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Home » Recipes » Holidays and Events Recipes » Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving Menu with Alternative and Lighter Options

Published: Nov 14, 2021 by Terri Gilson · Modified: Oct 14, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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pinterest pin with black text on top and white background and a collage of 3 photos of thanksgiving food and drink

American Thanksgiving is coming up and I wanted to share my Thanksgiving Menu with you! If you are Canadian (like me) and have already celebrated, these holiday recipes are also great for Christmas dinner or you can put them in your back pocket until your next Thanksgiving dinner! I have included the usual suspects, classic favorites as well as options for healthier and lighter versions of your favorite holiday foods. If you're looking for something a little different or Thanksgiving dinner alternatives, that are Weight Watchers friendly or gluten-free, I've got lots of options!

Collage of 4 photos of Thanksgiving recipes with black text on a white circle in the middle

Whether you are hosting a get together or need to bring along a dish to a Thanksgiving gathering, you'll find what you need right here! And if you are following the Weight Watchers plan, you can rest assured that no one will even suspect your dish is WW friendly!

I have selected are all my favorite Thanksgiving recipes and created a menu so you only have to go to one place- right here! If you were to have dinner with my family on Thanksgiving, these would be the dishes you'd find on my Thanksgiving menu. I have also included make- ahead information so you don't have to stress about doing it all at once!

Thanksgiving Appetizers

I like to keep my Thanksgiving appetizers on the lighter side, since Thanksgiving is a pretty big meal! All of these appetizers are WW friendly as well.

Slow Cooking your appetizer is a great way to save room in the oven and on the stovetop for the main show! You can also make these easy Slow Cooker Cranberry Turkey Meatballs ahead and store them in the fridge for a few days.

📋 Slow Cooker Cranberry Turkey Meatballs Recipe
These easy Slow Cooker Cranberry Turkey Meatballs are the perfect healthy holiday appetizer, made in your crock-pot with a simple cranberry BBQ sauce. They are quick to make, festive, and Weight Watchers friendly.
Check out this recipe
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

This light appetizer is just like eating a Caprese salad on a stick! It's no cook, quick to make and so fresh! You can make it a day in advance, but just don't add the reduced balsamic vinegar until just before serving.

📋 Caprese Salad Skewers Appetizer Recipe
This healthy, simple, delicious and gluten-free 4 Ingredient Caprese Salad Skewer appetizer is make-ahead or perfect for a last minute gathering or potluck, especially if you are trying to stay on track with your health goals. These Mini Caprese Skewers are Weight Watchers friendly and will help you keep on track!
Check out this recipe
Mini Caprese Skewers on platter

These classic Dill Devilled Eggs are a popular staple at my family gatherings (my Aunt Leanne's recipe). Gluten-free and WW friendly, you can make them day before. But if you simply want to make the eggs, you can make them up to 5 days in advance (if you store them whole/in their shells)

📋 Dill Deviled Eggs Recipe
These Dill Deviled Eggs are our family's favorite! They are a simple, yet different devilled egg recipe made with dill, mayonnaise and a secret ingredient. They are both gluten-free, Weight Watchers friendly and the perfect appetizer or snack for your next potluck, family gathering, picnic, BBQ, movie night, finger food buffet, games night or game day celebration!
Check out this recipe
deviled egg with paprika sprinkled on top on black serving tray

Stuffed mushrooms are a light and healthy appetizer that's perfect for pre Thanksgiving dinner. These can be made up to 2 days in advance, but I prefer to make them the day before, as they are best fresh!

🍄Easy Pierogi Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
If you love perogies, you'll love these unique and Easy Pierogi Stuffed Mushrooms! They are quick and easy to make with instant mashed potatoes and can be made vegetarian by simply leaving out the bacon bits. They are also gluten-free and Weight Watchers friendly!
Check out this recipe
easy pierogi stuffed mushrooms on a baking sheet covered with foil

Thanksgiving Main Dishes

Ham is a classic Thanksgiving dish, but this ham recipe is quicker and easier to make than regular ham because it's a picnic ham. Picnic ham's are already technically cooked (although you still have to cook them) so they are faster to make. But it's the orange glaze that really makes it shine and is a little different than your typical Thanksgiving fare. It pairs perfectly with my Carrot Casserole and Potatoes Romanoff!

