Daunted by the idea of taking the lead on holiday festivities? Don’t be. Hosting doesn’t have to be a chore, and neither does prepping a full holiday spread on your own, from start to finish. We’re offering up a set of five easy recipes to round out a traditional Thanksgiving menu, calling for plenty of fresh ingredients—and minimal fuss.
Each dish featured here comes complete with a super simple recipe and a video how-to, so you can see for yourself just how easy Thanksgiving dinner can be.
Simple Parmesan Roasted Yams
Ingredients
3-4 medium yams
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
Instructions
1. Cut yams into ¼-inch slices.
2. In a large bowl, combine yams, olive oil, rosemary, and steak seasoning, mixing thoroughly.
3. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 425F oven until golden brown, about 18-22 minutes. Flip halfway through.
4. Set oven to broil.
5. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the yams, dividing evenly.
6. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
7. Add additional seasoning to taste.
Simple Skillet Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
1 pound green beans
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound cremini or white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup French’s Original French Fried Onions
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch green beans until bright green in color and tender crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain well and cool in a bowl of ice water. Drain well and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; set aside.
4. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, onion, thyme and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in milk, heavy cream and Worcestershire.
5. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in green beans. Add green bean mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with fried onions. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Simple Herb Butter Roast Turkey
Ingredients
Dry Brine
1 10-12 lb turkey
2 ounces Kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
Herb Butter
1 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons sage
1 1/2 ounces chopped thyme
3 ounces chopped parsley
Instructions
1. For the dry brine: Combine kosher salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.
2. Remove giblets and neck from a 10-12 lb turkey. Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
3. Sprinkle generously with salt / baking powder mixture, ensuring even coverage.
4. Transfer the turkey to a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
5. Remove turkey from refrigerator. Set oven rack to lowest position and place a baking steel on the rack, and preheat oven to 500F for at least 45 minutes.
6. For the herb butter: Combine butter, sage, thyme and parsley in a medium bowl. Evenly distribute the herb butter between the skin and the meat.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 300F and place turkey/rack/baking sheet directly on baking steel.
8. Roast 3-4 hours until golden brown and legs register at 165F.
9. Remove from oven and tent with aluminum foil, letting turkey rest 20-30 minutes before carving and serving.
Simple Cranberry Orange Relish
Ingredients
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (no pulp)
zest of one orange
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1 package (12 oz) fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Combine orange juice, orange zest, ginger, sugar, and 2/3 cup of water over medium heat.
2. Cook until sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in cranberries and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
5. Let cool completely before serving.
6. Garnish with orange zest.
