My Thanksgiving 2025 Menu and Dinner Prep Plan

Your Beautiful 2025 Thanksgiving Dinner Guide

A Cozy, Elegant Feast to Celebrate the Season

I have spent a lot of years reveling in Thanksgiving chaos and secretly loving the insanity of it. But now that I’m older the wild days are behind me so peace and organization are taking the lead (thankfully). Here’s my guide with my favorite family recipes and a timeline to help you out together a delicious and cozy Thanksgiving feast.

All of my recipes here are great, tried and true. Whether you're hosting your first Thanksgiving or your fiftieth, this collection of recipes and techniques will help you create the kind of meal guests will talk about long after the last slice of pie has vanished.

The Perfect Charcuterie Board

A beautiful charcuterie board should feel like a still-life painting—colorful, bountiful, and inviting.

Start With the Foundations

Choose a large wooden or marble board and aim for a balance of:

• Cheeses: triple-cream brie, aged cheddar, manchego, herbed chèvre, blue cheese

• Meats: prosciutto, Calabrese salami, soppressata, and a touch of smoked turkey

• Fruits: figs, grapes, sliced pears, pomegranate arils

• Crunch: candied pecans, Marcona almonds, seeded crackers

• Savory Extras: olives, cornichons, whole-grain mustard

• Sweet Touches: honey, apricot preserves, fig jam, onion jam, bacon jam.

• Herbs: rosemary or thyme for fragrance

• That big beautiful cheese in the middle of the photo below is Ina Garten’s Herb Coeur Le Crème. I love to make it for special occasions. Here’s the recipe 

• Breads: I like to have sliced artisan bread and crackers arranged, the larger the pieces, the more impressive my

  
  

Start by arranging the cheeses, nestling the meats around them, then filling the empty spaces with fruits and nibbles until the board feels lush and beautiful.

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And Don’t Forget the Milk & Honey Rolls- Click here for the recipe

My Instagram Reel on This Recipe

Milk and honey rolls are soft, golden, and irresistibly buttery. The texture is amazing. You’ll want to make at least two batches, they go fast.

Dry Brining, Spatchcocking, and Roasting the Turkey

I have tried so many methods over the years and dry brining is by far my favorite and gives the juiciest turkey.

Juicy, deeply seasoned, and beautifully bronzed—with no stress.

Dry Brining the Turkey

You Need:

• * 1 turkey (12–16 lbs)

• * 3 tbsp kosher salt

• * 1 tbsp brown sugar

• * 1 tsp cracked black pepper

• * Optional aromatics: orange zest, sage, rosemary, thyme

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How to Dry Brine

1. Pat the turkey completely dry.

2. Mix the salt, sugar, pepper, and any herbs or zest.

3. Rub the mixture all over the turkey, including under the breast skin.

4. Set on a rack over a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered 24–48 hours.

5. Do *not* rinse before cooking—simply proceed directly to roasting.

How to Spatchcock a Turkey

Spatchcocking is the ultimate modern technique for fast, even, consistently juicy results.

1. Set the turkey breast-side down.

With sturdy kitchen shears, cut along each side of the backbone and remove it.

2. Flip breast-side up

Press firmly on the breastbone until you hear it crack and the turkey flattens.

3. Tuck the wingtipsbehind the bird.

4. Dry brine or season as usual, then roast on a parchment-lined sheet pan with the legs toward the back of the oven.

Spatchcocking gives incomparable crisp skin, evenly cooked meat, and a dramatically shorter cook time—perfect for a busy kitchen.

Roasting Time Per Pound

Whole Turkey (Not Spatchcocked)

Roast at 325°F for 13–15 minutes per pound

Spatchcocked Turkey

Roast at 425°F for 6–7 minutes per pound.

Target Internal Temperatures

Breast: 160°F (will rise to 165°F as it rests)

Thigh: 170–175°F

Always allow 20–30 minutes of resting time before carving so the juices redistribute beautifully.

Parmesan Cheese Pull Mashed Potatoes

Creamy, dreamy, and unapologetically decadents. Check my old Instagram post on this!

