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Last Minute Thanksgiving Recipes

November 26, 2014

Short on time? These 43 recipes are impressive yet simple—and all of them can be pulled together in a relatively short amount of time, with easy-to-find ingredients. From Brussels sprouts with bacon to creamy sage mashed potatoes, all the Thanksgiving essentials are here.

Piccata Green Beans — This elegant side dish is simplicity itself: blanched green beans tossed in a vinaigrette of capers, bright lemon, and a beautiful olive oil. See the recipe for Piccata Style Green Beans »Maxime Iattoni

Parsley and Onion Salad — Fresh onions add cool spice to this simple parsley salad from Jeremiah Cooks (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2002) by Jeremiah Tower. This easy salad can be tossed together in minutes. See the recipe for Parsley and Onion Salad »Todd Coleman

Cumin-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips — Toasted cumin seeds, mint, and lime juice intensify the sweetness of simple baked root vegetables. See the recipe for Cumin-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips »Helen Rosner

Grilled Romaine Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon — Fresh heads of romaine lettuce are split down the middle, grilled until charred and smoky, and then topped with blue cheese and bacon for this satisfying salad. See the recipe for Grilled Romaine Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon »Penny De Los Santos

Brussels Sprouts with Horseradish and Pomegranate — The caramelized brussels sprouts are garnished with sweet pomegranate seeds and tossed with horseradish to give this dish a kick.Andre Baranowski

Ciabatta and Sausage Stuffing — This rustic stuffing from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro is made with crusty Italian bread and laced with fresh herbs, aromatics, and sausage. See the recipe for Ciabatta and Sausage Stuffing »Ingalls Photography

Soy-Braised Kabocha Squash — Braising—with a healthy dose of soy—is one of our favorite ways to bring out the texture and flavor of winter squash.Maxime Iattoni

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts — This simple, satisfying side rounds out any Thanksgiving dinner.Helen Rosner

Fingerling Potatoes with Bacon — The secret to this simple dish is to use the best quality bacon available. Delicious and straightforward, you can whip this dish together quickly while keeping the oven available for other jobs.Vanessa Rees

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Black Pepper — Sweet potatoes, baked until tender, need nothing more than butter, brown sugar, and black pepper to taste divinemuch easier than mashing and baking into a casserole! See the recipe for Baked Sweet Potatoes »Todd Coleman

Grilled Turkey Breast with Caramelized Onion, Cracked Black Pepper, and Vinegar — Black pepper is a major ingredient in this dish, so be sure to use fresh-cracked as opposed to pre-cracked pepper. Get the recipe »Helen Rosner

Whole Cranberry Sauce — Fresh orange and grapefruit juice add zest to this seasonal staple. **See the Recipe for Whole Cranberry Sauce »**Vanessa Rees

Apple and Cranberry Upside-Down Cakes — This recipe, from Fore Street restaurant in Portland, Maine, calls for using six 4" steel blini pans. But you can make a single cake in an 8" cast-iron skillet, if you prefer. If fresh or frozen cranberries aren't available, use reconstituted dried berries. Get the recipe for Apple and Cranberry Upside-Down Cakes »Khushbu Shah

Leeks Vinaigrette — The origins of leeks vinaigrette--poached leeks in a mustardy dressing--are unknown, but it's easy to imagine someone pulling them out of the stockpot once they had worked their magic, then seasoning them. See the recipe for Leeks Vinaigrette »Todd Coleman

Green Beans and Tomatoes — In so many green bean casseroles, the beans are cooked well past the point of mushy. In this recipe they keep some snap.Todd Coleman

spiced pecans — Skillet-toasted pecans, candied with rosemary and Spanish paprika, take mere minutes to prepare and use ingredients you probably already have on hand. See the recipe for Spiced Pecans »Landon Nordeman

Sweet Potato Honey Fries with Curry-Honey Sauce — An aromatic combination of spices elevate the humble sweet potato oven fry to something truly special.Maxime Iattoni

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon — This two-step recipe produces a delicious, sweet-salty result. If you can't find slab bacon, thick-cut prepackaged bacon works well too. See the recipe for Brussel Sprouts with Bacon »Todd Coleman

Green Beans with Sesame Sauce — After a four-minute blanche and quick toss in homemade dressing, this Japanese-inspired recipe is ready to serve. See the recipe for Green Beans with Sesame Sauce »Todd Coleman

Sage Mashed Potatoes — Leaving the skins on your potatoes saves on prep time and gives a rustic feel to the finished dish. We love the technique of infusing the milk and butter with sagestart heating a saucepan of milk and sage when you set the water to boil to speed up this process.Todd Coleman

Broiled Spaghetti Squash with Walnut-Miso Glaze — It's rare that we encounter spaghetti squash not shredded into its eponymous noodle-like threads. But kept intact, it reveals a beautifully yielding texture and a savory, subtle flavor that's perfectly offset by a rich walnut-miso glaze.Maxime Iattoni

