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    Pinch Me Good! » Healthy Side Dishes » 30 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes – Desserts & Sides

    30 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes – Desserts & Sides

    November 7, 2019 by Amy Estes 3 Comments

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    Please note that some of the links are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links.

    Whether you are looking for some new twists on some classic Thanksgiving recipes or looking for something new, you are going to love these quick and Easy Thanksgiving Recipes that everyone will love!

    4 large images one of a stuffed squash, a salad, mashed squash and biscuits with a circle in the center of the image that says Best easy Thanksgiving Recipes.

    Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and it’s not just because of all of the incredible food we get to eat. Although that is a huge bonus! I am always the host so making quick and easy Thanksgiving recipe is a MUST for me.

    What is the easiest recipe to make for Thanksgiving?

    There are so many wonderful recipes you can make that are super quick and easy for Thanksgiving. Side dishes are probably the simplest recipes to make. Some side dish recipes that come to mind are, any type of fall salad (see below for inspiration), mashed squash or mashed potatoes and any roasted vegetable will be easy like roasted carrots or green beans.

    Fall soups are great as a first course alongside some biscuits and salad and soup is easy to make especially if you own an Instant Pot.

    Easy Thanksgiving Main Dish Ideas

    We all love a nice, juicy roasted turkey on Thanksgiving but there are other main dishes that you can also prepare. I love to make a whole roasted chicken, which you can easily use the air fryer to make if your oven is full. You can also make a pork tenderloin or a stuffed butternut squash. See below for recipe ideas.

    I recommend trying to just pick a few since making too much will just stress you out and nobody wants that. So browse some of my favorite Easy Thanksgiving Recipes below to get inspired.

    Fall Salads

    Easy Kale Salad With Lemon Dressing

    Kale salad in a serving bowl topped with raisins, nuts, lemon zest and parmesan cheese.

    To make it more appropriate for fall you can swap the golden raisins with dried cranberries and change up the lemon dressing with the juice and zest of an orange. Options are a girl’s best friend right?

    Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash Salad

    Spicy arugula, roasted butternut squash and beets mixed with crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese. All drizzled with an incredible Orange Vinaigrette dressing!

    Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad With Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

    Kale and Brussel sprout salad with dijon shallot viniagrette dressing

    Crunchy, tangy, slightly sweet, and full of vibrant, fresh ingredients. This Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad will be your new favorite salad! Super simple to make, no cooking required and it’s gluten-free and easily adaptable for almost any dietary needs.

    Autumn Crunch Pasta Salad

    Colorful, crunchy, packed with flavor and so good, you will want to eat it every day! Fluffy pasta, tart crisp apples, and pears nestled in a bed of dark leafy kale and Brussel sprouts and topped with nuts and feta cheese. Dressed all up with olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and honey.

    Autumn Chopped Kale Salad With Quinoa

    Jar pouring yellow dijon dressing over a bowl filled with kale, nuts, pomegranate seeds, cranberries and quinoa.

    Hearty green kale mixed with fluffy quinoa, brussel sprouts, crisp apples, tart pomegranate seeds, shaved red onion, and walnuts all tossed in a tangy, slightly sweet dijon mustard vinaigrette dressing. 

    Simple Kale and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

    Oval platter filled with kale topped with notes, cranberries, goat cheese an roasted sweet potato.

    Hearty kale, crunchy pecans, tart dried cranberries, quinoa, goat cheese, and amazing crispy, roasted sweet potatoes. Topped with a delicious mustard vinaigrette dressing.

    Autumn soups

    Spicy Instant Pot Sweet Potato Soup

    Two bowls of sweet potato soup with a smaller bowl of red sauce next to it on a blue surface.

    Soft, tender sweet potatoes, warm cinnamon, paprika, and spicy chipotle pepper sauce, cooked perfectly in the instant pot. Finished off with creamy coconut milk and topped with red pepper flakes and fresh herbs. Vegan and gluten-free!

    Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

    Pot filled with smooth butternut squash soup with a swirl of cream in the soup and a wooden spoon in the bot on a marble surface.

