Appetizers to Desserts: 20 Recipes to Complete Your Thanksgiving Meal

Complete your Thanksgiving meal with 20 irresistible recipes covering every course from savory appetizers to indulgent desserts, plus crowd-pleasing sides and festive drinks, these dishes will help you create a feast to remember!

Creamy Ranch Mashed Potatoes

mashed potatoes in a blue bowl with a serving spoon. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

These creamy ranch mashed potatoes with real butter and fresh herbs are just what you’ve been looking for. With minimal ingredients and prep time, this side dish comes together quickly and leaves you reaching for more.

Get the Recipe: Creamy Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Eggnog Poke Cake

Spice cake with eggnog pudding and whipped topping. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

Eggnog poke cake is a delicious, moist spice cake that is poked with holes and filled with a sweet eggnog pudding. Topped with fluffy whipped topping and sprinkled with cinnamon, this cake is the perfect balance of warm spices and sweet eggnog. Sprinkled with ground cinnamon and topped with sugared cranberries, this cake is the perfect holiday dessert.

Get the Recipe: Eggnog Pudding Poke Cake

Cranberry Martini

A perfect balance of sweet and tart, the cranberry martini is a cocktail that can be served year-round. A blend of vodka, orange liqueur, and cranberry juice, this drink is smooth and refreshing. Garnish with some sugared cranberries and an orange slice to make it extra special.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Martini

Pear and Brie Crostini

Three crostini on a white plate garnished with fresh rosemary. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

Lightly toasted baguettes topped with creamy brie, fresh pears, and balsamic reduction. Finished with aromatic herbs, these pear and brie crostini are a quick and easy appetizer that will leave you reaching for more.

Get the Recipe: Pear and Brie Crostini

Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes

Stuffed potatoes with sour cream and onion. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

Crispy potato skins stuffed with fluffy mashed potato, bacon, and cheese. These air fryer twice-baked potatoes are a delicious take on a traditional baked potato. They can be prepared ahead of time and frozen to make a quick and easy side dish.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes

Cranberry Orange Sauce

Cranberry sauce in a small serving bowl. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

Cranberry sauce is a must on the Thanksgiving table. This homemade cranberry-orange sauce is made with simple ingredients and takes about 10 minutes to make. The addition of orange juice helps balance the flavor for the perfect amount of tartness.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Orange Sauce

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders wrapped in bacon on a plate with mustard dipping sauce. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

Bacon-wrapped chicken tenders are a quick and easy meal or appetizer. Juicy seasoned chicken tenderloins are wrapped in bacon and air-fried, creating delicious chicken strips that are made for dipping. With so many ways to enjoy them, they are perfect for the whole family.

Get the Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

Pumpkin Fluff Dip

A bowl of pumpkin dip with caramel drizzle with a plate of cinnamon pita chips. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

This sweet and creamy pumpkin fluff dip is the perfect treat for fall. With the warm spices and the flavor of pumpkin pie, this dip is delicious with cookies, cinnamon chips, or fruit. Serve it as a dessert or snack, or scoop it into tart shells. There are so many ways to enjoy this tasty treat, and you will be making it again and again.

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Dip

Air Fryer Jalapeno Popper Wontons

Air fried wontons on a platter with ranch and chili dip. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

A creamy, cheesy, and spicy jalapeno popper filling wrapped in a crispy wonton. These air fryer jalapeno wontons are quick, easy, and made with simple ingredients. The air fryer makes these wontons extra crispy, complementing the spicy jalapeno cream cheese filling. These little wontons are perfect as an appetizer or snack

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Jalapeno Popper Wontons

Ambrosia Salad

This Ambrosia salad is bursting with fruit, marshmallows, and fluffy cream. It is a marshmallow fruit salad that comes together in minutes and can be served as a side or dessert.

Get the Recipe: Ambrosia Salad

Hot Leek Dip

Delicious, hot, and cheesy, this caramelized leek dip is a quick and easy appetizer that is perfect for any occasion. This creamy leek dip is made with three cheese types, fresh chives and garlic. The sweet caramelized leeks and cheese create a rich and flavorful dip that is delicious with sliced baguettes or sourdough bread, chips, pretzels, or veggies.

Get the Recipe: Hot Leek Dip

Eggnog Espresso Martini

Two eggnog martinis garnished with a brown sugar rim and a cinnamon stick. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

The Espresso Eggnog Martini combines the rich flavors of spiced rum, creamy eggnog, freshly brewed espresso, and a splash of Kahlua. This festive drink brings a delicious twist to a classic winter treat. The combination of the rum, eggnog, and deep coffee notes, creates a cocktail that’s ideal for holiday gatherings or cozy nights by the fire.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Delicious fudgy brownies swirled with creamy pumpkin cheesecake and topped with crunchy pecan streusel. These pumpkin cheesecake brownies start with a simple boxed brownie mix and are dressed up with homemade cheesecake to create a simple, yet delicious dessert that is perfect for fall.

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto

Asparagus risotto in a bowl. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

With fresh asparagus, parmesan cheese, and herbs this risotto is extra creamy and delicious. Made in the instant pot, it is ready quickly and easily.

Get the Recipe: Asparagus Risotto

Easy Apple Cobbler

Apple cobbler on a plate with ice cream. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

This apple dump cake is an easy apple cobbler using apple pie filling and boxed cake mix. It comes together with just four ingredients. A quick and easy dessert, this apple cobbler is delicious with a scoop of ice cream or topped with fresh whipped cream. It’s perfect for any occasion.

Get the Recipe: Easy Apple Cobbler

Eggnog Dessert Dip

A bowl of eggnog fluff with apple slices and cookies. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

This easy and quick eggnog dessert dip is the perfect treat for the holidays! Made with creamy vanilla pudding, frozen whipped topping, and a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg, this dip is light and fluffy. It is delicious and can be served with cookies, fruit, or pretzels.

Get the Recipe: Eggnog Dessert Dip

Pomegranate Mocktails

Two pomegranate drinks in tall glasses garnished with orange slice and pomegranate seeds. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

This refreshing pomegranate mocktail is a beautiful, festive drink made with pomegranate juice, freshly squeezed orange, and ginger ale. Finished with a squirt of lime, the flavors are perfectly balanced, being slightly tart yet sweet and fizzy.

Get the Recipe: Pomegranate Mocktails

Air Fried Turkey Wings

Air fryer crispy turkey wings will take your next wing night to a whole new level. Split turkey wings are coated in a simple seasoning and then air-fried until crispy, golden, and delicious. They can be eaten as is or tossed in your favorite wing sauce. These extra-large wings are meaty and juicy, perfect for a main meal, or can be served as an appetizer or snack.

Get the Recipe: Air Fried Turkey Wings

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Hand Pies

Cranberry hand pies with icing drizzle on a cooling rack. — Image Credit: Tastes of Homemade

These quick and easy cranberry hand pies are made with just four ingredients. Using store-bought pastry, leftover cranberry sauce, powdered sugar, and a simple icing drizzle, they are a perfect snack or dessert when you want something sweet but are short on time. A great way to use holiday leftovers, these hand pies freeze well and are perfect for the lunch box.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Hand Pies

Air Fryer Asparagus

Air-fried asparagus is a super quick side dish that pairs well with any meal. Lightly seasoned and ready in just 5 minutes, this asparagus stays crunchy. Delicious served with lemon garlic dip.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Asparagus