It’s that time of year again, the season for sharing recipes! Thanksgiving is coming up, and I’m excited to share some of my favourites with you.
I love to cook a traditional Thanksgiving for my family, but I also find that the classics get a bit stale over time. If you do, too, I hope that you’ll celebrate Thanksgiving by taking a few risks: if you cook something that you love, odds are your family will like it, too – and if not, at least you’ll enjoy it.
I love all the recipes I share here. The meal is tailored to those I’m preparing for, and shares a few of the staples of the holiday, but also includes a few oddballs – eccentricities that add just the right amount of holiday fun to the entire meal.
I hope these recipes make a little of Thanksgiving’s fun for you.
The 10 Best fun thanksgiving recipes
1. Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
I have a favorite holiday side dish of sweet potatoes with fluffy marshmallows. I love adding brown sugar and cinnamon.
I add pecans so mine is crunchy.
Ingredients
4 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to to 350°F (175°C). Peel and cube the sweet potatoes, and cook in water until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and mash the sweet potatoes in a large bowl.
2. Combine the mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar, butter, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and milk until smooth and well-mixed.
3. Spread it into a 9×13-inch baking dish and pat it flat with a spatula.
4. If baking, sprinkle chopped pecans over the sweet potato in an even layer.
5. Evenly distribute the mini marshmallows on top of the dish and add some Pecans.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the marshmallows are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
2. Cranberry Brie Bites
These saucy sweet and savory bites are one of my favorite appetizers. Puff pastry is the base for this tasty little appetizer.
The Brie cheese is creamy and melts so well. The sweet tart cranberry sauce gives the recipe a festive feel.
This sauce is popular with most people because of its taste.
These are a nice addition to any dinner table.
Ingredients
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
8 oz Brie cheese
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a mini muffin tin.
2. Roll out your puff pastry into a square and cut into small squares, about 2×2 inch each.
3. Place each puff pastry square into the mini muffin tin cups.
4. Cut up the Brie into cubes and place one cube per pastry cup.
5. Top each Brie with a teaspoon of cranberry sauce, and sprinkle with chopped pecans and rosemary.
6. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Serve warm.
3. Stuffing Muffins
For holiday meals, I like these muffins the best; lightly savory, they lend themselves to most spreads, and satisfy with texture. I’m tempted to use cornbread, savoury herbs, even bits of apple to keep them sweet.
I like to add sage, filled out by sausage, for its rich contribution.
Ingredients
1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups cubed day-old bread or cornbread
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and spray the muffin tin with cooking spray or line it with paper liners.
2. Cook the sausage over medium heat in a large skillet, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink. Remove the meat and set it aside.
3. In another pan, melt the butter and cook the onion and celery until softened, then add the sage, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook another minute.
4. In a large bowl, mix the sausage, sautéed vegetable mixture, bread, broth, eggs, cranberries and nuts.
5. Scoop the stuffing into each prepared muffin tin, press it down into shape, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden and crispy.
6. Allow them to cool for a few minutes before serving. These fun, festive stuffing muffins are a great Thanksgiving side dish.
4. Pumpkin Pie Bars
This is one of my go-to cutesy-type of dessert, but with the classic flavours of autumn. I love using creamy pumpkin puree, warm cinnamon, a hint of nutmeg, and a golden buttery crust.
This would be a great dessert for a fall party or just a night in.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a fork until well-combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the crust.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, ¾ cup sugar, the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt until smooth.
4. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the crust, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is set and the edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.
6. Let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
5. Apple Cider Glazed Brussels Sprouts
If you’re planning on cooking something mouth-watering, I love a recipe that brings out the soft, earthy, bitter flavour of Brussels sprouts and gives them a sharp punch. You can do it with some apple cider vinegar and a small amount of maple syrup.
Some bacon crisped up in the pan would make it even better. Thai flavours are also lovely with them – a few sesame seeds never go amiss.
Ingredients
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and spread the halved Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, turning to coat all sides.
