Typical Thanksgiving Dinner

Celebrated in both the US and in Canada, Thanksgiving celebrates the harvest and blessings of the past year.

It is a time for families to come together and reflect on the year that has gone by, and what better way to do that is over a delicious meal? After all, a freshly cooked meal is love made visible!

A typical Thanksgiving dinner consists of succulent roasted turkey, aromatic stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, and best of all pie! 

There is quite a bit of debate over whether or not appetizers should be served at Thanksgiving, and while it isn’t traditional to do so, the more food the better – right?

If you do serve any appetizers, you may just want to keep them light so that your guests are not too full before your Thanksgiving dinner is served! Think along the lines of blanched vegetables with a homemade dip or perhaps a warming soup or fall salad. 

Let’s start with the star of the show – the turkey!

For a fabulous turkey, it is key that you brine it to help add flavor and keep it moist and juicy throughout the cooking process. After brining, you can roast your turkey to perfection.

Remember, before you carve your turkey, you should allow it to rest for about 20-30 minutes, so the meat absorbs all of those wonderful juices. 

While stuffing is a traditional side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, you don’t have to stick to the classic stuffing recipe! Why not try something a bit more daring and exciting to impress your dinner guests? 

Sourdough stuffing with cranberries and pecans 

Or for a Southwestern twist – green chile cornbread stuffing

The way you serve your potatoes at Thanksgiving can be quite a debatable topic!

Some families can’t resist whipping up some creamy mashed potatoes, whereas others may argue that scalloped potatoes or au gratin are better suited for Thanksgiving.

There isn’t a ‘correct’ way to serve potatoes at Thanksgiving, so, instead, you can have some fun and serve them up however you think is best! We have some great potato recipes perfect for Thanksgiving as they are impressive and delicious!

Streusel topped sweet potatoes

Instant pot candied sweet potato

Parmesan smashed potatoes

Buttermilk mashed potatoes  

We can’t forget the veggies! Green beans are normally a winner with Thanksgiving dinner, so here's our favorite green bean recipe as well as some other veggies you might like to try:

Instant pot green bean casserole

Maple roasted brussels sprouts with sriracha 

Slow cooker creamed spinach

Roasted acorn squash with cranberry sauce 

While thinking about cranberry sauce, you can go classic or jazz it up:

Bourbon ginger cranberry sauce

Instant pot cranberry sauce  

Pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie are generally big hits for Thanksgiving, but you can step these flavors up with these luxurious Thanksgiving desserts:

No bake pumpkin mousse cake with white chocolate

Pumpkin brownie trifle

Pumpkin pie turnovers

Pumpkin tiramisu

Vanilla sweet potato casserole