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Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

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Thanksgiving Dinner Menu! It’s a complete menu with everything you need to WIN the holiday and effortlessly host in your home!

easy thanksgiving day menu idea

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

We all need a little help in this department. Whether you have the same thing over and over or like to try new dishes each year, having a menu + game plan is critical for actually enjoying the day.

I’ve got seven recipes that are sure to make your day filled with thankfulness and generosity.

But, best of all, I’ve got a Game Plan for you down below that you can print off and use!

It’s got…

  • your grocery list
  • your timeline of what to make and do ahead of time
  • a few blank boxes for you to fill in (like guest list + seating arrangements, decor ideas, etc.).

Your Thanksgiving Game Plan will take all those little lists you make over the few weeks beforehand, and create one master list. ?

sweetpea lifestyle's game plan system

Several years ago, I put this list on Instagram, talking about how my plan for Friendsgiving was coming along.

Well, y’all. The internet went nuts!

“What is on your list?”

“Make me a copy of that list!”

“Wait, you do all of that while this is going on?!”

So, I created a printable version, complete with

thanksgiving menu plan

You can click and print each recipe below, but you can also purchase the Holiday Hostess Handbook that has all the recipes bundled together for you!

holiday hostess handbook

I definitely need a holiday helper! 

All in one printable guide filled with all the Thanksgiving Recipes, Cheat Sheets, and Tip Sheets you’ll need to host Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving in your own home!

Tons of recipes to choose from whether you’re hosting the actual Thanksgiving meal, or if you just need to host a holiday dinner of some kind – Holiday Hostess Handbook has you covered! Use code holiday for $10 off when you checkout!

If you’re nervous about hosting Thanksgiving, check out this How to Guide for Surviving Thanksgiving!

thanksgiving side dish recipe ideas

Let’s break down this Thanksgiving Dinner Menu:

grandma's roasted turkey

Grandma’s Roasted Turkey

This is the main attraction of the meal, it’s what people show up for!

Thanksgiving Day Turkey means there are leftovers, and you’ll definitely want to make Ross’s Leftover Thanksgiving Sandwich the next day.

It is so so good with cranberry mayo and the “moist maker” for which Monica Geller’s sandwich is known for!

Now, let’s talk about the side dishes…

These may be my favorite part of thanksgiving, it is what I show up for! You can prep most of these ahead of time, I’ll walk you through how:

the best mashed potatoes for thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes – there is a secret ingredient you’ll want to use!

You can read in the Mashed Potato recipe card how I make these ahead of time, and reheat them. It is SUCH a time-saver to make these on Monday or Tuesday, then bake on Thursday.

traditional thanksgiving dressing recipe

Grandma’s Thanksgiving Dressing

This is the one you can actually make ahead of time, but you can pull your bread, cut up the celery and onions, pre-mix the spice blend.

Have everything ready to go when you start cooking on Thursday.

What gives this thanksgiving dressing recipe it’s undeniable quality is the fresh, homemade turkey stock make the day of. And, you won’t believe how much butter is this recipe!

Spoonful of Pineapple Cheese Casserole

Pineapple Cheese Casserole

Pineapple Cheese Casserole can be made Tuesday or Wednesday ahead of time – and just bake on Thursday! It sounds like a gross experiment, but I have yet to find someone who didn’t like it!

Green bean bundles wrapped in bacon

Bacon-Wrapped Green Bean Bundles

You can definitely roast the green beans the day before, and then roll up into the bacon. Then, just bake in the oven to crisp everything up and slather the glaze on! Yum!

balsamic bacon brussels sprouts

Balsamic Brown Sugar Brussels Sprouts

I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen this recipe – it’s been a hit since 2013 when it was posted, hence the dumpy photo! 😉 But, quarter your sprouts, dice up your bacon, have everything ready to go to throw on the sheet pan as directed.

Before we get to dessert, head over to this Amazon list for everything you need to prep well for the big day!

apple pie

Apple Galette

Apple Galette can be made a couple of days ahead of time, and then just popped into the ovens after everything is turned off to warm. Be sure to serve with caramel sauce, vanilla bean ice cream, and whipped cream.

You can also pin this to your favorite Thanksgiving board!

easy thanksgiving day menu idea

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30 Comments

  1. Thanksgiving is a madhouse here! Thanks so much for sharing what can be made ahead. I’m adding those bacon wrapped bean bundles to my Thanksgiving menu!

  2. You had me at the Pineapple Cheese Casserole! One of my favorite recipes my grandma made was a pineapple cheese ball – your dish has to be on our Thanksgiving table this year!

  3. All these recipes are getting me so excited for Thanksgiving! I love seeing my family but for me, it’s all about the food.

  4. This is wonderful!! You took all the hard thinking out of Thanksgiving so we call all enjoy a relaxing, tasty day with friends and family! I love that you gave a delicious suggestion for leftover turkey sandwiches and I won’t forget the ‘moist maker’!

    1. Thank you, Beth! What a thoughtful comment. And no! Don’t forget the ‘moist maker!’ 😉

  5. This has me super excited for Thanksgiving! I love the make ahead mashed potatoes, I will try that out!

  6. I can’t find the link for the Thanksgiving Game Plan. It is referenced several times above, but I can’t find a link.

  7. Such a useful roundup post for taking the hassle out of Thanksgiving dinner. I am drooling over each recipe. I definitely would show up for the wonderful sides. Thanks for sharing.

  8. Now I’m so excited for Thanksgiving! All these recipes look absolutely delicious! I’m adding the Apple Galette to my list this year, I know it’ll be a hit!

  9. I want to make all of these!!! My favorite is the tart of course LOL! Thanks for such a great round up! Pinned it!

  10. Planning a Thankgiving dinner is always heck and planning two of them is even crazier…and I do it every year. One with my family and one friends-giving. It’s so important to a good game plan ahead of time, or you’ll end up going crazy the last minute.

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