Prepare a Thanksgiving dinner that your family and friends will love! Here’s a food list for Thanksgiving to help you plan out!
Thanksgiving dinner is a very important tradition. It’s all about giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest, having started way back with the Mayflower pilgrims.
If you remember your American history, the Mayflower pilgrims are founders of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. It is said that the first thanksgiving happened when the Mayflower pilgrims sat down for a three-day meal with the Wampanoag.
To commemorate this special holiday, we have the grandiose Mayflower parade. Then there are also lots of Thanksgiving football games. But the most important of all is where friends and family would gather to share a Thanksgiving dinner.
Henceforth, we have prepared this food list for Thanksgiving. It consists of various menus that will have something for everyone, no matter what their dietary preferences or culinary tastes are. We have included the major ingredients needed for each dish.
Check it out!
Traditional Thanksgiving Menu
If you prefer a dinner menu that features all-time favorite Thanksgiving dishes, then this food list is for you. All the essentials and favorites are here to give you a classic Thanksgiving feast!
Roasted herb turkey and gravy
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves
- Butter
- Carrot
- Celery
- Chicken stock
- Flour
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Onion
- Soy sauce
- Turkey
- Vegetable oil
Get the full recipe from Serious Eats!
Buttermilk mashed potatoes
Ingredients:
- Baking soda
- Buttermilk
- Freshly ground pepper
- Kosher salt
- Potatoes
- Unsalted butter
Check out the recipe from NY Times!
Green bean casserole
Ingredients:
- Black pepper
- Cheddar cheese
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Frozen cut green bean
- Milk
- Onions
- Seasoning salt
- Soy sauce
Visit Spend with Pennies for the full recipe!
Angel biscuits
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Buttermilk
- Regular or quick active dry yeast
- Salt
- Shortening
Drop by Betty Crocker to get the full recipe!
Cranberry sauce
Ingredients:
- Cinnamon stick
- Frozen cranberries
- Kosher salt
- Orange
- Sugar
- Zest
You can get the full recipe at Serious Eats!
Candied yams
Ingredients:
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Canned yams
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
The full recipe can be found at Love Bakes Good Cakes!
Pumpkin pie
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Ingredients:
- Eggs
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Dark brown sugar
- Ground cloves & ginger
- Ground nutmeg
- Heavy cream or evaporated milk
- Lemon zest
- Pie crust
- Pumpkin puree
- Salt
- White sugar
You can get the full recipe from Simply Recipes!
Vintage Thanksgiving Menu
This vintage thanksgiving menu will have you remembering the traditional meals you had when you were kids. This is definitely a meal plan that your grandparents will also approve of. Check out the following dishes and their ingredients!
Roast turkey
Ingredients:
- Dried oregano leaves
- Dried rosemary leaves
- Garlic salt
- Ground coriander & mustard
- Ground red pepper
- Olive oil
- Pepper
- Salt
- Turkey
- Unsalted butter
Want to know the recipe? Visit Pillsbury!
Cornbread dressing
Ingredients:
- Black pepper
- Bread
- Brown mushrooms
- Butter
- Celery
- Chicken stock
- Cornbread
- Fresh sage
- Fresh thyme salt
- Garlic
- Green bell pepper
- Oil
- Onion
- Parsley
- Sage pork sausages or chicken
The full recipe is available at Cafe Delites!
Slightly spicy cranberry mold
Ingredients:
- Fresh cranberries
- Ginger ale
- Granulated sugar
- Jalapenos
- Oil
- Salt
- Unflavored gelatin
Check out the full recipe at Imperial Sugar!
Yeast rolls
Ingredients:
- Active dry yeast
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Whole milk
Visit Spicy Southern Kitchen for the recipe!
Sweet potato casserole
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Eggs
- Evaporated milk
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Pecans
- Salt
- Sweet potatoes
- Vanilla extract
To get the recipe, visit Taste Better From Scratch!
Candied yams
Ingredients:
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Cinnamon
- Garnet or ruby sweet potatoes
- Ground ginger
- Kosher salt
- Orange juice
Get the instructions from Simply Recipes!
Sweet potato pie
Ingredients:
- Allspice
- Bourbon
- Brown sugar
- Coconut flakes (unsweetened)
- Eggs
- Evaporated milk
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Heavy whipped cream
- Kosher salt
- Marshmallow creme
- Pie crust
- Sweet potato
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract (pure)
Visit Well Plated for the full recipe.
Healthy Thanksgiving Menu
Looking for a low-calorie meal option?
Just because everything is lighter and healthier does not mean it can’t be delicious! Here is a healthy yet yummy food list for Thanksgiving that even the biggest foodie would approve of!
Healthy roast turkey crown
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves
- Honey
- Oranges
- Soy sauce
- Thyme sprigs
- Turkey crown
Check out this recipe from BBC Good Food!
Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients:
- Cauliflower
- Chives
- Garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
Visit Downshiftology for the instructions!
