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These elegant Thanksgiving menu ideas include gourmet recipes for making an incredible 5-star dinner at home! Though these dishes may be fancier than your typical Thanksgiving meal, many are no more complicated than a traditional recipe! Try out this sophisticated holiday fare and your family will savor every bite.
Gourmet Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
If you want to impress when it's your year to host Thanksgiving, these recipes are sure to do just that! These gourmet versions of classic holiday recipes are beautiful to look at and even better to eat.
Many of these recipes are fairly simple. Just remember, if your dinner menu looks this good you might have to host Thanksgiving every year!
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- Gourmet Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
- Elegant Thanksgiving Menu Ideas For A Gourmet Holiday Meal
- 1. Herbes De Provence Roasted Turkey
- 2. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- 3. Roasted Acorn Squash
- 4. Parmesan Roasted MashedPotatoes
- 5. Honey Glazed Carrots
- 6. Apple Cider Cranberry Sauce
- 7. Roasted Butternut Squash
- 8. Pumpkin Flan
- 9. Mimosa Mocktail
- 10. Green Bean Almondine
- 11. Fresh Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
- 12. Sweet Potato Biscuits
- 13. Beet Salad
- 14. Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
- 15. Mashed Cauliflower with Parmesan
- 16. Pumpkin Pecan Tart
- 🦃 More Thanksgiving Menu Ideas
- 📖 Recipe Card
- Best Elegant Thanksgiving Menu Ideas: Honey Roasted Acorn Squash (+More Tasty Recipes!)
- IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric
- Instructions
- Notes
- 💬 Reviews
Whether you're a pro at hosting Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties or giving it a try for the first time this year, you're sure to find my ultimate guide to planning Thanksgiving a help! Don't forget to safely thaw your holiday turkey early, too!
Elegant Thanksgiving Menu Ideas For A Gourmet Holiday Meal
It's the time of year to treat yourself and your family. Choose a few recipes off of this list or try them all for the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner!
1. Herbes De Provence Roasted Turkey
Elevate your turkey dinner with this buttery herbes de provence roasted turkey! It's perfectly moist and the skin is delightfully crispy!
The secret is all in using a French herb blend called herbes de provence. It's used to make an herbaceous seasoned butter that is rubbed all over the bird, inside and out!
Herbes de Provence Roasted Turkey
Moist and buttery herbes de provence roasted turkey is such a delectable main course for the holiday season or to enjoy throughout the year! The turkey is slathered with an aromatic herb butter and roasted to perfect to create a Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey that everyone will be raving over!
Check out this recipe
2. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Wrapping anything in bacon automatically makes it more formal! This bacon-wrapped asparagus recipe is an incredibly easy way to elevate a simple side dish.
All it takes is a few extra minutes of delicately wrapping the asparagus spears and some salt & pepper. You won't want to eat asparagus any other way!
Baked Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Everything tastes better with crispy, salty bacon, and this baked bacon-wrapped asparagus recipe proves it! These bacon-wrapped spears of asparagus make a wonderful gourmet appetizer or side dish with very little fuss!
Check out this recipe
3. Roasted Acorn Squash
Acorn squash is the perfect elegant side dish for any fall meal. It's roasted until tender with butter, honey, and cinnamon, which is a wonderful flavor combination for this time of year.
You can even cut corners and make acorn squash in the microwave (no one will know)!
Honey Roasted Acorn Squash
This honey roasted acorn squash is a sweet and savory side dish that is fork-tender and perfect for any meal! It is simple to make and a great way to mix up your standard side dishes. Plus, this tasty winter squash recipe is also super healthy!
Check out this recipe
4. Parmesan Roasted MashedPotatoes
Mashed potatoes are key to any Thanksgiving menu but these Parmesan roasted mashed potatoes really take it up a notch! The potatoes are full of melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese!
Not only that but these potatoes are topped with a crunchy blend of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese! You won't even need gravy!
Parmesan Roasted Mashed Potatoes
A delightfully cheesy, crispy version of your standard mashed potatoes that's simply perfect for holiday meals!
Check out this recipe
5. Honey Glazed Carrots
Honey-glazed carrots are a deceptively easy side dish that will fit any gourmet spread! Their sweetness and herbaceous fragrance pair perfectly with ham, turkey, or other poultry around the holidays.
