Ugh.
People.
I am overwhelmed. Holidays are overwhelming. I’m not even cooking a turkey dinner and I’m overwhelmed. If you’re anything like me, you have nothing planned, right? Oh wait… you probably have everything planned. Because you’re not crazy. If I plan far, far ahead, I just keep adding… and adding… and adding things to the list. Sort of like early Christmas shopping. I just keep buying… and buying… and…. yeah. I only have a handful of dishes to make but I can’t decide *for sure* between chocolate or pumpkin and lasagna or casserole and tequila or rum and then I get an email from a reader (?) last night asking if I’m a boy or a girl (yep for reals) and yeah… now I’m just utterly confused with this entire universe.
And I’m here to overwhelm you even more because I’m sure with all the holiday recipes you’ve been gathering you seriously need 101 more. Seriously. Seriously!
Gotcha a list of recipes I starred in my google reader over the last month or two – all fresh from 2011. I like things shiny, bright and new. Duh. These are the best of the best right here… and if you have more, link ‘em up in the comments. I don’t bite.
‘Cept when I’m hungry.
Click on all of these delicious recipes from my favorite blogs or else… I don’t know.
P.S. I think there are more vegetable dishes than desserts here. I’m a zombie. Don’t even know who I am anymore.
P.P.S. Some options below are gluten-free (and vegan!), but here is a full list of gluten-free Thanksgiving ideas.
P.P.P.S. I’m so hungry now.
Appetizers & Starters
Cheesy Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms
Gorgonzola Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Prosciutto
Roasted Autumn Panzanella Salad
Acorn Squash Soup with Cheesy Croutons
Holiday Salad with Cranberry Apple Orange Vinaigrette
Pecan, Brown Sugar and Kahlua Baked Brie
Prosciutto Bruschetta with Browned Sage Butter
Goat Cheese and Pistachio Stuffed Dates
Turkey
Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter and Shallots
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Turkey
Gravy
Stuffing
Baked Apples with Savory Stuffing
Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Cranberry Stuffing
Pancetta and Sage Stuffing Muffins
Double Bread Stuffing with Brown Butter, Bacon and Sage
Sourdough Stuffing with Mushrooms, Apples and Sage
Potatoes
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Walnut Strudel
Lightened Up Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet Potato Gratin with Gruyere
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chili Beans
Brown Butter Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Vegetable Dishes
Roasted Brussels, Butternut Squash and Cranberries
Brussels with Cream and Sweet Dates
Roasted Butternut and Sweet Potato Whole Wheat Lasagna
Creamy Leek Gratin with Bacon and Breadcrumbs
Butternut Mushroom Bread Pudding
Roasted Cauliflower with Olives and Herbs
Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Brown Butter
Truffled Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts
Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallots
Roasted Green Beans with Red Bell Pepper
Brussels Sprouts with Gin, Pancetta, Caraway and Sherry
Fruit Dishes
Crockpot Apple Cranberry Sauce
Spiced Cranberry Chutney with Apricots and Pecans
Sweet Potato Stuffed Baked Apples
Cranberry Sauce with Brown Sugar and Pecans
Breads
Hasselback Garlic Cheesy Bread
Sweet Potato and Honey Dinner Rolls
Pumpkin Biscuits with Candied Ginger
No Knead Rosemary Crescent Rolls
Cinnamon Sweet Potato Biscuits
Desserts
Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Vanilla Sheet Cake
Cocktails!
Cranberry Pomegranate Margarita
Apple Ginger Calvados Cocktail
Spiced Cranberry Prosecco Punch
Now give it up… what are you making?
I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.
Thanks for linking to the gluten free list, this is my first holiday season gluten free (and soy free) and I think it may be tough…
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There is now a smudge mark smack dab in the middle of my computer screen.
It may be from the fact that somewhere around “Salted Caramel Cheesecake” someone licked it.
Not saying it was me… but Mac isn’t tall enough, so I’m not saying it wasn’t not me either.
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I am only bringing sweet potatoes and a pumpkin cake (with browned butter frosting!). But since my Girl Scout troop is doing a bake sale the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I am totally with you on the overwhelmed-ness (and the lists). Trying to figure out how I can make a gazillion things and also do a few other things like go to work, go to my dad’s for Thanksgiving, and…um…sleep.
