For anyone who doesn't have a lot of experience in the kitchen, a holiday that is centered around a meal of comfort foods likely seems intimidating, especially if an invite to a potluck arrives in your inbox. Still, there are a variety of easy Thanksgiving recipes that yield delicious results and are simple enough for even the most novice cook.
It's true that some Thanksgiving dishes should only be taken on by someone with a bit of cooking know-how, but even if you're not quite ready to cook the family turkey there are plenty of opportunities for you to contribute. A dish that's made in a slow-cooker, pressure cooker, oven, or uses no appliance at all is perfect for someone still dipping their toes into cooking. Unless you're backing, most savory dish recipes are more forgiving and YouTube is ripe with how-to videos that will teach you everything from how to cut something to identifying the different kinds of boiling water.
If you're tired of signing up to bring paper plates and napkins to every family gathering, consider taking a shot at an easy Thanksgiving recipe. We've gathered 15 wonderful, tasty options that will have dinner guests wanting seconds, and leave you feeling confident.
Air Fryer Crispy Sweet Potatoes
Adrianna at A Cozy Kitchen found a quick and super simple way to make crispy sweet potatoes. To make them, you just need to slice up some potatoes and mix up a few spices before putting them into an air fryer. If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake them in the oven.
Buttery Yeast Rolls
Yeast rolls are a typical Thanksgiving day staple, and Cassie at Wholefully found a really simple way to make them without sacrificing taste. The recipe only calls for eight ingredients (including cooking spray) and there's no kneading involved.
Cranberry Orange Walnut Relish
No Thanksgiving table is complete without cranberry sauce, but this elevated version by Good Life Eats is both delightful and easy to execute. This Cranberry Orange Walnut Relish only requires five steps to make, and it's so much better than the canned stuff.
Crock Pot Mac & Cheese
The occupants at the kids' and adults' tables will all love this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese. This recipe from Sugar and Soul has you dump most of the ingredients into a crock pot to melt together before tossing in a box of uncooked noodles for the last hour.
Parmesan & Ranch Pull Apart Bread
Nellie Bellie is all about comfort foods and this Three-Ingredient Parmesan and Ranch Pull Apart Bread is certainly worth of that title. All you need are some pre-made biscuits, some ranch, some parmesan, and 15-20 minutes of baking time to create this appetizer.
Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
Cassie at Wholefully really delivers when it comes to easy Thanksgiving recipes. These Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes require hardly any prep before you let them hang out in the slow cooker for a few hours.
Thanksgiving Turkey Veggie Tray
Eating Richly knows that no gathering — even Thanksgiving —is complete without some crudités. So, in order to make it a little more appealing to kids she created a Turkey Veggie Tray to entice them to eat it up. This dish is proof that you don't have to be the one who always just brings ice to events.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Bake up some frozen yeast rolls from the grocery store, serve them with this Slow Cooker Apple Butter from Jelly Toast, and you'll be an instant hit this Thanksgiving. All it takes to make the spread are a few ingredients tossed into the Crock-Pot and some time to let it simmer.
Cheesy Bomb Bread
Averie of Averie Cooks understands that it doesn't need to be made from scratch in order to be a delicious dish. This Easy Cheese Bomb Bread calls for pre-made refrigerated dough, some mozzarella cheese, and a blend of seasonings. There's no chance this dish will make it past the appetizer stage of the holiday.
Pumpkin Soup
Jo-Anna from A Pretty Life In The Suburbs came up with a recipe for this Easy Pumpkin Soup which can be made on the stove top or in a slow-cooker (hint: slow-cooker is easier). The soup is a yummy creamy appetizer that's great for dipping bread into.
Cheesy Potato Corn Flake Casserole
Michelle, from Brown Eyed Baker came up with this recipe for Cheesy Potato Casserole With Corn Flake Topping that only takes 15 minutes to prep and is ready to eat in a little over 90 minutes. It's delicious either way, but particularly good if someone in the family can't have traditional bread crumbs.
Roasted Acorn Squash & Kale Salad
A salad may seem like an easy way out here, but this Roasted Acorn Squash and Kale Salad from Kitchen Confidante is an exception. While it's very easy to make, the acorn squash requires a little time in the oven, which makes the end result a little more impressive.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Bacon
You don't need to be a professional chef to switch up Thanksgiving by replacing the traditional candied yams for Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bacon from Natasha's Kitchen. It's incredibly simple to make and you'll be the hero for bringing bacon to the meal.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Bread
Melissa from No. 2 Pencil came up with the easiest way, ever to make a Thanksgiving side dish. This Slow-Cooker Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Bread takes 10 minutes to prep before cooking for two hours in the slow cooker and yielding a delicious "loaf" of bread.
Corn Casserole
This Easy Corn Casserole from Dinner Then Dessert only calls for five ingredients and delivers a delightful Thanksgiving side dish. The mix is prepared using only one bowl before it's spread into a baking dish, and then baked in the oven for 45 minutes. It doesn't get much easier.
