Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (2024)

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (1)

Toss your boring Thanksgiving dishes out the window and try something new and crazy and fun. Regular mashed potatoes? Nope. Standard stuffing? Not this year. Roasted whole turkey? We're making a turkey purse instead. We're not kidding. It's a turkey purse. (You'll have to keep reading to learn more about it.)

Wow your guests with any of the recipes ahead, which all take a dish you're used to and put a new spin on it. Some of them might even be something you would have never even thought of trying, and that's what makes them exciting. Your guests will thank you for such an amazing holiday experience. We promise!

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (2)

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Put a twist on mashed potatoes by adding goat cheese.

Get the recipe: goat cheese mashed potatoes

02

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (3)

Pumpkin and Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes

You can't go wrong with the most iconic Fall flavor: pumpkin!

Get the recipe: pumpkin and cheddar scalloped potatoes

03

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (4)

Red Hot Oyster and Kimchi Dressing

Bet you never thought of adding oysters and kimchi to your Thanksgiving dressing.

Get the recipe: red hot oyster and kimchi dressing

04

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (5)

Stuffing Muffins

Turn your standard stuffing into an appetizer by making it in muffin pans.

Get the recipe: stuffing muffins

05

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (6)

Squash Casserole

Anyone can have regular squash, so why not bake it into a festive casserole instead?

Get the recipe: squash casserole

06

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (7)

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole With Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans

This recipe adds bacon to your potato casserole. That should convince you to try it.

Get the recipe: bourbon sweet potato casserole with sweet 'n' savory bacon pecans

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (8)

Coca-Cola Ham

You read that right. This recipe includes Coca-Cola in your ham.

Get the recipe: Coca-Cola ham

08

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (9)

Walnut and Angostura Pie

Top off your holiday meal with this tasty pie made with walnuts and angostura.

Get the recipe: walnut and angostura pie

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (10)

Cranberry Apple Pie

Invoke the flavors of Thanksgiving with this tasty pie.

Get the recipe: cranberry apple pie

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (11)

Pecan Pie Shooters

Break your pecan pie down into something more fun with these shooters.

Get the recipe: pecan pie shooters

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (12)

Roasted Red Kuri Squash and Wild Rice Salad

Try out a new type of squash for Thanksgiving — like red kuri squash.

Get the recipe: roasted red kuri squash and wild rice salad

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (13)

Boneless "Turkey Purse" With Stuffings and Peppercorn Gravy

Yes, you read that right. This is a turkey purse stuffed with all the good things Thanksgiving has to offer.

Get the recipe: boneless "turkey purse" with stuffings and peppercorn gravy

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (14)

Bourbon Maple Pumpkin Seed Caramels

These could be a dessert or even a sweet appetizer if you so choose.

Get the recipe: bourbon maple pumpkin seed caramels

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (15)

Tahini-Thyme Brussels Sprouts

Make your brussels sprouts stand out on the table with the addition of fun flavors.

Get the recipe: tahini-thyme brussels sprouts

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (16)

Rice Pilaf With Cranberries and Pears

Throw cranberries into your rice for a pop of tart sweetness.

Get the recipe: rice pilaf with cranberries and pears

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (17)

Savory Pumpkin Custard

If you make this recipe, you absolutely have to serve it in a pumpkin. It's required.

Get the recipe: savory pumpkin custard

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (18)

Butternut Squash Lasagna

This isn't your regular lasagna! It's packed with squash fit for a Thanksgiving table.

Get the recipe: butternut squash lasagna

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (19)

Cranberry Salad

Toss out your boring cranberry sauce and make a cranberry salad instead.

Get the recipe: cranberry salad

19

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (20)

Deep-Fried Stuffing

If your family is the type that loves fried food, this recipe is for you.

Get the recipe: deep-fried stuffing

20

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (21)

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Pack your acorn squash full of this delicious quinoa mix.

Get the recipe: quinoa stuffed acorn squash

21

Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (22)

Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese

What's better than plain brussels sprouts? Brussels sprouts made into mac and cheese.

Get the recipe: brussels sprouts mac and cheese

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (23)

Air Fryer Baked Brie With Cranberry Filling

Dust off your air fryer for this delicious holiday recipe.

Get the recipe: air fryer baked brie with cranberry filling

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (24)

Cheddar Apple Butternut Squash Soup With Cinnamon Pecan Crumble

Start your Thanksgiving meal with this yummy warm soup.

Get the recipe: cheddar apple butternut squash soup with cinnamon pecan crumble

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (25)

Cheddar Rye Apple Hand Pies

Send your guests out the door with one of these hand pies.

Get the recipe: cheddar rye apple hand pies

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (26)

Mini Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pies

How darling are these mini mushroom and goat cheese pies?

Get the recipe: mini wild mushroom and goat cheese pies

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (27)

Sweet Potato Noodles With Prosciutto and Cranberries

Instead of roasting or mashing your sweet potatoes, why not make them into noodles?

Get the recipe: sweet potato noodles with prosciutto and cranberries

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (28)

Banana Bread Pudding

Give your bread pudding a fruity twist by using bananas.

Get the recipe: banana bread pudding

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (29)

Instant Pot Stuffed Acorn Squash

Try making this Fall recipe in your Instant Pot.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot stuffed acorn squash

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (30)

Thanksgiving Pull-Apart Bread

This recipe may be billed as leftover pull-apart bread, but you could also make it for the main show.

