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Thanksgiving Menu 2021

Kathleen

by Kathleen Pope Mar 28, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure & privacy policy.
Pinterest Long Pin top image roast turkey with all the fixings, bottom image of chocolate pumpkin graham crisp in a skillet
Pin for best Thanksgiving Recipes and menu ideas with images of turkey, stuffing, cranberry relish and corn pudding.

Traditional Thanksgiving Menu 2021, from main course, sides to delicious and decadent desserts and drinks. That’s why I have collected all of my favorite Thanksgiving Menu Ideas in one place.

Whether you are sitting down for a traditional thanksgiving dinner, or a simple Thanksgiving Family Dinner, I have something for everyone.

All of these recipes can be cut in half for smaller meals.

If you want to set a beautiful table, browse this post for easy Thanksgiving Tablescape ideas using items around your house, a very low cost budget friendly way to decorate.

Starting to plan your Thanksgiving Family Dinner? Let’s jump in, use this handy Table of Contents below to quickly navigate this post.

Table of contents for Thanksgiving Menu 2021

  • Traditional Thanksgiving Main Dishes
  • Thanksgiving Potato Recipes (the best!)
  • Delicious Holiday Side Dishes
  • Make Ahead, Chilled Side Dishes
  • Breads & Roll Recipes
  • Delightfully Decadent Desserts
  • Festive Holiday Drinks

Plus, check out my friend Lynn’s, free printable Thanksgiving planner

Traditional Thanksgiving Main Dishes

Traditional Thanksgiving Main Dish Ideas

Traditional main dish recipes for every table!

How to Make Gravy from Scratch {Turkey Giblet Gravy}

Seriously, the best, easiest gravy you will ever make -- and you can make it ahead!

Best Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe

Feeding a smaller crowd, or just want to add a little extra white meat to the table, this turkey breast is ready in about an hour.

Simple Tender Tasty Turkey

Our families favorite turkey recipe, easy, straight forward, no brining necessary!

Turkey Divan Recipe (or chicken)

Whether you choose to serve as a main dish, side dish or leftover dish, this will rock your world!

Wild Rice Supreme {Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole}

Leave the chicken out for a fabulous main dish side!

Best Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

Loaded with three types of bread, this stuffing is so delicious and ready to please anyone!

Maple Apple Sausage Stuffing Recipe

A traditional stuffing to make to stuff in your bird or serve on the side.

Roasted Turkey Roulade - How-to Video

Photo Credit: hostessatheart.com

A classy roasted turkey breast recipe with the stuffing rolled right inside! Perfect for small dinners.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy

Photo Credit: www.lemonblossoms.com

Keep your oven free with this tender slow cooker turkey breast.

Thanksgiving Potato Recipes (the best!)

Thanksgiving Potatoes - the BEST

Amazing and simple potato side dish recipes, all the best recipes!

Cheesy Funeral Potatoes

No canned soup in these creamy, decadent and delicious potatoes!

Holiday Praline Yams (Sweet Potatoes)

The best sweet potato or yam dish ever!

Instant Pot Rustic Mashed Potatoes {Stovetop & Crockpot too}

Whip up this small batch of rustic mashed potatoes ahead of time and keep warm in the Instant Pot!

Roasted Rosemary Red Potatoes

Deceptively easy, but tastes like you fussed.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Our favorite mashed potato recipe -- ever!

Best Potato Gratin Ever

A must have at every holiday gathering! Whether you call them scalloped or au gratin, these are your potatoes!

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes With Parmesan Cheese

Photo Credit: www.thefoodieaffair.com

Simple, cheesy, easy fingerling potatoes

Delicious Holiday Side Dishes

Traditional Thanksgiving Hot Sides

Smoked Mac and Cheese

Easy, smokey and delicious, this Smoked Macaroni and Cheese will knock your socks off.

Cheesy Asparagus Bake {No Fail!}

This dish literally assembles in a few minutes, and brings the desired, oohs and aahs from the table.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Balsamic Glaze

Crispy leaves, amazing flavor! You will fall in love (again) with brussels sprouts.

Glazed Tarragon Carrots (Instant Pot or Stove Top)

Ready in minutes in your Instant Pot, these tender, flavorful carrots compliment any holiday meal.

Best Ever Cowboy Baked Beans

Some would say you cannot have a holiday without baked beans, and since these are slathered in bacon, well they belong on every table!

Easy Corn Casserole without Jiffy

A fan favorite, this simple, all natural Corn Casserole or Pudding if you will adds a bright pop of summer color to the holiday table.

Creamy Pumpkin Risotto

Photo Credit: www.domestically-speaking.com

A creamy delicious risotto with applewood smoked bacon.

Squash Apple Cranberry Bake

Photo Credit: www.artfrommytable.com

Lighter, delicious and tasty squash apple cranberry bake, all of the flavors of the season.

Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Photo Credit: www.smartypantskitchen.com

A southern classic, this mac and cheese is so cheesy.

Make Ahead, Chilled Side Dishes

The Best Cold Side Dishes for Thanksgiving

Fall Harvest Salad {with Roasted Butternut Squash & Quinoa}

A stunning roasted butternut squash and honeycrisp apple salad filled with crunchies and drizzled with an amazing Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

Sweet Maple Apple Pecan Salad

A delicious salad year round, but boost with produce from the season and it will become your favorite salad too.

Harvest Wild Rice Salad {Holiday Salad Recipe}

Want a loaded salad as a side for the holidays? This salad fits that bill!

