This is my Thanksgiving Menu Plan 2022! It has all the decadent side dishes, an easy Roasted Herb Turkey and all the desserts! I’ve created an easy-to-follow menu preparation plan, plus a comprehensive shopping list to make this the least stressful Thanksgiving dinner yet! There is even a downloadable PDF of the menu, grocery list and meal prep plan!
Table of Contents
Roasted Herb Turkey
This roasted herb turkey has chopped herbs between the breast meat and the skin, so the whole turkey is flavored with herbs and butter! The recipe is incredibly easy and flavorful, and I filmed a turkey tutorial to make it as foolproof as possible for you as you cook your Thanksgiving Menu Plan!
Thanksgiving Menu Plan 2022 Side Dishes
A good dollop of mashed potatoes to catch all that gravy seems like the right way to do a 2022 Thanksgiving Menu Plan, especially when those are these Loaded Mashed Potatoes! These silky, buttery mashed potatoes have all the fixings and flavor of loaded potatoes!
Sweet potatoes are a Thanksgiving Menu Plan nonnegotiable for me! This Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole is a healthier version of traditional sweet potato casserole, so it has all the flavors you love with a fraction of the calories. Plus, how fun do they look!?
I clearly leaned toward the indulgent side for this Thanksgiving's 2022 Menu Plan! This Cheesy Vegetable Casserole has 5 ingredients and is ready for the oven in under 5 minutes. It is almost embarrassing how easy it is! It’ll be our little secret. If you want a healthier option, try this roasted cauliflower or these brussels sprouts and leeks!
This Apple Sage Sausage Stuffing has a little something for everyone! There is a little sweetness from the apples, a little heat from the spicy Italian sausage, and all the herbs for flavor! You could even substitute half the bread with my savory cornbread recipe if you are feeling that during this year's Thanksgiving Menu Plan you are more the Cornbread Stuffing type.
Some may say that no extra carbs are needed in this menu, but I disagree. I passionately feel that no Thanksgiving Menu plan would be complete without bread. These Pumpkin Herb Dinner Rolls are a soft, savory pumpkin roll that has hints of browned butter and herbs. It pairs beautifully with the herb roasted turkey and they will make fantastic leftover sandwiches!
Thanksgiving Sauces
These are the prerequisite sauces for any Thanksgiving Menu Plan in my opinion.
If you are already roasting a whole bird for this year's Thanksgiving Menu Plan, then why not make a flavorful Gravy from the Pan Drippings? This easy recipe can be made with any pan drippings and I give you all the cheat codes for making it delicious no matter what happens.
My Thanksgiving menu plan for 2022 dinner is not complete without a generous helping of Nana’s Cranberry Chutney. It is just a little sweet and very aromatic. The tart, fragrant sauce pulls all the different side dishes together and adds a welcome burst of acidity.
Maple butter isn’t a sauce but it does make any dinner rolls taste even more fantastic! Plus, it is the easiest thing you’ll make all day, at least on this Thanksgiving Menu Plan. Simply mix together maple syrup, kosher salt and softened butter for a sweet, salty spread! Think of this as the enabler for, “okay, maybe just one more dinner roll.”
Thanksgiving Menu Plan 2022 Dessert
If you are new around here, welcome to my Thanksgiving Menu Plan 2022! And, let me be the first to tell you that I am a professional pastry chef and there is no shortage of dessert recipes on CLF. If none of these pique your interest, we have compiled a list of the 20 Best Thanksgiving Pie Recipes to complete your Holiday meal! You can also hop on over to my Pastry Shop and leave all the pie making to me! We ship pies Nationwide and we only use 100% all-butter pie crusts and the highest quality ingredients. Be sure to order soon to ensure they arrive by Thanksgiving!
This Amazing Blueberry Pie is thick and juicy. It is flavored with lemon juice, orange zest, and just a hint of vanilla extract. I put this on my 2022 Thanksgiving Menu Plan because it will be your new favorite blueberry pie recipe. Bake it in an all-butter vodka pie crust for a flakey, buttery crust to complement all those blueberries!
There are 5 pounds of apples in this delicious Mile High Apple Pie. I pre-cook the filling for the perfect texture and to avoid that gap between the filling and the crust. It is one extra step, but I promise it’s worth it! Anything for the perfect Thanksgiving Menu Plan!
You could make my foolproof pumpkin pie instead, but this Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding is so easy to pull together and exceptionally delicious! It hits all the pumpkin spice notes simultaneously without the stress of an additional pie.