    This simple roasted butternut squash soup is both vegan and gluten-free, can be made in only a few easy steps and is a comforting soup the whole family will enjoy!

    Instant Pot Lemony Lentil Soup

    Round, white bowl filled with lentil soup with a spoon in the bowl and white and blue stripped towel next to the soup.

    Hearty lentils, warm spices like cumin, garlic, and oregano simmered in a bed of vegetable broth and topped with fresh lemon juice and herbs. An Instant Pot Soup recipe that you need to try! Stores great and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes! Vegan and Gluten-Free!

    Instant Pot Curry Butternut Squash Soup

    White bowl filled with curry butternut squash soup with a spoon in the bowl and herbs and another bowl of soup behind it.

    This Curry Butternut Squash Soup is made with hearty squash, spicy yellow and red curry, onions, garlic and ginger with a hint of coconut milk to give it a nice creamy finish. It comes together in 10 minutes thanks to the Instant Potand it is both Vegan and Gluten Free!

    Super Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes

    10 Minute Cranberry Sauce

    Round bowl filled with bright red cranberry sauce topped with orange zest with a few cranberries and orange zest sprinkled around it.

    This is the Best Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe that anyone can make. Healthy, vegan, and it only requires a few simple ingredients like fresh cranberries, maple syrup and orange juice and zest. You can easily make it sugar free or even use frozen cranberries. A Perfect side dish for the holidays.

    Instant Pot Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese

    Something for the kids! Smooth, creamy, decadent, and comforting just like traditional Mac and cheese but a little lighter. Only a few ingredients and it comes together in less than 10 minutes!

    Butternut Squash Noodles Bowl

    Delicious, low-carb butternut squash noodles combined with chickpeas, tangy dried cranberries, crunchy, toasted walnuts, garlic, and onions. Cooked until soft and buttery and topped with lime, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Vegan, gluten-free, and ready in less than 20 minutes!

    Easy Ranch Roasted Carrots

    Easy ranch roasted carrots in a white bowl with herbs

    Ranch seasoned, perfectly roasted nutritious carrots that kids and adults alike with LOVE! Perfect side dish or just for healthy snacking. Vegetarian and Gluten-Free!!!! One of the best easy thanksgiving recipes.

    10 Minute Air Fryer Biscuits

    Air FRYER cheddar biscuits spread out on white parchment paper with green herbs sprinkled on top of them.

    Air Fryer Biscuits are so quick and easy to make and they come out perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside every time! You can make them in 10 minutes in the air fryer and they are gluten free!

    Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

    Twice baked sweet potatoes o a tray filled with stuffing and veggie filling.

    These healthy stuffed Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes are an easy weeknight dinner recipe or appetizer your whole family will love. Perfectly roasted sweet potatoes filled with hearty sausage, onion, and pepper filling and topped with shaved parmesan cheese and baked until crispy and delicious.

    Crispy Smashed Potatoes

    Air FRYER crispy smashed potatoes on a round platter and drizzled with pesto sauce with a bowl of salt behind it.

    These Air Fryer Crispy Smashed Potatoes are so good and super easy to make in only a few simple steps. They make the perfect side dish to any meal or even a quick and healthy appetizer or snack. Vegan, Gluten Free and so insanely delicious.

    Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

    Square baking dish filled with Healthy and easy sweet potato casserole with a plate of it behind it and pecans scattered around it.

    This Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole is a lightened up version of an old classic. It is smooth, buttery, made with delicious fall spices and topped with the most amazing, crunchy pecan crumble. It comes together in only a few simple steps and it is Vegetarian, Dairy-Free and Gluten Free.

    Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash

    Vegetarian stuffed acorn squash is a quick and healthy main dish you can make for a fun weeknight dinner any day of the week. Packed with simple ingredients, only a few easy steps to pull together, plus it’s already gluten-free and easily adaptable for any diet.

    Healthy Butternut Squash Lasagna With Spinach

    Healthy Butternut Squash Lasagna With Spinach

    Hearty, roasted butternut squash nestled between layers of lasagna noodles, tender cooked spinach, and cheesy sauce. Less dairy than traditional lasagna but still all of that creamy goodness. Only 300 calories per serving, and one of the easiest recipes you will find for lasagna!

