20 Thanksgiving Recipes That Are Perfect for Feeding a Crowd

These big-batch recipes will keep everyone full, happy, and thankful for leftovers.

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Published on November 3, 2023

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Broccoli Casserole — Photo:
Martyna Szczesna

Hosting an epic Thanksgiving feast is not for the faint of heart, especially when your guest count ventures into double digits. With so many mouths to feed, getting the most important dinner of the year on the table can be daunting. That’s why we like to focus on simplicity, whether it be the turkey at the center of the table or the variety of side dishes lining the buffet. When you’re cooking for a crowd, you need to rely on tried-and-true recipes that are easy to execute.

In addition, it’s important to know the limits of your kitchen. If you have a turkey roasting in the oven, you won’t have much room for other dishes that need oven time. In this case, we like to focus on baked and roasted dishes like biscuits and stuffing that can be made ahead. Quick stovetop sides like mashed potatoes and gravy. And don’t forget dessert! Things like deep-dish pies and festive cookies are a great way to feed a large group.

We have the bases covered for everything from crowd-friendly appetizers to sweet, satisfying desserts. And don’t worry about making too much food—leftovers are part of the process.

01 of 20

Roasted Turkey Rubbed with Coriander, Black Pepper, and Fennel

turkey coriander black pepper fennel — Louise Hagger

Breaking down the turkey before cooking ensures you don’t waste any meat when carving, which is ideal when you have a big crowd to feed. Not to mention, the turkey breast won’t dry out before the dark meat is done cooking. The spice mix for this turkey will surprise and delight even the Thanksgiving turkey purists.

02 of 20

Turkey Roulade

turkey roulade — Marcus Nilsson

White meat lovers, rejoice! This dish is made by rolling thinly pounded turkey breast around a savory rye bread stuffing, packed with lots of fresh herbs and colorful cranberries and pistachios. Slices of bacon are draped over the roulade before roasting, bringing even more meaty goodness to the table.

03 of 20

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

cornbread sausage stuffing — David Loftus

A big casserole dish of stuffing is a must-have on every Thanksgiving table. This one is made extra hearty with cubed cornbread and crumbled pork sausage (to bulk it up even more, use diced giblets from the turkey in addition to the sausage). Since stuffing is always the first thing to go, double the recipe and bake what isn't stuffed inside the turkey in a larger baking dish.

04 of 20

Braised Red Cabbage

Marcus Nilsson

You’ll be surprised how much cabbage you can get out of a whole head—one head of red cabbage can serve eight to 10 guests. The bacon imparts a nice smoky flavor, while the apple adds a bit of sweetness.

05 of 20

Green Bean Casserole

No Thanksgiving table would be complete without green bean casserole. Fresh green beans and a homemade mushroom sauce (instead of canned soup) make this recipe special. Each bite is as rich and creamy as the next. This dish serves eight, but double the recipe to make sure you have leftovers for the next day.

06 of 20

Brown-Sugar-and-Bacon-Glazed Brussels Sprouts

maine thanksgiving brown sugar and bacon glazed brussels sprouts — Paola + Murray

Brussels sprouts are a great side dish when you need to feed a big crowd. Not only are they a crowd-pleaser, but they roast quickly, leaving room for other important dishes in the oven. This recipe is flavored with smoky bacon, garlic, fresh thyme, and a touch of brown sugar. Bang out two trays at once if you have a lot of mouths to feed.

07 of 20

Garlic-Thyme Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes need no introduction, but allow us to properly introduce this buttery garlic and thyme-flavored batch. The recipe serves a lot as it is, but it can easily be doubled—and those of us who live for the leftovers won’t be too upset.

08 of 20

Slow-Baked Sweet Potatoes

slow-baked sweet potatoes served on a white plate — Con Poulos

When you’re making big batches of food, you want them to be as simple as possible. Bake sweet potatoes until very tender and collapsing, then slice them in half and serve them with our festive compound butter, studded with bits of fresh ginger and country ham.