Now I am not saying you shouldn’t serve all these desserts with homemade vanilla ice cream, because you absolutely should, but I am giving you the opportunity to make an even easier topping for your Thanksgiving Menu Plan 2022. As a matter of fact, Vanilla Bean Anglaise is essentially melted ice cream. It will add all the cool, rich, creaminess of ice cream without the hassle. You could also just buy vanilla ice cream, because making an entire Thanksgiving feast is quite enough!
Thanksgiving Menu Plan 2022 by Day
This is a roadmap for making as much as you can ahead of time. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was this Thanksgiving dinner. I have a downloadable PDF below that summarizes each and every step, so print it out and breathe easier.
Up to a month in advance
- Make the cranberry chutney. This can be made in under 45 minutes but I like to let it simmer for 2 hours to marry the flavors. Make it several months in advance and store it sealed in a clean jar in the refrigerator. Or you could put it in your Thanksgiving Menu Plan to make it on Thanksgiving Day and really make the house smell amazing!
- Make your pie dough up to one month in advance and freeze it. I suggest my foolproof vodka pie crust or my All-Butter Pie Crust. You will need enough pie dough for 2 double crust pies.
- You can also bake, cool and freeze your whole pies up to a month in advance. This goes for my foolproof pumpkin pie and classic pecan pies as well.
Up to a week before
- Pre-cook the pie fillings, cool them quickly on rimmed baking sheets and store them in clean containers in the refrigerator. You can also assemble and bake both pies ahead of time. Cool them, wrap them well in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to one month.
- Prepare the Vanilla Bean Anglaise or make vanilla ice cream, if you want.
- Cut all the bread for the pumpkin spice bread pudding and the stuffing. Store them in plastic bags in the refrigerator or freezer. Relax, knowing you are doing things in advance for your Thanksgiving Menu Plan.
- Thaw your turkey! It always takes longer than I think it will. Taking out the packet of the gizzards will help it thaw faster. Keep them for your gravy, if you want!
- Cook the bacon for the loaded mashed potatoes. Cook extra for breakfast while you’re at it!
The Day Before Thanksgiving
- Prepare the stuffing up until the point when you bake it. Store it covered in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the bread pudding up until the point when you bake it. Store it covered in the refrigerator. Your refrigerator will be full of wonderful things from your Thanksgiving Menu Plan.
- Cut all the herbs. There are a lot of herbs needed for the turkey, stuffing and rolls. If you are making all three, pick and chop herbs when you have a little more time. Store them in the refrigerator in zip-top baggies. They will brown a little but the flavor will still be great.
- Bake those pies! You could leave them to tomorrow but why add the stress onto an already packed day. Leave time to enjoy the game and gather accolades. Plus, I can tell you the neither the turkey nor the pies will enjoy being held captive in the same oven.
Thanksgiving Morning
- Make the pumpkin herb dinner rolls before the people start arriving. Breathe in the yeast and enjoy this moment of quiet with just you and the rolls.
- If you haven’t baked your pies yet, please do! I am begging you.
- Prepare the Hasselback sweet potatoes up until the point of baking, or you can go ahead and bake them depending on the size of your oven and the size of your turkey!
- Thaw the vegetables for the Cheesy Vegetable Casserole.
Mid-Day
- Work backwards from the time you want to eat and give yourself an extra buffer of 2 hours for turkeys that refuse to cook (probably because they have 5 side dishes in there with them…).
- Pop that turkey in. When it is about ⅔ done (so in about 2 hours for a 12-pound bird), I start to cook my side dishes.
- Bake the prepared stuffing and Hasselback sweet potatoes.
- Cook the potatoes for the mashed potatoes and be sure you have all the other ingredients ready to go. You want to mash them when they are piping hot!
- Mix the Cheesy Vegetable Casserole and bake.
Right Before Serving
- Make the Gravy from the turkey pan drippings.
- Warm the pumpkin herb dinner rolls in the oven and brush with a little melted butter. Sprinkle with fleur de sel for extra credit.
- Re-heat the loaded mashed potatoes on the stovetop over a low heat. Adding a little warm milk as needed to loosen them up.
- Step back and admire all your handy work.
Your Thanksgiving Menu Plan 2022 Shopping List
A master list of all the ingredients you’ll need to make this significantly epic Thanksgiving Menu plan for 2022. Check your cupboards and the back of your fridge, adjust the list and head on over to the grocery store for some shopping. There is a downloadable link to a PDF below that you can print and take with you.
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