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HOLIDAY MENU • BESOURETOCOOK

20 Best Thanksgiving Recipes for a Crowd (Mac & Cheese, Collard Greens, Desserts & More)

Build your entire Thanksgiving menu with tried-and-true BeSureToCook favorites. From ultra-creamy baked mac and cheese and down-home collard greens to show-stopping cakes and cozy cinnamon rolls, these 20 videos walk you through every step.

🍗 Classic mains 🥘 Southern & soul food sides 🍰 Homemade cakes, cobblers & pies ☕ Cozy brunch & dessert recipes
Watch All 20 Thanksgiving Recipes
HD step-by-step videos • Easy to follow • Perfect for holiday gatherings

Build Your Thanksgiving Plate From juicy turkey and chicken to cheesy sides and cozy greens.

1

Main Dish How To Prep a Turkey for Thanksgiving (Step-by-Step)

Holiday Turkey 101
Skill: Beginner–Friendly 🍗 Focus: Juicy, flavorful bird

Nervous about tackling the Thanksgiving turkey? This video walks you through how to clean, season, and prep your bird so it comes out tender, juicy, and perfectly browned. It’s the foundation for your whole holiday meal.

2

Side Dish Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese (The Star of the Table)

Crowd Favorite
🧀 Cheese-Pull: Extra gooey & rich 🍽 Perfect For: Big family dinners

This mac and cheese is baked until golden on top with a creamy, velvety cheese sauce underneath. It’s the kind of comfort-food side people ask for every single Thanksgiving — and then again for leftovers.

3

Side Dish Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey Legs

Soul Food Classic
🥬 Flavor: Smoky, savory, slow-simmered 🍴 Style: Southern holiday greens

These collard greens simmer low and slow with smoked turkey legs for deep, rich flavor. This video shows you exactly how to clean, season, and cook collards that taste like they came straight from Grandma’s kitchen.

4

Side Dish Southern Candied Yams (Buttery, Sweet & Sticky)

Holiday Favorite
🍠 Texture: Tender with glossy syrup Vibe: Dessert-level sweet side

These candied yams are simmered in a buttery brown sugar syrup with warm spices until they’re soft, glossy, and irresistible. The video shows the exact timing so they don’t turn mushy — just perfect.

5

Side Dish Cornbread Sage Stuffing (Savory & Moist)

Classic Dressing
🍞 Base: Homemade cornbread 🌿 Herbs: Sage, onion & aromatics

This Thanksgiving stuffing starts with flavorful cornbread, then layers in sage, onions, and broth for that old-school dressing texture — moist inside, toasty on the edges. Perfect for pairing with turkey gravy.

6

Side Dish Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Topping

Comfort Classic
🥫 Sauce: Creamy & savory 🧅 Topping: Crunchy onions

This video shows you how to make a classic green bean casserole that’s creamy in the middle and loaded with crispy topping on top. It’s an easy make-ahead side that tastes like pure holiday comfort.

7

Side Dish Wild Cranberry Stuffing (Sweet-Savory Twist)

Flavor Upgrade
🍇 Add-ins: Cranberries for brightness 🦃 Pairs With: Turkey & gravy

If you love a little sweetness in your stuffing, this wild cranberry version is for you. The video shows how to balance the tart cranberries with savory herbs so every bite feels festive and full of flavor.

8

Side Dish Creamed Spinach (Steakhouse-Style Holiday Side)

Creamy Greens
🥬 Texture: Silky & cheesy 🍷 Great With: Turkey or chicken

This creamed spinach is rich, cheesy, and totally smooth — the kind of side you normally only get at a steakhouse. The video breaks down the cream sauce so it never turns grainy or watery.

Kick Off Thanksgiving With a Snack Creamy dips, deviled eggs & cheesy casseroles.

9

Appetizer Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip (Easy Holiday Starter)

Shareable Dip
🧀 Base: Soft cream cheese 🍒 Top: Sweet-tart cranberry

This creamy dip layers cool cream cheese with a sweet-tart cranberry topping for the perfect cracker or crostini appetizer. It comes together fast on Thanksgiving day but looks and tastes like you spent hours.

