Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Recipes Our Best Thanksgiving Menus for Every Gathering Style By Zoe Denenberg Updated on April 15, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Part of the magic of Thanksgiving is that each family celebrates a little differently. Some families gather around to tune into Thanksgiving football, while other families opt to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Some families host an elaborate meal with all the extended cousins, while some prefer to keep it simple. No matter how you celebrate the holiday, Thanksgiving offers a chance to relax, reflect, and spend time with loved ones. But sometimes this core purpose can get muddled under all of the stress of holiday preparations. To take some worry out of the holiday, we've created 16 Thanksgiving menus that feature some of our all-star holiday recipes. These menus are tailored to every mood and taste, whether you want to celebrate with an extravagant dinner party or a laid-back beach dinner. Relieve some of that planning stress and leave the menu-crafting to us! Whether you're in search of impressive desserts or laid-back casseroles, we have options that suit every taste. No matter how your family chooses to celebrate Thanksgiving, we have a menu for you. 01 of 16 Vintage Thanksgiving Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Add a little vintage-style to the menu. From wobbly molded cranberry salad to classic candied yams, this meal will have you recalling the Thanksgiving meals of your childhood. Finish off the meal with one of our favorite lost pies of the South, old-school recipes that we've recently rediscovered. Recipes:Roasted Herb Turkey and GravyAunt Grace's Best Cornbread DressingSpiced Cranberry MoldMake-Ahead Yeast RollsClassic Sweet Potato CasseroleOld-School Green Bean CasseroleClassic Candied YamsSliced Sweet Potato PieArkansas Black Apple Pie 02 of 16 Traditional Thanksgiving Greg DuPree If you want to stick to the all-time favorites, this menu is for you. From classic roasted herb turkey to Southern cornbread dressing and old-school green bean casserole, this menu includes all the essential components of a classic Thanksgiving feast. Choose from three classic pie offerings—apple, pumpkin, and pecan—or make all three. Even Grandma will applaud this spread. Recipes:Roasted Herb Turkey and GravyClassic Buttermilk Mashed PotatoesSouthern Cornbread DressingClassic Sweet Potato CasseroleOld-School Green Bean CasseroleAngel BiscuitsClassic Cranberry SaladClassic Candied YamsUltimate Apple PieSouthern Pumpkin PieBest Pecan Pie 03 of 16 Casual Thanksgiving Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall If you'd rather spend more time with your family than wasting days prepping for the Thanksgiving meal, this casual menu is for you. It includes all the basics you need for a great Thanksgiving feast without all the fuss. This menu is ideal for a family of four or a smaller Thanksgiving gathering. Cap the meal off with a homemade sweet potato pie that's sure to satisfy. Recipes:Smoked Turkey BreastSouthern Cornbread DressingClassic Sweet Potato CasseroleOld-School Green Bean CasseroleSavory Corn PuddingBrussels Sprouts with Bacon and ShallotsBrown Butter Sweet Potato Pie 04 of 16 "The More, the Merrier" Thanksgiving Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Casseroles galore! When you're cooking for a large Thanksgiving crowd, your 13-by-9 pan will be your best friend. With this big-batch menu, there's sure to be enough of everything to go around—and maybe even some left over! Finish off your Thanksgiving meal with a sheet cake, our favorite hack to make dessert for a crowd. Recipes:Smoked Turkey with Herb RubSouthern Cornbread DressingHerbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and CheeseCaramelized Onion Mashed Potato BakeClassic Sweet Potato CasseroleOld-School Green Bean CasseroleGrits DressingButter Pecan Sheet CakeMini Pumpkin PiesSpiced Pecan Pie Bars 05 of 16 Extravagant Thanksgiving Jennifer Davick Get fancy this Thanksgiving with a menu that's built to impress the guests (and