2. Roast the sprouts for 20-25 minutes until tender and caramelised, stirring halfway through.
3. In a saucepan add the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower heat and let the sauce reduce.
4. Simmer the glaze for 10-15 minutes or until reduced by half and slightly thickened.
5. Take the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the butter until you have a smooth glaze.
6. Once the Brussels sprouts are roasted, coat them in the apple cider glaze, tossing until evenly distributed, and serve warm.
6. Maple Bacon Roasted Carrots
What would be a perfect side dish? I stick to fresh carrots, rich maple syrup and crispy bacon that are balanced into deliciousness
Add a hint of parsley and a smidgen of black pepper. I love to serve it!
Ingredients
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Toss the stick carrots into a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper to coat.
3. Spread the carrots on a baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Sprinkle the chopped bacon evenly over the carrots.
5. Drizzle the maple syrup over the carrots and bacon.
6. Roast for 25-30 minutes in the oven until the carrots are tender and the bacon crisp, tossing the dish halfway though; garnish with parsley if you want, and serve.
7. Pecan Pie Cheesecake
I love pecan pie and I love cheesecake, so I thought why not combine the two. To make this dish, you start with a graham cracker crust and mix in some cream cheese with the egg mixture, and then you smother it in lots of brown sugar and vanilla and pecans.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil around the outside to keep anything from leaking out.
2. For the crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter together in a bowl, then pat into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream and heavy cream, and beat together until completely combined.
4. Pour the batter over the prepared crust. Cook in a preheated oven for around 50-60 minutes until the centre is just set but still wobbling. Turn off the oven and open the oven door for an hour to let the cheesecake cool slowly down.
5. As the cheesecake cools, make the pecan topping: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, salt, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Stir until combined and the mixture begins to boil. Add the pecan halves and stir another 2-3 minutes, until coated well.
6. Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, pour pecan topping over the surface of the cheesecake; refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, then remove the side of the springform and cut into wedges to serve.
8. Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
There’s nothing quite like a hot, rich casserole dish that feeds a crowd. It’s filled with comfort food: russet potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream and garlic.
I usually add a sprinkling of crisp, crumbled bacon on top. When I serve it, I never have any leftovers.
Ingredients
5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Boil the cubed potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
3. Pour the drained potatoes back into the pot, then add the sour cream, butter, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mash until fluffy.
4. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese until well combined.
5. Transfer the mashed potato mixture into a greased casserole dish and spread evenly.
6. Sprinkle remaining cheese, bacon and green onions on top. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.
9. Turkey and Spinach Pinwheels
These tasty appetizers are really easy to make. On mine, I like to use sliced turkey, fresh spinach and a creamy topping such as cream cheese with shredded cheese or even sun-dried tomatoes sprinkled on top.
Mmmm!
Ingredients
1 package of puff pastry sheets (thawed)
8 ounces of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup fresh spinach (chopped)
8 ounces sliced turkey breast
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg (beaten)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Lay out the two sheets of puff pastry on the floured surface. Spread cream cheese evenly over each sheet.
3. Layer the turkey breast slices over the top of the cream cheese, then the spinach and cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Roll up the sheets of pastry lengthwise, starting from the short side, then cut each roll into 1-inch pinwheels.
5. Set tin of pinwheels on baking sheet, brush with beaten egg, and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 15-20 minutes or until golden and puffed.
6. Let cool slightly to allow the filling to set, then serve. Enjoy your Turkey and Spinach Pinwheels as an appetizer.
10. Pumpkin Spice Trifle
This trifle could be the layered autumn dessert to beat! I love the mingling flavours of pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg, but it’s a special treat because of the whipped cream and gingerbread layers.
Ingredients
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 package (14 oz) gingerbread or spice cake, baked and cubed
1 cup whipped topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
1. Heat the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
2. While the cake is setting in the freezer, make the instant vanilla pudding with cold milk according to package directions (or use the instant chocolate pudding if you have that instead).
3. When the pudding is set, fold in the pumpkin mixture until fully combined.
4. Place half of the cubed gingerbread or spice cake, followed by half of the pumpkin pudding mixture in a trifle dish or large glass bowl.
5. Repeat the layers with the remaining cake and pumpkin mixture.
6. Top the trifle with whipped topping and sprinkle with chopped pecans before serving.