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My Thanksgiving Menu

happy thanksgiving graphic

While I have a number of really delicious Thanksgiving recipes on my site, the following is my exact tried-and-true menu that I follow every year...

Yes, I really do make both a deep fried turkey and an Instant Pot ham. And I typically double most of the side recipes (FOR SURE the corn casserole!) — I'm cooking for at least 10 and we LOVE leftovers the next day.

A Few Notes:

  • I feel like I ought to whisper this, but I buy my turkey gravy at the store. For two reasons: 1) only a couple of guests use it, and 2) when you make mashed potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream and use this fried turkey rub on your turkey, you really don't need it!
  • Don't forget the whipped cream! I make my own with 1 pint of heavy cream, ¼ cup confectioners sugar, and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract using this stainless steel cream whipper. An investment for sure, but SO worth it!!
  • Be sure to check out my other favorite Thanksgiving kitchen gadgets for simplifying and shaving time off my Thanksgiving meal prep!
1
deep fried turkey with crispy skin on a bed of kale with squash
My Favorite Deep Fried Turkey Recipe (And I Don't Even Like Turkey!)
An amazing deep fried turkey recipe that turned me from a turkey hater to a TURKEY LOVER… This deep fried turkey turns out tender, juicy, and flavorful EVERY TIME (thanks to an easy fried turkey rub + peanut oil), AND the cooking time is trimmed to under an hour in an electric turkey fryer!
GET THE RECIPE
2
instant pot ham topped with crushed pineapple
Easy 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Ham (Ready In Just 30 Minutes!)
You simply can’t go wrong with this easy pressure cooker Instant Pot ham recipe… All you need is a bone-in spiral ham + crushed pineapple & brown sugar to make the easiest, most delicious holiday ham (or anytime ham) ever!
GET THE RECIPE
3
cream corn casserole recipe like grandma always made it
Easy Creamed Corn Casserole Recipe (Just Like Grandma Made It!)
This custardy creamed corn casserole recipe is SO good you’ll want to scrape the dish clean to get every last bit of caramelized goodness… My favorite of all the corn casserole recipes I’ve tried, just like my grandma made it!
GET THE RECIPE
4
3-ingredient easy green bean casserole recipe in an oval white staub baking dish
Easiest Ever 3-Ingredient Green Bean Casserole Recipe
This easy green bean casserole recipe is my family’s version of the classic recipe and uses only 3 ingredients, including canned green beans… Because who needs another complicated Thanksgiving recipe? NOT this mama!
GET THE RECIPE
5
make ahead mashed potatoes in a white ceramic baking dish with a black serving spoon
Creamy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese and Sour Cream
You simply can’t go wrong with this delicious make ahead mashed potatoes recipe… Filled with cream cheese AND sour cream, it makes the BEST mashed potatoes. Always fluffy and delicious!
GET THE RECIPE
6
stuffing muffins recipe on a white ceramic platter
Homemade Stuffing Muffins {Stuffins}
My mom's traditional stuffing recipe made easy to serve by reimagining it as stuffing muffins! Perfectly portioned "stuffins" are delicious and adored by kids and adults alike.
GET THE RECIPE
7
cream biscuits in a wooden bowl lined with a white towel
Foolproof 2-Ingredient 15-Minute Cream Biscuits Recipe
These easy 2-ingredient biscuits are a must try ASAP kind of recipe! Flakey, tender, and totally foolproof, heavy cream biscuits require just two simple ingredients, one dirty bowl, and 15 minutes total to prep and bake.
GET THE RECIPE
8
cranberry salad recipe with walnuts or pecans on a white ceramic plate
Layered Cranberry Salad Recipe With Cream Cheese Topping
To be honest, this cranberry salad recipe, with its sweet & tangy cream cheese topping, is probably more of a dessert, but we serve it as a side dish at all of our holiday dinners… SO good, a MUST TRY recipe!
GET THE RECIPE
9
pie crust recipe using crisco dough in a pie plate with crimped edges and flour sprinkled around
Classic Crisco Pie Crust Recipe With Deep Dish Adaptation
If you adore a flaky pie crust (and who doesn’t?), then this Crisco pie crust is the one for you! Includes the classic Crisco pie crust recipe, as well as an adapted version for deep dish pies...
GET THE RECIPE
10
crisco pie crust with pumpkin pie filling in a green ceramic pie plate
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Filling Recipe {Worth The Effort}
Upgrade your homemade pumpkin pie with this easy and delicious pumpkin pie filling recipe! This pumpkin pie filling from scratch starts with canned pumpkin puree and is perfectly spiced...
GET THE RECIPE
Tara Kuczykowski, founder of Unsophisticook

Hi! I'm Tara.

nice to meet you!

I'm an almost empty-nester just trying to figure out how much to cook for dinner! My husband Luke and I live in Ohio with a varying number of our 5 kids on any given day, but a little oceanfront bungalow is our dream. My fave things include cooking + baking (obvs!), beach days, my JEEP Wrangler 392XR, and a cold paloma drink…

More about me

Easy Grilling Recipes

  • honey garlic lime grilled pork kabobs with metal skewers on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
    Honey Garlic Lime Marinated Grilled Pork Kabobs
  • cedar plank salmon made with brown sugar grilled salmon seasoning with arugula and sliced lemons
    Sweet & Smoky Brown Sugar Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon
  • chicken foil packet recipe with peppers and onions
    Grilled BBQ Chicken Foil Packets with Peppers and Onions
  • sliced balsamic grilled chicken made with a 4 ingredient chicken marinade
    Juicy Balsamic Grilled Chicken with 4-Ingredient Balsamic Chicken Marinade

Summer Side Dishes

  • marinated tomato salad recipe in a white ceramic bowl with a black and white striped kitchen towel
    Hungarian Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad (Paradicsomsaláta)
  • broccoli ramen salad in a patterned ceramic bowl
    Asian Ramen Salad Recipe With Broccoli Slaw
  • lemon orzo pasta salad in a yellow-rimmed blue ceramic bowl garnished with fresh Italian parsley
    Big Batch Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
  • bacon wrapped corn on the cob piled up on brown parchment paper
    Sweet & Spicy Grilled Bacon Wrapped Corn On The Cob

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