the in-laws). Start off the night with elegant topped potato puffs as an appetizer, then move into a meal full of impressive specialty dishes, like roasted Brussels sprouts and homemade herb biscuits. You'll want to start preparing well in advance for this meal, but your guests won't soon forget it. Recipes:Roasted Herb Turkey and GravySweet Potato StacksHasselback Sweet Potato CasserolePotato Gratin with Rosemary CrustParmesan-Herb Angel BiscuitsBrussels Sprouts with Bacon and ShallotsSlow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham HocksHerbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and CheesePumpkin Spice Magic CakeFudge Layer Cake with Caramel Buttercream 06 of 16 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Alison Miksch If you'll be out all morning on Thanksgiving watching a parade or attending a football game, there won't be time to prepare an elaborate meal. So assemble the slow cookers and plan ahead with this make-ahead Thanksgiving meal! You'd be surprised just how much you can cook in your slow cooker, from green beans to sweet potatoes to cornbread dressing. This make-ahead menu is worry-free and tasks can be easily divided up to make a potluck-style feast. Recipes:Smoked Turkey BreastMake-Ahead GravyMake-Ahead Mashed PotatoesSlow-Cooker Green BeansMake-Ahead Yeast RollsSlow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with BaconSlow-Cooker Cornbread DressingOur Easiest Pumpkin Pie Ever 07 of 16 Deep-Fried Thanksgiving Photo: Peter Frank Edwards; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Micah A. Leal Uncle Jim has probably been trying to convince you to let him fry the turkey for years—well, why not give it a shot? Southerners will deep-fry just about anything, and this deep-fried Thanksgiving menu is supremely indulgent. From hush puppies to skillet cornbread dressing, get a real taste of the South this Thanksgiving. Recipes:Cajun Fried TurkeyFried OkraAlabama Hush PuppiesSouthern Cornbread DressingPineapple CasseroleFried Skillet PotatoesSouthern Fried CornEasy Skillet Apple Pie 08 of 16 Coastal Thanksgiving Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke If you're spending the holiday at the shore, tailor your menu to match your environment. This beachside Thanksgiving menu is light and breezy. It incorporates seafood in ever-classic ways—like in our vintage Oyster Casserole—and keeps everything easy and portable in case you want to take it on-the-go or outdoors. Recipes:Turkey with Shallot-Mustard SauceBacon and Blue Mashed Potato BakeOyster CasserolePineapple CasseroleMini Apple PiesMama Mae's Ambrosia Salad 09 of 16 Mix-and-Match Potluck Thanksgiving Hector Sanchez Tired of the basics? Really change things up with this eccentric potluck menu. These recipes use all the Thanksgiving ingredients in completely new ways. Assign a dish out to each of your guests to make a worry-free holiday and create an exciting varied spread. Just be sure to coordinate ahead of time so you don't end up with three pecan pies! Recipes:Cajun Smoked TurkeyHot Potato SaladDiane's Southwestern Cornbread SaladMacaroni PieHomemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy LeeksBeet Red Velvet CupcakesChocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie 10 of 16 Healthier Thanksgiving Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton Stay light and lean this Thanksgiving with our healthier menu. from low-calorie green bean casserole to fresh, light ambrosia salad, this menu proves that just because it's healthier doesn't mean it can't be indulgent. It's sure to satisfy without inducing a food coma that'll last all night. Recipes:Turkey with Shallot-Mustard SauceHealthy Turkey LasagnaSkillet Cauliflower Mac and CheeseSmothered Green BeansSavory Sweet Potato CasseroleCollard Green Creole Dirty RiceOven-Roasted AsparagusMama Mae's Ambrosia SaladPumpkin Pie 11 of 16 Try-Something-New Thanksgiving Greg DuPree While we love to honor holiday traditions, sometimes you just want to shake it up a little. This menu will help you bounce out of your Thanksgiving creativity rut and brainstorm new