If you’re like me you’re already working on your list for your Thanksgiving feast Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes; the grocery list, compiling recipes, figuring out what order to prepare everything in so there’s no freaking out {because seriously, who wants to be freaking out at Thanksgiving! Not me}.
And of course, what you’re going to do with all those leftovers .
For me, the leftovers are the easy part:
- Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes
- Turkey Sandwiches with Cranberry Apple Jam
- Turkey Casserole with Sweet Potato Frosting
Picking what I’m going to make from all my favorite holiday recipes is the hard part. But here they are. My all time favorite go-to holiday recipes.
Now that we have a working kitchen again, I think I’m going to go all out this year and make a bunch of extra side dishes.
Because that’s the best part about Thanksgiving, right? Not having to cook for a week afterwards? 😉
If you have a favorite recipe you like to make every year, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear about it {and try something new}.
Have a great weekend everyone. Keep calm and plan on.
~Mavis
The Bird
- DIY Turkey Rub Recipe – This actually works great on all sorts of meats, turkey just happens to be my favorite.
- DIY Pumpkin Spice Recipe – No need to buy pumpkin spice mix at the store when you already have all the ingredients in your pantry.
- How to Cook The Perfect Turkey – It’s easier than you think!
Sides and Salads
- Home-style Scalloped Potatoes – We’ve been making these for the last 9 years. Who knew scalloped potatoes could be so rich and creamy?
- Amberlina’s Sweet Potato Casserole– A family favorite. Why mess with the best?
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Apples – A healthy side dish at Thanksgiving… imagine that! 😉
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Cinnamon and Thyme – Easy and inexpensive.
- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Walnuts – For those years when you want to see a little more flair on your plate.
- Carole’s Grape Salad – It isn’t the prettiest thing to look at, but HOLY COW is it ever good.
- Broccoli Cashew Salad – Probably our second favorite side dish salad on the planet {Carole’s Grape Salad is #1}
- Savory Corn with Herbs and Garlic – Easy to make ahead of time!
- Easy Parmesan Peas – Another simple vegetable dish to make ahead of time.
More Sides and Salads
- Grandma’s Cherry Cola Jell-O Salad – Thanksgiving is all about traditions and familiar foods and it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without this Jell-O salad on the table.
- Cranberry Pineapple Jell-O Salad – You can never have too much Jell-O salad on the table.
- Cranberry Pineapple Marshmallow Salad – Because everything’s better with marshmallows in it.
- Cranberry Pear Sauce – Perfect alongside turkey {and for all those leftovers too!}
Bread and Rolls –
- Cinnamon Rolls – You can make these ahead of time and pop them in the freezer. Perfect if you have a house full of guests and want a stress free breakfast option
- Shirley’s Ice Cinnamon Raisin Bread – Another great make ahead and freeze bread. {Soooo Good!}
- No Knead Dutch Oven Bread – Mix it up the night before, and bake it in the morning before the oven gets too crowded.
- New England Style Buttermilk Rolls – A bit of work, but totally worth it!
- Melt in Your Mouth Dinner Rolls – Basic and easy to make.
Dessert Ideas
- Zoe’s Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie – It tastes like you walked into an old school diner and ordered a slice of pie from a waitress named Flo. Pretty much the best thing ever. Enough said.
- JJ’s Apple Crumb Pie – Because who doesn’t like an apple pie? {Weirdos, that’s who}
- Pumpkin Pie – Use the recipe on the back of the Libby’s can! 😉
- Cranberry Apple Pie – Something a little different and always and always a big hit when I make it.
- The Best Sour Cherry Pie Recipe – Cherry pie and vanilla ice cream = PERFECTION
- Lemon Meringue Pie – A classic recipe.
More Desserts
- Easy Cherry Cobbler Made with Canned Pie Filling – Quick, pretty and it tastes like Grandma made it.
- Pumpkin Cheesecakes– A nice alternative for pumpkin pie and the leftovers freeze well too.
- Simple Cheesecake – Another great dessert that goes along way and freezes well.
- Pineapple Buttermilk Pie this is one of my all time favorite custard pie recipes. Perfect for the holidays and goes well with turkey and ham.
- Mel’s Stolen Sour Cream Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake – We love Mel’s recipes!!
Even More Desserts…
- Old Fashioned Egg Custard– Something light that works both as a side dish as well as a dessert.
- Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream – This is worth breaking out the ice cream maker for. Thick, creamy and very decadent. It’s one of my favorite homemade ice creams to make.
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars {Vegan Friendly and freezes well}
- Spiced Pecans – Because who doesn’t like a nut?