Turkey stuffed acorn squash
Ingredients:
- Acorn squash
- Cheese
- Fresh parsley
- Garlic
- Ground turkey
- Kale
- Oil
- Onion
- Pepper
- Rosemary
- Salt
- Tomato paste
Visit iFoodReal for the recipe!
Garlic green beans with parmesan
Ingredients:
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic
- Green beans
- Olive oil
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley
- Salt
Check out this yummy recipe from Cafe Delites!
Healthy roasted sweet potatoes
Ingredients:
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Sweet potatoes
Get this delicious recipe from Nyssa’s Kitchen!
Healthy pumpkin spice cake
Ingredients:
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Coconut oil
- Cream cheese
- Egg
- Flour
- Greek yogurt
- Maple syrup
- Milk
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Pumpkin puree
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
Learn how to make this healthy cake from Super Healthy Kids!
Casual Thanksgiving Menu
If you are not planning on a big Thanksgiving dinner, that does not mean that it should not be festive. This is a casual food list for Thanksgiving that will allow you and your small group to have a treat without getting the fussy meal-prep that takes up a lot of time and energy.
Smoked turkey breast
Ingredients:
- Black pepper
- Butter
- Dried rosemary, sage & thyme
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
- Turkey breast
Visit Sip Bite Go for the full recipe!
Cornbread dressing
Ingredients:
- Baked cornbread
- Butter
- Celery ribs
- Chicken or turkey broth
- Dried or fresh rubbed sage
- Dried thyme
- Eggs
- Fresh parsley
- Garlic cloves
- Onion
- Pepper
- Salt
Full instructions can be found at 31 Daily!
Southern sweet potato casserole
Ingredients:
- All-purpose four
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Milk
- Mini marshmallows
- Pecans
- Sugar
- Sweet potatoes
- Vanilla extract
Visit add a pinch for the full recipe!
Corn pudding
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Cornstarch
- Cream style corn
- Half and half
- Large eggs
- Nutmeg
- Vanilla extract
- White shoepeg whole kernel corn
- White sugar
Check out the full recipe from Tastes of Lizzy T!
Pan-roasted Brussel sprouts with bacon and shallots
Ingredients:
- Bacon
- Brussel sprouts
- Butter
- Parmesan cheese
- Pepper
- Salt
- Shallot
Visit Kylee Cooks for the yummy recipe!
Sweet potato pie
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon & nutmeg
- Milk
- Pie crust
- Sweet potatoes
- Vanilla extract
Create this recipe from Simply LaKita!
Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Menu
If you’re planning to be out all morning watching the parade or a football game, then you probably will not have enough time to run errands and prepare a good Thanksgiving meal.
Don’t worry! We got you covered with this Make-Ahead food list for Thanksgiving, so you can host and still not miss out on the day’s festivities!
Make-ahead roasted turkey breast
Ingredients:
- Cayenne pepper
- Dark brown sugar
- Dried bay leaves, sage & thyme
- Fresh parsley leaves
- Kosher salt
- Lemon zest
- Paprola
- Turkey
- Turkey stock or chicken broth
- Unsalted butter
- Whole black peppercorns
Check out Food Network for the full recipe!
Make-ahead turkey gravy
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Turkey fat
- Turkey stock
Visit Simply Recipes for the instructions to pull this off!
Slow cooker brisket
Ingredients:
- Beef brisket
- Fresh thyme
- Ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Light brown sugar
- Onion soup
Get the full recipe from The Pioneer Woman!
Make-ahead whipped sweet potatoes
Ingredients:
- Cayenne pepper
- Ground allspice
- Ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- Pecan nuts
- Scallions
- Sweet potatoes
- Unsalted butter
To create this wonderful dish, visit Food Network for the recipe.
Make-ahead creamy mashed potatoes
Ingredients:
- Chives
- Heavy cream
- Russet potatoes
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
Check out this incredibly easy recipe from Once Upon a Chef!
Make-ahead cranberry sauce
Ingredients:
- Allspice
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Fresh cranberries
- Ginger
- Regular sugar
- Orange juice
- Orange marmalade
Visit Major Hoff Takes a Wife for the full recipe!
Roasted butternut squash soup
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Butternut squash
- Carrot
- Celery stalk
- Chicken broth
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme
- Kosher salt
- Onion
- Potatoes
Visit Delish for the recipe!
No-bake pumpkin cheesecake
Ingredients:
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Dark brown sugar
- Full-fat cream cheese
- Ginger
- Gingersnap cookie crumbs
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Heavy cream or heavy whipped cream
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Pumpkin puree
- Pure vanilla extract
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
Get the full recipe from Sallys Baking Recipes!
Plan your Thanksgiving menu now!
There is no doubt that planning a Thanksgiving Menu, no matter how many people, takes a lot of serious work. Expectations are quite high with every Thanksgiving turning out to be a reunion and homecoming of some sorts for most families. The pressure is real and we understand your quest to fill the tummies of your guests and impress them!
With these menu ideas above, you will surely be able to impress everyone and claim your crown as hostess of the year!
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