Delicious Recipes To Add To Your Thanksgiving Menu Before It's Too Late

Granny Smith Apple Pie
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Let's talk turkey—preferably a deep-fried one.

Try these Thanksgiving recipes this November, along with a sideboard packed with new takes on classic sides like garlicky collard greens, bacon-studded macaroni and cheese, fluffy corn pudding, and oyster casserole. Finish the menu with a Thanksgiving dressing recipe, one a traditional herby style and the other a spicy chorizo number. That deep-fried turkey won't be lonely on the table, guaranteed.

Of course, no Thanksgiving meal is complete without pie, and we're serving up five options, from spiced coconut pumpkin to cheesecake-pecan to Granny Smith apple. We'd say to pick according to your autumnal mood, but why not make them all? Here are 29 comforting Thanksgiving recipes to serve your family and friends this year.

01 of 29

Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins

Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins

Wake up to the smell of cinnamon with these sorghum-pecan monkey bread muffins. You can prepare the muffins the night before, so you only need to bake them for 20 minutes the next day. Toasted pecans add the perfect texture to these sweet, sugary breakfast cakes.

02 of 29

Baked Brie with Pecans

Baked Brie with Pecans
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Baked Brie with Pecans

Assemble the appetizer toppings while your brie warms in the oven. Combine honey, salt, and the five spice mixture in a saucepan, followed by toasted pecans and dried cheeses. After baking your brie, top it with your sweet and nutty spice mixture and serve. This brie pairs excellently with apple slices, baguettes, or crackers.

03 of 29

Sweet Potato Rolls with Cane Syrup Glaze

Sweet Potato Rolls
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sweet Potato Rolls with Cane Syrup Glaze

Sweet potatoes are the perfect Thanksgiving food, so adding them to everything from casseroles to bread transforms a recipe into something that should be a seasonal staple. Top these fluffy, sweet rolls with honey or homemade honey butter for sweetness. Make sure not to add too much flour when rolling out your dough.

04 of 29

Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

There are few ways to improve a classic mac and cheese recipe, except when adding bacon. Create this cheesy sauce by combining extra-sharp Cheddar cheese with your choice of Monterey Jack, provolone, or mozzarella cheese. Top with fresh breadcrumbs, and you have a nearly perfect side dish.

05 of 29

Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

Cornbread is a Southern and Thanksgiving staple, but switch up your traditional recipe by trying a spicy rendition this year. This cornbread uses jalapenos, chorizo, and cilantro to add a savory seasoning. Bell peppers, onions, and chiles help complete this unique twist.

06 of 29

Fluffy Corn Pudding

Shrimp-Stuffed Mirlitons
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Fluffy Corn Pudding

Start by pulsing your corn kernels to create a smooth pudding cross between a custard and a souffle. This recipe works just as well with frozen corn as fresh corn, so use either depending on availability. Bake until lightly brown and sprinkle with scallions to serve.

07 of 29

Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables with Spicy Pecan Topping

Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables with Spicy Pecan Topping
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables with Spicy Pecan Topping

To maintain beautifully colored vegetables, roast the red beets and red onions separately. After combining these with the orange and yellow vegetables, top them with a spicy pecan mixture. The topping includes maple syrup and spices like chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.

08 of 29

Grated Sweet Potato Pudding

Grated Sweet Potato Pudding
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Grated Sweet Potato Pudding

Instead of making sweet potato casserole this year, try a sweet potato pudding this Thanksgiving. Start by grating sweet potatoes, then adding them with a creamy mixture to a cast-iron skillet. Top with chopped pecans and bake for an autumnal twist on traditional corn pudding.

09 of 29

Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets

Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets

Collard greens deserve a seat at the Thanksgiving table. This recipe proves why by adding a modern twist to the classic. Mixing garlic and sourdough helps to reinvent this side dish by combining generous servings into boiled collard greens.

10 of 29

Scalloped Oysters

Scalloped Oysters
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Scalloped Oysters

You've probably heard about scalloped potatoes, but here's why scalloped oysters should be your new Thanksgiving side dish. Alternating layers of oysters and a crushed cracker and butter mixture is a back-to-basics casserole that still offers a unique flavoring. Bake in a heavy cream sauce and sprinkle with parsley for a dish everyone is happy to see on the Thanksgiving table.

11 of 29

Buttermilk Spoon Bread

Buttermilk Spoon Bread
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Buttermilk Spoon Bread

Customize this spoon bread by adding corn, diced ham, sausage, or various herbs and cheeses. Similar to corn pudding, this recipe is a blend of skillet cornbread, souffle, and traditional dressing. Make it for Thanksgiving, and continue making it year-round by changing your add-ins each time.

12 of 29

Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries

Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries

Use butternut squash in this recipe if you can't find candy roaster squash. After baking the squash until it's tender, top it with the sorghum mixture, cranberries, and walnuts to add texture, variety, and flavoring. The sorghum syrup mixture brings out a hint of sweetness in the squash.

13 of 29

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

These puff pastry appetizers are great for any time throughout the year but can add some extra flavoring to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner spread. These signature rolls, filled with blue cheese, scallions, cream cheese, chicken, and hot sauce, are great at room temperature or straight from the oven. Use store-bought pastry to help this appetizer come together in less time.

14 of 29

Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing

Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing

Toasted pecans add an extra crunch and nutty flavoring to traditional cornbread. Prepare the cornbread for this recipe up to three days in advance so you can crumble it and add the dressing mixture to bake the day of your event. Pair this side dish with your Thanksgiving turkey or make it year-round and serve with pork chops, roasted chicken, or any other dinner you choose.