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Wow, oh wow! That list will keep me in recipes for a year…here’s my new favorite (as of last year) using fresh cranberries, a riff on traditional Nantucket Pie (which is really a cake):
http://eatlittleeatbig.blogspot.com/2010/11/recipe-for-nantucket-cranberry-pie-cake.html
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Wait. Are you a boy or a girl?
KIDDING.
I’m tackling macarons this week. And I can’t stop thinking about this stuffing recipe from Spoon Fork Bacon and a gratin from A Spicy Perspective. Links below.
http://spoonforkbacon.com/2011/11/sausage-and-sage-stuffing-with-dried-cranberries-and-toasted-hazelnuts/
http://aspicyperspective.com/2011/10/apple-celery-root-gratin.html
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I just made your lightened up sweet potato casserole. Totally earned a spot on my Thanksgiving rotation. Thanks for sharing gluten free menu ideas. We’re trying to go all gluten free this year so my mom doesn’t have to kill herself avoiding the stuffing, rolls, and dessert. I shared the sweet potato casserole and our gluten free menu here: http://bakeeatrepeat.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-gluten-free-thanksgiving-sweet.html
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*sigh* I totally feel ya now, girl! Haha, especially after 101! I always try to stay kind of “basic” with Thanksgiving food, while I change it up or add 1 or 2 new, different/unique dishes. :) You worked hard on this, I give you props! :D
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oh my that is a wonderful list of Thanksgiving goodies.
Thanks so much for including my pumpkin mashed potatoes :)
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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If I could marry this post, I would. Wonderful, wonderful recipes!!
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Oooh thank you for the lovely roundup! I’m definitely bookmarking this post, and will probably end up making some of these even though I’ve already finalized my menu, lol. Thanks for including one from me, too! :-)
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You are officially superwoman.
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Recipe overload! My head is spinning there are so many delicious sounding recipes here.
My family goes out for Thanksgiving dinner now that my grandparents are in their 90s. My grandmother used to host it and do nearly all of the cooking, but now everyone takes the stress-free route and we either go to my grandparents’ country club or a nearby restaurant. I miss the cooking, but I make up for it pretty much every other day of my life. :)
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ummm i’m just gonna make everything on this list. sound good? mmmk good
:)
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Omg you are Amazing! My company gives all employees a 12lb turkey and I live alone and have no friend here in Texas yet to invite over so I’m going to make all of those cocktails, drink them, and then try to make the apple sage brined turkey so that I can eat apple sage turkey everything for the rest of the month.
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All such great recipes! I love it
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You make it look so easy!
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Awesome list(s)! Thanks for putting it all together.
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I’m making your chocolate spice bundt cake (I’m hoping that because it looks like a chocolate cake my very picky family will eat it – I don’t think they’d even try it if they knew there were all those spices in there haha… how boring huh??) and my very italian grandmother’s famous lasagna recipe, it will never taste like hers but I’m hoping I come close! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!
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DAYUM! I wish I didn’t see this – now I have a hundred more dishes I want to make next week too! ;) Thanks for including my green beans – I know that veggie category was probably tough for you to put together. ;) Wishing you a very happy and yummy Thanksgiving!!
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Looks like we are having the same issue!! I have all of these recipe ideas, but I really have no idea what I’m going to make for Thursday… and I DO have to make the whole turkey dinner. :) Thanks for including one of my recipes. There are lots of great ones in this list!!
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fabulous list!
I just made apple pie and pumpkin cheesecake for our early gathering tom’w – can’t wait to dig in :)
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Thanks for the gluten-free recipes! You rock!
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Dessert…maybe a break from the regular chocolate desserts I usually make…maple pots de creme!
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I. LOVE. THIS. POST!!!!!
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So I just had a Cranberry Bliss Bar from Starbucks yesterday, and thought, “This is delicious. I should figure out the recipe. No, that’s too much work. I will just visit Starbucks until they are out of season. But then what will I do, if they are gone? I should really figure out the recipe.” You are totally a mind reader and lifesaver, both from going to Starbucks and from my husband when he figured out I spent a gazillion dollars on cranberry bliss bars…….
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Great list of goodies! Don’t hate me..we’ve escaped the ‘Burgh orbit and are almost to the FL keys as I write this so Thanlsgiving will be a smorgasboord of tasty curries and nont-raditional dishes with our friends. Oh, and saluting each sunset with a beverage ;D
I did see a really interesting dry-brined turkey recipe on Food52.com that I want to try for my next turkey in December!
