Ideas for the Best Traditional Thanksgiving Menu: 2024
November is here, and I want to be ready for it! I put together a few ideas for the best traditional Thanksgiving menu, along with a few other tips and ideas. I hope this helps prepare us for the fun festivities coming this month!
It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, and then you know what follows!!!🎉🎄As much as I love Christmas (and I will have decorations up early), I don’t want to ever skip Thanksgiving Day. When you think about it, it is the holiday that you can enjoy your family with no other expectations, besides food.
Having Thanksgiving planned takes some of the pressure off you since Thanksgiving and Christmas are so close together. So, let’s do a little planning.
I have found some really good deals on some cute items and have linked them throughout the post. I am also linking recipes and posts for other ideas. Just click on the words in brown to see the item, recipe, or post.
Tips for a Traditional Thanksgiving Menu
- Find out who all will be coming to Thanksgiving so you have a good idea how much food and spacing you will need.
- Plan your Thanksgiving menu in advance, planning your family’s favorite recipes.
- Meet with other family members and divide up the responsibilities.
- Place a grocery store order or go purchase all ingredients and/or supplies you need for your part (with the exception of items you will need to have fresh – produce, etc.)
I highly recommend a Walmart+ membership, even if it is just for the months of November and December.- Prepare any meals in advance, when possible.
- Decide where the Thanksgiving meal will be held. Be sure there is a TV and space for the sports people to watch football after the meal.
- If you are hosting, decide what decorations, tablecloths, centerpieces, plates, napkins, silverware, etc. you need.
- Plan out seating arrangements to make sure you have a place for everyone.
- If you really want to plan for an easy gathering, purchase disposable products. They can be as simple or as fancy as you want.
- Be sure to buy carry-out containers for people to take food home for leftovers.
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Thanksgiving Menu
Many times we change up our menus for different holidays, however, we tend to keep our Thanksgiving menu pretty traditional. If you know anything about a traditional turkey dinner, you know that it is not a quick and easy menu. Therefore, we divide and conquer so that everything does not fall on one person.
I have friends who order the meal from local restaurants and pick it up that morning. We have never done that, but that would definitely cut your time!
Appetizers On the Thanksgiving Menu
We typically do not have a lot of appetizers, because people usually arrive shortly before we plan to eat. We tend to have just a few things for people to nibble on as everything is coming together though.
- Relish Tray (Olives, Pickles, and Cherry Tomatoes)
- My sister’s Cream Cheese Dip with Wheat Thins
- Kelly’s Fruit Salad
Other Ideas for Thanksgiving Appetizers
- Chips and Dip
- Shrimp Cocktail
- Cheese Tray Variety (Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Goat Cheese, Swiss, etc.)
- Fruit Tray
- Sausage Balls
- Deviled Eggs
- Fresh Jalapenos Stuffed with Cream Cheese Filling
Products to Help Serve Appetizers
Main Course/Meat on the Thanksgiving Menu
- Roasted Turkey with Turkey Gravy (Giblet Gravy)
- Daddy’s Baked Ham
Other Ideas for the Thanksgiving Main Course
- Deep Fried Turkey
- Fried Chicken
- Beef or Pork Roast
- Lamb Chops or Roast Lamb
- Brisket
Product to Help Serve the Main Dish
Side Dishes on the Thanksgiving Menu
We tend to go overboard on the sides at times, but they are so good! These are some of our must haves:
- Jay’s Macaroni and Cheese
- Mashed Potatoes or Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Green Beans (Regular Green Beans, Sweet and Savory Green Beans with Bacon, or Green Bean Casserole)
- Daddy’s Okra Goulash
- Momma’s Red Beans
- Granny’s Corn Casserole
- Kristie’s Corn Casserole (Completely different)
- Momma’s Cornbread Dressing (This is the best part of the Thanksgiving dinner to me!)
- Shea’s Homemade Rolls
- Cranberry Sauce from the can 😂
Other Ideas for Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Sweet Potato Casserole or Baked Sweet Potatoes in Chunks
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cornbread Stuffing (This is basically the same as the dressing, but it is cooked inside a whole turkey.)
- Cabbage
- Cornbread
- Glazed Carrots
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- Black-Eyed Peas
- Fresh Cranberry Sauce
- Butternut Squash
- Savory Bread Pudding
Products to Help Serve Side Dishes
Desserts on the Thanksgiving Menu
- Granny’s Chocolate Cake
- Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- Kristi’s Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Turtle Cheesecake
Other Ideas for Thanksgiving Desserts
- Apple Pie
- Classic Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Delight Cobbler
Products to Help Serve Desserts
Other Thoughts and Ideas
- Don’t forget to get extra ice.
- I bought a coloring tablecloth this year to put on one of the tables. Adults and kids can add their artwork and tell what they are thankful for right there on the table.
- If you get a coloring tablecloth, don’t forget the crayons or markers.
- Find a nice centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table or tables.
- Black Friday ads are a must! While everyone is watching football, some of us will be making a plan! See shopping tips in this post.
5 Easy Candy Recipes
I usually make these easy candy recipes each year for Christmas. Sign up below to get the recipes emailed to you. You could always make them for Thanksgiving to if you wanted.
Thanksgiving Scriptures
What would Thanksgiving Day be without being thankful to the Lord? Here are a few verses to think about in these coming weeks.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.”
Psalm 107:1
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Colossians 4:2
“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 9:1
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100:4
I am curious how your family does Thanksgiving Day. Please share your traditions, ideas, and thoughts in the comments below.
I hope some of these Thanksgiving menu ideas and tips help take some of the stress out of planning and getting ready to serve our families. Let’s get started and enjoy our Thanksgiving time!
Related Posts
How to Host Family Gatherings Without Missing Your Family
How to Decorate a Thanksgiving Table on a Budget
Until next week,
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Love that you guys have such a traditional feast, Susan. We usually have Thanksgiving with my big farm family and everyone brings a signature dish. So, in addition to turkey and dressing, it’s always fun to see what sides and desserts make the event. It’s wild to think that the holiday season is already here but I’m thankful for guides like these that help us prep with ease! Big hugs, CoCo
I bet you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with the whole family! Lots of variety that way! It sounds wonderful!
Yum! I love the idea of disposable plates for big crowds, too, though I have yet to do it. (Haven’t had a big crowd yet.) And containers to take home leftovers is a must, too! Visiting from Senior Salon Pit Stop.
I used them last year and loved it. However, I got two new sets of dishes this year, so I am back to the real thing!
I have a feeling I’ll go back and forth, too. Thank you for sharing this post with us at the Will Blog for Comments #52 linkup. We hope to see you back sharing more during our linkup #53. (It will be on a holiday schedule, open Dec. 2 – Jan. 2 while we take a break during the week of Thanksgiving.)
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
great ideas here. I can’t believe Thanksgiving is almost here! How and when did that happen? lol. The rest of the year will fly by. Thanks of all the pointers. XO- MaryJo
It really came quickly! Christmas will be here soon too!
Such great Thanksgiving tips. I will be checking out the green bean recipe. I do everything myself in my family, but I only have my nuclear family and I don’t do all the sides that you do, usually just potatoes and beans. Visiting from Calling Fellow Bloggers
I hope you love the green beans! It has been a while, so I am looking forward to them. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Congratulations, Susan! This post was one of the most popular at the Will Blog for Comments #51 linkup! It will be in the spotlight throughout #52 (which will be longer than usual due to the holiday schedule). You’re welcome to copy the “This Blog Post Was a Featured Favorite” image from there to share with your readers here. We hope to see more of your posts at #53 which opens on December 2. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much! That is so exciting!!!🎉