10

Appetizer Classic Deviled Eggs for Thanksgiving

Party Platter
🥚 Filling: Creamy & tangy Perfect For: Holiday snack table

These deviled eggs are smooth, flavorful, and beautifully piped so they look gorgeous on your Thanksgiving appetizer tray. The video covers boiling, peeling, and seasoning so every bite is just right.

11

Side / Appetizer Cheesy Crab Casserole (Rich Holiday Bake)

Seafood Crowd-Pleaser
🦀 Protein: Crab meat 🧀 Texture: Cheesy & bubbly

This casserole is loaded with crab and cheese baked into a rich, indulgent dish that works as either an appetizer or side. It’s perfect for seafood lovers who want something special on the Thanksgiving table.

12

Main Dish Rotisserie Chicken (Turkey Alternative)

Smaller Gatherings
🍗 Perfect For: Small Thanksgiving tables 🔥 Method: Rotisserie-style roast

Hosting a smaller Thanksgiving or want a second main? This rotisserie-style chicken is juicy, well-seasoned, and a fantastic backup for guests who’d rather skip turkey.

End Thanksgiving on a Sweet Note Layer cakes, cobbler dumplings, pie & more.

13

Dessert Peach Cobbler Dumplings (Cozy & Buttery)

Comfort Dessert
🍑 Flavor: Peachy, buttery & warm 🍨 Serve With: Vanilla ice cream

These peach cobbler dumplings give you all the flavor of homemade cobbler in cute, individual bites. The video walks you through the syrup, spice blend, and baking time for perfectly soft dumplings.

14

Dessert Blueberry Dumplings (Fruity Cobbler-Style Treat)

Fruit Dessert
🫐 Flavor: Bright blueberry filling 🥣 Texture: Soft dough + syrup

These blueberry dumplings are a fun twist on cobbler, with fluffy dough pieces baked right in a sweet, syrupy blueberry sauce. It’s a vibrant, crowd-pleasing dessert for after Thanksgiving dinner.

15

Dessert Coconut Chocolate Cake (Rich & Moist)

Layer Cake
🍫 Flavor: Deep chocolate + coconut 🎂 Occasion: Holiday celebration cake

This coconut chocolate cake layers rich chocolate flavor with sweet coconut for a dessert that feels fancy but is easy to follow along with on video. Perfect for guests who want something beyond pie.

16

Dessert Moist Chocolate Cake (Fool-Proof Crowd Pleaser)

Chocolate Lovers
🍫 Texture: Super soft & moist 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Serves: A full crowd

This moist chocolate cake stays soft for days — ideal when you’re baking ahead for the holidays. The recipe video guides you through mixing, baking, and frosting so you don’t over-bake it.

17

Dessert Banana Pudding Cake (Twist on a Southern Classic)

Holiday Showstopper
🍌 Inspo: Classic banana pudding 🍰 Format: Layer cake

All the flavors of banana pudding — bananas, vanilla, creamy goodness — turned into a cake. This video breaks down each layer so you can build a dessert that makes people say “what recipe is this?!”

18

Dessert Key Lime Pie (Bright, Tart & Creamy)

Pie Lovers
🍋 Flavor: Tangy & refreshing 🥧 Crust: Buttery base

This key lime pie cuts through all the rich Thanksgiving dishes with a bright, citrusy filling and creamy texture. The video explains how to get that smooth, sliceable custard every time.

Treat Your Guests All Day Long Cinnamon rolls for breakfast and a cozy carrot soufflé side.

19

Breakfast / Dessert Gooey & Sticky Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Holiday Morning Treat
🍥 Texture: Soft, gooey & sticky 🌅 Best For: Thanksgiving morning

Start your holiday with warm, gooey cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven. This video shows how to make the dough, filling, and glaze so you get that bakery-style swirl at home.

20

Side / Dessert Carrot Soufflé (Light, Sweet & Fluffy)

Soft & Sweet Side
🥕 Flavor: Sweet carrot & spice ☁️ Texture: Light & airy

This carrot soufflé is a cross between a side dish and a dessert — lightly sweet, fluffy, and perfect with turkey or ham. The video walks through blending and baking so it sets up just right.

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Top 20 Thanksgiving Recipes – Mac & Cheese, Collard Greens, Cobblers & More