20 Recipes For The Perfect Thanksgiving Meal

Nov 23, 2019 06:26 AM +0000

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the stress of the holidays are about to begin. Hosting Thanksgiving dinner, gathering everyone at your home, assisting with sleeping and/or travel arrangements can get a little chaotic. But lucky for you, this year, curating the perfect Thanksgiving meal will be one of the few things you will not have to stress about.

(Sidebar: For vegan-friendly options, check out our article "15 Vegan Soul Food Dishes That'll Make You Rethink Meat". Thank us later.)

Below are 20 recipes that will have everyone's mouth salivating and congregated around the kitchen:

The perfect drink for Thanksgiving only requires you to put six ingredients in one pot. After about 20 minutes, you're left with an apple cider drink that has been simmering with orange slices and an array of fall spices.
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Ground pork gets a healthy dose of flavor thanks to the sweetness of caramelized apples and the undertones of mint from roasted fennel spice. How can this recipe get any better? The sausage mixture is wrapped up in buttery puff pastry!
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Don't be fooled by how quick and easy these appetizers are to make. They pack a lot of flavor, due in part to goat cheese and cream cheese being sweetened by honey, formed into balls, and coated in a cranberry and pecan mixture.
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The ultimate salad for Fall is here, and it is not holding back when it comes to flavor. Your everyday greens get spruced up with the addition of pears that have been roasted in bourbon and brown sugar, creamy gorgonzola, candied walnuts, and pomegranate arils. But, the train of flavor doesn't stop there. The salad is dressed in an easy apple cider vinaigrette.
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A simple garnish of diced bacon is not enough flavor for this soup. So, the butternut squash is also roasted with bacon and blended together to deepen the flavor.
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There is a bit of a process for this recipe due to the brining of the turkey before actually baking it. But, the end result of having a tender and moist turkey for the holiday will be worth it.
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Once you have finished cooking the turkey, you will already have the most important ingredient for the gravy recipe. The pan drippings from your turkey will be combined with fat to give you the perfect flavorful pairing for your turkey.
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There will be no need to splurge your coins at The Honey Baked Ham Company this year thanks to this copycat recipe. Yes, you read that right! This recipe will help you attain the same moist and sugar spiced glaze ham from the Honey Baked Store in the comfort of your own home.
Get the recipe here.
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This recipe calls for a two-step process in order to prepare the chicken thighs. You will begin by searing the chicken in a cast iron skillet and you will finish cooking them by transferring the skillet to the oven. The sauce will be made using the fat from the chicken drippings, which will add more flavor to the dish.
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Transform frozen meatballs by cooking them in a chipotle pepper and peach preserve sauce that caters to the delicate balance of sweet and spicy.
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This Lil' Smokies recipe follows a similar direction of flavor as the meatballs previously mentioned. But in this recipe, the sweetness and tanginess comes from raw honey, coconut sugar, and garlic.
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This recipe only requires the use of one bowl to prep and a cast iron skillet to bake in. And the result is a sweet and savory cornbread that has an added flavor of warmth from fall spices like cinnamon and ginger.
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When it comes to this macaroni and cheese recipe, it's all about the cheese sauce and the finishing touches. The combination of an aged white cheddar, a yellow sharp cheddar, and a dash of chili powder are some of the flavors that make this dish.
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Mushrooms are roasted to perfection and then immediately thrown in a browned butter sauce that adds a subtle flavor of nuttiness to the dish.
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Fresh green beans are bundled up in a slice of bacon and brushed with a brown sugar and garlic butter mixture before they hit the oven.
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Carrots are not only roasted with honey and thyme, they get added depths of flavor from a yogurt sauce and persimmon winter salsa.
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The traditional store bought pie crust has been replaced with a gingersnap cookie crust that has been spiced with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg for a flavorful twist on a pumpkin pie.
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Making homemade ice cream is not as terrifying as it seems. Yes, it does require a lot of work, but the end result makes up for all of that. Homemade caramel and 5 large egg yolks makes for an ice cream that is nicely flavored and extremely creamy.
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The classic sweet potato and pecan pie join forces in this recipe. The lightly spiced sweet potato layer will act as a creamy filling between a chilled pie crust and a sweet, crunchy, pecan layer.
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Skip the mashing of the potatoes this year, and instead opt for smashing. These potatoes are smashed after being boiled, seasoned and drizzled with butter, and then placed in the oven to crisp up.
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Featured image by Shutterstock

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