15 of 29

Sea Island Crab Fried Rice

Fried Arkansas Black Apples
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sea Island Crab Fried Rice

Turkey might be the main attraction during Thanksgiving, but seafood side dishes can be an unexpected delight on your holiday table. This recipe, similar to crab rice, uses bacon and sauteed vegetables in a delicious fried rice dish. Top with a fried egg or serve it warm as prepared.

16 of 29

Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga with Collards

Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga with Collards
Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

Recipe: Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga with Collards

Make the most of your side dish by combining three vegetables into one creamy side dish. Potatoes, rutabaga, and collards mix with a white Cheddar and milk sauce for a buttery and savory addition to your Thanksgiving table. It's decadent, but still has enough vegetables to make you very good when eating it.

17 of 29

Fried Arkansas Black Apples

Fried Arkansas Black Apples
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Fried Arkansas Black Apples

The star of this recipe is the Arkansas Black Apple, known for its distinctive, purple skins. If this apple variety isn't available in your area, substitute it for your favorite type of apple. It only takes six ingredients to make fried apples, but you can use this sweet fruit to top a dessert or eat with your Thanksgiving dinner as a side dish.

18 of 29

Shrimp-Stuffed Mirlitons

Shrimp-Stuffed Mirlitons
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Shrimp-Stuffed Mirlitons

Mirlitons, a type of winter squash, have an apple-like texture and cucumber-like flavoring. The shrimp, ham, and egg mixture stuffed in these mirlitons offer a variety of new flavors to your traditional Thanksgiving menu. Bake with a breadcrumb and parsley mixture for a crispy topping to this unique arrangement.

19 of 29

Whole-Grain Corn Bread

Whole-Grain Mini Bread Loaves
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Whole-Grain Corn Bread

Add an earthy texture to your cornbread by blending whole grain and whole wheat flour. This recipe is ideal for a cornbread side dish or drizzled with honey for breakfast.

20 of 29

Deep Fried Turkey with Creole Spices

Deep Fried Turkey with Creole Spices
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Deep Fried Turkey with Creole Spices

It is always a debate when deciding how to prepare this year's Thanksgiving turkey. Whether roasted or deep fried, this turkey recipe with creole spices should be on your list. The seasoning blends with the zesty orange flavoring and ground spices for a unique and flavorful main dish.

21 of 29

Turkey Stock

Turkey Stock
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Turkey Stock

Family traditions often determine how you make turkey stock to accompany your Thanksgiving dinner. If your family recipe needs an update or you want to try something new, consider using this recipe that only requires seven ingredients. Make it ahead of time and chill until you're ready to serve.

22 of 29

Spiced Coconut-Pumpkin Pie

Dairy-Free Coconut-Pumpkin Pie
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Spiced Coconut-Pumpkin Pie

Accommodate everyone this Thanksgiving with this dairy-free dessert. This pumpkin pie that uses coconut milk and oil is ideal for a post-turkey treat that is not overly sweet. Plus, it's richly spiced, giving it the perfect autumnal seasoning.

23 of 29

Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Pecan Cheesecake Pie
Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Add an autumnal twist to traditional cheesecake. The chopped pecan topping adds texture and nutty flavoring to the silky, smooth cream cheese filling. Use pre-packaged piecrust to save time and still get the same delicious results.

24 of 29

Granny Smith Apple Pie

Granny Smith Apple Pie
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Granny Smith Apple Pie

The additional step of roasting the Granny Smith apples makes this apple pie unique. Also, roasting the apples before mixing them with the other filling ingredients gives the fruit a nice caramelized flavoring. To save time, roast your apples up to two days ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until needed.

25 of 29

Pear-Cranberry Pie with Oatmeal Streusel

Pear-Cranberry Pie with Ginger-Almond Streusel
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Pear-Cranberry Pie with Oatmeal Streusel

Save time by using frozen cranberries and a store-bought pie shell. This dessert is as straightforward as it gets when making pies because you don't need to worry about the crust topping. Just sprinkle the oat-streusel topping over the pear mixture and bake.

26 of 29

Classic Chess Pie

baked classic chess pie on a cooling rack
Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly

Recipe: Classic Chess Pie

Instead of baking a pumpkin or apple pie again this Thanksgiving, try this classic chess pie recipe for a sweet, buttery substitute. This recipe can use store-bought crust in a pinch, saving yourself some holiday stress. Plus, the filling uses ingredients you most likely have in your pantry during the holidays, so this is a great dessert to consider adding to your menu.

27 of 29

Turkey Salad

Turkey Salad
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Turkey Salad

This recipe is probably already a part of your year-round menu, just with chicken or tuna. Instead, take advantage of those Thanksgiving day leftovers and make a sandwich with a mixture of turkey, mayonnaise, sour cream, and anything else you want to add. Customize this salad like you would for chicken or tuna, or try this recipe for new inspiration.

28 of 29

Leftover Turkey Hash

Leftover Turkey Hash
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Leftover Turkey Hash

Use your Thanksgiving leftovers in a new way this year by making a breakfast hash. Combine potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and garlic with your turkey for a savory breakfast dish. Don't forget to add a fried egg to complete the meal.

29 of 29

Cherry Turnovers

Cherry Turnovers
Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Cherry Turnovers

These cherry turnovers are ideal for breakfast or an after-dinner treat. The buttery puff pastry complements the tart cherry and lemon juice filling. Plus, the powdered sugar glaze adds the perfect amount of sweetness—try a Turbinado sugar topping for extra sparkle.

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