Ingredients

* 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & cut

* 1 cup heavy cream, warmed

* 1 stick salted butter

* 1 ½ cups freshly grated parmesan

* 1 cup mozzarella

* Salt & white pepper

Instructions

1. Boil potatoes until tender; drain and steam off moisture.

2. Mash with butter and warm cream.

3. Stir in parmesan until fully melted and luxurious.

4. Fold in mozzarella for pockets of stretchy, glorious cheese pull.

5. Season to taste.

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Southern Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• * 1 ½ lbs fresh green beans

• * 1 tbsp butter

• * 1 onion, diced

• * 8 oz cremini mushrooms

• * 2 garlic cloves

• * 1 cup chicken broth

• * 1 cup heavy cream

• * ½ cup grated parmesan

• * 1 tsp soy sauce

• * Black pepper

• * Crispy fried onions

Instructions

1. Blanch green beans; drain.

2. Sauté onions and mushrooms in butter. Add garlic.

3. Stir in broth, cream, parmesan, soy sauce, and pepper.

4. Fold in beans and transfer to a baking dish.

5. Top with crispy fried onions.

6. Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes.

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Sausage Stuffing (Dressing)

Ingredients

• 1 box Mrs. McMullin’s Stuffing Mix

• * 1 lb sage or country-style sausage

• * 1 onion, finely diced

• * 3 celery stalks, finely diced

• * 2 tbsp butter

• * 2–2 ½ cups chicken broth

• * 1 tsp poultry seasoning

• * 1 tsp fresh thyme

• * Optional: ¼ cup chopped parsley

• * Salt & pepper

  
  

Instructions

1. Brown sausage in a skillet.

2. Add butter, onion, celery; sauté until soft.

3. Stir in poultry seasoning and thyme.

4. In a large bowl, combine sausage mixture with Mrs. McMullin’s stuffing mix.

5. Add broth gradually until the stuffing is moist but not soggy.

6. Taste and adjust seasoning to give it that homemade magic.

7. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and bake at 350°F for 35–45 minutes

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Autumn Kale Salad

Bright, fresh, and jewel-toned—just what a rich holiday meal needs.

Ingredients

* 1 bunch curly kale

* 1 Honeycrisp apple

* ½ cup roasted butternut squash

* ⅓ cup dried cranberries

* ¼ cup toasted pepitas

* Shaved parmesan

Dressing

* 3 tbsp olive oil

* 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

* 1 tbsp honey

* 1 tsp Dijon

* Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Massage kale with a drizzle of oil.

2. Toss in apple, squash, cranberries, and pepitas.

3. Whisk dressing and toss with salad.

4. Finish with shaved parmesan.

A Sweet Ending

English Toffee Pumpkin Pie – warmly spiced with a toffee crunch

Double Chocolate Chess Pie – deep, glossy, and decadently fudgy

They are the glittering finale to your holiday feast.

Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Apple Cider Punch

• 1 part unfiltered apple cider

• 1 part of Marintelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider

  Mix together and serve with ice. Garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Your Thanksgiving Preparation Plan

A calm, elegant, stress-free timeline.

3–4 Days Before

* Dry brine the turkey.

* Cube and dry bread (if making additional stuffing add-ins).

* Shop for all ingredients.

* Prep butternut squash for salad.

2 Days Before

* Make milk & honey rolls dough (if prepping ahead).

* Prep charcuterie components (cheeses, meats, washed fruit).

* Chop onions, celery, mushrooms for casseroles.

* Grate cheeses for mashed potatoes.

1 Day Before

* Bake pies.

* Prepare the sausage mixture for stuffing; refrigerate.

* Blanch green beans.

* Make salad dressing.

* Chop apples (toss with lemon).

* Set the table.

Thanksgiving Morning

* Assemble green bean casserole; refrigerate.

* Assemble stuffing and refrigerate.

* Peel potatoes (or par-cook).

* Bake or warm the rolls.

* Arrange the charcuterie board components, cover, refrigerate.

2–3 Hours Before Dinner

• * Roast the turkey.

• * Bake stuffing and casserole.

• * Prepare mashed potatoes.

• * Toss kale salad.

• * Warm rolls if needed.

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Just Before Serving

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• * Rest the turkey 20–30 minutes.

• * Finish and place out the charcuterie board.

• * Plate pies beautifully.

• * Pour drinks and enjoy a stunning, heartfelt Thanksgiving meal.