These carrots take less than 30 minutes to make, so you can focus your time and effort on the main course!
Honey Glazed Carrots
These oven roasted honey glazed carrots are the perfect easy vegetable side dish for any time of the year! They are sweet and fragrant and pair wonderfully with ham or turkey around the holidays. The winning combination of honey, brown sugar, and fresh herbs is what takes these tender honey glazed roasted carrots over the top!
Check out this recipe
6. Apple Cider Cranberry Sauce
Spiced apples, apple cider, and tart cranberries come together to make this uniquely delicious cranberry sauce! It's perfect for the holidays and the blend of spices will make your house smell heavenly.
This cranberry sauce is so much better than anything from a can and it's easy to make, too!
Apple Cider Cranberry Sauce
My apple cider cranberry sauce is the perfect blend of spiced apples, sweet sparkling apple cider, and tangy cranberries for Thanksgiving! It is tart, sweet, and full of juicy apple flavor! This easy-to-make cranberry sauce is sure to be a new family favorite for the holidays!
Check out this recipe
7. Roasted Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a fall classic and roasting it is easy as can be. It's incredibly versatile and only requires a few ingredients to make!
Just toss the steamed squash with the other ingredients and bake for 30-35 minutes. That's all there is to it!
Roasted Butternut Squash
Roasted butternut squash is a delicious and versatile vegetable side dish suitable for any weeknight meal or holiday dinner!Olive oil, salt, and pepper are the only ingredients needed for this squash dish to enhance its sweet and nutty flavor! This easy and nutritious butternut squash recipe will become a new fall family favorite!
Check out this recipe
8. Pumpkin Flan
Move over pumpkin pie, this pumpkin flan is the next big thing! Flan is an impressive dessert as it is, and with the added pumpkin flavor your guests won't even miss pie.
It's silky smooth with plenty of fall flavor. It's also a great way to show off your culinary skills!
Pumpkin Flan
This pumpkin flan is rich, creamy, silky, and loaded with all of your favorite warm and cozy autumn flavors! It is a wonderful seasonal twist on this classic custard dessert. Coated in a decadent homemade caramel sauce, what more could you want?
Check out this recipe
9. Mimosa Mocktail
Mimosa mocktails are a fun kid-friendly drink that is perfect for the holidays! Fresh cranberries and apples adorn these cool and refreshing mocktails.
That's not to say you couldn't add a splash of champagne. These drinks are easily customizable!
Mimosa Mocktail Drink
Bright, bubbly, and refreshing all apply to this tasty mimosa mocktail that kids and adults alike will love to enjoy during the holidays! It's also incredibly versatile, so you can modify it to make a delicious variety of mimosas - mocktails and co*cktails!!
Check out this recipe
10. Green Bean Almondine
Green beans almondine is just a fancy term for green beans with almonds. Thinly sliced almonds add a lovely textural element to the crisp-tender green beans.
This 30-minute recipe couldn't be more simple! You microwave the green beans, quickly sautee the almonds with butter, then mix them together. That's it!
Green Beans Almondine
Green beans almondine is a refreshing and tasty vegetable side dish that pairs well with any of your family's favorite main dishes! This simple French-inspired recipe features green beans tossed with toasted almond slivers, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper! In just 20 minutes you can whip up a healthy green bean dish perfect for any weeknight or holiday dinner!
Check out this recipe
11. Fresh Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
Everyone will be impressed with a homemade green bean casserole using fresh green beans! Cut out all the processed ingredients and you are left with a guilt-free Thanksgiving classic!
Using fresh green beans gives the casserole a light crunch, unlike mushy canned green beans.
Fresh Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
Fresh green bean casserole from scratch is packed with fresh green beans, garlic, and creamy sauce, then topped with fried onions! This dish is so much more flavorful than anything you could whip up using canned ingredients. In fact, it makes a perfect addition to any of your holiday menus!
Check out this recipe
12. Sweet Potato Biscuits
No Thanksgiving spread is complete without bread, but what about sweet potato biscuits instead of dinner rolls? They are just as good at sopping up potatoes and gravy!
This unique recipe will make a lasting impression. And, it's just as easy as making regular buttermilk biscuits.
13. Beet Salad
Beet salad is fresh and flavorful. It makes a lovely appetizer or side dish for any formal sit-down dinner!