ways to honor the holiday. No dry, flavorless turkey here: The star of the show is the sweet-and-spicy roast turkey, packed with flavor and coated in a honey-hot sauce glaze. With stunning sides like goat cheese mashed potatoes, herbed wild rice dressing, and sweet potato-and-collard green gratin, this menu pays homage to a traditional Thanksgiving spread while venturing outside the box. Recipes:Sweet-and-Spicy Roast TurkeyGoat Cheese Mashed PotatoesHerbed Wild Rice DressingBrussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and PecansSweet Potato StacksButterscotch-Spice TriflePersimmon Pie with Pecan Streusel 12 of 16 BBQ-Style Thanksgiving Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Fire up the smoker! This Thanksgiving is getting a barbecue-style makeover. Smoking your turkey adds so many new dimensions of flavor to the dry bird—you'll never want to go back to the traditional roast. Like the Thanksgiving turkey, barbecue is best served with lots of indulgent sides. Serve the smoked turkey with our best-ever mac and cheese, Southwestern-style spoonbread dressing, and savory corn pudding. This BBQ-Style Thanksgiving is a home run. Recipes:Herb-Rubbed Smoked TurkeyTwice-Baked PotatoesSavory Corn PuddingBest-Ever Macaroni and CheeseSmoky Sausage-and-Grits CasseroleButtermilk CornbreadSweet Potato CobblerKentucky Bourbon Pie 13 of 16 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Who said you need to have turkey on Thanksgiving? Load up on the veggie sides with this vegetarian Thanksgiving menu. Slow cooker lentil soup acts as the hearty main, but the sides are really the stars of the show. With lemon-almond green bean casserole, breadcrumb-topped mac and cheese, and scalloped potatoes, this vegetarian-friendly menu proves that you don't need meat to make a fantastic meal. Recipes:Slow Cooker Lentil SoupClassic Parmesan Scalloped PotatoesHerbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese Green Bean CasseroleVegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard GreensSweet Potato MashMama Mae's Ambrosia SaladChocolate Silk Pie 14 of 16 Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Hector Sanchez If there will be more kids than adults in attendance at your Thanksgiving feast, this kid-friendly menu is the way to go. It includes all the essential components of Thanksgiving—from the turkey to the potatoes—in an easy form that kids will love. All the kids will go crazy for the cheese cracker-topped squash casserole (and it's a sneaky way to convince them to eat their vegetables). This menu is easy to prepare and easy to love! Recipes:Smoked Turkey BreastClassic Buttermilk Mashed PotatoesCheese Cracker-Topped Squash CasseroleBest-Ever Macaroni and CheeseMake-Ahead Yeast RollsCorn Pudding CasseroleOur Easiest Pumpkin Pie Ever 15 of 16 "Classic with a Twist" Thanksgiving Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners With slight twists on the classics, this Thanksgiving menu dresses up all your time-tested favorites in new ways. The ever-classic green bean casserole earns a crispy leek crown, and squash casserole gets a whimsical, kid-friendly topping. Ditch the sweet potato casserole for an elegant sweet potato soufflé to round out this old-made-new meal. Recipes:Roasted Herb Turkey and GravyGreen Bean Casserole with Crispy LeeksCheese Cracker-Topped Squash CasseroleCornbread Dressing with Sausage and FennelBaked Mac and Cheese with BaconSweet Potato SouffléApple Pie Cake 16 of 16 Bonus: The Day After Thanksgiving Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis When you've got leftovers taking up all the space in your fridge, it's time to get creative. These day-after-Thanksgiving recipes help you make use of all that extra turkey meat in soups, sandwiches, and casseroles. You'll never tire of turkey with this variety of leftover recipes. Recipes:Healthy Turkey LasagnaTurkey Pot Pie with Cranberry-Pecan CrustsSlow-Cooker Turkey and Dumplings SoupTurkey Grilled Cheese with Gruyere and Caramelized OnionSlow-Cooker Turkey ChiliTurkey Tortilla Soup Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit