Thanksgiving Recipes: 45+ easy and classic dinner ideas to enjoy this year

Roast turkey is the perfect holiday recipe to serve as main dish, it's just the showstopper you want on your table this season. This is an easy, fool-proof recipe to make the classic Thanksgiving dish being served during the holidays. It feeds a lot of people, making it the perfect meal for when the extended family comes over.

Spatchcock turkey takes the hassle out of roasting. There's no need to truss it, the turkey is easier to carve up, and you'll get outstanding results – crispy skin outside and moist, tender meat inside. It also cuts your cooking time in half. Removing the backbone is easy and means you'll be enjoying your turkey in just over an hour. It's so simple, you'll be wondering why you haven't spatchcocked a turkey sooner!

Whether you're making Thanksgiving dinner, holiday menu or cooking up a hearty pot roast, no dinner feast is complete without a side of buttery, creamy mashed potatoes. We can all agree that mashed potatoes go with virtually every dish, making them a fantastic side for any occasion.

It's Thanksgiving Day, and your table is set with a beautifully, delicious dishes. The only thing you need to complete your perfect Thanksgiving dinner? Turkey gravy, of course!

In many households, Thanksgiving means turkey, and turkey means stuffing. Loaded with fresh herbs, garlic, tender chopped celery, and onions, this buttery homemade stuffing might be the tastiest out there. Part crispy, part tender, homemade stuffing, also known as dressing, is wonderful with a beautifully roasted Thanksgiving turkey plus all the fixings.

Moist, tender, crumbly sausage cornbread stuffing is a must-have for any Thanksgiving dinner. Stuffing is a much-loved traditional Thanksgiving side dish that's easy to make and is packed with flavor. Sausage cornbread stuffing is herby, savory, with just a hint of sweetness thanks to the cornbread.

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a side of homemade cranberry sauce to dollop over your roast turkey. This classic Thanksgiving recipe is incredibly easy to make and even more delicious than the canned cranberry sauce you can find in stores. It also adds a fantastic sweet-tart flavor that's a perfect complement to all the savory items on the table.

While roast turkey is often the star of Thanksgiving dinner, it's the spread of side dishes that help make this holiday meal special. One classic side dish that no Thanksgiving dinner should be without is green bean casserole. It's made with its perfectly tender yet crisp green beans cooked in a rich, creamy mushroom sauce, and topped with crispy fried onions.

With its gorgeously creamy texture and crunchy, buttery pecan topping, sweet potato casserole is one of our favorite casseroles to whip up in the fall. It's a sweet, rich casserole that you can serve as soon as the leaves start falling off the trees.

Cornbread is a classic quick bread that's a staple in Southern cooking. No barbecue or cookout is complete without a plate of homemade cornbread. This tasty bread is popular all over the US, thanks to its wonderfully buttery, rich corn flavor and fluffy, moist texture.

These homemade dinner rolls make for an easy bread recipe—serve it as a warm side with any main dish, or enjoy it as a light brunch with your favorite spread. The small round loaves are also great for individual servings, or to pack in as lunch.

It’s fall season and that means it’s time for our favorite pumpkin desserts…homemade pumpkin pie! Pumpkin pie is an easy, traditional dessert recipe to make in fall and serve at Thanksgiving. Pumpkins are native to the American continent, but the method of making pumpkin pie traces its origins back to France and England. Today it’s a classic dessert in America which is a symbol of harvest time.

An old-fashioned pecan pie is always a welcome addition to any holiday gathering whether it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a festive party with your friends and family. Pecan pie is a classic Southern dessert with a sweet, salty, nutty flavor and chewy texture.

There's nothing like homemade apple pie. If you're looking to make the most of apple season this fall, this apple pie recipe is perfect for you. Made with perfectly sweet-tart Granny Smith apples tossed in sugar and cinnamon and baked in a homemade flaky pastry, this is one of the best apple pie recipes you'll ever try.

Cranberries are quite popular around this time of year. In the US, cranberry season stretches from September, through to January which means that fresh cranberries are abundant at Thanksgiving. Fortunately, thanks to food preservation processes, we can have cranberries right through the year in the form of cranberry sauce. In this recipe, we use it to make delicious Cranberry Pecan Brie Bites. It’s the perfect bite-sized appetizer for the holidays when you make a lot of cranberry sauce at home.

This recipe for Fried Mashed Potato Balls is an easy, bite-sized appetizer you can make with mashed potato leftovers. It's a great recipe to serve during the holidays, especially on Thanksgiving when you usually have a lot of leftovers. These Fried Mashed Potato Balls are crispy on the outside while being soft and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside.

Stuffed mushrooms are a classic, vegetarian appetizer recipe perfect to serve during parties and holiday dinners such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Super easy to make, you just need to stuff mushrooms with a mixture of smooth cream cheese, herbs, cheese and garlic.

Searching for an easy appetizer that's sure to impress your guests? Look no further than this incredible pumpkin cheese ball recipe! It's made with two types of rich, smooth, tangy cream cheese, crunchy red bell peppers, and spring onions, a splash of ranch dressing rolled in sharp cheddar cheese. Super creamy on the inside, this fantastic fall appetizer is not only delicious, it's sure to wow your guests.

Walnut raspberry baked brie is insanely easy to make, and tastes fabulous. It is the perfect appetizer recipe to serve during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. All you need is a round brie, you don't even need to take the rind off before baking because it will hold the cheese shape while melting. Top the brie with some raspberry jam, a handful of walnuts and brown sugar, then bake and enjoy still hot and creamy inside.

Bacon brie crescent wreath is a very tasty recipe, an appetizer you can serve during a party with family and friends. Very easy to make and assemble, it is a cheesy, savory crescent ring perfect for holiday season like Christmas.

This Turkey Fruit Platter is an easy and fun recipe to serve as an appetizer for kids. It’s fun, healthy, and also kid-friendly! You can use any fruits you have on hand, or ones you can easily find in a store near you. Use the fruits to create a “turkey shape”.

Looking for a clever way to use up your leftover mac and cheese? Why not try making fried mac and cheese balls? This delicious comfort food is perfect as an appetizer or snack and is always a popular bite-sized dish you can serve up over the holidays or any time you're entertaining friends and family at home.

Brussels sprouts sliders are an easy, bite-sized, keto appetizer recipe where you use Brussels sprouts instead of bread buns for making sliders. Brussels Sprouts get a lot of bad publicity, but unfairly so. They look like little cabbages and are from the same family as purple and green cabbage. They can be steamed, roasted, or boiled. But in this recipe, we decided to get creative.

Caramelized onion dip is the perfect party dip to serve anytime you're hosting a get-together with friends and family. This simple dip recipe is made with mouthwatering caramelized onions, sour cream, cream cheese, and wine, and is a million times tastier than anything you'll buy from a store – including Trader Joe's!

Fried okra is a quick and easy Southern recipe. Enjoy it as a summery side dish packed with fiber. These fried okra nuggets are super crispy and golden brown, enough to be known as southern popcorn just because they pop in your mouth. To make fried okra, simply soak the sliced okra pods in egg and coat with a mixture of cornmeal, salt, pepper, or your favorite seasoning mix. Then, pan fry okra until golden brown. Serve fried okra as you want together with your favorite main dish, such as braised brisket, BBQ ribs, or Southern fried chicken.

Classic Cocktail Meatballs are a crowd-pleasing favorite. Who doesn’t love a sweet, spicy meatball? It’s easy to prepare ahead of time and is quick enough so that you can make a large batch for your next cocktail hour or party. Unlike other cocktail meatball recipes, this meatballs have a meaty flavor mixed with a rich, sweet and spicy. They are baked until golden brown but are still moist (thanks to the sauce!). You need high-quality ground beef, eggs, and seasonings. To make the sweet and spicy sauce (which can also be served on the side), you only need a handful of ingredients: ketchup, water, sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Serve these at your next party, and your guest will leave super happy!

Potato rolls are a tasty, pull-apart side dish recipe you can serve with any meal during holidays such as Thanksgiving. They're fluffy, super soft yet moist thanks to mashed potatoes. The golden brown top is shiny and crisp because of butter and honey.

For a healthy, flavorful side dish that will go with just about any main dish, there's nothing better than roasted vegetables. Crispy and golden brown on the outside, tender on the inside, oven-roasted vegetables are the perfect nutritious side dish to make with everything from roasts to pasta, stews, casseroles, burgers, and more.

If you've been searching for an easy, nutritious, low-carb side dish you can serve for any occasion, this creamy mashed cauliflower recipe is perfect for you! Cauliflower mash is a low-carb, keto-friendly dish you can serve on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, or enjoy whenever you fancy.

Beautifully buttery and scented with warming baking spices and the amazing flavor of caramelized sugar, candied yams are one side dish you don't want to skip at Thanksgiving dinner. This simple, easy recipe is a must-have at Thanksgiving dinner in the American South, and it's no wonder – sweet, tender, buttery yams loaded with spices like cinnamon and ginger are hard to resist.

Golden brown tender roasted carrots are a foolproof side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. Naturally sweet carrots are roasted with garlic until they're ultra-tender and brown, giving them an incredible flavor that goes with everything from roast turkey to lamb, chicken, or beef. All you need to make the perfect homemade roasted carrots is garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and of course, carrots!

Roasted butternut squash is an easy side dish recipe perfect for fall.

Because cauliflower is naturally low-carb and keto-friendly, this recipe is not only easy but healthy too! Recipes for Whole Roasted Cauliflower have become quite popular among chefs and it can be served as both a side or a main dish.

Creamed corn is a quick, easy recipe you can enjoy as side. Ready in less than 15 minutes, this is a great last-minute dish that will save your meal. It's is creamy and tasty, a perfect recipe to enjoy all year long, from weeknight to holiday dinners like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

No holiday dinner is complete without a side of roasted Brussels sprouts. Crispy and lightly charred on the outside and tender on the inside, roasted Brussels sprouts have a rich, nutty, caramelized flavor that's hard to resist. You don't need to wait for Turkey Day to serve roasted Brussels sprouts. They're a delicious side dish with any type of roast, stew, or casserole. 

Stuffing is a staple side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, but not everyone is keen on the heavy, bread-based version that graces so many holiday tables. So what do you do if you need a delicious alternative? Make cauliflower stuffing! This healthy, low-carb vegetarian cauliflower stuffing recipe is ideal for Thanksgiving, even if you're on a keto diet.

Creamy broccoli salad with bacon is a sensationally tasty dish that everyone will love. This is a brilliant recipe to serve for the broccoli skeptic in your life: the tantalizing combination of savory bacon and red onion combined with a hint of sweet raisins and a mouthwateringly red wine vinegar-mayonnaise dressing make broccoli bacon salad hard to resist. Even the most broccoli-averse folks out there will be converted. It's effortless to prepare, so you can throw this simple salad together if you need a quick, delicious side dish for your table.

Make the most of seasonal autumn produce with this phenomenally delicious butternut squash soup. It's an easy-to-make vegan soup with a luscious creamy, velvety texture that's perfect for warming you up during chilly fall and winter evenings.

It’s pumpkin season! And we’re looking forward to enjoying all things that celebrate the fall season… which means lots of pumpkin recipes. This pumpkin bread roll recipe is one with a difference. Not only does it taste like pumpkin, but it also looks like little pumpkins!

Wondering what dessert to bake for Thanksgiving this year? Try sweet potato pie! This traditional pie recipe comes from the American South and is a staple for many families when Thanksgiving rolls around. It's similar to pumpkin pie, super easy to make, and doesn't call for many ingredients. All you need are a few sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

Cranberry is a fall favorite and there's no better way to enjoy this tart berry than to make a classic homemade cranberry pie. Cranberry pie has a wonderful sweet-tart flavor that makes every bite an absolute delight. The filling is juicy and perfectly sweet, while the from-scratch pie crust is beautifully buttery and flaky.

Love pecan pie? Then you'll adore these phenomenal pecan pie bars. These bite-sized pecan pie bars are fantastic when you're hosting a large group and make a great treat to serve over the holidays. With a rich, buttery, nutty flavor and satisfying crunch, they're hard to resist.

Treat your loved ones this holiday season by baking a homemade chess pie. A traditional dessert from the American South with English roots, the classic chess pie features layers of tender pie crust, thick, sweet custard, and a crisp browned top. The name is thought to come either from the English town of Chester or "cheese pie" – historic cookbooks tended to lump cheesecakes and custard pies together.

Love the rich, caramelized flavor of creme brulée? You'll adore buttermilk pie! This easy-to-make dessert is a classic recipe from the American South, and it's a much-loved comfort dish. If you're familiar with the old-fashioned chess pie, buttermilk pies are pretty similar, but with a much tangier taste thanks to the buttermilk. It also usually has vanilla and lemon in it, which aren't used in chess pies.

Pumpkin bars are a classic sweet treat perfect to enjoy as dessert during fall season. Super easy to make, they're moist, spiced on the inside and topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting. It's the perfect crowd-pleaser recipe you need to try.

Chocolate lovers unite! This stunning silky-smooth chocolate cream pie is the perfect, elegant dessert to serve for any special occasion. Amazing as a holiday dessert, but just as wonderful for birthdays, parties, or anytime you want to impress your loved ones with your baking skills, chocolate cream pie is always a treat.

Who doesn't love the heavenly scent of warming baking spices and sweet treats floating through their homes during autumn? If you're in the mood to make an easy dessert you can whip up in no time, try this wonderful pumpkin cake recipe.

Warming, comforting, and packed with apple flavor—this Apple Crisp is just what you need this fall season. Because the recipe is heavy on apples, it’s a perfect dessert to make when apples are in abundance. This old-fashioned fall recipe is usually served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel.

Autumn is the perfect time to get cozy in the kitchen and make all sorts of heavenly baked treats. Fall is pumpkin season, so it's a wonderful excuse to make these incredible iced pumpkin cookies.