    The Best Mashed Butternut Squash

    Round white serving bowl filled with mashed butternut squash with a piece pf rosemary in the middle of it

    Here is the BEST Mashed Butternut Squash recipe ever! Fluffy, perfectly roasted butternut squash, that comes out so creamy and buttery, finished off with fresh chives. Easy to make, and it’s both vegan and gluten-free!

    The Best Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

    These Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes make a perfect sweet and savory healthy side dish for dinner any day of the week! They are both vegan and gluten-free and require only a few ingredients and 10 minutes to make!

    Sausage and Apple Stuffed Butternut Squash

    Three halves of roasted butternut squash filled with sausage apple filling on a baking sheet with fresh rosemary around it.

    15 Minute Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts

    Round white serving bowl filled with crispy roasted Brussel sprouts on a dark blue surface.

    These Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts are perfectly seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper and crisped up in the air fryer then drizzled with a super deliciousdijon lemon dressing. Just the best way to enjoy crispy roasted Brussel sprouts. Vegan, gluten free and ready in 15 minutes! The easiest healthy side dish!

    Kale and Squash Quinoa Patties

    Kale and squash quinoa patties on a round white plate with yogurt on top of one of them.

    Hearty kale, tender sweet butternut squash mixed with fluffy quinoa, formed into crispy, crazy good quinoa patties that kids and adults will love. Perfect for meal prepping, snacking, or entertaining guests. Gluten-free, vegetarian and so good!

    Quick and easy Thanksgiving Desserts

    Healthy Gluten-Free Berry Crisp

    Delicious Healthy Berry Crisp with three types of berries – blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. All combined into a sweet bright filling topped with the most incredible crumbly oat topping. Easy healthy dessert recipe anyone can make, plus its gluten-free and refined sugar free!

    Gluten-Free Apple Pear Crisp

    Crisp, sweet apples and pears mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon. Topped with a gluten-free walnut oat crumble that is so good you could eat it all by itself! A super easy recipe that is a sweet treat the whole family will go crazy for!

    Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

    Pumpkin oatmeal cookie on white paper with a white glaze on the cookie and more cookies behind it.

    These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are a healthier yet still crazy delicious version of your favorite classic cookies, slightly crispy on the outside but oh so chewy on the inside. This is a cookie recipe you don’t want to miss!

    Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies

    Dark chocolate sweet potato brownies in rows on brown paper with melty chocolate chips pressed into them.

    These insanely chocolatey Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies are so moist and fudgy and just the perfect healthy little treat. These brownies are made with mashed sweet potato, cocoa powder, almond flour, coconut flour and a little coconut sugar for sweetness. Add in dark chocolate chips and they are just heavenly.  Gluten free, refined sugar free and a healthy brownie you can eat almost everyday!

    Air Fryer Baked Apples

    Easy Thanksgiving sliced baked apple with caramel sauce dripping off of it on a plate with a fork on the plate and a jar of caramel sauce behind it.

    These super easy Baked Apples can be made in 15 minutes thanks to the air fryer. They are made with only 6 simple ingredients and they make a wonderful healthy, fun fall dessert everyone will love. Vegan + Gluten Free!

    Have a happy Thanksgiving and I hope you and your family enjoy all of these amazing Easy Thanksgiving Recipes!

    « The BEST Mashed Butternut Squash
    Cinnamon Apple Pear Crisp – Gluten-Free »

    Filed Under: Healthy Fall Favorites, Healthy Side Dishes, Roundup Posts

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Diane M. Estes

      November 7, 2019 at 12:24 pm

      Absolutely love these suggestions for Thanksgiving family dinner.

      Reply
      • Amy Estes

        November 7, 2019 at 2:34 pm

        Thank you! I want to make them all but will only pick a few.

        Reply
    2. Ashleigh

      September 28, 2020 at 10:24 pm

      Aw, this was an incredibly nice post. Taking the time and actual effort to
      generate a great article… but what can I say… I hesitate
      a lot and don’t manage to get anything done.

      Reply

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