09 of 20

Kabocha-Cauliflower Mash

kabocha-cauliflower mash atop toile pattern tablecloth — Yuki Sugiura

If traditional mashed potatoes aren’t necessarily your thing, give this modern dairy-free mash a try. Jewel-toned kabocha squash and cauliflower florets are mashed with garlic, ginger, and canned coconut milk until silky smooth. No one will say no to more mash with their leftover turkey sandwiches the next day, so double the batch. They freeze well too!

10 of 20

Corn Pudding With Chives

If corn pudding isn’t part of your Thanksgiving dinner rotation, you’re missing out. It’s almost like a cornbread casserole and has a rich, custard-like texture. Since corn isn’t in season in November, we thaw out frozen corn before mixing it into the batter.

11 of 20

Broccoli Casserole

Broccoli Casserole — Martyna Szczesna

Add a little something green to the menu with this ooey-gooey broccoli dish. Sautéed cremini mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce add plenty of umami flavor, but we think the best part is the crunchy saltine cracker topping. This recipe can easily be doubled in a larger casserole dish—just add five to 10 minutes to the baking time.

12 of 20

Baked Brie With Pecans

David Loftus

When feeding a large group, starting the meal off with a hearty appetizer can be a godsend. Sticky maple-glazed pecans are the perfect complement to a wheel of warm, melty Brie. The best part is that two wheels of Brie are as easy to make as one (in case you have a few unexpected guests).

13 of 20

Scott Peacock’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Whether you serve these straight-up with salted butter or stuff them to the brim with slices of turkey and cranberry sauce, biscuits are always a welcome sight. Buttermilk and lard are traditional, and homemade baking powder ensures the biscuits rise to lofty heights.

14 of 20

Wild-Rice and Lima-Bean Salad With Cranberry Relish

thanksgiving-wild-rice-lima-bean-salad-0013-d112352.jpg — Martyn Thompson

This warm, hearty salad celebrates all of the traditional flavors of the season, with hints of cranberry and orange throughout. A combination of wild rice and lima beans add a lot of protein to this dish, so it’s a great one to include for non-turkey eaters.

15 of 20

Whole-Grain Skillet Cornbread

Johnny Miller

Whole wheat flour gives this skillet cornbread a crumbly texture, while buttermilk keeps the dough nice and moist. Once the cornbread comes out of the oven, we like to brush the top with a thin layer of honey, which creates a pleasantly sticky glaze.

16 of 20

Cinnamon-Swirl Apple Slab Pie

Cinnamon Swirl Apple Slab pie — Will Anderson

You can serve almost double the amount of people with a slab pie, and in our humble opinion, they have a much more agreeable crust-to-filling ratio. Use half of the pastry dough to create sweet cinnamon dough swirls—these will act as the top crust for the pie and will have all of your guests raving.

17 of 20

Caramel Apple Steamed Pudding

This dessert is a true showstopper, and the flavors of molasses, tart apples, and warming spices scream Thanksgiving. The dense batter steams beautifully into a moist, tender cake as the apples caramelize with sugar, spice, and everything nice. If you want to take it one step further, serve the pudding with big dollops of whipped cream.

18 of 20

Bird’s-Nest Pudding Pie

birds nest pudding pie — Robin Stein

This deep-dish dessert is a motley mashup between pie, cake, and baked apples. Flaky pie crust envelops the cranberry-filled apples as they sink into a delicate cake batter.

19 of 20

Pumpkin Bread Pudding With Dulce de Leche

Bread pudding isn’t just for breakfast—it can be served as a decadent dessert for the holidays. Brioche cubes soak up the lightly spiced pumpkin custard and puff in the oven. As if it weren’t special enough, a drizzle of warm dulce de leche is the proverbial icing on the cake.

20 of 20

Pumpkin Cookies With Brown Butter Icing

pumpkin cookies

This recipe makes a whopping six dozen cookies, so don’t worry about going back for seconds. Pumpkin gives these cookies a cakey texture, and the icing adds even more flavor on top of that—nutty brown butter is speckled throughout the milky frosting.

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