You can make this a couple of days in advance.

📋 Smoked Picnic Ham (picnic pork shoulder) with Orange Glaze Recipe
This Picnic Ham with Orange Glaze is the perfect Easter ham or dinner any time of the year. Includes simple directions on how to score, baste and cook a picnic shoulder.
Check out this recipe
Picnic ham on a platter with a red checkered towel in background

Make your turkey and dressing in your slow cooker! This Slow Cooker Turkey breast with Quinoa Dressing is ideal if you're having a smaller gathering (up to 6) and/or don't want to cook up an entire turkey. It's also gluten-free and WW friendly. My Healthy Roasted Carrots with Brown Sugar is the perfect pairing for this recipe!

You could make this a couple days in advance.

📋 Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing Recipe
This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing is a simple and delicious way to make a small, yet festive holiday meal. It's a one-pot turkey and stuffing meal that takes only a few minutes to put together and is perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving meal or Christmas dinner gathering! It's also Weight Watchers friendly and gluten-free!
Check out this recipe
sliced slow cooker turkey breast on bed of cranberry quinoa dressing (on black platter) with black bowl of roasted carrots and festive oven mitts in the background

If you're looking for something a little different, healthier and lighter, you'll love these WW Cornish Game Hens! Try it with my Chipotle Mashed Potatoes and Green beans and Mushrooms.

You can make these a day in advance.

📋 Cornish Hens with Rosemary Wine Sauce Recipe
These Easy Baked Cornish Hens recipe with Rosemary Wine Sauce are the perfect date night recipe, Valentine's day, birthday dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner or fancy enough for a dinner party. This recipe is also economical, simple, easy to make, Weight Watchers friendly and can be made in advance.
Check out this recipe
cornish game hens with rosemary wine sauce in a glass dish with blue oven mitts in background

Thanksgiving Sides

If I'm having a simple roasted turkey, this stuffing is what I stuff it with. And although it's indulgent, if you're looking for classic, you'll love this old-fashioned traditional stuffing! You can stuff it in a turkey or cook it on the side. I usually make this a day in advance, but it can be made up to 3 days in advance.

📋 Old Fashioned Stuffing Recipe
This Old Fashioned Stuffing is straight up traditional. That means it's savory, not sweet. And it's an easy turkey stuffing, containing no sweet stuff like apples and sausage; it's simple and pure.
Check out this recipe
old fashioned turkey stuffing in a green dish with spoon

Potatoes Romanoff is a great alternative to the typical mashed potatoes. Made with frozen hashbrowns, it's quick and easy to make and it's oh so delicious! This recipe can be made up to 3 days in advance.

📋 Potatoes Romanoff Recipe
This Potatoes Romanoff Recipe is not only classic comfort food, it's the ultimate potluck dish. Made with frozen hash browns, low-fat sour cream, cheddar cheese and mushroom soup, it's a little lighter than the usual, but delivers on taste! It can also be made in a slow cooker.
Check out this recipe
Potatoes Romanoff in a white casserole bowl, being held up with a wooden spoon

If you want mashed potatoes with a kick, you'll love these guys! You can make them a little spicy or a lot spicy. They are also lightened up with homemade light buttermilk. You can make them up to 3 days in advance.

📋 Chipotle Mashed Potatoes Recipe
These Chipotle Mashed Potatoes will add a little spice to your dinner plate! They are a healthy mashed potato recipe, made with red potatoes a homemade, low-fat buttermilk, garlic and chipotle in adobo sauce and there's no peeling required! They are also gluten-free and Weight Watchers Friendly.
Check out this recipe
chipotle mashed potatoes in red serving dish with wooden spoon in bowl and lid and salt and pepper shakers in background

This Sausage and apple rice is a great alternative for your gluten-free guests! You can use turkey sausage to lighten it up and make it up to 3 days in advance.

📋 Apple Rice with Sausage Recipe
This award-winning Gluten-free Apple Rice with sausage with dehydrated/dried apples, sage, wild rice, spinach and pine nuts is a great fall dish and perfect for a Thanksgiving or holiday side.
Check out this recipe
apple rice with sausage on a white plate with pine cones in the background

Cabbage rolls are a staple at holiday meals in my family, but I don't always want to all that effort of stuffing cabbage rolls, when I'm already investing in making a big meal. That's why I make these slow cooker lazy cabbage rolls. They can be thrown together fairly quickly, made up to 2 days in advance and they don't take up prime real estate on your stove!