For the Leftovers
- Turkey Soup – It’s like having Grandma in a can. Sooo good, and so easy to make.
- Turkey and Wild Rice Soup – Excellent!
- Turkey Enchiladas are one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers, because they are completely different tasting than your standard holiday meal. You almost don’t even realize your still having turkey.
- Turkey Casserole with Mashed Potato Topping – Pretty much anything with a mashed potato topping is a hit in our house. 😉
- Turkey Salad for Sandwiches – Doesn’t everybody eat a turkey sandwich for lunch the day after Thanksgiving?
And don’t forget the Cranberry Apple Jam with a Hint of Orange: With cranberries, apples and a little orange, this is the jam you need to have on hand for the day after Thanksgiving to slather all over the leftover bits of turkey goodness.
Mel says
Don’t forget turkey pot pie and turkey Monte Cristos (discovered those last year) for leftovers!
I don’t think I’ll be able to cook Thanksgiving this year with the baby, but I’m trying to convince my husband to at least cook turkey so I can freeze the leftovers for when I have more time. And I did manage to freeze an apple pie. I think we can get by with pie and turkey .
Mavis Butterfield says
Pie, turkey and potatoes. You need the potatoes Mel.
Mel says
Hmm. Potatoes might disrupt my theme of foods that can be eaten cold. Perhaps… potato salad?
Vivian says
Dear Mel, if you think this year is hard, I have news…having a toddler walking around is even harder than an infant! Next year will be even harder!
Mel says
Oh, no, that’s not the issue haha. I can send a toddler off with my husband. But I have a 4 month old who still eats every hour during the day and at least every two hours at night. So, I only have 20-30 minute windows during the day when I’m free to do anything else, and I’m so sleep-deprived from not sleeping more than an hour and a half at a time at night for so many months that I literally forgot our house had a basement today.
Cindy Brick says
Add baked potatoes, Mel, and open a can of cranberry sauce. Solves any meal questions!
We also have “pay-kan” pies, thanks to Husband, who grew up in North Carolina.
Mel says
Good idea! And yes, we already have a can ready.
My grandparents grew up in North Carolina, and we always had pecans from their tree.
Lori says
With the bones I make a stock and save some of the leftover meat for a big pot of Brunswick Stew.
Kathy of PA says
I use some of my leftover turkey to make Turkey Divan.
Rosemary Calhoun says
One of my favorite side dishes is Corn Souffle:
3 eggs
1 pint of heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
16oz frozen corn (thawed)
Blend in a blender for 7-10 seconds. Pour into an oven-proof dish. Cook at 350 for about 50 minutes.
wendy panozzo says
I make something called Corn Soufflé but it calls for Jiff cornbread mix, canned corn, sour cream and melted butter. It’s a crowd pleaser and on the menu every year!
Vivian says
This sounds great! Recipe?
laura says
when i joined my husbands family i learned about pearl onions and cheese sauce. we have it only twice a year but it is a stand out for me!! my MIL taught me to use velvetta and though i have tried better real cheese in the sauce it just isn’t home without the velvetta! only time i ever use it though…
Deborah R says
My MIL’s broccoli casserole with “chez whiz” and cream of chicken soup. I ‘ve tried making it cleaner with a home-made sauce and good cheese but the kid’s (all grown) want grandma’s, so once a year …
Mavis Butterfield says
I feel like everyone should try a Chez Whiz casserole at least once in their life. I bet it’s good!
Jill Hamilton says
My recipe for mashed potatoes is always requested by my and all my extended family. It’s quite delicious! Lmk if anyone wants the recipe.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes Jill!!
Vivian says
Yep! I do!
Terri says
Our mother’s cranberry salad…just isn’t Thanksgiving or Christmas without it.
Jules says
I’m getting the turkey just to use in leftover turkey rice soup.. I can get a free turkey if I spend $125 at my grocery store. That’s about what I spend each week anyway
Katherine says
My family voted last year to do a simple luncheon this year so that we could spend more time eating, talking and playing games/cards than cooking. We’ve settled on a sandwich buffet, potato salad, chips, dip and salsa, hummus and veggies, topped off with a big pumpkin pie from Costco.
Linda says
That sounds lovely!!!
Sue D says
Cranberry relish. A friend had given me a bag of fresh cranberries one year, so I tried making the relish with it. Brought it with us from MI to NY, and everyone loved it, even those who did not like cranberry sauce. I try to keep some in the freezer for whenever.
Julie says
I think Carol’s grape salad should be named Quail egg salad!! Every time I see it, it makes me think of quail eggs!
Pat says
I’ve been making grape salad for years. People even request it for covered dish dinners. I’ve yet to find anyone who doesn’t love it.