Countdown to Thanksgiving

Keep calm and cook on with these recipes

Photo by Jed Owen on Unsplash

Thanksgiving is a time to gather around the table with friends and family. But many of us turn what should be a joyful day of eating and drinking into a stressful afternoon with expectations that we simply can’t live up to.

This year, my friend called and asked if I would mind terribly if he grilled lobsters for Thanksgiving instead of doing a turkey. He quickly interjected that he had plenty of wine (and that I didn’t have to dress up). I said that sounded like the best idea ever.

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner (or you’re bringing a dish or two as a gift to your host), make sure to take it easy. Plan on simple recipes and don’t be afraid to buy a beautiful pie for dessert. After two years of pandemic-related distance, this year let’s put the focus on who’s around the table rather than what’s on it.

That being said, here are a few super simple recipe collections found around the internet that will help you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the people you love.

Food Network’s 34 Easiest-Ever Thanksgiving Recipes

From a complete Thanksgiving dinner that can be baked on two sheet pans to a festival cranberry mocktail (that can be spiked with vodka), Food Network has complied nearly three dozen ways to fast-track Thanksgiving.

20 Easy Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes

Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond is known for her decadent, easy-to-follow recipes. This collection includes everything you need from mashed potatoes to stuffing you can make in a crock pot to a spicy apple cider sangria.

Martha Stewart’s Quick and Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Sure, Martha Stewart would prefer we do everything from growing sweet potatoes to having our own cranberry bog to harvest the berries. But this recipe collection actually simplifies your time. Make sour cream mashed potatoes, a cranberry simple syrup for cocktails, classic cornbread, and more.

Town and Country’s 85 Classic Side Dishes

With names like “perfect” mashed potatoes, “classic” stuffing, and “flaky” buttermilk biscuits how can you go wrong?