📋 Lazy Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls Recipe
These Lazy Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls taste exactly like regular meat and rice cabbage rolls, but in cabbage roll casserole form and without all the work. They are also Weight Watchers friendly!
Check out this recipe
lazy slow cooker cabbage rolls in bowl

This is my Granny's bun recipe. She used to make these for holidays and they are out of this world fresh and delicious! They are a little indulgent and a bit of time a investment, but they are well worth it. These buns can also be made 2-3 days in advance.

📋 Granny Buns Recipe (Dinner Buns)
These homemade Granny buns (aka dinner buns) are light, fluffy and soft. They are the perfect side to your Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter holiday meal or any meal!
Check out this recipe
Granny buns piled in a basket

This is a dish you'll always find at my family's holiday gatherings (my Auntie Carol would bring it). This carrot casserole is perfect if you want stuffing and veggies but you don't have a turkey to stuff OR you simply don't want to stuff a turkey!

📋 Carrot Casserole Recipe
This delicious Carrot Casserole is really 2 dishes in one! It combines carrots and Stove top stuffing for an easy, quick and unique side dish. It's the perfect side for Easter dinner or any holiday dinner.
Check out this recipe
carrot casserole in white casserole dish with a brown wooden spoon scooping casserole (on blue background) with dish of green onions and oven mitts in the background

This Turnip and Apple Casserole is a lightened up version of a casserole my husband's Auntie Joan used to make. It will even make a turnip lover out of any hater (I'm testimony to that!) I make this up to 2 days in advance.

📋 Turnip and Apple Casserole recipe
This Turnip and Apple Casserole is a delicious mixture of apples, turnips, brown sugar and butter. It's also been lightened to make it Weight Watchers friendly. It makes a fabulous side dish for holiday dinners. I serve it at Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas!
Check out this recipe
turnip and apple casserole (weight watchers friendly in a blue casserole dish, being held up on a wooden spoon with a green apple and blue patterned oven mitt in the background

Corn Succotash is a healthy and fresh side dish that's perfect for your gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner guests! It's easy to make and can be made up to 2 days in advance.

📋 Corn Succotash Recipe
This Corn Succotash is made with frozen lima beans, canned corn and fresh tomatoes, red pepper, thyme, oregano and parsley. It's also healthy, gluten-free and Weight Watchers friendly.
Check out this recipe
healthy corn succostash in a white bowl on brown wooden surface

This simple Green Beans with Mushrooms is another one of my Auntie Carol's holiday side dishes we can't live without during the holidays! It's quick and easy to make and best if you make it the day of. She always made it in an electric frying pan on the table, to save space on the stove.

📋Green Beans and Mushrooms Recipe
This super easy Green Beans and Mushrooms recipe, with buttery garlic and onion flavors, is a traditional holiday side dish for my family. This Christmas vegetable dish is healthy, quick and adds a burst of color to your dinner plate! They are also Weight Watchers friendly.
Check out this recipe
green beans and mushrooms in a white casserole dish on brown surface with red oven mitt in background

These Roasted Carrots are a lightened up version of the traditional recipe. They are sooo good that you'd never know they are WW friendly! I make them earlier in the day before I put the turkey in the oven or while I'm slow cooking the turkey breast.

📋 Healthy Roasted Carrots with Brown Sugar Recipe
These Healthy Roasted Carrots with Brown Sugar are lightened up glazed carrots with brown sugar and butter, roasted to perfection! They are easy to make, WW friendly (2 WW points on the blue plan) and a great addition to your holiday meal or any meal!
Check out this recipe
brown sugar glazed carrots in a black bowl, with a spoon, on grey linen

Caesar Salad (minus the chicken, of course) is a family holiday dinner staple! You can make the dressing the day before and even prep the lettuce, but don't put it together until just before you are ready to eat!