Roasted Vidalia Onions with Herbed Bread Crumbs — Sweet Vidalia onions, grown in and around the namesake Georgia city, turn even sweeter when roasted with a savory herbed bread crumb topping. See the recipe for Roasted Vidalia Onions with Herbed Bread Crumbs »Todd Coleman

Roasted Potatoes — A high oven temperature results in potatoes that are crispy on the outside and creamy within. See the recipe for Roasted Potatoes »Todd Coleman

Maple Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes — Maple syrup enhances the sweetness of this simple sweet potato mash.Maxime Iattoni

Raw Kale Salad with Lemon and Currants — This preparation of kale couldn't be easier, simply shred the kale, and toss all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. See the recipe for Raw Kale Salad with Lemon and Currants »Helen Rosner

Turkey Roulade with Chestnut Stuffing — This roulade cooks in just an hour, so you won't have to devote half a day to your main dish. See the recipe for Turkey Roulade with Chestnut Stuffing »Anna Stockwell

Orange and Honey-Glazed Carrots — Honey makes for a more flavorful glaze for carrots than sugar does. In this dish, orange zest keeps the sweetness from becoming cloying. See the recipe for Orange and Honey-Glazed Carrots »Todd Coleman

Port Wine Poached Pears — While these pears need to simmer in poaching liquid for about 50 minutes, active cooking time is less than 10 minutes, making this a low maintenance dessert option. Served with ice cream, poached fruit is a nice alternative to the more-typical thanksgiving spread of pies. See the recipe for Port Wine Poached Pears »André Baranowski

Slow-Cooked Broccoli Rabe — Notoriously bitter and tough, broccoli rabe becomes mellow and supple when cooked slowly in a bath of water and olive oil. Simply seasoned with garlic and chile flakes, this Italian home-cooking classic is true comfort food. See the recipe for Cime di Rapa Fritte »Todd Coleman

Roast Turkey with Root Vegetables — This three-step recipe cooks quickly because the turkey is broken down in pieces (which also allows you to pull out pieces as they're done, so nothing comes out dry) and also yields a side dish of roasted root vegetables as well as gravy. See the recipe for Roast Turkey with Root Vegetables »Todd Coleman

Cranberry Salsa — Lime and jalapeño punch up this fresh, no-cook take on cranberry sauce. See the Cranberry Salsa recipe »Todd Coleman

Green Bean and Radish Salad — Quick-cooked green beans, radishes, and garlic are caramelized with honey for an elegant side dish. See the recipe for Green Bean and Radish Salad »Maxime Iattoni

Curried Pearl Onions — While this recipe already doesn't require much cooking time, using frozen, pre-peeled pearl onions will save you lots of prep work. See the recipe for Curried Peal Onions »James Oseland

Pecan Pie — Pecan Pie is one of quickest Thanksgiving desserts to pull together, especially if you use store-bought dough. Just stir the filling ingredients together and pour into your pre-crimped crust. See the recipe for Pecan Pie »André Baranowski

Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo — Chorizo is a natural partner for Brussels sprouts; its spiciness complements the vegetable's earthy flavor. See the recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo »André Baranowski

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Mint — Feta, red onion, and mint are a classic combination; tossed with snappy green beans they make a salad of surprising complexity.Maxime Iattoni

Jalapeño Cornbread Dressing — Bacon and jalapeños flavor this otherwise classic cornbread dressing from Mary Sue Milliken.Helen Rosner

Maple-Syrup Roasted Tomatoes — Maple syrup intensifies the sweetness of tomatoes in this recipe for Tomate Confite au Sirop d'Érable. Serve these with toothpicks as an appetizer or on salads, pizza, and pastas. See the recipe for Maple-Syrup Roasted Tomatoes »Landon Nordeman

Roasted Radishes — Seasoned with thyme and cooked until tender, peppery radishes make a colorful addition to the traditional Thanksgiving spread. See the recipe for Roasted Radishes »André Baranowski

Creamed Brussels Sprouts — This creamy, savory preparation brings out Brussels sprouts' natural sweetness.Maxime Iattoni

Cranberries with Port — We found the easiest and tastiest way to make this all-important side dish to your holiday meal. See the recipe for Cranberries with Port »Richard Ross

Fennel Baked in Cream — This simple, classic Italian preparation calls for baking fennel in the oven with cream and Parmesan to create a luxurious gratin. See the recipe for Fennel al Forno »Christopher Hirsheimer

Ricotta Crostini with Chestnut Honey — Ricotta on toasted bread drizzled with honey is one of the easiest, and best-tasting appetizers to prepare. Use store-bought crackers or wafers if you don't want to make the crostini toasts. Tastes great alongside sopressata or other cured sausages. See the recipe for Ricotta Crostini with Chestnut Honey »André Baranowski

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