Description
This Easy Thanksgiving Menu is a complete, crowd-pleasing feast designed to serve 8 to 10 people. Featuring a juicy slow cooker turkey breast with savory gravy, classic sides like cranberry sauce, cheesy potato bake or mashed potatoes, fresh wild rice and brussel sprout salads, creamy corn casserole, soft no-knead dinner rolls, and a decadent pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert, this menu simplifies holiday preparations without compromising flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey and Gravy
- 1 Slow Cooker Turkey Breast (approximately 4-5 lbs)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, and sage)
- 1 cup chicken broth or water (for gravy)
Cranberry Sauce
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
Potato Side
- For Easy Cheesy Potato Bake: 4-5 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream or milk
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- OR for Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes: 5 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 cup milk or cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salads
- Wild Rice Salad: 2 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Brussel Sprout Salad: 1 lb brussel sprouts, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 apple, diced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- OR Salad Dressings: vinaigrette or herb dressing options for simple garden or leafy salads
Corn Side
- Creamy Corn Casserole: 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup cornmeal or 1 box cornbread mix (if making skillet cornbread)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dinner Rolls
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
Dessert
- Pumpkin Cake: 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cream Cheese Frosting: 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Turkey: Season the turkey breast with salt, pepper, and herbs. Place it in the slow cooker with chicken broth or water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Once cooked, remove the turkey and make gravy by using the cooking juices, thickening with flour or cornstarch if desired.
- Make the Cranberry Sauce: Combine cranberries, sugar, water, and orange zest and juice in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until cranberries burst and sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Cool before serving.
- Prepare the Potato Side: For the cheesy potato bake, layer sliced potatoes with garlic, cheese, and cream, season, and bake until tender and golden on top. For mashed potatoes, boil peeled potato cubes until soft, mash with butter and milk, and season to taste.
- Prepare the Salads: For the wild rice salad, toss cooked rice with celery, cranberries, nuts, green onions, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. For the brussel sprout salad, combine thinly sliced brussel sprouts with hazelnuts, bacon, apple, and dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Make the Corn Side: Mix corn kernels with sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar, melted butter, and cornmeal or cornbread mix. Season and bake until bubbly and golden on top.
- Bake the Dinner Rolls: Combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast, warm water, and oil. Knead the dough lightly, let it rise until doubled, shape into rolls, and bake until golden brown.
- Prepare the Pumpkin Cake and Frosting: In a large bowl, mix pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Pour into a greased baking pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Once cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting made by beating cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
Notes
- Slow cooker turkey breast is a convenient alternative to roasting a whole turkey and yields juicy results.
- The potato side can be adapted to either cheesy baked potatoes or classic mashed potatoes based on preference.
- Salad dressings can be customized or substituted to suit dietary needs or taste preferences.
- Make dinner rolls the day before and warm before serving for freshness.
- Leftover cranberry sauce and pumpkin cake make excellent next-day treats.
- Ensure turkey reaches safe internal temperature using a meat thermometer to avoid undercooking.