🥗 Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe
This Grilled Chicken Caesar salad boasts the best creamy Caesar salad dressing ever! And anyone that has tried it agrees. This recipe came from a restaurant (Clancy's) that no longer exists, but it has become a family favorite and always requested at dinners and potlucks!
Check out this recipe

Thanksgiving Desserts

Sweet potato pie is a nice change up from the traditional pumpkin and my version is super easy using baby food! You could also use canned sweet potatoes/yams if you prefer. I top it with a delicious and easy marshmallow whipped cream. This can be made up to 2 days in advance.

📋 Easy Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallows
This easy Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallows involves no peeling, cooking, chopping or pureeing of sweet potatoes because it uses baby food instead or canned sweet potatoes/canned yams! The Marshmallow Whipped Cream is the crowning glory on this delicious Thanksgiving dessert.
Check out this recipe
sweet potato pie on black plate on blue background with marshmallows around

If you love a classic apple pie, you'll LOVE this award-winning one! It's easy to make and can be made a couple of days in advance. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.

📋 Award-winning Apple Pie Recipe
This award-winning Apple Pie recipe is a Deluxe apple pie that has the perfect balance of tart to sweet with green apples and lemon zest in the filling. But the butter and whipped cream make it extra rich and creamy! 
Check out this recipe
A piece of Deluxe apple pie with ice cream | award-winning apple pie

And if you're looking for lighter alternative Thanksgiving desserts, this Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake is one of my most popular Thanksgiving desserts. It's also our favorite cheesecake in my house! You can make it up to 2 days in advance.

📋 Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake (with Oreo Crust) recipe
A light and delicious low-fat pumpkin cheesecake made with pumpkin puree and a chocolatey Oreo crust. This skinny pumpkin cheesecake is Weight Watchers friendly and the ideal Thanksgiving Cheesecake and pumpkin pie alternative! 
Check out this recipe
a piece of skinny pumpkin cheesecake being lifted off a plate

Rice Pudding is an easy and delicious way to change things up for Thanksgiving dessert! This can be made a couple of days in advance.

📋 Cranberry Gingerbread Stovetop Rice Pudding
Make this festive and easy, gluten-free Cranberry Gingerbread Stovetop Rice Pudding in under 15 minutes, with condensed milk, cranberries, leftover cooked rice and no egg!
Check out this recipe
cranberry gingerbread rice pudding in a red bowl with gingerbread men and more red bowls in background

Crustless Pumpkin Pie is a great way to enjoy pumpkin pie without guilt and it's gluten-free! You can make it up to a day in advance.

📋 Crustless Pumpkin Pie Recipe
This Crustless Pumpkin Pie is Weight Watchers friendly, quick and easy to make and totally satisfying- you won't even miss the crust. Not only is it low WW points, it's low carb and gluten-free and has no artificial sweeteners/sugar substitutes!
Check out this recipe
crustless pumpkin pie on a white plate with fork and whole pie in background

Thanksgiving Drinks

This Cranberry Cosmo mocktail is non-alcoholic and really fun for kids. It can be spiked, if you so desire. It can be made 4-5 days in advance and stored in a juice jug in the fridge.

📋 Cranberry Cosmopolitan Mocktail Recipe
This non alcoholic Cranberry Cosmopolitan Mocktail with cranberry juice, is really fun, festive and the perfect holiday drink for adults or kids!
Check out this recipe
Cranberry Cosmopolitan Mocktail with cranberries floating in drink, wedge of lime and sparkly gold sugar with cranberries in the background, on white material

This Cranberry punch is really easy to make with only 4 ingredients and a fun and festive cranberry ice ring! The punch ring can be made up to 2 months in advance and stored in the freezer. The punch can be made in 5 minutes or 3-4 days in advance and stored in juice jugs.

📋 Cranberry Christmas Punch Recipe
This Cranberry Christmas Punch is easy to make and perfect for your holiday brunch, dinner or party! It's even more fun with this festive cranberry orange ice ring! Made with only a few ingredients, it's a non- alcoholic punch that can easily be spiked with vodka, if you so desire.
Check out this recipe
cranberry punch with a cranberry ice ring floating on, a ladle in the middle

Whether you're looking for classic, lighter or Weight Watchers Thanksgiving recipes, I've got you covered!

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Oh and if you have Thanksgiving leftovers, you'll want to check out my Thanksgiving Leftovers! I also have some classic and lighter dishes for leftovers as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer and a busy working mom that is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

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