Simple Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

It is possible to put together a Simple Thanksgiving Dinner Menu, cook the whole meal in one day, and have everything taste delicious!

Follow these steps to see how I set up my menu for the day and the timeline that I followed to make sure we had a simple, but tasty Thanksgiving meal!

Step 1: Choose your Thanksgiving dinner recipes

I wanted to keep my Thanksgiving dinner menu very simple so I stuck to the basics. I used some of my own recipes, but many are from other blogs.

• Whole Turkey – Recipe by Tastes Better From Scratch
• For a smaller Thanksgiving I recommend my Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy or learn How to Roast a Turkey Breast

• Gravy – Recipe by Tastes Better From Scratch

• Mashed Potatoes – My recipe for Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes made in one pot!
• Stuffing – Recipe by The Girl Who Ate Everything
• Cranberry Sauce – Recipe by Erin Lives Whole
• Brussels Sprouts – My recipe for Crispy Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts or this Cheesy Brussels Sprouts recipe
• Charcuterie Board Appetizer – Follow my guide to make an epic charcuterie board! or use this guide to make a Fall Charcuterie Board

To accompanying this simple Thanksgiving dinner menu I asked my guests to please bring alcohol and dessert. If you want to add some other items to your menu I recommend the following:

• Many people like to serve macaroni and cheese at their Thanksgiving tables this One Pot White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is SO creamy and delicious and simple to make.
• Prepare this Apple Cider Sangria for a festive fall cocktail to serve with your appetizers
• For an easy dessert that will be a hit with children try these Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins or this Easy Apple Tart with Caramel Drizzle

Step 2: Gather the Ingredients for your Simple Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

I got our 12.85 lb turkey from Butcher Box. The rest of the ingredients were easy to grab from local grocery stores.

Then, I made sure to double check my ingredients first thing in the morning and sent Amy out with a list of anything that I missed.

Be sure to defrost your turkey a few days prior to cooking! It took our bird about two and a half days in the refrigerator to defrost.

You should allow 24 hours of defrost time per 5 lbs of turkey.

Step 3: Plan it out

Beyond picking my recipes and gathering my ingredients there were a couple of other things that I did to prepare for cooking my simple Thanksgiving dinner.

First, I chose which serving dishes I wanted to assign to each dish. Then, figured out roughly how long it would take to cook each item so that I would have enough oven space and so that the turkey would be cooked in time.

My to do lists are my lifesavers so I made lots of lists to prepare to cook our Thanksgiving dinner. Then, on the actual day I was ready to get down to business and cook!

Step 4: Cook your Thanksgiving Meal

The best way to show you guys how I made this simple Thanksgiving dinner meal is to share my timeline for the day.

8am – Cube the white bread for stuffing and place on a large baking tray. Double check for all ingredients.

8:30am – Pull the turkey out of the refrigerator and double check that it has thawed. Preheat oven to dry out bread for stuffing.

9am – Pop the stuffing in the oven to dry out.

9:30am – Prep the Brussels sprouts.

10am – Roast the Brussels sprouts in the oven

10:30am – Start cooking the mashed potatoes.

(Pancake break!)

12pm – Mashed potatoes are finished. Start prepping stuffing.

12:30pm – Stuffing into the oven.

1:15pm – Start cranberry sauce

1:20pm – Stuffing is finished. Start prepping turkey with herb butter.

1:50pm – Turkey into the oven.

2pm – Cranberry sauce is complete

(Shower break!)

3:20pm – Tent the turkey breasts with foil. Prepare the charcuterie board and apple cider sangria.

4:50pm – Take the turkey out of the oven to rest.

5pm – Prepare the gravy.

5:30pm – Serve the charcuterie board, apple cider sangria and any other appetizers.

6pm – Carve the turkey.

6:30pm – Reheat the sides in the oven.

7pm – Eat dinner!

Step 5: Enjoy!!!

The last step is pretty simple! Enjoy the meal that you worked on all day.

I hope this helps you plan for a simple and delicious Thanksgiving dinner with loved ones! Remember that its all about giving thanks and spending time with those you love.