refrigerator.
Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes by Ambitious Kitchen
I’m just a gal with one smallish oven, four burners, and a dream. While everything else is simmering away on the stovetop, these taters will be doing their thang, completely unsupervised, in the Crock Pot. When it’s time for dinner, WHAM-O! Perfectly creamy mashed potatoes, hot ‘n ready to go.
Simple Is Best Dressing by Bon Appetit
They call it dressing, I call it stuffing, but whatever you wanna call it, it’s my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. I grew up eating Stove Top, and those flavors are still the absolute best in my eyes. This is just like Stove Top, all grown up. Perfectly herby, savory and delicious.
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan-Oat Streusel by Ambitious Kitchen
This is new territory for me. I’m gonna say something and you have to promise not to judge me. I’ve… never had sweet potato casserole. My family usually roasts our sweet taters to balance out the creaminess of the regular mash. Kyle, though, is partial to sweet potato casserole, so I decided to meet him in the middle with this delicious dish. Toasted pecans on the side to accommodate for nut allergies, y’all.
The Creamiest Green Bean Casserole by Budget Bytes
I do not care how much I talk about healthier options. Green bean casserole just isn’t the same without French’s fried onions from a can. I’ve tried making my own fried onions, believe me. First of all, frying onions when I have a billion other things going on is the last thing I want to do. Second of all, you just can’t beat their salty, crispy goodness when they come straight from the can.
Fall Harvest Kale Salad (by me!)
Call me crazy, but I think there needs to be something light and green to balance out all the butter and carbs on your Turkey Day plate. A crisp, seasonal salad serves as the perfect palate-refresher between gravy-covered bites. Bonus: You can prep this baby the night before so it’s ready to go the day of.
Easy Cranberry-Grape Sauce by Cooking for my Soul
I was today years old when I realized that some people put their cranberry sauce on their turkey. THAT IS A JOB FOR GRAVY, PEOPLE. But whether you’re team sauce or team side, tart pops of cranberry are absolutely necessary to add balance and acidity to an otherwise beige plate. My friend Tania’s recipe adds grapes for a touch more sweetness.
Vegan Salted Caramel Apple Tart by Hot for Food
Because dessert is, without question, one of the most important parts of Thanksgiving. I’ll be making the crust nut-free by subbing in a quick and easy vegan pie dough. No one’s gonna complain about this beauty being vegan — as a matter of fact, they probably won’t even realize it.
