Thanksgiving Recipes
Appetizers
Butternut Squash Apple Bruschetta
Camille
In the past I’ve made it with friends, so even though we can’t gather together this year, I will be reminded of all the times we’ve had at previous gatherings.
Cucumber Sandwiches
Meg Heaton
This is a favorite appetizer that is great while waiting for a big meal and always disappears fast.
Side Dishes
Kale, Butternut Squash & Pomegranate Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Davy Ann
This is one of my all time favorite salads and SO beautiful for the holidays!
The Favorite (Cheesy) Potatoes
Cheryl Watson
I am attaching my absolute favorite “cheesy potato” recipe that our family and everyone who has ever had it, adores. 🙂 It is simple, rich and delicious. Enjoy!
Corn Pudding
Nancy Langness, member of the Friends and Foundation
Following is an absolute must for my family every Thanksgiving.
Corn & Broccoli Casserole
Corky Weeks
I have been making this for Thanksgiving for maybe 10 or so years. The kids will eat it because it has corn and crackers. The broccoli sometimes gets picked out but mostly they eat it.
Raspberry Salad
Sara O’Brien
I remember my family having this at every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter meal. I have continued the tradition because the meal doesn’t seem the same without this side. It is a jello salad and I’ve made it with and without the whipped cream and almonds. If you have a smaller group, you can easily cut the recipe in half and make in a square 8×8 or 9×9 dish.
Green Beans & Mushroom Casserole
Barb Peterson
Accompaniments
Make Ahead Turkey Gravy
Corky Weeks
This recipe has been a game changer! For years at Thanksgiving it’s been a race after the turkey comes out of the oven to get the gravy made and on the table hot. Finally in my old age, I got smart and started making the gravy days ahead. Doing it this way saves stress in the kitchen and it makes good gravy too.
Cranberry Relish
Ben Johnston
All my life, I don’t think I have ever had a “normal” cranberry sauce with Thanksgiving at my house. My family and I always made this Relish in its place. To my understanding, this recipe came from my great-grandmother Grace. She had twice the amount of sugar that we put in (she was a sweet woman), but we lowered the amount so you can still taste the tartness of the berries.
This Relish will always hold a place in my heart. I distinctly remember rummaging through all the bags my mom brought home from the pre-meal shopping to find the bags of cranberries. was it the fact that the bags kinda acted like stress balls? I don’t know. Also the countless times I snitched bits of it off the counter top will always bring me a smile.
Desserts
Microwave Apple Crisp
Buck Malick
Festive Cranberry Apricot Pie
Sara O’Brien
Pumpkin Pie
Corky Weeks
Caramel Pumpkin Pie
Sara O’Brien
Wendy’s Pie
Shelley Tougas
When my stepdaughter Wendy was a teenager, I found a recipe I thought she might like – a no bake pumpkin pie. It’s not fancy, and foodies would turn up their noses. Still, she loved it and requested it at every holiday or special gathering. A few years ago she hosted her first Thanksgiving and asked me for the recipe. It sounds silly, but it was a profound moment. I got to pass along a recipe, which felt like an important generational shift. But I was overcome with sadness by the transition from involved stepmom to one who lives four hours away. Wendy has built a separate life for herself, which is what we want kids to do, right? So I try to cherish the memories, and those memories come flying back whenever I make this pie – Wendy’s pie.
Apple Torte
Joan
I love to have an apple dessert with Thanksgiving (in addition to pumpkin pie) and this recipe is my favorite. My mom always made it so it reminds me of her. Don’t let the word “torte” scare you. It is super simple!