8 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes for a Memorable Holiday | Cook Smarts (2024)

Crisp autumn leaves, the scent of pumpkin spice, wooly scarves . . . can this time of year get any better?

Why, yes it can! Thanksgiving will be here in 16 days (yes, we’re counting down), and we’re so excited because it’s one of our most favorite holidays of the year.

It’s a time for heirloom recipes to adorn the dinner table, a time to crank up the oven and warm the home. It’s a time to feast on delicious side dishes that normally get overlooked any other day of the week.

But most of all it’s a time to come together with loved ones and celebrate with food that brings us all together.

One of the things we are so grateful for is our cooking community of Kitchen Heroes, who spur us to improve our meal plan service with their helpful suggestions and feedback, andwho also bring us so much joy when they spread the Cook Smarts love.

Normally on the week of Thanksgiving, we provide a shortened meal plan menu of past favorite dinners for our community, since lots of folks usually have Thanksgiving dinner planned anyway. However, in appreciation of this wonderful holiday and as a way of saying thanks to our amazing cooking community, we put together a booklet of simple Thanksgiving recipes.

This Thanksgiving recipe book holds 8 recipes – from turkey to side dishes to dessert – that are modern twists of traditional favorites. It also includes make-ahead tips for a stress-free Thanksgiving, as well as vegetarian, gluten-free, and paleo substitutions wherever possible.

While these dishes will feel completely at home on your Thanksgiving table, these recipes can also be made outside of the holiday because a little Thanksgiving sprinkled throughout the year can make life so much more fulfilling.

Get this printable recipe book for free here:

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When you sign up for this recipe book, we’ll send you theUltimate Thanksgiving Bundle. It includes this Fulfilled Thanksgiving ebook, our No-Oven Side Dishes recipe book, our first-ever Thanksgiving recipe book (with 9 easy recipes), as well as a spreadsheet planner for organizing your Thanksgiving menu – from cooking times to cooking help!

If you’re looking for even more simple, healthy, delicious dinners to enhance your Thanksgiving table (or your dinner table year-round!), then check out our meal plan service. With a meal plan subscription, you will get:

• A new meal plan of four dinner recipes delivered to your inbox every week, with gluten-free, Paleo, and vegetarian options included
• Grocery lists and make-ahead prep steps generated just for you
• Access to our Archives, which dates back to May 2013, so you can always find a meal that suits your tastes
• Ability to customize your serving sizes, log meals to MyFitnessPal, and view Weight Watchers points
• And best of all, access to our private Kitchen Heroes Facebook Group, where thousands of our cooking community are ready to cheer you on

There’s even more awesomeness that comes when you subscribe, which you can read all about here. But first, get ready to feast your eyes on the dishes that are featured in our Thanksgiving recipe book!

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

This recipe is perfect if you are serving a smaller crowd, or even if you just don’t feel like dealing with the whole bird. Plus, it also offers the advantage of more consistent cooking because you can pull the turkey as soon as the breast is tender and still juicy without waiting for other cuts to finish cooking. A simple herb butter is slathered all over the turkey breast for delicious, additional flavor as the meat cooks.

Butternut Squash Lasagna with White Sauce

White lasagna seems so much more festive for the holidays than lasagna with marinara sauce. This beautiful vegetarian main dish has clean, rich flavors that contains autumn in every bite. Creamy butternut squash, 3 kinds of cheeses, and a savory white sauce seasoned with a pinch of nutmeg is the perfect combination for an impressive Thanksgiving dish.

Wild Rice Dressing with Sausage

Instead of the typical bread-based dressing, we took a different route that is extremely festive. Wild rice adds nuttiness to this side dish, while sweet-tart cranberries add balance to the savory flavors of Italian sausage and fresh herbs.

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Skillet Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

This Thanksgiving classic gets an update by skipping the canned soup concentrate and canned green beans in favor of a from-scratch, one-pan version. Top this healthy take on green bean casserole with crispy bacon bits for even more flavor. (Or opt for the traditional fried sliced onions, or go even healthier and top with toasted pecans!)

Mixed Greens Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Apples

Including a salad on the Thanksgiving menu is the simplest way to add more veggies to the feast. This one is chock full of fall elements like roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy apples, and apple cider vinegar. Together, they add lots of color to this seasonal salad.

Maple-Cumin Roasted Carrots

This side dish of sweet and savory flavors is sure to be a winner for everyone. Cumin and maple syrup are a comforting combo and accentuate the sweetness of roasted carrots even more. Thanks to store-bought baby carrots, this dish requires virtually no prep and it adds wonderful color to the Thanksgiving table.

Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy

Both vegetarians and omnivores alike will enjoy this savory mashed potato dish, which gets umami flavor from mushrooms and soy sauce. Mash with butter and Greek yogurt for creaminess, and if you do happen to be roasting a turkey, add some pan drippings for even more depth!

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse Parfaits

And finally, the pièce de résistance! This beautiful dessert will surely delight everyone at the dinner table, and the best part is – no baking is required! Your oven is already fully occupied, so we decided to create this no-bake recipe to make it even easier for you. Inspired by pumpkin cheesecake, a fluffy pumpkin mousse is layered with whipped cream for a lighter alternative. In the recipe booklet, we include a list of fun toppings that will allow everyone to customize their individual parfaits to their liking!

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We wish everyone a spectacular, stress-free Thanksgiving with lots of amazing food and conversations. Do you already have your Thanksgiving meal planned? If so, let us know in the comments what you’ll be making!

If you are looking for more tips to make this holiday as seamless as possible, check out this article on getting organized:

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A little note:

This blog post was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated with new and helpful resources.