Hope you and Mr. Sweet have a great Thanksgiving (and I hope it doesn’t s**w)!
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OMG! All of those recipes look fantastic, even the cocktails!
I am making the Lightened up version of sweet potato casserole for thanksgiving, that is a definite.
I may just be adding on of the above recipes too, I just need to look thru them all !!
Thanks for the awesome post!
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Whew! You really had me frightened because I kept scrolling and scrolling and didn’t see any cocktails. If thoses weren’t on your list of a billion Thanksgiving recipes then I really would have thought you turned into a zombie or had been abducted by aliens or something. My suggestion to make it through the holidays…start from the bottom up and all will be right in your world. :-)
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Love this! I have to work all day on Thanksgiving. Can I come to your house afterwards and you can make all this for me? I know I won’t feel like cooking. How depressing is that? No worries though–we’ll have a belated Thanksgiving at my mom’s. She asked if it was okay if she didn’t do the whole turkey/stuffing thing twice…
Umm…no? That’s not okay! Haha. Thank goodness she loves me ;)
Happy Thanksgiving!
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You are sooo freaking awesome! Thanks for all of the recipes. My holiday cooking just got easier. Happy Holidays to you Jessica!
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Oh my goodness! This is the best post ever! Thanks for posting, Jess! :-D
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Thank you thank you!
I love all the GF ideas and I needed something new and different to do with cranberries. That dressing and mustard both look amazing. Not sure I’m brave enough for canning, but we’ll see.
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thanks for the link!
great, great round-up.
is there any way I could have ALL of this for Thanksgiving?!?
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Wow…wow. That’s an impressive list!
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Wow! Thank you so much for sharing these recipes! So many yummy choices!
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Guess today’s not the day I get out and get a life…:)
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What a fabulously diverse list of Thanksgiving treats. Mmm, mmmm, mmmm.
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That so much for sharing this links! What a great resource. I wish we were having Thanksgiving in Canada again :)
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oh my gosh you would be SO proud!! i made homemade pumpkin biscuits and they acutally turned out well! I didn’t burn the house down and measured everything properly! YAYAYA
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I volunteered to host Thanksgiving this year. Overwhelmed does not even start to explain how I feel. Okay, I’m pretty excited too. I’m crazy. Thanks for including my Chocolate Pumpkin Pie, Jessica!
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Wow! Now that’s a list! I can testify to the goodness of the Roasted Cauliflower with Olives and Herbs, as I just made it a few nights ago. It was awesome!
Thank you so much for including my Pumpkin Biscuits with Candied Ginger – I super appreciate it. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Thank you!! I know EXACTLY what you mean. I threw a baby shower last week & I’m still not done making recipes for it. Your list makes me want to have my own personal Thanksgiving all by myself where I can enjoy things like Gorgonzola stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto. (and then faint from it’s deliciousness & eat something else…) Have a lovely Thanksgiving!
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RESERVATIONS :)
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WOW!! this is wonderful! Love all the different recipes! What a great go to list! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Nettie
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*sigh* … like i don’t already have enough recipes bookmarked including a ton of yours! And are you a boy or girl anyway? :)
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I TOTALLY LOVE YOUR SITE.
ok now that I got that outta the way….
this may be a dumb question… be prepared… Where is that cupcake from under the “desserts” part ?? what site where is the recipe what is it?!?! I need that in my life like now…..
your the best! I hope you respond!!
thanks! Kristen
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Jessica — November 21st, 2011 @ 12:12 pm
Thanks Kristen! Here they are: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/11/sweet-potato-pie-cupcakes-with-marshmallow-frosting/. :)
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Kristen — November 21st, 2011 @ 12:25 pm
omgomgomg thank you thank you.. nom nom nom … :)
you, my dear, are amazing. thank you!
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I’m super excited to try making your cloverleaf rolls this weekend! I haven’t had these in forever and I’m pretty sure they’ll hit the spot (and help clean the plate) perfectly.
Also – I love your blog and your photos! I’m always delighted to see a new post from you.
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Whoa, that’s quite a list! Impressive, definitely some good stuff on there. Now if someone could just help me choose…..
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