Holidays & Entertaining Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Dinner Menus 5 Creole Thanksgiving Recipes to Spice Up Your Holiday Menu Kick up your Thanksgiving with a menu full of comforting sides and Creole-inspired dishes that feature special seasonings and, yes, even bourbon. By Kendall Wenaas Kendall Wenaas Kendall Wenaas is a writer and editor who has been in the journalism industry since 2015. While in college, she was an ASME editorial intern at Smart + Strong, an editorial assistant at Midwest Living, and an editorial apprentice at Better Homes & Gardens. After graduating, she worked as a digital producer at Brides.com and then became an editorial assistant at Rachael Ray Every Day. There, she wrote and was editor of Shop Talk, Health Bites, and pets sections. She then took over the associate health editor role for Family Circle. After about a year, she moved to Leaf Group to be the associate branded content editor and wrote articles, newsletters, social media assets, and ads for Well + Good, Hunker, and Livestrong. She's now a health and fitness editor for Hearst, which includes titles like Runner's World and Women's Health. Kendall holds a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism from Drake University. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 6, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Whether you're partial to Creole cuisine or are looking to switch up the same old holiday dinner you serve every year, we made this menu for you. This festive Creole Thanksgiving menu takes traditional classics and adds a bit of spice. These recipes—including a spicy stuffing and a bourbon pumpkin pie—are all you need to host a Creole-inspired Thanksgiving. Use this easy menu to add some favorite foods to your celebration this year or go all out and make it a completely Creole Thanksgiving dinner. Grab your seasoning and get to work! Creole Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes Serve up a Louisiana Thanksgiving menu this year by making these six Creole recipes: Main Dish: Spice-Rubbed Turkey with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce Side Dish: Savory Collard Greens Side Dish: Paella-Style Stuffing Side Dish: Maple-Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes Dessert: Salted Pecan Bourbon Pumpkin Pie See photos and learn how to make each of these Creole recipes below. Andy Lyons Entrée: Spice-Rubbed Turkey with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce Turkey is the traditional option on Thanksgiving Day, but this bird is anything but ordinary. Paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder team up to give this Thanksgiving dinner some Creole flair. While the turkey roasts, work on the cranberry barbecue sauce—it's a tasty twist on classic Thanksgiving cranberry sauce! Poultry Pick: To score a quick cooking time and succulent meat, opt for bone-in turkey breasts or skinless, boneless turkey breasts instead of a whole bird. Get the recipe: Spice-Rubbed Turkey with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce Andy Lyons Vegetable Side Dish: Savory Collard Greens Every Thanksgiving dinner has a few different veggie side dishes to choose from, but this collard greens recipe is head-and-shoulders above the rest. Skip Thanksgiving-typical green bean casserole or a ho-hum iceberg lettuce salad in favor of Creole collard greens. Pancetta and crushed red pepper add extra flavor to this Thanksgiving side dish. Test Kitchen Tip: To remove grit from collard greens, immerse greens in a clean sink filled with water. Rinse well and drain in a colander. Get the recipe: Savory Collard Greens Blaine Moats Stuffing: Paella-Style Stuffing One part classic stuffing, one part pepper-and-sausage paella. While this recipe technically serves six, the fully loaded skillet will feed a few more when served as a Thanksgiving side. The extra spiciness from the chorizo sausage will make this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe fit right in with the other Creole dishes on the menu. Make-Ahead Tip: Assemble this stuffing recipe the night before you're celebrating Thanksgiving, then bake it in the oven 1 hour before dinnertime. Get the recipe: Paella-Style Stuffing Andy Lyons Potato Side Dish: Maple-Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes Mix Creole and traditional Thanksgiving cuisine this holiday season in your sweet potato recipe. Bourbon, bacon, and maple syrup take this side dish to new heights that might even make you forget about the classic marshmallows and sweet potatoes pairing. These creamy mashed potatoes will have everyone coming back for seconds. Get the recipe: Maple-Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes Andy Lyons Dessert: Salted Pecan Bourbon Pumpkin Pie This dessert combines your favorite fall flavors, plus bourbon and ginger. You won't have to choose between pumpkin pie and pecan pie this year—this Creole dessert recipe has both! Get the recipe: Salted Pecan Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit