Thanksgiving was a time that stirred mom’s soul like no other. You could see the sparkle in her eyes and the pure joy that radiated from her smile as the holiday drew near. Thanksgiving awakened mom’s deepest sense of gratitude, love, and hospitality.
For mom, Thanksgiving was more than just a meal – it was a feeling, an experience to savor with every one of your senses. The mouthwatering aromas of roasting turkey, savory stuffing, and buttery mashed potatoes would fill her home and simultaneously fill her heart with contentment. Setting the table was never a chore, but rather a labor of love as she carefully arranged the glistening china, candlesticks, and colorful autumnal centerpiece.
But most of all, Thanksgiving ignited mom’s spirit of generosity and desire to create a welcoming embrace for friends and family. Her home was a place of warmth where you instantly felt enveloped in her kind hospitality the moment you walked through the door. Laughter, stories, and delicious food flowed freely in that environment mom took such care to cultivate.
1. Roast Turkey
Bold, savory flavor with crispy skin and juicy, tender meat.
Ingredients: 10-12 lb whole turkey, salt, pepper, herb butter (butter, sage, thyme, rosemary), chicken broth
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavity
- Pat turkey dry and season inside and out with salt and pepper
- Loosen skin and spread herb butter under the skin
- Tuck wing tips under, tie legs together with kitchen string
- Place turkey breast-side up in a roasting pan, pour 1 cup broth in bottom
- Roast for 3-3.5 hours, basting every 30 mins, until internal temp reaches 165°F
- Allow to rest 20 mins before carving
Total Time: 4 hours
2. Classic Bread Stuffing
Savory, herby stuffing with crispy top and soft, moist interior.
Ingredients: Cubed bread (french, sourdough), onions, celery, butter, chicken broth, eggs, parsley, sage, thyme, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Sauté onions and celery in butter until soft
- Combine bread cubes, sautéed veggies, broth, eggs, herbs and seasoning
- Mix well, transfer to greased baking dish
- Bake for 30-40 mins until set and top is crispy
Total Time: 1 hour
3. Sweet Potato Casserole
Rich, creamy sweet potatoes with a crunchy, sweet pecan topping.
Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, pecans, flour, more butter, more brown sugar
Instructions:
- Boil and mash sweet potatoes
- Mix in butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and brown sugar
- Spread into a baking dish
- For the topping:
- Melt butter and mix with flour, brown sugar, and pecans until crumbly
- Spread evenly over sweet potato mixture
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 mins until hot and topping is crispy
Total Time: 1 hour
4. Green Bean Casserole
Tender green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce, topped with crispy fried onions.
Ingredients: Green beans, cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, French’s fried onions
Instructions:
- Blanch green beans in boiling salted water for 5 mins, drain
- In a baking dish, mix together drained beans, soup, milk, soy sauce, and pepper
- Top with a layer of fried onions
- Bake at 350°F for 25 mins until hot and bubbly
- Top with more fried onions before serving
Total Time: 45 mins
5. Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie
Silky pumpkin custard in a flaky pie crust with warm spices.
Ingredients: Pie crust, pumpkin puree, eggs, cream/evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt
Instructions:
- Prepare pie crust and fit into pie plate, crimp edges
- In a bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, cream, sugar and spices
- Pour into pie crust
- Bake at 425°F for 15 mins, then reduce temp to 350°F and bake 40-50 mins more
- Allow to cool completely before slicing
Total Time: 1.5 hours
6. Stuffed Mushrooms
Savory mushroom caps filled with a herby breadcrumb stuffing.
Ingredients: Large mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, butter
Instructions:
- Remove stems from mushroom caps and chop stems finely
- Sauté chopped stems and garlic in olive oil until softened
- In a bowl, mix sautéed mushroom mixture with breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt & pepper
- Stuff mixture into mushroom caps and arrange in a baking dish
- Drizzle with melted butter
- Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes until tops are golden brown
Total Time: 40 mins
7. Cranberry Sauce
Sweet-tart cranberry sauce with hints of orange and cinnamon.
Ingredients: Fresh cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon stick
Instructions:
- In a saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, zest and cinnamon stick
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, mashing cranberries with a potato masher
- Remove cinnamon stick
- Allow to cool completely before serving
Total Time: 30 mins
8. Scalloped Potatoes
Thinly sliced potatoes baked in a rich, creamy sauce.
Ingredients: Russet potatoes, butter, flour, milk, cream, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, parmesan
Instructions:
- Peel and thinly slice potatoes 1/8″ thick
- Make a roux with butter and flour, whisk in milk and cream, cook until thickened
- Stir in garlic, thyme, salt and pepper
- Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in a baking dish, pour over 1/3 of the sauce
- Repeat layers twice more, ending with sauce
- Top with parmesan
- Bake at 375°F for 60-75 mins until potatoes are very tender
Total Time: 1.5 hours
9. Pecan Pie
Rich, gooey filling with crunchy pecans in a flaky pastry crust.
Ingredients: Pie crust, corn syrup, eggs, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, pecans
Instructions:
- Prepare pie crust and fit into pie plate, crimp edges decoratively
- In a bowl, whisk together corn syrup, eggs, melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth
- Fold in pecans
- Pour filling into pie crust
- Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes until center is just set
- Allow to cool completely before slicing
Total Time: 1.5 hours
10. Honey Glazed Carrots
Sweet glazed carrots with buttery honey coating.
Ingredients: Carrots, butter, honey, brown sugar, salt, pepper, parsley
Instructions:
- Peel and slice carrots into 1/4″ thick diagonal slices
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook carrots for 5 minutes until crisp-tender
- Drain carrots and return to pot
- Add butter, honey, brown sugar, salt and pepper
- Toss to coat carrots evenly
- Transfer to serving dish and garnish with chopped parsley
Total Time: 25 mins
11. Sausage Stuffing
Savory stuffing with Italian sausage, fennel and sage.
Ingredients: Day-old bread, Italian sausage, onion, celery, fennel bulb, garlic, chicken broth, eggs, parsley, sage, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Remove sausage from casings and crumble into a skillet, cook until browned
- Dice onion, celery, fennel and garlic; sauté in sausage drippings until soft
- Tear or cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl
- Add cooked sausage, veggies, broth, eggs, parsley, sage and seasonings to bread
- Mix well and transfer to a baking dish
- Bake at 375°F for 30-40 mins until set
Total Time: 1 hour
12. Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Crispy roasted brussels sprouts coated in a sweet and savory maple glaze.
Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
- Trim ends off brussels sprouts and cut in half
- On a baking sheet, toss sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper
- Roast at 400°F for 20 minutes, shaking pan halfway
- In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, Dijon, and balsamic
- Toss roasted sprouts with the maple glaze
- Return to oven for 5 more minutes to caramelize
- Serve hot
Total Time: 40 minutes
13. Cornbread Dressing
Moist cornbread mixed with savory herbs, veggies and broth.
Ingredients: Cornbread, eggs, chicken broth, butter, onion, celery, sage, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Crumble cornbread into a large bowl
- Sauté onion, celery, and herbs in butter until soft
- Whisk broth and eggs together
- Pour broth mixture over cornbread and fold in sautéed veggies
- Season with salt and pepper
- Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
14. Cranberry Orange Relish
Zingy fresh relish with tart cranberries, orange and a hint of ginger.
Ingredients: Fresh cranberries, oranges, sugar, crystallized ginger
Instructions:
- Zest one orange and juice all oranges
- In a food processor, pulse cranberries until coarsely chopped
- Add orange zest, juice, sugar and grated ginger
- Pulse a few times to mix everything together
- Chill relish for at least 1 hour before serving
Total Time: 20 mins + 1 hr chilling
15. Herbed Dinner Rolls
Soft, fluffy rolls with buttery herb flavor.
Ingredients: Bread flour, milk, butter, eggs, yeast, sugar, salt, parsley, rosemary, thyme
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix together warm milk, melted butter, eggs and yeast – let sit for 5 mins
- In another bowl, whisk flour, sugar, salt and dried herbs
- Add dry ingredients to wet and knead into a smooth dough
- Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled
- Punch down dough and shape into rolls
- Place in greased baking pans and let rise 30 more mins
- Brush tops with melted butter
- Bake at 375°F for 15-18 minutes until golden brown
Total Time: 2.5 hours
16. Candied Sweet Potatoes
Velvety sweet potato slices baked with a crunchy candied pecan topping.
Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, pecans
Instructions:
- Peel and slice sweet potatoes 1/4-inch thick
- Make sauce by melting butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla
- Layer 1⁄3 of the potatoes in a baking dish and pour 1⁄3 of sauce over top
- Repeat layers twice ending with sauce
- Top with chopped pecans
- Bake at 350°F for 45-60 mins until potatoes are tender
Total Time: 1.5 hours
17. Butternut Squash Soup
Creamy, silky soup with nutty squash flavor.
Ingredients: Butternut squash, onions, garlic, broth, cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Peel, seed and cube the squash
- Sauté onions and garlic in butter until soft
- Add squash and broth, simmer 20 mins until squash is very soft
- Puree using an immersion blender
- Stir in cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper
- Garnish with fried sage leaves
Total Time: 1 hour
18. Wild Rice Stuffing
Nutty wild rice mixed with savory mushrooms, herbs and crispy breadcrumbs.
Ingredients: Wild rice, mushrooms, onion, celery, garlic, chicken broth, bread cubes, butter, parsley, sage, thyme, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Cook wild rice according to package instructions
- Sauté mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic in butter until tender
- In a large bowl, mix cooked wild rice, sautéed vegetables, broth, bread cubes and herbs
- Season with salt and pepper
- Transfer to a baking dish and cover with foil
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 minutes more until top is crispy
Total Time: 1.5 hours
19. Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Crispy roasted brussels sprouts tossed in a tangy balsamic glaze.
Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Trim ends off brussels sprouts and cut in half
- On a baking sheet, toss sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper
- Roast at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until crispy
- Make glaze by simmering balsamic vinegar and honey for 5 minutes
- Whisk in Dijon mustard
- Toss roasted brussels sprouts with the warm balsamic glaze
Total Time: 40 minutes
20. Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
Broccoli and rice in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce, topped with buttery crumbs.
Ingredients: Broccoli, cooked rice, cheddar cheese, milk, cream of mushroom soup, breadcrumbs, butter
Instructions:
- Blanch broccoli florets in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain
- Make sauce by whisking together milk, soup and 1 cup shredded cheddar
- In a baking dish, mix broccoli, rice and sauce
- Top with remaining cheddar
- Melt butter and toss with breadcrumbs, sprinkle over top
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until hot and topping is golden
Total Time: 1 hour
21. Cornbread Stuffing with Apples and Pecans
Sweet and savory stuffing with crispy edges and lots of texture.
Ingredients: Cornbread, eggs, chicken broth, butter, onion, celery, apples, pecans, sage, rosemary, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Crumble day-old cornbread into a large bowl
- Sauté onion, celery, chopped apples and pecans in butter until tender
- Whisk broth and eggs together
- Pour over cornbread and mix in sautéed veggies/fruits and herbs
- Season with salt and pepper
- Transfer to a greased baking dish
- Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes until set
Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
22. Praline Sweet Potato Casserole
Ultra rich and decadent sweet potatoes with a crunchy pecan praline topping.
Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, pecans, flour, more butter, more brown sugar
Instructions:
- Boil and mash sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla
- Spread into a baking dish
- For the praline topping:
- Melt butter and mix with brown sugar, flour and chopped pecans
- Sprinkle evenly over sweet potato mixture
- Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes until hot and topping is crispy
Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
23. Spatchcocked Herb Roasted Turkey
Juicy turkey cooked quickly with crispy skin and aromatic herb flavor.
Ingredients: Whole turkey, butter, fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Use kitchen shears to remove backbone from turkey
- Flatten turkey by pressing down on breastbone
- Make herb butter by mixing softened butter with chopped herbs, lemon zest and garlic
- Rub herb butter all over and under skin of turkey
- Season generously with salt and pepper
- Roast at 450°F for 45-60 minutes until golden brown and 165°F internal temp
- Let rest 20 mins before carving
Total Time: 1.5 hours
24. Sausage and Apple Stuffing
Herby bread stuffing studded with savory sausage and sweet apples.
Ingredients: Bread cubes, breakfast sausage, onions, celery, apples, chicken broth, eggs, fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Cook sausage in a skillet until browned and crumbly
- In the sausage drippings, sauté onions, celery and chopped apples until tender
- In a large bowl, toss together bread cubes, cooked sausage, sautéed veggies/apples
- Whisk together broth and eggs, pour over bread mixture and mix well
- Add fresh chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper
- Transfer to a greased baking dish
- Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes until set and top is crispy
Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
25. Roasted Root Vegetable Medley
A gorgeous, colorful blend of roasted roots with caramelized edges.
Ingredients: Carrots, parsnips, beets, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh rosemary, salt, pepper
Instructions:
- Peel and cut all vegetables into 1-inch pieces
- On a large baking sheet, toss vegetables with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, salt and pepper
- Roast at 400°F for 30 minutes, stirring halfway
- Increase heat to 425°F and roast 10-15 more minutes until tender and caramelized
- Garnish with extra chopped rosemary
Total Time: 1 hour
Conclusion
For Mom, Thanksgiving was a labor of love that brought immense joy and fulfillment. The holiday allowed her to create warm memories centered around delicious food, beautiful decor, and an unwavering spirit of hospitality.
While we may no longer gather around Mom’s table, the feelings of gratitude, generosity, and connection that she fostered each Thanksgiving will forever be imprinted on our hearts.
Mom’s legacy is one of bringing family and friends together through the simple yet profound acts of cooking, entertaining, and opening her home and heart to others.