Get the recipe: Thanksgiving pull-apart bread

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (31)

Beer Bread Muffins

Beer bread muffins? Sign us up.

Get the recipe: beer bread muffins

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (32)

Turkey Soup With Stuffing Dumplings

Rather than roasting your turkey, try making a soup with it instead.

Get the recipe: turkey soup with stuffing dumplings

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Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (33)
Wow Your Guests With 30+ Totally Creative Thanksgiving Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook a large group for Thanksgiving? ›

Plan Ahead:

Making and freezing a large batch of your favorite recipe ahead of time to have on hand will save you a bunch of time—and cleanup. Keep it simple (you'll have ample opportunity to impress your guests on Thanksgiving) and go for one-pot wonders you can easily reheat, like a hearty stew.

What are the top 10 Thanksgiving foods? ›

Top 10 Thanksgiving Dishes
  1. Turkey.
  2. Stuffing/Dressing.
  3. Pumpkin Pie.
  4. Sweet Potato Casserole.
  5. Mashed Potatoes.
  6. Ham.
  7. Green Bean Casserole.
  8. Cranberry Jelly.
Nov 22, 2023

How to host 30 people for Thanksgiving? ›

I've learned tricks that ensure a smooth execution when cooking for a big group, all of which can be seriously helpful for Thanksgiving.
  1. Organization Is Key. ...
  2. Opt for Multiple Make-Ahead Casseroles. ...
  3. Distract With Snacks. ...
  4. Ask Guests to Bring Their Own Wine. ...
  5. Make Punch. ...
  6. Bake Desserts Two Days Early. ...
  7. Attitude Is Everything.
Oct 31, 2019

How to make turkey for 30 people? ›

Turkey: Plan on 1 ¼ pounds per person. Poultry seasoning: For extra flavor, season the outside of your turkey with homemade poultry seasoning. Chicken broth: Homemade chicken broth, or turkey broth, if you're one step ahead of things. Yield: Plan for 1 ¼ pounds turkey per person (some of the weight is from bones).

What is the number 1 Thanksgiving side dish? ›

Mashed potatoes are a traditional Thanksgiving side dish for a reason, and we definitely look forward to serving up this delicious dish every November.

What is the most important meal on Thanksgiving? ›

Turkey. Some would say a turkey is the most important food item at the table. A turkey is the center of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, 88 percent of Americans eat Turkey on Thanksgiving, with 46 million Turkeys eaten on the holiday.

What to bring to Thanksgiving dinner as a guest? ›

Here are a couple of suggestions:
  1. Flowers (arranged in a vase or container)
  2. Cornucopia.
  3. Box of chocolates.
  4. Box of teas.
  5. Gourmet treats like specialty cheeses, jam containers, crackers or a beautifully packaged gourmet gift basket.
  6. Wine.
  7. Holiday drink mix.
  8. Book.
Nov 16, 2023

What is the most popular meat for Thanksgiving? ›

This statistic depicts the results of the survey in which U.S. consumers were asked about their favorite meats served at Thanksgiving dinner. According to the survey, 88 percent of respondents chose roasted turkey as the best Thanksgiving meat dish, followed by gravy with 79 percent of the votes.

What are 4 commonly consumed foods at Thanksgiving other than turkey? ›

Then pumpkin pie and Candied yams/sweet potato casserole. Those are the ones that are really unique to Thanksgiving. Green bean casserole and mashed potatoes are also pretty common. So is pecan pie, dinner rolls and maybe apple pie.

What is the most popular dessert at Thanksgiving? ›

In general, pie reigns supreme as a Thanksgiving dessert. While some families have their nice selections of pie servings, tradition says apple, pumpkin pie, and a southern pecan pie are the go-tos, typically made with a buttery pastry pie crust.

What are the 5 most common sides served on Thanksgiving Day? ›

The Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dishes in the U.S.
  1. Mashed Potatoes.
  2. Stuffing/Dressing. ...
  3. Mac & Cheese. ...
  4. Sweet Potatoes/Yams. ...
  5. Green Bean Casserole. ...
  6. Root Vegetable Dishes. ...
  7. Breads. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. ...
  8. Salads. Allrecipes Magazine. ...
Nov 1, 2023

How do you cook for large amounts of people? ›

15 tips to save time and stress when cooking for a large crowd
  1. Go for a buffet setup instead of individual plates. ...
  2. Use slow cookers, chafing dishes, or warming trays to keep food at the right temperature. ...
  3. Make space at your table by using multi-height serving platters. ...
  4. Use your crock-pot for desserts.
Dec 21, 2015

How much stuffing do I need for 50 people? ›

In order to fill the cavity of the bird you are stuffing, you should make 3/4 cup of stuffing per person. You may not be able to fit all the stuffing into your turkey. If this is the case, then you can even make a casserole to fill up your guests!

How much should I cook for a large group? ›

How Much Food to Serve at a Party
FOODSERVE 25SERVE 50
Meats
Chicken or turkey breast8–9 pounds16–18 pounds
Fish (fillets or steaks)7-1/2 pounds15 pounds
Hamburgers6-1/2–9-1/2 pounds13–15 pounds
35 more rows

How many turkeys feed 100 people? ›

Once you know the exact number of attendees, use this formula: Number of guests x 1.25. You'll want to plan on about 1.25 pounds of turkey per person. That means if you're expecting 12 guests, plan for a 15-pound bird.

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