Discover all the components of a typical Thanksgiving Dinner and try our amazing recipes for mains, sides and desserts
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!
Appetizers… or not?
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.

Turkey tips
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.

Super stuffing
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?
Or for a Southwestern twist – green chile cornbread stuffing

Potato dishes
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
Vegetable sides
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
We also recommend serving a Thanksgiving veggie tray as part of your holiday table to bring some variety to your options!

While thinking about cranberry sauce, you can go classic or jazz it up:
Delectable desserts
Pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie are generally big hits for Thanksgiving, but you can step these flavors up with these luxurious Thanksgiving desserts:
