23 Thanksgiving Menu Ideas to Suit Any and All Taste Preferences

Do you prefer pumpkin or pecan pie? This traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu features both of those classic desserts, plus stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and terrifically tender turkey, of course. To cut down on stress the day of, prepare the potatoes up to 48 hours ahead and chill. Then, a couple of hours before guests arrive, transfer them to your slow cooker to bring the velvety potatoes back up to temp.

Related: Why We Eat Turkey at Thanksgiving

Don't spend all day (or several days) sweating in the kitchen to bring your Thanksgiving dishes to the table. Take note of our clever countdown clocks and you'll see that some of these quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes (including pumpkin pie cupcakes) take just 10 minutes to prepare! The longest prep time? Just over two hours for the hazelnut-crusted turkey breast entree.

Bacon-topped corn bread is only the beginning of this soul food Thanksgiving dinner menu! This warm and comforting menu features buttermilk biscuits, cream-topped Brussels sprouts, plus bourbon-spiked sweet tea. Wrap things up with a crowd-pleasing mash-up dessert: soul food sweet potato pie.

This vintage Thanksgiving menu starts with a classic cocktail like the Old Fashioned and finishes with a slice of sweet and crunchy pecan pie. In between, you'll savor our best vintage stuffing recipe (Corn bread, sage, and onion? Yes, please!), light and fluffy dinner rolls, and condensed soup-free green bean casserole. This is how your great-grandma may have prepared her Thanksgiving feast.

Related: 17 Green Bean Casserole Recipes to Try

Your stomach and your bank account will be overjoyed about these low-cost Thanksgiving dinner ideas that take advantage of budget-savvy options like turkey thighs, canned pumpkin (in the yeast rolls, and the feeds-an-army pie), butternut squash, and potatoes. Pssst...don't miss the spiced cider!

Pop the bubbly! Made with decadent ingredients like brie cheese and showcasing Instagram-worthy items like a shiny cider-brined turkey, these elegant Thanksgiving dinner ideas look like they came straight out of a gourmet restaurant kitchen. Be sure to light a few candles to set the mood!

Sesame seeds, shiitake mushrooms, hoisin sauce, and other Asian ingredients star in this global holiday meal. Don't think we forgot about dessert! Here, the pumpkin pie is dressed up with a gingery filling and a brown sugar-sweetened meringue that's the perfect way to end this Chinese Thanksgiving dinner.

When you dine out at brunch, you have to make a very difficult decision: go savory and opt for eggs or lean sweet and order pancakes? Since you're cooking this Thanksgiving brunch menu at home (and since it's a holiday) you can have it all! Snack on pumpkin cinnamon rolls, sausage, and corn muffin sliders. Savor a turkey and egg strata and then wash everything down with a spiked coffee cocktail.

Step away from the stove and actually enjoy your company this Thanksgiving with a make-ahead menu that takes off the pressure! Stick to easy make-ahead appetizers like cheese balls that can hang out in the refrigerator overnight, and set and forget our green bean casserole in your slow cooker. All of our make-ahead side dishes pair beautifully with our sanity-saving turkey recipe (complete with done-early gravy).

Make Thanksgiving even more spirited by serving a spread of wine-infused recipes! Every single one of these Napa Valley Thanksgiving menu ideas—from wine-poached beets to pumpkin pie topped with a port-pear sauce—calls for a different variety of wine. You know what that means? Plenty of open bottles to pass around and pair with the food!

No holiday vacation this year? No problem. This Cajun Thanksgiving menu will transport you to New Orleans from the comfort of your own table. Spicy sausage stuffed peppers, Cajun corn bread, and a turkey topped with a bacon lattice (you read that right!) are all here. The sweetest way to wrap up your meal is with a classic Cajun dessert: beignets!

Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to be brown on brown on brown. Try our healthy Thanksgiving dishes like sweet potato and pomegranate salad, spicy green beans, and spinach-stuffed turkey. No recipe in this round-up, including dessert, has more than 260 calories per serving.

Cranberries and cauliflower. Squash and pistachios. Apples and cheesy mac. You probably haven't combined these flavors before, and these recipes will make you wonder why you waited so long to do just that! Start some new traditions with these trendy and tasty Thanksgiving apps, sides, and desserts. (The turkey stays, of course, but gets a Greek twist.)

Related: 16 New Holiday Traditions to Start This Year

A Thanksgiving menu without turkey can be satisfying. Let a few hearty sides (like hasselback potatoes, protein-rich green bean salad, and roasted sprouts with apples) do the talking and round things out with a vegetarian Thanksgiving menu entree of Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese. Save room for a slice of PSL pie, too!

If you're looking for vegan Thanksgiving recipes, this tasty menu has everything you need. Start with a tasty crostini appetizer, then serve a delicious sweet potato moussaka (a great vegan swap for the traditional sweet potato casserole!), a hearty squash soup, and plenty of veggies. We've even got tasty vegan dessert and drink options to finish out this tasty menu.

Pumpkin guacamole, you have officially become our new favorite appetizer. It's the perfect starter for this Mexican-Influenced Thanksgiving dinner menu. Give the rest of your holiday meal some south-of-the-border flair and top baked sweet potatoes with jalapenos, stuffed squash with chorizo and Cotija cheese, and add a layer of chipotle-cream cheese to your pumpkin pie.

Light yet satisfying, these seafood holiday recipes will be stars even if you live hundreds of miles from the coast. Just be sure to catch the freshest seafood you can for dishes that range from Pumpkin-Shrimp Bruschetta to Bouillabaisse (a French stew that calls for scallops, mussels, whitefish, and more). For a refreshing dessert to perfectly complement your seafood Thanksgiving, try a fruit- and rose-topped pavlova.

Mango, pineapple, coconut, and other island ingredients will make you feel like you have your feet in the sand as you enjoy this Hawaiian Thanksgiving dinner. The unique spins on stuffing, baked ham, and soup will have your guests begging you for the recipes.

Attention wanderlust-ers: This international Thanksgiving menu will allow you to hop from India to Korea to China to Mexico—all without waiting in any airport lines! The Sesame Green Bean Tart will make everyone forget green bean casserole ever existed, and the ginger, garlic, and chili sauce notes in the turkey rub give each bite a bit of a kick.

How can you tell the difference between creole and cajun food? Creole recipes often include tomatoes, while Cajun recipes tend to skip them. Try tossing a few diced cherry tomatoes into the paella stuffing to give a nod to tradition, then complete your Creole Thanksgiving dinner with a big batch of collard greens, spicy cranberry barbecue turkey, and bourbon pumpkin pie with salted pecans.

Crank up the heat this holiday and pull together a spicy Thanksgiving menu featuring roasted mole-basted turkey, cumin-rubbed sweet potatoes, and chipotle pepper green bean casserole. Even the dessert has a kick: Mexican Chocolate Pumpkin Pie! We don't offer any wine pairing ideas here...you might just want a glass of milk.

Celebrate the year with your best pals—and a table full of cheesy cauliflower gratin, quick-cooking turkey breast, and pumpkin ice cream. Assign everyone a dish and make it a potluck Friendsgiving!

If you're planning a small Thanksgiving dinner with a few close friends or family members, you can afford to get a little more creative with your dishes than you would when cooking for big crowds. Rather than cooking up a big bird and dealing with loads of leftovers, consider a petite fowl like the Cornish game hen—we've got two delicious recipe suggestions. Creative twists on traditional classics make this menu a meal to remember.