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The Ultimate List of Thanksgiving Dinner Menu Ideas

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Check out this ultimate list of Thanksgiving dinner menu ideas, including appetizers, main dishes, sides, an desserts!

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Planning your Thanksgiving dinner menu?

We’ve got all the inspiration you’ll need!

We’re sharing the best Thanksgiving recipes to help you create the perfect feast from start to finish.

Find delicious appetizers, hearty main dishes, wholesome sides, and cozy Thanksgiving desserts.

You’ll also find healthy options, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian recipes that everyone will love, plus kid-friendly recipes that even picky eaters will devour.

The Best Thanksgiving Dinner Menu Ideas for a Crowd

Appetizers

These are our favorite Thanksgiving dinner appetizers. They’re easy to make, perfectly festive, and a great way to start your meal.

1. Cheese and Cracker Pumpkin Pie Bites

Cheese and cracker pumpkin pie bites on gray cake stand surrounded by towel and pumpkin.

These Cheese and Cracker Pumpkin Pie Bites are the perfect appetizer for any holiday get-together. They’re so easy to make and almost too cute to eat!

2. Thanksgiving Turkey Charcuterie Board (for Kids!)

Various snack foods arranged to look like turkey on large cutting board with plates and pumpkins nearby.

Our kid-friendly Thanksgiving Turkey Charcuterie Board features a playful spread of crackers, cheeses, and more. Get ready for a gobble-worthy celebration the kids will love!

3. Toasted Almond and Swiss Cheese Dip

Hand dipping a cracker in a small baking dish of swiss almond dip.

Toasted Almond and Swiss Cheese Dip is served hot and features lots of gooey cheese, green onions, and a little spice. It’s a delicious holiday or party appetizer that’s sure to go quick!

4. Instant Pot Thanksgiving Deviled Eggs

Thanksgiving deviled eggs on pumpkin-shaped platter with fake pumpkins and kitchen towel nearby.

Instant Pot Thanksgiving Deviled Eggs feature a delicious spiced filling that’s finished to look like a pumpkin. They are a must-have on your Thanksgiving table this year!

5. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Turkeys

Chocolate dipped strawberry turkeys on white plates with feathers and kitchen towel all on table.

How cute are these Chocolate Covered Strawberry Turkeys? While they may look like the real thing, their delicious sweet flavor will surprise all of your guests on Thanksgiving Day!

Find a full list of our top Thanksgiving dinner side dishes in the post below! (Click on the image to see the post)

Image collage with Thanksgiving dinner appetizers.

Main Dishes

Here are some yummy main course recipes to make your Thanksgiving dinner unforgettable.

1. Juicy Roasted Turkey Breast

Sliced roasted turkey breast on a white platter with green garnish.

How cute are these Chocolate Covered Strawberry Turkeys? While they may look like the real thing, their delicious sweet flavor will surprise all of your guests on Thanksgiving Day!

2. Whole Roast Chicken

A whole roasted chicken in a dutch oven with pan drippings.

This whole roast chicken is insanely juicy, flavored with oranges, apple cider, herbs, and maple syrup in a sweet and savory brine and glaze that is a stunning centerpiece to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner

3. Smoked Brisket

Sliced beef brisket on a wooden cutting board.

This juicy smoked brisket is the perfect beef recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner menu.

4. Brown Sugar Mustard Baked Ham

A large sliced spiral ham on a baking dish.

Get ready to fall in love with this scrumptious Brown Sugar Mustard Baked Ham! Trust me, after just 15 minutes of prep, you’ll have a mouthwatering dish featuring a heavenly combo of whole grain and Dijon mustard, along with the sweetness of Coca-Cola.

5. Oven-Roasted Crispy Whole Duck

A whole roasted duck on a white plate with a serving utensil.

Roasting a whole duck should not be any more intimidating than roasting a chicken. This simple oven-roasted duck recipe demystifies the entire process and takes you through, step-by-step, to an impressive, delicious, and easy final result that I think will have you reaching for duck meat more often.

Find a full list of our top Thanksgiving dinner main dishes in the post below! (Click on the image to see the post)

Image collage with Thanksgiving dinner main dishes.

Sides

Thanksgiving sides are just as important as the main dish. Below, you find Thanksgiving dinner classics, plus some unique recipes that are sure to stand out.

1. Crockpot Brown Sugar Cinnamon Carrots

Small white baking dish full of brown sugar carrots with fresh parsley on top.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Cinnamon Carrots feature tender baby carrots covered in a deliciously sweet glaze. It’s the perfect side dish for even the pickiest eater!

2. Delicious Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Slow cooker sweet potatoes and apples in white pumpkin dish with white pumpkin decor nearby.

These Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes and Apples feature perfectly cooked sweet potatoes, a sweet brown sugar glaze, and tender apples. You’ll delight everyone on Thanksgiving Day with this delicious recipe!

3. Posh Squash (Zucchini and Yellow Squash Casserole)

White baking dish with zucchini and yellow squash casserole topped with parmesan and thyme.

Posh Squash is a delicious take on a traditional zucchini and yellow squash casserole. With a creamy egg filling and cheesy top, your family will want seconds and thirds of this side dish!

4. Persimmon Salad with Goat Cheese and Oranges

Persimmon salad with oranges, almonds, and cranberries on white platter with plates and fresh ingredients nearby.

This Persimmon Salad features the delicious persimmon fruit plus fresh oranges, goat cheese, and a balsamic dressing. It’s a flavorful recipe that’s perfect for the fall and winter months!

5. Instant Pot Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole

Sweet potato crunch in white casserole dish with striped towel and pecans beside.

This Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole features mashed sweet potatoes mixed with spices and topped with a delicious brown sugar and pecan topping. It’s the ultimate side dish for your holiday dinner.

Find a full list of our top Thanksgiving dinner sides in the post below! (Click on the image to see the post)

Image collage with Thanksgiving dinner side dishes.

Desserts

No Thanksgiving dinner would be complete without some delicious dessert options. Here are some simple, seasonal sweets for your dessert table!

1. Leftover Pumpkin Pie Truffles

Leftover pumpkin pie truffles on pumpkin platter with white pumpkins, and other ingredients sprinkled around.

Leftover Pumpkin Pie Truffles feature the crust and filling from everyone’s favorite pie coated in two different kinds of chocolate. Even if all of the pumpkin pie didn’t get eaten, I guarantee these truffles will be gone in minutes!

2. Glazed Apple Streusel Bars

Several apple streusel bars on parchment lined baking sheet.

These Glazed Apple Streusel Bars feature a delicious shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, streusel topping, and a sweet glaze. They taste like a piece of dutch apple pie, but only require half the work!

3. Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Southern sweet potato pie on a white wood table.

With a flaky pie crust, creamy sweet potato pie filling, wonderful warm spices, and plenty of love, this sweet potato pie recipe will be the star of your holiday tables.

4. Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Slices of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting on white plates.

This Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese frosting is light, moist, and deliciously sweet full of the flavors of fall. The warmth from the spices in the cake, teamed with the creamy frosting, makes the perfect balance of flavor. Any cake lover will adore this recipe.

5. No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

No-bake pumpkin cheesecake on a white plate with a bite taken out.

Your Thanksgiving Dessert just got better with this Creamy No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake. Graham cracker crust with a creamy pumpkin spiced cheesecake filling topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.

Find a full list of our top Thanksgiving dinner desserts in the post below! (Click on the image to see the post)

Image collage with Thanksgiving dinner desserts.

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