Delicious Thanksgiving Dinner Menu Ideas

Thanksgiving is nearly here! Thanksgiving is a very important holiday for many families. This national holiday is based on the pilgrim’s harvest meal in 1621.  It’s a time when people gather as a family, share laughs, play games, spend quality time together and eat really delicious food. In quite a bit of homes, moms will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner and I wanted to create a list of delicious Thanksgiving dinner menu ideas for moms who’d like to try something new.

If you are like me, you enjoy switching it up. I’ve cooked Thanksgiving Dinner for my family for the last several years and while I love all those nostalgic meals from my childhood, each year I’m looking to try a new dish. I enjoy incorporating new items into my Thanksgiving dinner menu! For me, it’s fun. Especially the desserts! I love baking most and having a chance to test out different recipes is great. Because it’s a holiday I also don’t worry about the sugar and calories. I simply enjoy the sweets! 

So, I created this list of menu ideas to help those moms who like switching it up and are looking for some new and delightful meal ideas for Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu – Main Dish Ideas 

I always decide first what the main dish(es) will be for my menu. Traditionally, Thanksgiving day includes a turkey or a ham. Without leaning too far from tradition, I have included some great options for your main dish. This year, I’m skipping the turkey, because I realize most people in my family don’t like it. So, this year I’m making honey ham (my usual) and roasted chicken legs as my main dishes.

1. Garlic & Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

This turkey recipe only takes 15 minutes to prep and 2 hours & 15 minutes to cook!

Ingredients: 

• 1 7-8 lb. whole turkey breast, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 2 lemons
• 1 whole head of garlic, cut in half crosswise (no need to peel)
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• A few sage leaves
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup water
• 1 onion, thinly sliced

For the full recipe, please click here to The Seasoned Mom.

2. Honey Baked Glazed Ham

Easy recipe with 30 minutes of prep and 2 hours & 30 minutes to cook!

Ingredients: 

• Spiral Ham, (8-10 pounds)
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 cup of water

For the full recipe, please click here to Love Bakes Good Cakes.

3. Garlic Herb & Butter Roasted Chicken

This chicken is only a quick 10 Minutes to prep and 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook!

Ingredients: 

•  4 pounds whole chicken, at room temperature giblets and neck removed from cavity*
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine, (OPTIONAL)
• 1 lemon, halved
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 head of garlic roughly peeled and cut in half horizontally through the middle crosswise
• 3 fresh whole rosemary sprigs

For the full recipe, please click here to Cafe Delites.

Additional Thanksgiving Main Dish Ideas:

English Honey Roasted Turkey

Deep Fried Rosemary Turkey

Tender Stuffed Cornish Hen

Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken legs 

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu – Side Dish Ideas 

After the main dish, I decide what side dishes I think would go best with that. Most of the choices I include below will go very well with most main dishes. I try for at least two sides, one being a vegetable and the other a starch. This year I am going with garlic mashed potatoes and garlic green beans.

1. Sausage Herb Stuffing

10 minutes to Prep and 55 minutes to cook this dish. 

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces of bread cut into 1-inch pieces (day-old bread if possible)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound sage pork sausage, or sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow or brown onions
• 1 cup chopped celery, from 2-3 stalks
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced 
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 egg lightly whisked
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries optional

Check out the full recipe on Cafe Delites, by clicking here.

2. Fluffy Cranberry Sauce 

This one takes only 5 minutes in total!!!

Ingredients: 

• 2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple tidbits, well-drained
• 1 (14 ounces) can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, well-drained
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 (8 ounces) carton Cool Whip, thawed

Visit The Seasoned Mom for the full recipe.

3. Garlic Mashed Potatoes

10 Min Prep & 25 min cook time

Ingredients:

• 8 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• 1 pinch of ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Check out this awesome recipe, by clicking here.

Additional Tasty Thanksgiving Side Dishes:

Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole 

Candied Yams

Baked Mac & Cheese 

Orange Cranberry Sauce – Only 15 minutes!

Garlic Sauteed Green Beans in just 13 minutes!

Green Bean Casserole

Southern Tuna Macaroni Salad

Southern Potato Salad

Sweet Honey Cornbread

Mashed Sweet Potatoes 

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu – Dessert Ideas 

The dessert is always my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. I enjoy baking and tasting all the delicious desserts. Because it’s a holiday, I don’t worry too much about calories. This year I am making fudge pecan brownies &  a pumpkin cake. I will also be having my mom’s delicious sweet potato pie!!! Have fun experimenting with these yummy Thanksgiving desserts!

1. Mom’s Easy Apple Pie

30 Minute prep and 40-minute cook time! 

Ingredients: 

2. Easy Pecan Pie 

Pecan pie preparation is 20 minutes with a 50 minute cook time!

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 9 inch unbaked pie shell
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves

For the full recipe by Tastes of Lizzy T, click here.

3. Caramel Apple Cheesecake 

This delightful recipe takes 40 minutes to prep and 50 minutes to bake. 

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 package (14 ounces) caramels
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1-1/2 cups chopped peeled apples
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Click here, for full recipe on Taste of Home.

Sweet Potato Pie 

Eggnog Pumpkin Pie 

Crust less Cranberry Pie 

Pecan Pie Brownie

Pumpkin Swirl Brownie 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirls 

Easy Pumpkin Bread 

Pumpkin Banana Bread 

Best Apple Crumb Cake 

Banana Pudding

Don’t forget your cocktails!

Spiced Cranberry Punch

This cocktail is a blend of cranberry juice, spiced rum, orange juice & lime.

Apple Cider Margarita 

This margarita contains tequila, lime juice, Cointreau, apple cider & cinnamon sugar.

Apple Butter Old Fashion

Quick drink made with apple butter, cider, orange bitters, lemon, bourbon and ginger beer.

Ginger Apple Moscow Mule 

5 minute recipe combining vodka, apple cider, apple butter, ginger, lime juice and ginger beer.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope these thanksgiving dinner menu ideas inspire a dish for your holiday meal!

For baby’s first thanksgiving outfits, please click here.

Thanks again. If you found this list helpful, please drop a comment.