Thanksgiving Day Dinner for Everyone!
Angela’s friend is hosting Thanksgiving for her family, including two brothers and their spouses, a sister, and their parents, for the first time in years. She’s thrilled to reunite the family, but the array of food sensitivities and dietary preferences initially seemed overwhelming. Fear not, for help is at hand! While she and her parents enjoy all foods, one brother and sister are vegetarians, and another brother is gluten-free, dairy-free, and has an egg allergy. Fortunately, this site is an ideal resource for crafting a Thanksgiving feast that accommodates everyone’s needs.
Our suggested Thanksgiving Day menu for her, shown below, includes a turkey, three side dishes, a salad, rolls, and two desserts, ensuring a variety of options for everyone, including those who might be allergic to tree nuts or follow a plant-based (vegan) diet.
Now, let’s examine the dishes in more detail and see what her family can eat!
| Dairy-free | Egg-free | Gluten-free | Tree nut-free | Vegan | Vegetarian | Substitution* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sage Butter-Roasted Turkey | X | X | X | X | |||
| Apple Cider Gravy | X | X | X* | X | Use gluten-free flour. | ||
| Smashed Potatoes | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Delicata Squash Salad | X* | X | X | X* | X* | X | Serve feta cheese and/or pistachios on the side. |
| Green Beans with Mushrooms and Crispy Shallots | X* | X | X | X | X* | X | Serve Parmesan cheese on the side; use plant-based butter. |
| Pilaf | X | X* | X* | X* | X* | X | Use egg-free or gluten-free vermicelli; omit the pine nuts. |
| Dinner Rolls | X* | X* | X | X | Use gluten-free flour and/or plant-based butter. | ||
| Vegan Sweet Potato Pie | X | X | X* | X | X | X | Use a gluten-free crust. |
| Pecan Pie | X* | X* | X | Use a gluten-free crust and/or plant-based butter. |
*If appropriate substitutions are made and/or if some ingredients are served on the side.
- Vegetarians can eat everything but the turkey and gravy
- Gluten-free, dairy-free and allergic to eggs can eat everything but the pecan pie and the rolls as long as appropriate accommodations are made.
- Tree nut allergy? Could eat everything except the pecan pie as long as the pistachios in the delicata squash salad are served on the side and the pine nuts are omitted from the pilaf.
- Vegan/Plant-based? Could eat everything except the turkey, rolls, and pecan pie as long as appropriate accommodations are made.
The menu features a wide array of dishes, and you might be curious about how to prepare them all. We recommend making some dishes a day in advance, particularly the pies that require chilling. Additionally, we’ve provided suggested start times for each dish to ensure everything is ready for your desired mealtime.
| Do Day Before | Total Prep & Cook Time | Chill or Rest Time | Start Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pecan Pie | Whole recipe | 1 hr 30 min | ||
| Sweet Potato Pie | Whole recipe | 1 hr 35 min | ||
| Green Beans | Cook beans, chill | 50 mins | T – 30 min | |
| Dinner Rolls | 2 hrs 15 min | Morning | ||
| Turkey | 3 hrs 30 min | 30 min | T – 4 hours | |
| Delicata Squash Salad | 50 min | T – 90 min | ||
| Pilaf | 30 min | 20 min | T – 60 min | |
| Smashed Potatoes | 50 min | T – 50 min | ||
| Gravy | 20 min | T – 30 min |
(T is your target mealtime. I.e., if you want to eat at 3:00 pm, start your turkey by 11:00 am.)
Should any of these dishes not meet your preferences, we have a variety of alternatives. As an example, for those who do not favor mushrooms, Green Beans Almondine is available. For a naturally gluten-free dessert option, choose from our Flourless Chocolate Cake or Tiramisu Roulade. Simply navigate to the All Recipes page and filter by Course and Sensitivities or Lifestyles to explore all available choices.
Nanaimo Bars
I first tried these after moving to the Pacific Northwest, living just a few hours south of Nanaimo BC. I can see why they have been called Canada’s national dessert! Truly delightful!
Delicata Squash Salad
Lots of ingredients go into this salad, but the flavors meld wonderfully to produce a flavorful salad that can stand up to a hearty first course.
Grilled Scampi
Easy shrimp appetizer. Most of it can be done ahead of time, even the day before, leaving only a few minutes needed for sautéing right before serving.
Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce
Serve the asparagus with Hollandaise sauce or simply extra virgin olive oil and salt. If you are looking for a vegetable side dish, but not this one, consider these: Brussels Sprouts, Walnuts, and Cranberries Green Beans Almondine Green Beans with Mushrooms and Crispy...
Grilled Roast Turkey with Fennel and Coriander
Grill your turkey this year and free up your oven! This recipe has great spices with the fennel and coriander giving a fresh spin on your turkey dinner.
Cream of Broccoli Soup – Vegan
Love this tasty, healthy cream of broccoli soup packed full of vegetables. It can be made smooth or chunky.
Chicken Marsala
Quick and easy chicken marsala, it literally takes only a few minutes to pull together this tasty dish! This is great choice if you are pressed for time.
Vichyssoise
This cold potato soup only uses 2-3 potatoes and easy to make. It needs to be chilled for at least 8 hours, so I usually make it the day before and let it chill overnight. It’s a traditional first course for our Christmas dinners, but it’s wonderful any time you’re having hearty meat or vegan main dish.
Seafood Bisque
Elevate your dinner party with this fabulous starter! The creamy tomato-infused broth is perfectly balanced with white wine, parsley and a splash of lemon. Your choice of seafood can be modified for your preference and with the substitution of 1 for 1 flour, it is gluten-free.
Tiramisu Roulade
This impressive, Italian-inspired dessert is naturally gluten-free. It’s really quite simple to make, but it has to chill so there’s no problem making this in the morning, although I would recommend serving it the same day that it’s made. You can change the garnishes to fit the occasion!