11 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You Can Make in 15 Minutes or Less

Winter Fruit Sangria
Photo: Greg Scheidemann

Looking for a last-minute recipe to add to this year's Thanksgiving dinner? These quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes, including side dishes and desserts, are sure to please your hungry crowd. We have delicious, time-saving solutions for cranberry sauce, gravy, and mashed potatoes to fit every Thanksgiving menu.

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Fennel and Orange Salad

Fennel and Orange Salad
Kritsada Panichgul

This colorful dish will dress up your Thanksgiving salads. Whisk together orange juice, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to create the citrus vinaigrette dressing for our gorgeous blood orange salad. Fennel, crisp lettuce, and snipped chives balance the citrusy flavor of the fruit.

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Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes

Garlic & Herb Mashed Potatoes
Marty Baldwin

Add a rich and creamy texture to your boxed holiday potatoes with cream cheese. We swear you won't be able to tell the difference from your favorite Thanksgiving mashed potato recipe! Fresh parsley adds delicious flavor fast.

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Double-Cranberry Sauce

Double Cranberry Sauce
Adam Albright

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving dinner without a helping of tart cranberry sauce. Skip the canned version this year and serve a simple 15-minute cranberry sauce recipe you can make with fresh or frozen berries. Pomegranate juice and molasses balance the tangy cranberries, and a dash of orange zest adds citrus flavor.

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Perfect Turkey Gravy

Make-Ahead Gravy for Thanksgiving
Andy Lyons

Make this easy turkey gravy with three ingredients and a handful of spices. It's perfect for topping juicy Thanksgiving turkey or a helping of creamy mashed potatoes.

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Hearts of Romaine with Creamy Feta Dressing

Hearts of Romaine with Creamy Feta Dressing
Karla Conrad

Not only is this romaine salad perfect for your holiday crowd, but it's easy to make. Simply slice hearts of romaine lengthwise, drizzle on a basic herb vinaigrette, and top with feta for a plate of gorgeous Thanksgiving salad.

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Goat Cheese Toasts

Goat Cheese Toasts
Blaine Moats

Add a rustic touch to your Thanksgiving menu with these 15-minute bruschetta-style toasts. Tangy grapefruit wedges, goat cheese, and salami top crunchy toasted baguette slices for a savory-sweet Thanksgiving appetizer.

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Tomato-Tortellini Soup

Tomato-Tortellini Soup
Kim Cornelison

When you're busy cooking, cleaning, and setting the table for Thanksgiving, it's easy to overlook starters like holiday soup. With help from some shortcut ingredients, like refrigerated tortellini and condensed soup, this warm and creamy tomato bisque will be on the table in just 15 minutes.

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Pumpkin-Bean Soup

Pumpkin-Bean Soup
Andy Lyons

Warm up guests with a holiday soup sweetened with pumpkin and coconut. You'll need only six ingredients for this simple (and scrumptious) Thanksgiving starter.

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Smoked Trout Bites

Smoked Trout Bites
Blaine Moats

A quick, creamy horseradish dip mixes with flaked smoked trout for a fuss-free hors d'oeuvre in a flash. Smear the spread onto slices of marbled rye bread, then top with crunchy sprouts and arrange on a festive serving plate.

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Skillet Scalloped Corn

Skillet Scalloped Corn
Andy Lyons

Your friends and family will chow down on this cheesy corn when you serve it with your Thanksgiving dinner. This easy side dish can be made in a skillet in 15 minutes. It calls for canned corn, which you probably already have in your pantry, and a crushed cracker topping for crunchiness.

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Bonus: White Fruit Sangria

Winter Fruit Sangria
Greg Scheidemann

Add holiday cocktails to your menu. Delicious cold-weather fruits mingle in our robust red wine sangria. Calimyrna figs, cranberries, and raisins all find a home in this seasonal drink.

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