Thanksgiving Day Menus That Are Far From Traditional
Feasts big and small celebrate the flavors of the West, from a traditional ranch feast to island fare and vegetarian delights.
Sunset Staff
We all like a traditional Thanksgiving, but why not incorporate someone else’s traditions into your own feast this year? Below, we have menus that bring flavors of Hawaii, the Northwest, Southwest, and Mexico to traditional dishes. We’ve even got a vegetarian menu, if you want or need to go further outside the canon this year. Will your guest list be too small for a whole turkey? We’ve got a menu built around Cornish game hen that makes a manageable amount of food for two. Whatever the circumstances of your gathering this year, these and other ideas will help you balance the traditional and novel to make it work.
This menu evokes classic American style with a modern Western twist: turkey sliders, fried green beans and shallot rings, pumpkin bourbon shakes, and mini pecan pies.
The traditional Thanksgiving menu gets an upgrade via flavorful ingredients that boost the holiday classics. Mascarpone Chive Mashed Potatoes and Cranberry Cointreau Sauce are sure to be perennial favorites.
6 /12Photography by Leigh Beisch; styling by Dan Becker
Thanksgiving is about much more than just turkey. This year, give thanks for the season’s rich bounty with this menu, featuring a recipe for Sweet-Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Spinach.
Traditional turkey gets replaced with cornish game hens for a pared-down Thanksgiving dinner that’s perfectly suited for two.
1 /7Courtesy of Made In Cookware
Made In Cookware’s Blue Carbon Steel Roasting Pan
Cheaper than the competition and induction-burner-compatible.
Made In Cookware's Blue Carbon Steel Roasting Pan, $139
2 /7Courtesy of Willams Sonoma
Shun Classic Blonde 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
Don’t bother with the single-purpose carving knife. Buy this chic, blonde, Pakawood-handled, Japanese-made chef’s knife that’s got all the ceremonial swagger but year-round usefulness.
Shun Classic Blonde 8-Inch Chef's Knife, $180
3 /7Courtesy of Sur la Table
John Boos Cutting Board
You’re going need that little juice groove. Made of antimicrobial maple, it’s handsome enough to use as a rustic serving platter.
John Boos Cutting Board, $110
4 /7Courtesy of Filson
Filson Tin Cloth Apron
Sturdy and large enough to protect you from errant cranberry juice, spattering turkey fat, and spilled Pinot Noir.
Filson Tin Cloth Apron, $125
5 /7Courtesy of OXO
OXO 9-Inch Pie Plate with Lid
Slightly deeper than competition, this updated version of the classic glass pie plate also comes with a handy domed lid that’ll protect even the loftiest cream pies.
OXO 9-Inch Pie Plate with Lid, $15
6 /7Courtesy of Amazon
OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Fat Separator
Gotta love a fat separator for easily discarding the lipids while tidily reserving the drippings (which have about 10 times the flavor of the turkey itself). Plus it doubles as a measuring pitcher you can use the rest of the year.
OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Fat Separator, $33
7 /7Courtesy of Anthropologie
How to Style Your Thanksgiving Table
The finishing touch your Thanksgiving feast needs might not be another pie—it might be one of these stylish and functional accessories.
Essential Thanksgiving Tools
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1 of 7Courtesy of Made In Cookware
Made In Cookware’s Blue Carbon Steel Roasting Pan
Cheaper than the competition and induction-burner-compatible.
Made In Cookware's Blue Carbon Steel Roasting Pan, $139
2 of 7Courtesy of Willams Sonoma
Shun Classic Blonde 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
Don’t bother with the single-purpose carving knife. Buy this chic, blonde, Pakawood-handled, Japanese-made chef’s knife that’s got all the ceremonial swagger but year-round usefulness.
Shun Classic Blonde 8-Inch Chef's Knife, $180
3 of 7Courtesy of Sur la Table
John Boos Cutting Board
You’re going need that little juice groove. Made of antimicrobial maple, it’s handsome enough to use as a rustic serving platter.
John Boos Cutting Board, $110
4 of 7Courtesy of Filson
Filson Tin Cloth Apron
Sturdy and large enough to protect you from errant cranberry juice, spattering turkey fat, and spilled Pinot Noir.
Filson Tin Cloth Apron, $125
5 of 7Courtesy of OXO
OXO 9-Inch Pie Plate with Lid
Slightly deeper than competition, this updated version of the classic glass pie plate also comes with a handy domed lid that’ll protect even the loftiest cream pies.
OXO 9-Inch Pie Plate with Lid, $15
6 of 7Courtesy of Amazon
OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Fat Separator
Gotta love a fat separator for easily discarding the lipids while tidily reserving the drippings (which have about 10 times the flavor of the turkey itself). Plus it doubles as a measuring pitcher you can use the rest of the year.
OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Fat Separator, $33
7 of 7Courtesy of Anthropologie
How to Style Your Thanksgiving Table
The finishing touch your Thanksgiving feast needs might not be another pie—it might be one of these stylish and functional accessories.