50+ Thanksgiving Recipes — Setting More Places at the Table

November breathing close. Thanksgiving planning in the new house — the first Thanksgiving in Cascade Heights, the first in this kitchen. Derek is already measuring the dining room for a bigger table. "We need to seat twelve," he said, reading my mind, because Thanksgiving in this family means Darnell and Denise and their kids and every chair in the house and some borrowed from the church. I said, "We need to seat fourteen." He raised an eyebrow. I said, "Marcus is bringing Keisha." The eyebrow went higher. I said, "And I'm inviting Aaliyah and her mother." Derek smiled. That smile. The one that says: of course you are. Of course the table grows. Of course the woman who runs a program called "Set the Table" keeps setting more places. Of course.

Food drive planning at New Birth. Year thirteen. The goal this year: 300 families. Three hundred. The number is aspirational and necessary. Cascade Heights is home to people who have plenty and people who have nothing and the distance between plenty and nothing is shorter than anyone comfortable wants to admit.

Cookbook update: Katherine sent the final galley proofs. The book is REAL. Pages with photos (we hired a photographer who came to my kitchen and spent a day shooting the food — Mama's fried chicken, the cornbread, the cobbler — under lights that made everything look like a painting). Zoe's illustrations are in the book. SIX ILLUSTRATIONS. The Folgers can on the cover. I held the proof copy and turned the pages and saw Mama's recipes typeset and my stories printed and Zoe's magnolia tree on page three and I sat at the Cascade Heights kitchen table — my new table, my forever table — and I held Mama's book in my hands and the holding was the holiest thing I'd done since holding her hand when she died.

When Derek measured that dining room and I said fourteen seats, I knew I needed more than a wishlist — I needed a real plan. Thanksgiving for this family has never been small, and in this new kitchen, in this new house in Cascade Heights, I wasn’t about to let the menu be the thing that let anyone down. This collection of 50+ Thanksgiving recipes, with a full menu planner, is exactly what I keep coming back to when the guest count climbs and the stakes feel as high as they should on a day built for gratitude.

50+ Thanksgiving Recipes (Plus a Thanksgiving Menu Planner!)

Prep Time: 30 min (planning) | Cook Time: 3—4 hours (turkey anchor) | Total Time: 1—2 days with prep | Servings: 12—14

Featured Recipe: Classic Herb-Butter Roast Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 whole turkey (14—16 lb), thawed and patted dry
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 lemon, halved
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth (for roasting pan)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Plan ahead. Use the Thanksgiving Menu Planner to map out your full spread — turkey, sides, and desserts — and assign prep days. Two days out: brine or dry-brine the turkey. One day out: make pie, prep herb butter, set the table.
2. Make the herb butter. Combine softened butter, thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix until fully incorporated. Refrigerate overnight if prepping ahead.
3. Prep the turkey. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Place on a rack in a large roasting pan. Stuff the cavity loosely with quartered onion, lemon halves, and thyme sprigs.
4. Apply the herb butter. Using your hands, carefully loosen the skin over the breast and thighs. Rub half the herb butter directly onto the meat under the skin. Rub remaining butter all over the outside of the turkey. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Roast. Preheat oven to 425°F. Pour broth into the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast at 425°F for 30 minutes to set the skin, then reduce heat to 325°F. Continue roasting, basting every 45 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F — about 2 1/2 to 3 hours more for a 14—16 lb bird.
6. Rest before carving. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest at least 30 minutes. Use the pan drippings to make gravy while the turkey rests.
7. Build the rest of the table. Round out the menu with sides from the full collection: cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and rolls. The menu planner helps you stagger oven times so everything lands on the table together.

Nutrition (per serving, turkey only — approx. 6 oz roasted)

Calories: 340 | Protein: 44g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 420mg