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  4. 30 Five-Ingredient Thanksgiving Recipes

30 Five-Ingredient Thanksgiving Recipes

Updated October 20, 2021
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Skillet Squash Blossom
Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Holiday meal planning is easy when you plan your menu around these festive 5-ingredient recipes. From succulent main dishes of turkey and ham to comforting sides of scalloped vegetables or mashed potatoes, you'll have a short shopping list for Thanksgiving this year if you choose these simple recipes.

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Cherry-Smoked Turkey on the Grill

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

Herb-Roasted Carrots
Credit: Jennifer Causey
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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

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

green-beans-crisp-meyer-lemon-bread-crumbs-su.jpg
Credit: Greg DuPree
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Olive oil– and citrus-toasted crumbs make this Thanksgiving staple special.

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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

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

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Skillet Squash Blossom

Skillet Squash Blossom
Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kay E. Clarke
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The best part of this show-stopping dish is the caramelized edges.

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Balsamic Cranberry-Onion Jam

Balsamic Cranberry-Onion Jam
Credit: Jennifer Causey
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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

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Smoked Paprika-Honey Butter
Credit: Jennifer Causey
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Smoked 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

Brussels Sprouts with Cornbread Croutons
Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kay E. Clarke
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Toasty brown-butter croutons make simple roasted Brussels sprouts holiday worthy.

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Molasses-Glazed Turkey

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

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Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Credit: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan
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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

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Fantasy
Credit: Oxmoor House
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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
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Serve your holiday guests a festive fall drink made with pomegranate juice, pineapple juice and ginger ale.

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Sweet-and-Sour Green Beans

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

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Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls

Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls
Credit: Beau Gustafson; Styling: Sissy Lamberton
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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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Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale

Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale
Credit: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan
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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
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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

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples
Credit: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan
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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

Glazed Carrots with Pecans
Credit: James Baigrie; Styling: Randy Mon
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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
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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-Potato Gratin

Sweet-Potato Gratin
Credit: Ray Kachatorian
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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

Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish
Credit: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan
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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

Roast Peppered Cornish Hens
Credit: Beau Gustafson; Styling: Cindy Barr
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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

Sunset's Best Easy Gravy
Credit: Annabelle Breakey
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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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Simple Baked Ham

Simple Baked Ham
Credit: Randy Mayor
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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
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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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Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream

Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream
Credit: Karry Hosford
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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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Pork Tenderloin in Phyllo

Pork Tenderloin in Phyllo
Credit: BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER; MELANIE J. CLARKE
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Wrap seasoned pork tenderloin in phyllo dough, bake, and top with mango chutney for an impressive 5-ingredient meal.

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Bacon-Wrapped Figs

Bacon-Wrapped Figs
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett
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Stuff figs with soft goat cheese and pecan halves, and then wrap in bacon for a savory-sweet appetizer.

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Browned Butter-Pecan Shortbread

Browned Butter-Pecan Shortbread
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These "not-too-sweet" wafers pair nicely with fruits, cheeses and wines for a cocktail buffet party.

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    1 of 30 Cherry-Smoked Turkey on the Grill
    2 of 30 Herb-Roasted Carrots
    3 of 30 Pure and Simple Cranberry Sauce
    4 of 30 Green Beans with Crisp Meyer Lemon Bread Crumbs
    5 of 30 Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
    6 of 30 Skillet Squash Blossom
    7 of 30 Balsamic Cranberry-Onion Jam
    8 of 30 Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Smoked Paprika-Honey Butter
    9 of 30 Brussels Sprouts with Cornbread Croutons
    10 of 30 Molasses-Glazed Turkey
    11 of 30 Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
    12 of 30 Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Fantasy
    13 of 30 Thanksgiving Punch
    14 of 30 Sweet-and-Sour Green Beans
    15 of 30 Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls
    16 of 30 Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale
    17 of 30 Thanksgiving Salad
    18 of 30 Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples
    19 of 30 Glazed Carrots with Pecans
    20 of 30 Whipped Maple Sweet Potatoes
    21 of 30 Sweet-Potato Gratin
    22 of 30 Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish
    23 of 30 Roast Peppered Cornish Hens
    24 of 30 Sunset's Best Easy Gravy
    25 of 30 Simple Baked Ham
    26 of 30 Flaky Dinner Rolls
    27 of 30 Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream
    28 of 30 Pork Tenderloin in Phyllo
    29 of 30 Bacon-Wrapped Figs
    30 of 30 Browned Butter-Pecan Shortbread

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    30 Five-Ingredient Thanksgiving Recipes
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