Easy Thanksgiving Menu

This Easy Thanksgiving Menu that is TOTALLY DO-ABLE for everyone from beginners to busy moms. The holiday menu plan includes everything from turkey to pie!

This Easy Thanksgiving Menu is full of ideas and recipes for stress-free Thanksgiving! The blog post is broken down into the following Thanksgiving Menu categories: appetizers, main dishes, casseroles, salads, additional sides, beverages, and desserts. I’ve shared links to easy recipes in each category. Follow the links and print the recipes to add to your Thanksgiving countdown planner.

A page from the Thanksgiving menu planner page, pen, coffee, laptop, and plant.

Start by reading my Thanksgiving Planner and Checklist post and get our Thanksgiving Planner. This will help you stay organized as you plan your menu.

Appetizers for an Easy Thanksgiving Menu

With all of the food available on Thanksgiving Day, appetizers aren’t necessary when trying to keep things simple. But if there is going to be a long wait before dinner is ready, or if you have little kids who need a snack while waiting, go with something easy!

Main Dishes

The centerpiece of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is a turkey. So many people have told me that they’ve never made a turkey before but I’ve got you covered with my easy guide for How To Cook A Turkey!

There is no brining, no shoving stuff under the skin, no injections, and no special equipment needed. Just step-by-step photos with an explanation showing how to make a delicious roasted turkey that you can be proud of!

What can I make for Thanksgiving dinner besides turkey?

For the Thanksgiving main dishes, we always have a ham in addition to the turkey. Some of my family members don’t care for turkey, and others like to eat both ham and turkey. This Slow Cooker Bone-In Ham recipe from my mom is SO easy to make, yet SO GOOD that everyone asks for the recipe.

Instead of turkey, try roasting a chicken or even a small Cornish hen for each guest. Other main dishes include roast beef, salmon, and pork. My readers have told me that they make ethnic and regional dishes at Thanksgiving from lasagna to tamales and wild rice casserole to baked mac and cheese.

Casseroles

It’s super easy to make some of your casseroles in a slow cooker! This frees up time and oven space. Many casseroles can be made ahead of time and warmed up right before serving.

Salads

A salad is a great thing to ask guests to bring because they don’t need to be kept warm. We usually have some kind of lettuce salad as well as a sweet salad. Here are a few of our favorites:

Additional Sides

Can I just say that I really look forward to Thanksgiving dinner for the casseroles and sides? I could make my whole meal be about those two things!

To keep things simple, limit the number of sides you will be serving to your family’s absolute favorites. Also, it’s totally okay to use shortcuts like store-bought dinner rolls and instant mashed potatoes. Your family probably won’t even know the difference!

Beverages

In addition to the basics, like milk and water, it is nice to have a special holiday beverage that everyone can enjoy. Here are some of the drinks we’ve served at Thanksgiving:

Desserts

easy pecan pie recipe without corn syrup

Traditionally, Thanksgiving desserts are focused on pies! The more pies, the better, and any variety of pie is welcome. That being said, the menu doesn’t HAVE to include all the pies and store-bought or bakery-made pies can help with the workload.

Also, everyone has their favorites, so ask guests to bring a pie to share! I love taking a tiny slice of several different kinds.