5-Ingredient Thanksgiving Recipes

Updated: August 31, 2018
Holiday meal planning is easy when you plan your menu around these festive 5-ingredient recipes. 
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Cherry-Smoked Turkey on the Grill

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Lydia Pursell
Cherry-Smoked Turkey on the Grill Recipe

The time put into the cooking process of this turkey is what garners such a stellar flavor. The smokey char that the exterior gets from the grill gives it a golden color and an even better rustic flavor. This turkey truly shines as an alternative method for Thanksgiving fare. 

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Herb-Roasted Carrots

Jennifer Causey
Herb-Roasted Carrots Recipe

A simple side of roasted carrots is the breather a crowded table needs--a bit of palate relief (and ease for the cook) that still looks elegant. Use leftover cilantro in turkey chili or tacos.

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Pure and Simple Cranberry Sauce

Photo: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Claire Spollen
Pure and Simple Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Nothing on your Thanksgiving menu is easier than cranberry sauce, whether you keep it classic or spice it up.

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Green Beans with Crisp Meyer Lemon Bread Crumbs

Greg DuPree
Green Beans with Crisp Meyer Lemon Bread Crumbs Recipe

Time: 45 minutes. Olive oil– and citrus-toasted crumbs make this Thanksgiving staple special.

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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Victor Protasio
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Just whole buttermilk, butter, and crème fraîche make this dish wow worthy.

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Skillet Squash Blossom

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kay E. Clarke
Skillet Squash Blossom Recipe

The best part of this showstopping dish is the caramelized edges.

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Balsamic Cranberry-Onion Jam

Jennifer Causey
Balsamic Cranberry-Onion Jam Recipe
This jam is an excellent, refined sugar-free alternative to the traditional, often too-sweet sauce, and tastes even better a day or two after it’s made. Because fresh cranberries are so tart on their own, be sure to use a sweet onion such as Vidalia in the jam. Pair this condiment with your Thanksgiving plate, then use as a sandwich spread for holiday leftovers.

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Smoked Paprika-Honey Butter

Jennifer Causey
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Smoked Paprika-Honey Butter Recipe
moked paprika plays off the natural sweetness of the roasted sweet potatoes and gives the butter mixture a rich garnet color. Because of the sheer number of dishes available at Thanksgiving, we keep the serving size to a more modest one-half of a potato per person. You could also use small (4-oz.) sweet potatoes or cut the roasted potatoes crosswise into large pieces before drizzling with the butter mixture.

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Brussels Sprouts with Cornbread Croutons

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kay E. Clarke
Brussels Sprouts with Cornbread Croutons Recipe

Toasty brown-butter croutons make simple roasted Brussels sprouts holiday worthy.

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Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan
Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Transform mashed potatoes from plain to perfect with the addition of tangy buttermilk and sharp Parmesan cheese.

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Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Fantasy

Photo: Oxmoor House
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Fantasy Recipe
This decadent ice cream dessert starts with a frozen pumpkin pie or a pie from your supermarket bakery. All you have to do is freeze it, break it into chunks, then combine with ice cream, caramel topping, and toasted pecans. You may never go back to plain pumpkin pie.

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Thanksgiving Punch

Thanksgiving Punch Recipe
Serve your holiday guests a festive fall drink made with pomegranate juice, pineapple juice and ginger ale.
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Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale

Photo: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan
Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale Recipe
This simple twist on the traditional kir royale blends tart-sweet pomegranate juice with subtle herbal notes from a rosemary-infused syrup.

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Thanksgiving Salad

Thanksgiving Salad Recipe
Use your Thanksgiving leftovers to make a hearty salad. Cut cornbread dressing into cubes and toast for croutons, and top mixed greens with leftover turkey and cranberry sauce.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples

Photo: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples Recipe
Add amazing flavor to Brussels sprouts by combining them with sweet-tart apples and roasting them for about 25 minutes or until they are tender and mellow.
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Glazed Carrots with Pecans

Photo: James Baigrie; Styling: Randy Mon
Glazed Carrots with Pecans Recipe
Make the most of the natural sweetness of carrots by cooking them in a skillet with brown sugar and minced fresh ginger, and add just the right crunch with toasted pecan halves.

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Whipped Maple Sweet Potatoes

Whipped Maple Sweet Potatoes Recipe
For a quick and easy alternative to sweet potato casserole, stir maple syrup and butter into mashed sweet potatoes and top with toasted pecans.

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Sweet-and-Sour Green Beans

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett
Sweet-and-Sour Green Beans Recipe
Instead of green bean casserole, go with a simpler dish featuring beans flavored with bacon, onion, sugar, and cider vinegar.
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Sweet-Potato Gratin

Ray Kachatorian
Sweet-Potato Gratin Recipe
Layer sliced sweet potato in a baking dish and bake in a mixture of whipping cream and Parmesan cheese for a luxurious variation of a sweet potato casserole.

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Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish

Photo: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan
Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish Recipe
No Thanksgiving meal is complete without the cranberry relish, and this easy one will help streamline your holiday meal preparation because you can make it up to 3 days ahead.

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Roast Peppered Cornish Hens

Photo: Beau Gustafson; Styling: Cindy Barr
Roast Peppered Cornish Hens Recipe
For a small holiday gathering, hens offer a smart-sized option in lieu of a large turkey. Mustard, jelly, and black pepper combine for a simple glaze.
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Sunset's Best Easy Gravy

Annabelle Breakey
Sunset's Best Easy Gravy Recipe
Once you’ve cooked the turkey, just add broth or stock, flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper to the drippings and make a rich and creamy gravy to serve with the big meal.

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Molasses-Glazed Turkey

Photo: Luca Trovato
Molasses-Glazed Turkey Recipe
Add sweet, tangy flavor to your holiday bird by brushing it with a mixture of molasses and Dijon mustard.

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Simple Baked Ham

Randy Mayor
Simple Baked Ham Recipe
If you want to break outside of the turkey routine this year, consider a simple ham that’s flavored with cloves, apple juice, brown sugar and mustard. And, like turkey, there are a number of ways you can use up leftover ham.
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Flaky Dinner Rolls

Flaky Dinner Rolls Recipe
These superlative rolls derive their texture and beautiful shape from employing a simple folding technique twice and allowing them to rise just once.

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Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls

Photo: Beau Gustafson; Styling: Sissy Lamberton
Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls Recipe
Add yeast to all-purpose baking mix and let the dough rise just once for these shortcut dinner rolls. You can make these up to two months ahead and store in the freezer.

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Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream

Karry Hosford
Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream Recipe
Deconstruct a sweet potato pie and turn it into a frozen dessert by simply folding mashed sweet potatoes and baked pastry crust dough into vanilla ice cream. Simply amazing.
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