Stress less, spend less, feast more.
For many of us, Thanksgiving will look a bit different this year.
Perhaps you're hosting a smaller get-together, celebrating away from home, or just looking for more affordable versions of your favorite seasonal dishes. Whatever the case, here are some simple yet delicious Thanksgiving recipes that call for five ingredients or fewer.
Sweet Phi / Via sweetphi.com
The Crock Pot does all the heavy lifting here — and you could also easily make this in an Instant Pot.
2. Cranberry Brie Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
This crowd-pleasing party app starts with store bought puff pastry dough. Brush the pastry with butter and top it with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, cheese, and cranberries. Roll 'em up and bake until golden brown and melty.
Wry Toast Eats / Via wrytoasteats.com
Thanks to a mixture of Brussels sprouts, olive oil, bacon, jam, and apple cider vinegar, this festive side dish is the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, savory, and tangy.
Recipe: Bacon Jam Brussels Sprouts
Cooking For Keeps / Via cookingforkeeps.com
There are mashed potatoes and then there are these ultra-rich, extra creamy mashed potatoes. The difference lies in one secret ingredient: cream cheese.
Recipe: Five-Ingredient Mashed Potatoes
5. Spicy Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
Yellow Bliss Road / Via yellowblissroad.com
Grab your favorite frozen meatballs, barbecue sauce, and cranberry sauce and whip it up into a satisfying app that can be served on toothpicks or as sliders.
Recipe: Spicy Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
Minimalist Baker / Via minimalistbaker.com
Five ingredients plus salt and pepper, this single skillet veggie side dish is perfect for Thanksgiving or any night of the week.
7. Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Dip
Dishing Out Health / Via dishingouthealth.com
Every holiday get together calls for a good party dip. This one is made with cannellini beans, canned artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, tahini, and lemon juice. Serve it with pita chips or veggies.
8. Cheesy Garlic and Herb Pull Apart Rolls
Blue Bowl Recipes / Via bluebowlrecipes.com
Serve these pull apart rolls when they're nice and warm, straight from the oven. They're buttery, fluffy, garlicky, and everything delicious.
Grits and Pine Cones / Via gritsandpinecones.com
Phyllo dough shells are stuffed with brie and topped with a blend of pecans and bourbon. Bake the shells in the oven for about 10 minutes until gooey and bubbly.
Recipe: Bourbon Pecan Brie Bites
10. Air Fryer Honey Goat Cheese Balls
The Creative Bite / Via thecreativebite.com
Freeze balls of goat cheese so that they keep their shape, then dredge them in egg, flour, and panko bread crumbs and air fry until crispy. Finish these babies off with a drizzle of honey.
11. Roasted Carrots With Curried Yogurt
Dishing Out Health / Via dishingouthealth.com
These carrots are tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper then roasted whole and served with slivered almonds on top of plain yogurt that gets a spicy kick from curry powder.
Unicorns in the Kitchen / Via unicornsinthekitchen.com
Don't feel like roasting a whole bird this year? Who can blame you? Change things up with these comforting turkey and cheese sliders brushed with a mixture of creamy mayo and tangy whole grain mustard.
Foodie Crush / Via foodiecrush.com
This decadent side dish couldn't be easier. Start with frozen corn and pulse it in the blender with half and half until it forms a purée. Then toss the corn purée into the slow cooker with cream cheese, butter, and sugar.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
A Sassy Spoon / Via asassyspoon.com
Chopped chipotle peppers and adobo sauce are an irresistible smoky and spicy complement to mashed sweet potatoes.
Recipe: Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes
15. Five Ingredient Faux Roasted Chicken
Cooking For Keeps / Via cookingforkeeps.com
Chicken > turkey. It's like tomato vs. tomahto. Put this easy sage butter roasted chicken on your holiday table and no one will complain.
Sweet Simple Vegan / Via sweetsimplevegan.com
Take advantage of winter squash season with this festive recipe. Tossed with maple syrup, orange zest, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice, this acorn squash roasts under tender and sweet.
Recipe: Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
Cooking for Keeps / Via cookingforkeeps.com, Cooking For Keeps / Via cookingforkeeps.com
Ridiculously easy yet surprisingly flavorful, this creamy soup comes together with roasted butternut squash, cream, onion, chicken stock, and olive oil. Get fancy and top your bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of pine nuts.
Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
The View From Great Island / Via theviewfromgreatisland.com
Buttermilk, butter, and self-rising flour is all you need. Don't believe it? Give these fluffy biscuits a try. Topped with more butter, they literally melt in your mouth.
Recipe: Three-Ingredient Biscuits
19. Garlic Roasted Potatoes
The Forked Spoon / Via theforkedspoon.com
These crispy skinned baby potatoes boast a fluffy interior that basically melts in your mouth. Grab some potatoes and toss them with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and lemon juice (plus some salt and pepper).
Recipe: Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Cooking For Keeps / Via cookingforkeeps.com
It may not be a traditional Thanksgiving dish, but these pinwheel sandwiches are easy to make, super affordable, and perfect for sharing.
Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
21. Cheesy Baked Cauliflower
Once a Foodie / Via onceafoodie.com
Coated in garlic paste, parmesan, and panko bread crubs, this might just be your new favorite veggie side dish.
Recipe: Cheesy Baked Cauliflower
22. Cacio e Pepe
Foodie Crush / Via foodiecrush.com
It's basically mac 'n' cheese for adults, and it belongs on your holiday table.
Recipe: Cacio e Pepe
Skinny Taste / Via skinnytaste.com
A tangy mixture of cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and egg gets topped with melted chocolate, baked in the oven until set, then cooled in the fridge overnight.
Recipe: Chocolate Cheesecake Cups
Blackberry Babe / Via blackberrybabe.com
This shortcut dessert starts with boxed cake mix, but shhh — your guests don't need to know that.
Recipe: Caramel Apple Dump Cake
25. Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Dip
The Salty Marshmallow / Via thesaltymarshmallow.com
Cream cheese and canned pumpkin purée form the base of this light and fluffy but decadent dessert dip.
Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Dip
26. Pecan Caramel Bars
The Novice Chef Blog / Via thenovicechefblog.com
While this dessert might look store-bought and fancy, you can make it right at home with just club crackers, caramel, pecans, chocolate chips, and butter.
Recipe: Pecan Caramel Bars