Fresh Cranberry Relish

A palate cleansing, delicious cranberry relish, perfect side dish for the holidays.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Photo Credit: www.joyousapron.com

A delicious homemade cooked cranberry sauce.

Classic Watergate Salad Recipe

Photo Credit: intelligentdomestications.com

A classic that can either be a side dish or a dessert, great to make the day ahead!

Breads & Roll Recipes

  • Easy Yeast Rolls |tons have made these on Pinterest, always a hit!
  • Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Rolls | You know, like the ones you get at Cheesecake Factory or Outback? Yup, those!
  • Cranberry Walnut Overnight Bread | Ah-mazing, in every way!
  • Russian Black Bread | A dark rich, complimentary bread started in your bread machine.
  • Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread | for a Southern Thanksgiving, this would be tops!

Delightfully Decadent Desserts

Tremendous Thanksgiving Desserts

Chocolate Pumpkin Graham Crisp {+ Video}

A twist on the classic pumpkin crisp for chocolate lovers!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe {with Streusel topping}

With a Biscoff cookie crust, these pumpkin cheesecake bars are the bomb and way different than the traditional pumpkin pie!

Soft Pumpkin Cookies {with Butterscotch Chips}

Chewy Giant Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies -- easy and the best!

Crème Anglaise

Use this sauce on any number of delicious desserts, to make it more fancy!

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Chocolate bread pudding is simply the bomb, even non-chocolate lovers love this! Plus it can be made ahead!

Easy Chocolate Loaf Cake

Make this easy and light chocolate cake as a loaf cake or bundt cake! Delicious either way!

Mini Chocolate French Silk Pies

These chocolate French Silk pies are so decadent and delicious!

Easy Lava Cake Recipe for Two or more

Another slam-dunk, make ahead dessert! Great for smaller gatherings!

Nothing Bundt Cake Recipe | Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundtlets and Bundt Cake

One of my most popular cake recipes, it starts with a cake mix too!

Sugared Cranberries | 3 Sugar Varieties

Sugared cranberries are a healthier choice, loaded with bursts of sweet-tart flavor!

Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake

This cinnamon swirl bundt cake does double duty for breakfast or dessert!

The Best Key Lime Pie | A Traditional Key Lime Pie Recipe

While not your typical Thanksgiving dessert, I doubt anyone will care when they bit into this sweet-tart, creamy key lime pie!

Easy Vanilla Sauce

Another sauce you can slather over everything from cakes, bread puddings, ice cream and more!

Pear Bundt Cake

A gorgeous and simple pear cake, loaded with flavor and natural sweetness!

Graham Cracker Crumble

Use this graham cracker crumble on everything -- cakes, pies, ice cream, yogurt, pancakes!

Gluten-Free Apple Pie with Crumb Topping

You don't have to be gluten-free to enjoy this delicious apple pie with crumb streusel topping!

Substitute for Pumpkin Pie Spice

There is always a need for Pumpkin Pie Spice, now you will never run out! Makes a great gift too!

Amazing Apple Crumb Cake

Double crumb apple cake! Yes please!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Photo Credit: www.soulfullymade.com

A light and delicious pumpkin spice cake with a fluffy cream cheese icing

Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Photo Credit: www.norinesnest.com

A classic! Traditional and easy pumpkin pie!

Gingerbread Cookie Bars  

Photo Credit: www.lolosdesserts.com

Gooey, spicy and seasonal gingerbread cookie bars

White Chocolate Pecan Pie  

Photo Credit: twosugarbugs.com

A delectable twist on a traditional pecan pie, white chocolate!!

Festive Holiday Drinks

Thanksgiving Beverage Ideas (Hot & Cold)

Start or end with a beverage fitting and deliciously seasonal!

Cranberry Bourbon Sour Cocktail

A gorgeous and flavorful cocktail anytime of the year!

Maple Whiskey Sour

A simple, warm and delicious cocktail.

Delicious Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe

Rich and delicious, homemade hot chocolate for two!

Easy Cranberry Spritzer (by the glass or pitcher)

Looking for something for the kids, this is like a cranberry version of a Shirley Temple.

Cranberry Lemon Drop Martini

Toast the holidays with this bright, sparkling cranberry lemon drop martini!

Blackberry Cocktail | A Blackberry Mule

Always a hit at every party!

Texas Tea (Reduced Sugar)

Another non-alcoholic punch for the entire family.

Tangerine and Thyme Gin & Tonic

A gorgeous, seasonal cocktail or mocktail.

Hibiscus Dark and Stormy Drink

Bring the colors of the season in with this beautiful Hibiscus drink!

Simple Golden Milk (Turmeric Tea)

Sip something warm, and help everyone get a good nights sleep!

Hot Buttered Rum

A classic and traditional holiday beverage! Especially good for after a day of snow fun!

Homemade Chai Tea Latte

Another big winner, this homemade hot chai tea latte!

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

Photo Credit: whoneedsacape.com

Easy pumpkin spice hot chocolate in your slow cooker!

Blood Orange Mocktail Mule Recipe

Photo Credit: www.thespeckledpalate.com

Tangy and tart, Blood Orange Mule - a non-alcoholic version

Apple Whiskey Sour

Photo Credit: michellesipsandsavors.com

The delicious flavors of the season in this amazing Apple Whiskey Sour

I hope this comprehensive list of Traditional Thanksgiving Menu 2021 has given you lots to chew on — so to speak!

Happy Thanksgiving to you my friend, thanks for stopping by and may your Thanksgiving be blessed with health, joy, peace and GRATITUDE!

PIN to your Thanksgiving Board!

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