Hosting Your First Thanksgiving? See Our Menu Ideas for Beginner to Expert Cooks

Whether you’re a first-time host or simply looking for help planning and prepping your Thanksgiving menu, we’ve got you covered.

By

Jennifer Anderson

Published on October 28, 2024

thanksgiving table with turkey, gravy, sides, and sauce

Thanksgiving is so much more than a day to eat turkey. You can view it as a touchstone for tracing important rites of passage throughout our lives. There's the year you graduated from the kids' table; the year you started contributing to the meal by making a side dish or decorating the table; then your first Thanksgiving away from home … and finally the giant leap into adulthood marked by hosting your first Thanksgiving!

We’re here to help you get ready for this momentous occasion with menu suggestions and recipes, prep strategies, hosting hacks, and make-ahead tips for minimizing your stress and maximizing your enjoyment.

How to Pull Off Your First Thanksgiving

No matter your level of culinary prowess, the real secret to hosting your first Thanksgiving is to plan ahead. Here's what you need to do and when:

A Month (Okay, at Least 2 Weeks) in Advance

Create your guest list and send invitations via email or text message.
Set a deadline for RSVPs and follow up with anyone who hasn’t given you an answer.
Give an assignment to each guest who RSVPs "yes."

If you ask a guest to bring something, be specific! Don’t just say "side dish"—assign one person the Brussels sprouts, another person the sweet potatoes, etc. For guests who aren’t culinarily inclined, put them on cocktail duty, ask someone to come early and help set and decorate the table, and if you have a late-comer in the bunch, request that they stay to help you clean up.

A Week in Advance

It’s time to get your game face on! Every successful host has learned that the more they get done ahead of time, the more painless (and fun) the party. Use our detailed timeline to plan your seven-day countdown to cleaning, shopping, thawing, chopping, cooking, decorating, and hosting Thanksgiving dinner.

The Day Of

An essential part of your Thanksgiving dinner prep is to get everything planned out ahead of time (see above!). Then use our Day of Thanksgiving Timeline to create your hour-by-hour plan for the big day.

The Essential Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Thanksgiving Menu for First-Time Hosts

Remember, our Thanksgiving menu is a guideline, not a command! You are not obligated to make all the recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner; just choose the ones you like the best. We suggest you also assign your guests to make some of the dishes. Don’t think of it as an imposition—it’s an invitation to be included. Most guests will feel more comfortable if they’re able to contribute.

Also, bear in mind that it’s perfectly okay to buy some things. Pick up appetizers from your favorite deli, or pre-order dinner rolls and pies from your local bakery. The perfect Thanksgiving is the one where you, the host, are there at the table enjoying time with your guests and savoring all the things you’re thankful for.

How to Use This Guide

The first-time host’s Thanksgiving menu we created for you is a cornucopia of traditional favorites. For each item on the menu we offer two recipe options: the “entry level” recipe is our simplest version of the dish, offering delicious, high-quality results with a minimum of fuss. The "ready for a promotion" recipe is there if you feel like taking a dish to the next level with special touches that may involve extra steps, more ingredients, or additional time.

Thanksgiving Appetizers

Some hosts skip the appetizer course on Thanksgiving because there is so much food to come. We're not in that camp, a light appetizer will take the edge off appetites, fill the time until the turkey is carved, and just feels festive.

Entry-Level Recipes

'Ready for a Promotion' Recipes

Appetizer dish with veggies and shrimp — Justin Walker

Turkey and Gravy

The centerpiece of your menu and the dish that stresses novice hosts the most is the turkey. While we always counsel you to read a recipe through before making it, it's even more essential when dealing with a big bird like a turkey. Another essential: our expert guide to roasting a turkey.

Make sure you have enough room to defrost it in the refrigerator (or keep it cool if you have a fresh turkey). You'll need a roasting pan and rack large enough to hold the turkey. And, while we are talking about space, check your oven is large enough for the turkey. You may need to remove a shelf to accommodate it—and that is always better done before the heat is on.

Entry-Level Recipes

'Ready for a Promotion' Recipe

Martha’s Favorite Roasted Turkey in Parchment With Gravy

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

We've included plenty of options here because sides make the meal and because you should assign some of these dishes to your guests to bring.

Entry-Level Recipes

'Ready for a Promotion' Recipes

Thanksgiving Desserts

All of these desserts can or should be made ahead, which is essential when you're going to be busy with a turkey, gravy, and sides on the day of. And we'll say it again, if you love baking then make a pie ahead of time. If not assign guests to bring the desserts or reserve a pie at at bakery you like—and have someone else pick it up!