15 Thanksgiving Day Menus

Menu: Diner-style Thanksgiving

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.

Menu: Farm-to-feast Thanksgiving

This locavore menu celebrates heritage turkey, wild mushrooms, Ozette potatoes, and cranberries all grown in the West.

Menu: Thanksgiving on the beach

If the weather’s warm, take your holiday outdoors. The turkey cooks on the grill, and traditional side dishes get a Mexican Thanksgiving twist.

Menu: Five-star modern Thanksgiving

Time-saving techniques turn this sophisticated Thanksgiving menu into an easy to prepare feast for the modern family.

Butterfly and grill the turkey this year and it will be ready for the table in no time.

Menu: Traditional Thanksgiving 2.0

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.

Menu: Splendid vegetarian

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.

Menu:

• Spinach and Persimmon Salad
• Best Ever Roasted or Barbecued Turkey
• Triple Mushroom Dressing
• Gorgonzola Broccoli Casserole
• Baked Cranberry-Ginger Chutney
• Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake

Divvy up the work with this mostly portable Thanksgiving meal. The Gorgonzola Broccoli Casserole is always a hit.

Menu:

• Guajillo-Tamarind Turkey
• Spicy Pecans
• Cornbread-Chorizo Dressing
• Roasted Poblano Gravy
• Chipotle-Corn Mashed Potatoes
• Cauliflower Gratin with Queso Cotija
• Garlic Green Beans with Manchego
• Chile-Spiced Sweet Potato Tamales
• Ancho Chile Pumpkin Pie

All the traditional favorites with a spicy, Southwest flair. You’ll love the Cornbread-Chorizo Dressing and Chipotle-Corn Mashed Potatoes.

Menu:

• Autumn Vegetable Ragout with Soft Polenta
• Roasted Beets with Orange Vinaigrette
• Celery Root Salad
• Warm Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Apples
• Cranberry-Pear Crisp

This colorful and festive vegetarian meal showcases the season’s harvest.

Menu:

• Ode-to-Chevre Brushcetta
• Wild and Mild Stuffed Mushrooms
• Squash Soup with Chili Puree
• Ojai Roast Turkey with Rosemary, Lemon, and Garlic
• Lemon-Rosemary Roasted Onions and Garlic
• Apricot, Wild Rice, and Bread Dressing
• Anise Pear-Cranberry Sauce
• Cumin-braised Brussels Sprouts
• Mashed Potato Cloud
• Tarte Tatin

This menu was inspired by a group of friends who loved to cook together. Each contributed a favorite dish to the fresh, abundant feast.

Menu:

• Brined Turkey with Cranberry Jus
• Sweet Potato-Banana Puree
• Cranberry-Orange Jewel Rice
• Pear-Cherry Pie with Almond Streusel

Fall fruits and nuts abound in this fresh, inventive twist on the classic Thanksgiving meal.

Menu:

• Guava-Lime Coolers
• Steamed Mahimahi Laulau
• Hawaiian-Portuguese Smoked Turkey
• Hawaiian-Portuguese Turkey Gravy
• Portuguese Sausage Dressing
• Okinawa Sweet Potatoes
• Green Salad with Papaya-Seed Dressing
• Coconut Pudding Triangles
• Macadamia Nut Tart

Coconut, papaya, and other island staples give the recipes in this Hawaiian Thanksgiving menu an exotic touch.

Menu:

• Mussels with Sausage and Thyme
• Mushroom Ragout
• Sweet Potatoes with Meringue
• Apple Bacon Cornbread Stuffing
• Juniper-and-Herb Roast Turkey
• Pine Nut Gravy
• Hazelnut Herb Salad
• Black Mission Fig Tart

This version of the classic feast is brimming with the Northwest’s bounty of hazelnuts, mushrooms, and fresh herbs.

Menu:

• Spicy Herb Roasted Nuts
• Romaine Salad with Mandarins and Asian Dressing
• Classic Roast Turkey
• Chardonnay Gravy
• Cornbread, Sausage, and Dried Fruit Dressing
• Trio of Peas with Pearl Onions
• Grandmother’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Julie’s Brandied Cranberry Sauce
• Jean’s Refrigerator Yeast Rolls

Rich colors and deep autumnal flavors shine in this rustic Thanksgiving meal.

Menu:

• Watercress and Orange Salad
• Roast Hens with Vegetable Hash
• Persimmon-Cranberry Tarts

Traditional turkey gets replaced with cornish game hens for a pared-down Thanksgiving dinner that’s perfectly suited for two.

Cheaper than the competition and induction-burner-compatible. 

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.

You’re going need that little juice groove. Made of antimicrobial maple, it’s handsome enough to use as a rustic serving platter. 

Sturdy and large enough to protect you from errant cranberry juice, spattering turkey fat, and spilled Pinot Noir.

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.

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.

The finishing touch your Thanksgiving feast needs might not be another pie—it might be one of these stylish and functional accessories.