Unpopular opinion: I’ve never been a huge fan of Thanksgiving. I always thought that November 1st marked the beginning of the Christmas season, and that Thanksgiving was just a one-day anomaly. This year has been different. As much as I’ve loved my first semester of college, I’m so excited to go home for Thanksgiving! It’s going to be the perfect week of catching up with my friends and seeing my family. And of course, I can’t forget about Thanksgiving dinner—every foodie’s dream. Now, as much as I respect the classic dishes, I think it’s fun to mix things up every once in a while. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of unique takes on the typical Thanksgiving dishes. I can promise that these sides and dessert suggestions will level up your table spread!
Side Dishes
This creamy potato dish is packed with flavor! The leeks add a note of sweet onion that pairs perfectly with the Gruyere’s nuttiness.
A decadent twist on a classic: why choose between French onion soup and mac and cheese when you can just have both?
An unexpected trio, maple, cinnamon, and sweet potato, come together perfectly in this casserole tray.
These are super easy and will definitely elevate your dinner table. A bite-sized piece of heaven!
Forget basic dinner rolls, these rosemary garlic knots will have your guests immediately reaching for a second piece.
Another fun alternative to dinner rolls! Pull-apart bread is always such a fun showstopper.
These are a personal favorite: even firm mushroom haters will love these stuffed mushrooms.
Thinly sliced potatoes in a creamy sauce—a classic comfort food.
This one is a fun autumnal take on a classic Italian dish.
This one is all about the presentation! Bake the brie in a mini pumpkin instead of a dish, and your guests will definitely be impressed.
This is the perfect light option for your dinner spread to balance things out.
One of my favorite ways to take this is a step further is to pair this with whipped ricotta.
Desserts
Serving this fresh out of the oven with vanilla ice cream is guaranteed to be a crowd favorite.
These super chewy cookies stuffed with cheesecake melt in your mouth.
This one might be controversial, but I think it could be a great alternative to pumpkin pie. Bonus points to this one because it can be made days in advance!
A classic vanilla cupcake topped with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and lemon zest.
A creamy pumpkin pie paired with a crunchy, caramelized sugar shell.
Another two in one! A combination of my two favorite winter classics.
Upside-down cakes look amazing and are so easy to make!
If you’re not already obsessed with nutty brown butter, you definitely will be after trying these blondies.
Serve these in mini ramekins for cute individual-sized desserts!
Creamy cheesecake topped with a cinnamon apple filling and salted caramel sauce.
I hope you’ll all get some inspiration from this list to incorporate some new recipes into your Thanksgiving rotation this year! And if you are still searching for a dinner party theme, check out these ideas.