Here’s Exactly What to Make for Thanksgiving Dinner: Recipes, Timeline, & Tips

Figuring out what to make for Thanksgiving dinner can feel like a lot, especially when you’re juggling a full menu and trying to keep the kitchen from turning into a madhouse. This holiday meal plan is designed to serve 10-12 people, perfect for family gatherings or hosting friends. It has everything you need to get dinner on the table while still enjoying your day. With easy recipes and a step-by-step timeline, you’ll know exactly what to do and when. If you want to sit down for dinner at 5:00 pm, plan to start your day at 7:30 am for a smooth, stress-free experience. Stop worrying and spend more time enjoying your company knowing everything is organized and timed perfectly.

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Easy Holiday Meals: A Step-by-Step Thanksgiving Menu

Here’s a Thanksgiving dinner template with delicious recipes, a full-day timeline, and an efficient cooking order to ensure everything goes smoothly. These recipes are simple, fresh, and purposefully designed to maximize your stove and oven space so you can get it all done without breaking a sweat.

Recipes (in suggested cooking order)

Herb-Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

• Ingredients: 12-14 lb turkey, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp pepper, fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage), 1 onion, 1 lemon, 4 garlic cloves, 1 cup chicken broth.
• Instructions:
  1. Allow turkey to thaw for approximately 4 days in refrigerator (24 hours per 4-5 pounds of turkey).
  2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Pat the turkey dry and season the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with onion, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs.
  3. Rub butter all over the turkey, then season the outside with salt and pepper.
  4. Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a pan, add chicken broth to the pan, and roast for 3-4 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  5. Baste the turkey every hour. Let rest for 30 minutes before carving.

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Traditional Pumpkin Pie

• Ingredients: 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree, 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 pie crust, 1 can whipped cream.
• Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, and spices.
  2. Pour into pie crust and bake for 15 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes until set.
  4. Cool before serving. Make 1-2 days in advance. Top individual slices with whipped cream.

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Orange Cranberry Sauce

• Ingredients: 1 (12 oz) bag cranberries, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup water, optional: orange zest.
• Instructions:
  1. Combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and water in a saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes until cranberries burst.
  3. Let cool before serving. Can be made 1-2 days in advance.

Autumn Apple Sangria

• Ingredients: 1 bottle white wine, 2 cups apple cider, 1/4 cup brandy or apple brandy, 1/4 cup orange liqueur, 1 apple (sliced thin), 1 pear (sliced thin), 1 orange (sliced), 1 cinnamon stick, 3-4 whole cloves, 1-2 tbsp maple syrup (optional), club soda (optional), ice cubes.
• Instructions:
  1. In a large pitcher, combine the wine, apple cider, brandy, and orange liqueur.
  2. Add the sliced apple, pear, orange, cinnamon stick, and cloves to the pitcher.
  3. Stir in the maple syrup if you like a sweeter sangria.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for the best flavor.
  5. When ready to serve, pour over ice and top with a splash of club soda if desired for some fizz.

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Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• Ingredients: 5 lbs potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks), 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup butter, salt and pepper to taste.
• Instructions:
  1. Boil potatoes in salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender.
  2. Drain and mash the potatoes with milk, butter, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.

Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing

• Ingredients: 1 loaf day-old bread (cubed), 1 onion (chopped), 2 celery stalks (chopped), 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp sage, 1 tsp thyme, 2 cups chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste.
• Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, melt butter and sauté onion and celery until soft.
  2. Add sage, thyme, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine.
  3. Toss bread cubes with the onion mixture and add chicken broth to moisten.
  4. Transfer to a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes until golden.

Honey-Glazed Carrots

• Ingredients: 2 lbs carrots (peeled and sliced), 3 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp honey, pinch of salt, optional: fresh thyme for garnish.
• Instructions:
  1. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add carrots and sauté for 8-10 minutes until golden.
  3. Stir in honey and salt, and cook for another 5-7 minutes until caramelized.
  4. Garnish with fresh thyme before serving.

Buttery Rhodes Rolls

• Ingredients: 16 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls.
• Instructions:
  1. Arrange frozen rolls on a greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 3-4 hours.
  2. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with butter.

Turkey Gravy

• Ingredients: 1/4 cup turkey drippings, 1/4 cup flour, 2 cups turkey stock or chicken broth, salt, pepper, fresh herbs (optional).
• Instructions:
  1. In a saucepan, whisk together drippings and flour over medium heat until smooth.
  2. Slowly add broth, whisking continuously to avoid lumps.
  3. Simmer until thickened, season with salt, pepper, and herbs.

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Green Beans Almondine

• Ingredients: 2 lbs green beans (trimmed), 1/3 cup sliced almonds, 3 tbsp butter, 2 garlic cloves (minced), 1 tbsp lemon juice.
• Instructions:
  1. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then drain and plunge into ice water.
  2. In a skillet, toast almonds over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  3. Melt butter in the skillet, add garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Toss in almonds and lemon juice before serving.

Festive Charcuterie Spread

• Ingredients: Your choice of cured meats (salami, prosciutto), cheeses (cheddar, brie, gouda), crackers, fruits (grapes, berries), nuts, olives, pickles.
• Instructions: Arrange all items on a large board or tray. Mix and match textures and flavors to create a colorful display. Prep the night before and cover tightly with plastic wrap.

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Prepping & Cooking Timeline

For a 5:00 pm dinner, here’s a breakdown of when to prepare each dish for maximum efficiency:

1-2 Days Ahead – Prep Make-Ahead Items: Make the pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, sangria, and charcuterie spread.

7:30 am – Prep Turkey: Prepare the turkey and get it into the oven by 8:00 am for a slow roast.

10:30 am – Prep Stuffing: Sauté the onion and celery, then mix the stuffing. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

11:30 am – Blanch Green Beans: Quickly blanch green beans and store them in the fridge until closer to dinner.

12:00 pm – Prep Rolls: Arrange the Rhodes rolls on a baking sheet and let them rise.

1:00 pm – Make Mashed Potatoes: Start boiling potatoes and mashing them once done. Keep warm in the oven or slow cooker.

2:30 pm – Sauté Carrots: Sauté the carrots and finish with honey before keeping them warm.

3:00 pm – Bake Rolls and Stuffing: Bake the rolls and stuffing while the turkey is resting.

4:00 pm – Make Gravy and Finish Green Beans: Prepare the turkey gravy using the drippings and finish cooking the green beans almondine.

Shopping List

Meat

• 1 turkey (12-14 pounds)

Dairy

• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 4 large eggs
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 can whipped cream (optional topping for pumpkin pie)

Produce

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 lemon
• 2 oranges
• 1 pear
• 3 apples
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4-5 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 1 bunch fresh sage
• 1 bunch fresh green beans
• 2-3 large carrots
• 1 lemon
• 1 bag baby potatoes
• 1 onion

Dry Goods

• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (optional, for Sangria)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 pre-made pie crust
• 1 cup chicken or turkey broth

Frozen

• 1 bag Rhodes dinner rolls (12 count)

Beverages

• 1 bottle white wine
• 1/4 cup brandy or apple brandy
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur
• 2 cups apple cider
• Club soda (optional, for Sangria)

Spices and Seasonings

• 3-4 cinnamon sticks
• 3-4 whole cloves
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Hostess Tips & Tricks

1. Invest in a Meat Thermometer

Ensure your turkey is perfectly cooked by using a digital in-oven meat thermometer. This takes the guesswork out of cooking and prevents overcooking or undercooking the turkey. Take the turkey out between 155 and 160 degrees Farenheit. While its resting, the juices will redistribute and the temperature will continue to rise to the perfect 165.

2. Prep a Few Activities for Kids

Keep the kids happy and entertained by setting up a few activities for them. Some of our favorites include free printable coloring pages from my local library or online, foil art, and Happy Salmon which is fun for the whole family. If its nice enough to get outside, bubbles, playing catch, and lawn games are always a hit.

3. Serve Buffet-Style

For larger groups, serving food buffet-style speeds up the process and gives guests the freedom to serve themselves. Serve directly from the pans you cook in to avoid dirtying unnecessary dishes.

4. Put a Pot of Coffee On

Coffee is a comforting staple at any family gathering. Brew a fresh pot as guests arrive to give everyone a warm welcome.

5. Take Group Photos Early

Coffee is a comforting staple at any family gathering. Brew a fresh pot as guests arrive to give everyone a warm welcome.

6. Relax and Enjoy Your Day

Get those family pictures out of the way early before anyone leaves or the kids get too messy from playing. It’s a great way to capture memories without disrupting the fun later.

Summary

This Thanksgiving menu ideas post is designed to help you enjoy a stress-free holiday meal. Follow the cooking timeline, and you’ll have an organized kitchen that leaves you free to enjoy your family and friends.

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