Happy Thanksgiving! It may not surprise you that this is my favorite time of year (after all, this particular Holiday is all about food!). But even more than cooking (and dancing!) all day in the kitchen with my mom, eating a comforting meal, and spending quality time with the whole family, my absolute favorite tradition is actively taking time to practice gratitude.
In 2025, I’m grateful for my health, a roof over my head, a thriving marriage, and the absolute joy that raising my son, Charlie, brings me. This year, at age 6, he has really blossomed in kindergarten and watching him eagerly learn and happily grow has been nothing short of amazing.
I’m also incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to spend my time pouring my creative energy into creating, photographing, and sharing recipes with all of you!
I’m grateful for friends and family whose love and support buoy me, and equally, I’m grateful for readers like you!
Your support, whether you’re just following along, trying my recipes, or leaving your feedback, has allowed me to focus on my passion and spend every day cultivating this community of amazing people, who, just like me, want the best food with the least effort.
Truly, thank you.
While I love getting experimental in the kitchen, Thanksgiving is one of the few times I like to keep things classic. The dishes we serve on Thanksgiving are not ones in our usual rotation, and reserving these special tastes (and smells) just for the Holiday makes it all that more special and nostalgic every year.
And yes, while I do keep the flavor profiles classic, I’ve still found little tweaks that take each recipe to the next level, often while making them simpler and faster! I want to share my easy, efficient, and elevated 2025 Thanksgiving menu with you.
Below is a list of exactly what my family will be eating this year (plus a turkey for the meat-eaters, which my mom will be making!), as well as my timeline of prepping throughout the week, to keep the day fun and stress-free:
Brandy Cranberry Sauce
We also get a can of jellied cranberry sauce. Most people put both on their plates! This homemade version has just a touch of booze to elevate the flavor.
I’ll be making this dish on Monday and storing it in Tupperware in the refrigerator until Thursday.
Baked Everything Bagel Stuffing
Myself, my aunt, and two of my cousins don’t eat turkey, so while my mom does make classic boxed stuffing to cook “inside the bird”, I always make a separate stuffing for everyone to enjoy.
This one was actually my cousin’s idea. One year, he said he really wanted to try bagel stuffing, so I took the idea and ran with it. Everyone agreed it was so good and encouraged me to share it with you all, so on the blog it went!
I’ll make this one on Tuesday, cover it with aluminum foil and store it in the fridge, then reheat it on Thursday.
Maple Sweet Potato Casserole
I grew up making this casserole every year for Thanksgiving exactly the same way, but with brown sugar. One year I swapped the sugar for maple syrup on a hunch, and I’ve never gone back. It adds such depth of flavor.
I love that it only takes a handful of ingredients. I’ll make this dish on Wednesday and cover it and place it in the fridge. Then, on Thursday, I’ll heat it in the oven, add the marshmallows, and finish it under the broiler so those marshmallows get nice and toasty.
Green Bean Casserole with Secret Ingredients
As soon as I started taking over this dish, I started using fresh green beans instead of canned, but it wasn’t until more recently that I discovered that one simple ingredient goes a long way to enhance the flavor of this beloved casserole.
Adding porcini mushrooms adds so much umami, bringing this dish from on the bland side to my favorite side of the night! This is another one I will prep on Wednesday. I’ll assemble everything except for the cheese and crispy fried onions on top.
Cover it, place it in the refrigerator and on Thursday I’ll heat it up in the oven before adding a layer of cheese and crispy fried onions on top and putting it back in the oven until the cheese is melty and crispy onions start to brown.
Creamy Boursin Mashed Potatoes
I’m telling you; the addition of Boursin is the simplest way to uplevel your mash. Lending great garlicky and herbaceous flavor and an unreal creamy, velvety texture that makes the humble potato dish Holiday-worthy.
I usually make the mashed potatoes on Wednesday and add a little extra butter and splash of milk when I reheat them on Thursday.
Easy Mushroom Gravy
This is another thing I make so that the non-meat-eaters aren’t jealous of the golden turkey gravy being poured on the turkey-lovers’ plates.
This gravy ends up being used in addition to the turkey gravy on EVERYONE’s plates, and there’s never any leftovers. I usually make this on Wednesday, too. It reheats well. If it’s too thick when you reheat it, just add a little bit of extra vegetable broth.
Baked Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is a fairly new, but very welcomed addition to our Thanksgiving meal. The pumpkin in here makes its seasonably festive and extra-delicious.
I’m planning on making this the day of Thanksgiving, just because it’s very easy to make and I’ll have most everything else prepped. You absolutely can make this Tuesday or Wednesday. Just wait to put the top layer of cheese and bake it until Thursday.
Roasted Maple Brussels Sprouts
With all the casseroles, it’s nice to have a side dish with a little bit of bite. These brussels sprouts end up tender in the center and crispy on the outside, giving your overall plate a much needed textural element.
These should be made on Thursday. They’re not as good reheated.
Drunken Apple Pie
We alternate between apple pie and sweet potato pie (last year I made this Sweet Potato Pie with Condensed Milk), and this year, it’s apple’s turn! A little boozy twist is the best way to end the night.
This can be made as early as Monday. I’m making it on Tuesday this year.
Thank you so much for browsing my menu for Thanksgiving this year. I appreciate you so much and am wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!
