What I’m Making for Thanksgiving
This year, for the first time ever, Joey and I area hosting out-of-town* family for Thanksgiving. After three years of going all-out for the two of us, it’s going to be very fun to have family join us!
I’ll admit I’m having a bit of performance anxiety, so I’ve spent the week sifting through my favorite dishes of the last few years to make our menu.
I’m realizing as I compile that this is essentially a Smitten Kitchen love letter, but Deb really is the queen of Thanksgiving for those of us who love to cook from scratch but not fuss to much. To Deb: I tip my cap, I bow, I blow kisses toward NYC from Alabama.
At the end, I’ll list a few additional dishes that didn’t make my list this year because of time or oven constraints but I’d be thrilled if they magically appeared on the table.
*we have no family in town, just to be clear
Pictured: Thanksgiving 2020, our very first attempt
Here’s my menu:
Roast chicken (roughly 5lbs). Apologies to the turkey purists, but I love roasting a chicken to feed a small group and will never give up this mini-tradition! I use the marinade from The Woks of Life 5 Spice Turkey — I wrote up my version of their recipe in this post. There are a few other chicken roasting recipes in that post, but the 5 spice is a perfect flavor note for Thanksgiving. I roast the chicken on a bed of brussels sprouts which cook in the drippings and will then finish crisping while the chicken rests before cutting.
Stovetop stuffing. Every year, this is the only not-from scratch item on our table. I am unashamed of my love for stovetop stuffing, and I’ll make more than I think we need so that I can turn the leftovers into breakfast the morning after
Green Bean Casserole via Smitten Kitchen: I’ve always loved green bean casserole, but I grew up with the kind that uses canned goods only. All fine and well, but did you know how much better it can be with fresh green beans, a quick homemade creamy mushroom soup, and freshly fried onions? It’s incredible and easy, promise. You’ll never go back.
Easiest Baked Mac and Cheese via Smitten Kitchen is my go-to for a baked mac n cheese because it is indeed so easy. I use Greek yogurt and a touch of dijon mustard in place of sour cream / mustard powder, and I don’t add extra cheese halfway through. That said, if your main contribution to the meal is the mac n cheese, Smitten Kitchen’s adaptation of Martha Stewart’s macaroni and cheese is a lot more work (it’s a bechamel sauce and topped with bread) but also more of a showstopper.
A Big Salad (all on my own): Though I revel in Thanksgiving’s celebration of carbs, I love a big salad to round things out. This year, I’m thinking kale, roasted sweet potatoes, goat cheese, dried cranberries, apples, and a dijon-balsamic vinaigrette with shallots
Mashed Potatoes: a must. Do you need a recipe for this? I boil chunked + roughly peeled russet potatoes for 15-20 minutes. I drain the water, add some butter, cream, and a generous amount of salt and use a hand mixer to mash until fluffy. If you’ve already got the oven going, some roasted garlic is a great addition — just roast in a little foil packet for 45-60 minutes and add in with the butter.
Muffin Pan Potato Gallettes via From a Chef’s Kitchen: I made these for a potato party a few months ago, and they were the surprise hit and so easy. I’d make them instead of mashed potatoes if that didn’t feel sacrilegious (so I’m making both). I top with parmesan cheese. They re-heat like a dream but I wouldn’t make ahead - they’re marvelous fresh out of the oven
Miso Vegetables via The Woks of Life was a favorite from our meal in 2020, and I’m bringing it back this year. I don’t usually like beets, but I’m gonna try them again
Cranberry Salsa via Home Made Interest is our cooking snack. I use 1/4 cup sugar, skip the scallions, and double the orange juice. It’s delicious and stores well. If you’re on appetizer duty, bring this — I’m confident your group will happily demolish this while waiting for the meal to be served
For Dessert:
Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake via The Woks of Life has been on the menu every year since 2020, because I like cake more than pie. I’ve been baking it in a 9x13 casserole dish and not even turning it out to soak it in the milk.
Maple Cream Pie via Smitten Kitchen: I love something a little unexpected, and this maple and nutmeg pie sounds like just the ticket. Also, love a pie that can be baked in advance!
Cranberry Pie with Pecan Crumble via Smitten Kitchen: It’s like two pies in one! A tart base with a crumbly top, and I will absolutely be serving this with vanilla ice cream.
To Drink:
Holiday Punch via A Farmgirl’s Kitchen, which is very sweet but delicious. I mix the juices and white wine in advance, and we top ours with sparkling water rather than mixing in Sprite. It keeps the mix from going flat on us and cuts the sweetness quite a bit.
Pomegranate Fizz via Williams Sonoma/Smitten Kitchen: an easy, seasonal mocktail to brighten things up. Haven’t tried it yet, but it looks like a winner.
Reduced apple cider, as a base for cocktails: I’ll simmer red jacket honeycrisp apple cider until it’s reduced by half and store in a mason jar for us to use as we please all weekend. It’s great as a twist on an old fashioned, with vodka and sparkling water, or as a sweetener for my morning tea
Not on the menu this year, but still delicious:
Broccoli Slaw via Smitten Kitchen. The buttermilk dressing is so delicious, and this dish keeps so well for leftovers. I’m not usually a fan of raw broccoli, but I really like this slaw.
Unstuffed Mushroom Casserole via Smitten Kitchen. All the fun of stuffed mushrooms but with a tiny portion of the work.
Cornbread Casserole via Lahb Co. If I wasn’t so committed to my stovetop stuffing, I would absolutely be making this
Brussels Sprouts Salad via Smitten Kitchen. This is such a bright addition to any holiday table. The acidity is great for cutting through the holiday carbs, and there are so many good textures going on: apple! toasted nuts! pomegranate seeds! pickled red onion!
Crispy Sweet Potato Roast via Smitten Kitchen: I prefer my sweet potatoes on the savory side (please, no cinnamon or marshmallows), and this roast of them is a great option. Similar to the muffin-style galettes above but with more pizzazz in presentation
I’ve added all of these recipes onto a Pinterest board for easy perusal. Do you have any tried-and-true favorites? If so, drop a link below!
I’d also love to know if your family has any “we will riot if this dish isn’t on the table!” favorites that I’ve omitted entirely (example: my lack of marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes would get me boo-ed by my own family).
