Whether you are attending a Friendsgiving or simply going to your family Thanksgiving dinner this year, you will likely be tasked to contribute a dish at some point this holiday season. Let’s face it, not all of us our chefs or have hours to spend in the kitchen, but we do want to impress our relatives. These recipes are tried and true, but also incredibly simple. There is no reason your Thanksgiving contribution cannot be easy as pie!
- Easy Crudité
There are few worse scenarios than arriving at Thanksgiving ravenous and realizing you have quite a few hungry hours until dinner. Take some stress off of the host, and help feed guests in the interim hours before the big meal. All you need is a selection of vegetables, a few dips, a couple varieties of cheese, and some crackers to make an easy crudité or charcuterie platter that will avoid the dreaded hangriness.
- Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are an essential component to a Thanksgiving table and thankfully, they could not be easier to whip up! This recipe has 4 ingredients and 5 stars. It’s the no-fail, buttery recipe that will have everyone asking what your secret is.
- Salad
Salad is often overlooked at the Thanksgiving table, but a delicious salad is often exactly what is needed to balance out the heavy, beige sides. This recipe is incredibly simple, but incredibly delicious. I’ve brought this salad to dinner parties for years and there are never leftovers! Just don’t forget the generous dusting of parmesan at the end.
- Simple Stuffing
Stuffing may seem like a complicated and daunting dish, but it can be as simple as stale bread, butter, a few vegetables, and some eggs. This recipe is the perfect simple stuffing that you could keep as is or tweak to your own liking. Try sourdough bread, add in seasonal vegetables, or mix up the herbs.
- Maple Roasted Squash
Squash is the quintessential fall vegetable. In this recipe, its delicate sweetness shines when roasted with a bit of maple syrup. If you love a salty, sweet vegetable dish, you will surely fall for this recipe and use it again and again after Thanksgiving is over!
- Mac & Cheese
Mac & cheese is polarizing as a Thanksgiving dish, but for me, mac & cheese’s comforting, carb-rich, cheesy goodness fits right in on Thanksgiving. While boxed is always delicious, Thanksgiving deserves a little elevation. Thankfully, it could not be easier to whip up a creamy mac and cheese that toes the line between nostalgic and dressed up.
- Cornbread
Store bought cornbread is quick and delicious, but nothing beats homemade cornbread you can use to sop up the leftover mashed potatoes and gravy on your thanksgiving plate. This recipe is simple and budget friendly!
- Biscuits
Cornbread is not for everyone! If you prefer buttery, flakey biscuits and want to impress your relatives with a homemade version, this recipe is for you. With 6 ingredients and a food processor, you can make the perfect batch of biscuits to sop up the Thanksgiving gravy and use for leftover sandwiches the next day!
- Apple Crumble
While I love a homemade apple pie on Thanksgiving, it is unnecessarily time consuming and labor intensive and I often find myself craving a crumb topping rather than pie crust. Apple crumble is my go-to fall dessert because it is as simple as chopping apples, mixing them with sugar and spice, and covering them with a quick crumb topping. This recipe is fool proof with 5 stars and thousands of reviews, just don’t forget a scoop of ice cream or dollop with whipped cream.
- Pumpkin Pie
Let’s face it, Thanksgiving is the holiday for pie. If you must have a pie on Thanksgiving, use a store bought crust that you love and whip up an easy filling. Pumpkin pie, while daunting, could not be easier to make. With a premade crust, it’s as easy as pie!