Feta cheese adds bursts of salty flavor and the pistachios are delightfully crunchy! It's all balanced by the subtle sweetness of red and golden beets.
14. Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a must and these pimento cheese deviled eggs are downright addicting! They have all the ingredients of classic deviled eggs but with the tasty addition of pimentos and cheddar cheese.
Everyone will be asking you for this delicious deviled egg recipe!
15. Mashed Cauliflower with Parmesan
Mashed cauliflower is all the rage and it's even better when mixed with Parmesan cheese. This is the perfect side dish for any low-carb guests, though it will be enjoyed by everyone!
It's just as tasty as its potato counterpart, without any of the guilt!
16. Pumpkin Pecan Tart
Looking for an amazing dessert to serve with your elegant Thanksgiving dinner, look no further! This beautiful dessert looks amazing and combines two classic holiday favorites - pumpkin pie and pecan pie!!
Pumpkin Pecan Tart
This pumpkin pecan tart combines your favorite holiday desserts into one delicious, sweet, and decadent pastry! It is filled with a pumpkin pie filling and then topped with a sweet pecan mixture! Perfect for the holidays, family gatherings, or just because- you'll love this dessert no matter what the occasion is!
Check out this recipe
These elegant thanksgiving menu ideas are sure to help you pull off the ultimate holiday dinner! Send me a message below and let me know which of these recipes you tried!
🦃 More Thanksgiving Menu Ideas
- Canadian Thanksgiving Menu Ideas - The most well-loved Thanksgiving recipes from the Great White North!
- Southern Thanksgiving Menu Ideas - Southern homecooked recipes for hosting the perfect Thanksgiving!
- Last Minute Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes - Quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes for throwing dinner together on the fly!
- Buffet Thanksgiving Menu Ideas - Let your friends and family serve themselves with these crowd-pleasing recipes!
- Midwestern Thanksgiving Menu Ideas - From hotdishes to Snickers salad, these recipes will take you home to the Midwest.
- Budget Thanksgiving Menu Ideas - Don't break the bank this holiday, try these easy and affordable Thanksgiving recipes!
See more Thanksgiving →
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Best Elegant Thanksgiving Menu Ideas: Honey Roasted Acorn Squash (+More Tasty Recipes!)
These elegant Thanksgiving menu ideas include gourmet recipes for making an incredible 5-star dinner at home! Though these dishes may be fancier than your typical Thanksgiving meal, many are no more complicated than a traditional recipe! Try out this sophisticated holiday fare and your family will savor every bite.
Author | Angela
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 157kcal
Prep 5 minutes minutes
Cooking 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 35 minutes minutes
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs acorn squash (2 small or 1 large)
- 2 tablespoon butter (melted)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon each, salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup water
Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela
Instructions
To get started, preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C).
Next, cut your acorn squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds.
Add water to your large baking dish and place the acorn squash into your baking dish cut side down.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the melted butter, honey, cinnamon, and salt & pepper.
Remove the squash from the oven, carefully flip so that they are facing upward, and brush the butter mixture onto the cut side.
Place the squash back into the baking dish and finish baking for an additional 15 minutes. The squash should be fork tender when done.
Once finished, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving while the squash is warm.
Notes
- Keep your acorn squash seeds so you can roast them for a tasty snack! Toss them with some oil and seasoning and bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes.
- Instead of cinnamon, try out some apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for an extra warm and flavorful variation!
- Leftover acorn squash can be added to soups, stews, or salads!
- To store: Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Wrap your acorn squash tightly and place it into an airtight container. Freeze for up to 10 months.
- To reheat: Wrap the squash in foil and bake in the oven at 400°F (205°C) until heated thoroughly.
Nutrition
Calories: 157kcal (8%) | Carbohydrates: 28g (9%) | Protein: 2g (4%) | Fat: 6g (9%) | Saturated Fat: 4g (25%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg (5%) | Sodium: 125mg (5%) | Potassium: 792mg (23%) | Fiber: 3g (13%) | Sugar: 4g (4%) | Vitamin A: 1008IU (20%) | Vitamin C: 25mg (30%) | Calcium: 79mg (8%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)
Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
best recipes for an elegant Thanksgiving dinner, Elegant Thanksgiving Menu Ideas, honey roasted acorn squash, how to make an elegant meal at Thanksgiving
Course Side Dish, vegetable side dish
Cuisine American
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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