Thanksgiving Recipes

A few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes may not be the most traditional, but they are all impressive on any holiday table, and most importantly they taste amazing.

Ever since my brother and I bought my grandparent’s house almost ten years ago, we’ve been in charge of hosting holidays. My aunt Diane calls it the “Santa” clause in our contract to buy the house from our dad, aunts and uncles. We got a great deal, but we’re in charge of hosting Christmas (along with Thanksgiving and a handful of other holidays). But my brother and I actually love to cook and host, so this deal worked out perfectly for us. And as we’ve done every year for the past decade, we’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year.

However, this year we’re expecting a pretty huge crowd of almost 30 people. So to take a lot of the pressure off of us, we’re asking everyone to bring something. That means that we’re not actually cooking much ourselves. I’m doing stuffing and sweet potatoes, and my brother is doing the turkey and creamed spinach. But since I have a huge arsenal of recipes that would be perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, I’ve decided to share those recipes with you all. Weather your cooking Thanksgiving dinner yourself or bringing a dish to someone else’s house, one of these appetizers, sides or dessert recipes would be the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving table.

APPETIZERS/ANTIPASTO

Appetizers are probably my favorite part of any meal, especially on a holiday. But despite that fact, I don’t usually cook appetizers for Thanksgiving. Usually my dad will bring a whole bunch of meats and cheeses to make a huge antipasto platter, and my uncle Mick will make some kind of hot appetizer (in the past he’s done meatballs, garlic knots, or one-bite pastas). But because I love apps so much, I often cook them for myself in lieu of dinner. So I’m linking a few of the app recipes that I’ve made myself for quick dinners, but feel fancy enough for the Thanksgiving table.

Grilled nectarines and burrata definitely have a summertime feel, but I think that they’re perfect as a holiday appetizer. They’re so simple to make, can be prepped in advance, and still feel fancy. This Brie with cherry onion compote is another dish that feels fancy. And it screams “holiday” with the addition of cherries. Roasted fennel with mascarpone and date syrup also epitomizes “holiday” by using sticky and sweet date syrup. Plus, roasted fennel is seriously underrated in terms of flavor and ease. And if you’re like my family and love an antipasto board, these spicy garlic roasted peppers will be the perfect addition.

THANKSGIVING SIDES

Of course no Thanksgiving table is complete without sides. In fact, if apps weren’t my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner, it would most definitely be the sides. And while the recipes below might not be the most traditional Thanksgiving sides, they’re unbeatable in terms of flavor.

The humble potato is probably my personal favorite Thanksgiving side, so I’m including not one but two potato recipes on this list. The creamiest cheesy mashed potatoes are the ultimate mashed potato recipe. And after you try them you’ll never want to make mashed potatoes in any other way. And then, just in case that’s not enough potato for you, you can try these rosemary potato latkes. After Thanksgiving and Hanukkah fell at the same time about ten years ago, latkes have become a staple on my Thanksgiving table. And in this recipe, I combine my Italian and Jewish heritages by including rosemary in the latkes and serving them with lemon mascarpone.

If you’re tired of potatoes but want to try a potato-ish recipe, these baked parmesan truffle fries are one of my favorite healthy French fry alternatives. And since no table is complete without bread, you can try my Dad’s jalapeno and sausage bread. It’s the perfect way to jazz up and otherwise simple loaf, and is incredibly flavorful.

DESSERT

If I’m being totally honest, I don’t usually make dessert for Thanksgiving. I’m not a huge sweets baker, and I know that most bakeries will make a way better dessert than I ever could. But I do have a few dessert recipes that might not be the most traditional for Thanksgiving, but might give everyone at your table a much-needed break from pie.

These coconut peanut butter apple slices are super easy to prep in advance, and they taste like cookies while still being healthy for you. And if you’re still in the mood for apples, these mini thousand layer apple pies are my favorite apple pie alternative. They may take a bit of time to make (there’s a lot of apple slicing involved), but they’re much simpler to make than a pie because they utilize frozen puff pastry dough. And they really are one of the creamiest, gooiest apple pies I’ve ever had.

Getting away from the more traditional apple desserts of Thanksgiving, I have my lemon ricotta fig cake and this red wine and balsamic peach compote. I’m happy to include the compote on this list because it’s so versatile. You can put it out with pretty much any other dessert your serving, from ice cream to pie to cake. And speaking of cake, this lemon ricotta fig cake may not contain the most typical fall flavors (although I do consider fresh figs an early-fall flavor because that’s when they ripen), but it is a light and fresh dessert that will complement an otherwise heavy meal.

I hope that these recipes have given you some inspiration for your own Thanksgiving tables, and I hope that everyone out there has a very happy Thanksgiving filled with friends and family and love!