Complete Menu with Recipes for Reliable and Delicious Holiday Feast

Whether it is Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Friendsgiving, there is something quite nice about a big feast. It’s a lot of work to do often, but so worth it when there are leftovers. Everyone gathered around the table and sharing a meal, time together, and being grateful for these precious moments. This is especially true if you live far away from family, like I do. Part of it is, of course, the food too. For this reason, I’m sharing all the recipes we love, plus one or two I dream of trying. Away we go…

Thanksgiving Dinner Plate

Above is a simple plate with Ina Garten’s roast turkey, my cranberry sauce, Alton Brown’s green bean casserole, and my dad’s sweet potato casserole. All these recipes are below. I’ve organised them by course (starters, mains, sides, dessert).

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Starters

Spicy Artichoke Cheese Dip – Alice’s recipe

Spiced Nuts in the Air Fryer – My recipe variation from the Union Square Cafe NYC

Baked Brie en Croute with Spicy Berry Sauce – My recipe

Gougères – Recipe from Alain Ducasse

Mini Brioche Lobster Rolls – Recipe from Grace Parisi

Homemade chunky cranberry sauce in a glass bowl with a spoon

Mains

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast (this is what I make with my brined turkey breast from Chicken Inn in Cork’s English Market) – Recipe from Ina Garten

Homemade Cranberry Sauce (technically a side, but for me it’s essential for the main course so I’m putting it right here with the turkey recipe I use) – My Recipe – PHOTO ABOVE

Duck a l’Orange (this was made if my dad did the cooking) – Recipe from Julia Child

Brined and Roast Lemon/Parsley/Garlic Turkey (this is if I go to my SIL’s house) – Recipe from Gordon Ramsay

Roast Chicken with Homemade Basting Butter (this was if my mom did the cooking) – My mom’s recipe

Beef Wellington or Mushroom Wellington (vegetarian alternative)

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Sides

Easy Peasy Homemade Mac N Cheese – My Recipe

Green Bean Casserole – Recipe from Alton Brown

Sweet Potato & Pecan Bake – My dad’s recipe

Dijon Brussels SproutsRecipe from Stephanie O’Dea  – PHOTO ABOVE

Brussels Sprouts with Dill Butter Recipe from Martha Stewart

Baked Thanksgiving Dressing Balls, aka Stuffin’ Muffins – My mom’s recipe

English Peas with MintEpicurious’s Recipe

Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe from Caitriona Redmond

Candied Yams – Recipe from Millie Peartree

Roast Mushrooms and Spinach  – Recipe from Millie Peartree

Soul Food Cornbread Dressing – Recipe from Mandy River

I was craving apple pie, so I made some.

Dessert

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe from Michael W. Twitty’s book The Cooking Gene

Homemade Cranberry Tart

Pumpkin Pie Recipe My Grandma’s Recipe

Pie Crust Recipe – My Great-Grandmother’s Recipe

Cherry Pie – My Recipe

Apple Pie – My Recipe – PHOTO ABOVE

Chestnut Panna Cotta with Moscati-Poached PearsCheznuts’s Recipe

Irish Cream Cheesecake from Scratch My Grandmother’s Great-Aunt’s Recipe

If you need to refer to these visually, I have a Pinterest board dedicated to my holiday menu.

I am preparing my Christmas dinner a day early because we have a master plan. On Christmas Eve, I am preparing the turkey along with the sides that reheat well. On Christmas Day, I will reheat the Christmas Eve foods and prepare the additional sides. All this means, we are able to enjoy the foods without having too much at once. Then on St. Stephen’s Day (the 26th), we will enjoy leftovers and much-anticipated brie, cranberry, turkey sandwiches.

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