My Thanksgiving favorites

Thanksgiving is almost here and I wanted to share my personal favorites from over the years.

I like the tradition and nostalgia of having the same staples every Thanksgiving with some new side dishes in the mix.

With most of the classic Thanksgiving foods being beige and mushy, I like to play around with colorful and bright sides.

I admittedly have never roasted a whole turkey myself and I never will until the day comes that it’s requested of me!

So I leave the classic turkey, gravy, and stuffing department to other recipe creators because there are a lot of really great recipes out there (highly recommend any and all recipes from the Thanksgiving queen – Alison Roman).

Below is a list of what I would have on my Thanksgiving table based on past Cooking Club favorites of mine (not including turkey, stuffing, and gravy). 

Appetizers

The best appetizer, in my opinion, is a festive charcuterie board with a dip or two and/or some festive crostini.

• Roasted Carrot Romesco Dip – roasted carrots get blended up with smoked paprika, nuts, and lemon for a flavor-packed dip!
• Cheesy Mushroom Garlic Toasts – I love a seasonal crostini/toast. Simply brush slices of baguette with oil and bake until crunchy, then top with whatever you want! I love the mushroom and cheese combo, but below are a few other ideas:
  • Goat cheese, apple, crispy prosciutto, drizzle of honey
  • Goat cheese, cranberry sauce, prosciutto
  • Brie + fig jam or brie + apple

Thanksgiving sides

For sides, there should always be mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. To accompany this, I like to have a couple of other colorful sides – one raw crunchy salad and one or two cooked seasonal veg. Below are my past favorites:

• Instant Pot Sneaky Mashed Potatoes or Crispy Parmesan Potatoes with Gremolata – I’ve made these mashed potatoes for a lot of people and everyone raves about them and has no idea there is cauliflower in it. No mashing required and it all comes together in the instant pot! Or mix it up from the mushy mash and make my crispy parm roasted potatoes. Soo good!
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemony Pecan Cream or Braised Cabbage Wedges with Gouda and Pomegranate – I love both of these so much it’s hard to choose. 
• Radicchio Arugula Apple Salad with Parmesan or Brussels Sprout Kale Apple Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing – I like to have a salad that has apple it in on Thanksgiving and these two are my favorites.
• Roasted Squash with Lemony Yogurt + Walnut Scallion Oil – this is my favorite roasted squash side recipe. The cool, creamy, tangy yogurt pairs so well with roasted squash. 
• Parmesan Pecan Crusted Cauliflower Herb Salad – cauliflower might not belong on a Thanksgiving table, but this recipe may change your mind! The cauliflower gets coated and baked in a pecan parmesan mixture and tossed with lots of fresh parsley in a simple lemony dressing with bursts of sweet cranberries.

Thanksgiving dessert

I’m not a big pie person, so I like to order one from a local baker. I personally would rather have a fruit crumble, cheesecake, or cake topped with some kind of whipped cream!

• Pumpkin Yogurt Cheesecake Bars with Gingerbread Crust – I loooove this cheesecake so much! Pumpkin cheesecake was more often than not what we had for dessert on Thanksgiving growing up and it still remains my favorite. I came up with this “healthier” version and it’s super light and easy to make! 
• Brown Butter French Apple Cake – what I love about this cake is that it’s about 80% apples that get baked in a brown butter crust, so it’s very light and apple-forward. The browned butter adds a nutty caramel-y flavor to the crust that pairs beautifully with the intense apple flavor. Top with whipped cream, whipped yogurt, or crème fraîche for a killer dessert!

Whole turkey alternatives

If you’re cooking for 1 or 2 people, these are great options!

• Alison Roman’s Slow Roasted Turkey with Garlic and Herbs – this is the best turkey I’ve ever had and can easily be scaled down to serve 2-4 people.
• Pesto Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups
• Turkey Cranberry Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash
• Curried Turkey Stuffed Delicata Squash

Gravy and stuffing

Below are my go-to gravy and stuffing recipes from Alison Roman.

• Browned Butter Gravy
• Buttered Stuffing with Celery and Leeks

A sneak peek of the 2025 menu

For this upcoming 2025 Thanksgiving menu, you can expect a couple old favorites and two new sides (all pictured below).