Paige Knight - 04 / Nov / 2024

Build Your Thanksgiving Menu

From decadent Thanksgiving sides to the perfect turkey, learn all about our Thanksgiving dinner ideas while we help you build your ultimate Thanksgiving menu.

As the leaves turn golden, the scent of pumpkin spice fills the air, and spooky season comes to a close, the time for Thanksgiving festivities is fast approaching. With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, we’re entering into the most festive season of the year – but also the busiest.

This year, get ahead of the Thanksgiving hustle and bustle by planning ahead for Thanksgiving dinner. Our team has curated the ultimate Thanksgiving menu, packed with creative Thanksgiving sides and a guide to a classic, mouthwatering turkey. This year, try out our whole Thanksgiving menu or pick and choose your favorites to add to your own Thanksgiving dinner lineup!

Creative Thanksgiving Sides

At Thanksgiving dinner, we all know the sides are the real star of the show. Every family has their own gravy and stuffing recipes, passed down through generations and committed to memory. Instead of attempting to re-invent the wheel, we’ve dreamed up some creative side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner to wow your relatives and shake things up a bit.

Cranberries and cranberry sauce sit in jars on a white tabletop with flowers and a spoon beside them.

^{Cranberry sauce is already a Thanksgiving delicacy, and it’s the secret ingredient to our creative baked cranberry brie.}

Baked Cranberry Brie

Cranberry sauce is already a Thanksgiving classic, and we’ve made it even better by adding carbs and cheese. This baked cranberry brie is one of my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner, so consider adding it to your Thanksgiving menu this year.

Ingredients

Instructions

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
8-12 oz wheel of brie cheese
½ cup cranberry sauce
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon coarse sugar

Preheat your oven
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare your puff pastry
- On a lightly floured cutting board, roll out your puff pastry.
Wrap your brie
- Score the top of your brie.
- Place your round of brie in the middle of your rolled out puff pastry.
- Top your brie with cranberry sauce.
- Fold the corners of the puff pastry over the brie until the top is completely covered.
- Use your hands to gently seal the edges of your puff pastry against the top and sides of your brie until your brie is neatly wrapped.
Coat your brie in an egg wash
- Transfer your wrapped brie to your lined baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, beat your egg and milk until combined.
- Brush the top and edges of your puff pastry with your egg wash.
- Sprinkle coarse sugar over the top of your wrapped brie.
Bake your brie
- Bake in your preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until your puff pastry is golden brown.
Cool and serve
- Allow your baked brie to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer to a platter and serve.

A man stirs brussels sprouts in a clear glass bowl on a white countertop with carrots in a bowl behind it.

^{Maple roasted brussels sprouts are a quick and easy Thanksgiving side.}

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

As a child, It was always begrudgingly that I added something green to my plate at Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe I’d have been more enthusiastic if these maple roasted brussels sprouts had been an option. With the perfect balance of sweetness from the maple syrup and bitterness from the balsamic vinegar, this is a healthy Thanksgiving side that your kids might even give a try.

Ingredients

Instructions

1 ½ pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoonsmaple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt & pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup choppedwalnuts

Preheat your oven
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine your ingredients
- In a medium bowl, combine your halved brussels sprouts, olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Toss your ingredients until your brussels sprouts are well coated.
Roast your brussels sprouts
- Spread your brussels sprouts in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle your chopped nuts over the top.
- Roast your brussels sprouts in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Serve immediately in a serving bowl

Mini Quiches

My family was never one of those “Thanksgiving brunch” kind of families, but we’d never be caught dead running a Turkey Trot, either. If your family likes to get an early start on Thanksgiving, these mini quiches could be the perfect bite-sized side to add to your Thanksgiving menu.

Ingredients

Instructions

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2-3 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup heavy cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Grease a muffin tin.
Prepare your puff pastry
- On a lightly floured cutting board, roll out your puff pastry.
- Cut your puff pastry into 12 equal-sized squares.
Make your filling
- In a medium bowl, combine your cheddar cheese, bacon, green onions, heavy cream, beaten eggs, and salt & pepper.
Assemble your quiches
- Place a square of puff pastry into each greased muffin tin.
- Divide your filling evenly among your muffin tins.
Bake your mini quiches
- Bake your mini quiches for 20-25 minutes, until the filling has set and your puff pastry is golden brown.
Cool and serve

The Classic Main Course

When you think of Thanksgiving dinner, you immediately think of turkey. That’s the classic main course at Thanksgiving dinner, and for good reason. The biggest challenge when curating a Thanksgiving menu isn’t how to make the best stuffing or gravy, it’s how to make sure you don’t dry out the turkey.

A woman cuts the leg off of a roasted Thanksgiving turkey on a wooden surface with herbs around it.

^{Read our other blogs to learn the best way to carve a turkey, how to make to-die-for Thanksgiving pies, and so much more.}

Thanksgiving Turkey

Here’s our favorite way to make a turkey that’s a crisp and flavorful centerpiece that the family will be raving about for years to come.

Ingredients

Instructions

For the brine
- 1 raw turkey
- 1 gallon of water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 carrot, chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 1 rib of celery, chopped into 2-inch pieces
To bake your turkey
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 garlic bulb, halved
- 2 shallots, quartered
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

Make your brine
- In a large stock pot, combine all of your brine ingredients.
- Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
Brine your turkey
- Place your raw turkey in a large plastic bag.
- Pour your cooled brine over the turkey, ensuring it is completely submerged.
- Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
Prepare your turkey
- Remove your turkey from the brine and rinse thoroughly with cool water.
- Use paper towels to pat your turkey dry.
- Remove the giblets and neck from your turkey’s cavity.
Season your turkey
- In a small bowl, combine your seasonings and butter.
- Coat your turkey in the seasoning and butter mixture, making sure to massage the entire surface of the bird.
Stuff the cavity
- Stuff your lemon quarters, garlic bulb, shallots, and fresh thyme into your turkey’s cavity.
Roast your turkey
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Place your turkey breast side up on a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan.
- Roast your turkey in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Reduce your oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and roast for another 2-2.5 hours, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the bird reads 165°F (74°C).
- Every 30 minutes, use a flavor injector to inject the pan drippings into the turkey’s flesh.
Let your turkey rest
- Remove your turkey from the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.
Carve and serve your turkey

Desserts, How To’s, and More

While these are some of your top picks for a killer Thanksgiving dinner, there’s plenty more to come. Later this month, we’ll be covering all there is to know about baking the perfect Thanksgiving pie, how to carve a turkey like a pro, and much more. Stay tuned, and check out our other blogs for fall recipe inspiration, like our Chili Numero Uno, hearty meat pies, and steak with mashed potatoes.

While you’re at it, head over to the Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill website to view our kitchenware, home decor, gifts, and seasonal favorites, or shop in-store to chat with our awesome staff. Lastly, don’t forget to tag @blackstonesboston in your favorite Thanksgiving recipes this season!