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Over 75 Best Southern Thanksgiving Recipes

In this post I’ll be sharing over 75 of my Best Southern Thanksgiving Recipes!

It’s that time of year, Friends! It is a great time to start planning your traditional Southern Thanksgiving menu for your family’s holiday meal.

Well…as it turns out, I happen to be somewhat of an expert on the Southern Thanksgiving meal. It is my favorite meal of the year. I love every part of it from planning the menu, cooking all of the food and fellowshipping with my friends and family around the dining room table.

Thanksgiving is an important tradition for me and I’ve vowed to make it an annual gathering for the family just as my grandmother did before me.

Southern Thanksgiving Menu

What is a typical Southern Thanksgiving dinner? Traditionally the Southern Thanksgiving meal will consist of turkey, cornbread dressing, a potato dish, a vegetable side, plenty of deviled eggs and dessert options.

There is usually an abundance of food and you’ll want to sample every bit of it. The baked macaroni and cheese is always a favorite dish and you would have to fight me to keep me away from the old fashioned soul food sweet potato pie.

You can count on eating leftovers for a few days after this delicious feast of food. Bellies will be full, laughter will fill the air and somebody will be nodding off for a nap.

Southern Thanksgiving Dinner

Authentic Southern Style Deviled Eggs

Cornbread dressing would likely rank as the most popular side dish at a typical Southern Thanksgiving dinner. Deviled eggs are also a must and it is an unwritten law that you’ll have them or else.

I’m not sure how serious that unwritten law is but I have never risked it and always make a double batch of deviled eggs.

Traditional Southern Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

baked ham dressing in oven

Planning your holiday meal menu is really simple. To begin it depends on how many you’ll be serving dinner to so you can plan for enough food, although that is rarely an issue at Thanksgiving. It is more difficult not to make too much food. So, will you be having a small Thanksgiving dinner or a big one?

I’ve got you covered with plenty of delicious options no matter what size you gathering will be.

Plan out your cooking over several days so that you do not get over-whelmed. This is a big meal and if you’re cooking it yourself then you’ll need a few days.

What Will I Find in this Recipe Collection?

Southern Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes

Southern Thanksgiving tables will offer a wide variety of foods from starters through dessert. In my appetizer collection you’ll find cheddar cheese pimento cheese pinwheels, a green olive dip with sour cream and cream cheese, deviled eggs, and other classic recipes that my family loves and yours will too.

Southern Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Need some easy side dish ideas? Well, I’ve got you covered friend. Find everything that you need below from the cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, collard greens, canned green beans, my ultimate green bean casserole, Southern cornbread dressing, soul food crock pot green beans with a hint of brown sugar that really enhance the flavors, smoked oyster dressing, corn pudding, brussels sprouts, Southern candied yams, creamy mashed potatoes, potato salad, and more of my best recipes for Southern sides for your Thanksgiving dinner menu.

Pro Tip: during the holiday season keep plenty of chicken stock, cream cheese, pecans and seasonings on hand. Southern comfort foods take simple ingredients to make an outstanding Thanksgiving meal. The best part is that it is all made with love, which makes it even more special.

Thanksgiving Main Course Options

In the Southern food collection for holidays below, you’ll find turkey recipes, pork and more for Thanksgiving day. New this year is a delicious air fryer turkey breast tenderloin that is ready in 30 minutes.

The air fryer turkey is an easy recipe that pairs perfectly with those classic Southern side options that I mentioned. I think that you can go wrong with dressing as a perfect side dish with Thanksgiving turkey.

Southern Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

Moving on to the dessert table…how about pecan pie, homemade banana pudding, sweet potato pie or a scrumptious cake?

Full Collection of Thanksgiving Recipes

So now that you mouth is watering thinking about all of this delicious food, let’s get to the Best Southern Thanksgiving Recipes, shall we? There is a printable recipe card for each recipe.

Best Traditional Southern Thanksgiving Recipes

Planning your Southern Thanksgiving menu will be a breeze with this collection of traditional Southern Thanksgiving recipes. Each one is tried and true delicious.

Southern Thanksgiving Appetizers

Have a few tasty bites available for your family and guests is always a good idea as they wait on the big meal. Not too many though! You don't want everyone pigging out and risking not eating that delicious dinner you've been working on for days.

Southern Thanksgiving Side Dishes

We all know that the side dishes are the real star of the Thanksgiving meal. Sorry, Turkey!

Thanksgiving Main Course Option

While turkey is customary at Thanksgiving it is not the only option for a delicious holiday main course.

Southern Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

Here are a few options for your holiday sweet tooth.

My biggest tip for planning your Thanksgiving menu is to write it down, plan your shopping trip, and make what you can in advance so that you don’t overwhelm yourself. 

A big holiday meal is a lot of work!

It’s all about the sides, darlin’! Diversify your menu with a variety of delicious sides like creamy mashed potatoes, savory stuffing (or dressing as we call it here), green bean casserole, and sweet potato casserole with a pecan topping. Don’t forget the rolls and cranberry sauce to round out the meal!

Pinterest - Thanksgiving Recipes

In case you missed it, here are the latest recipes on the blog

Popular Recipes on the Blog

You might also enjoy this recipe for Coca Cola Glazed Ham from South Your Mouth.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I’m so glad that you did. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. May your holidays be filled with happiness and love!

Be sure to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you a weekly newsletter so that you never miss my latest recipes here on the blog. You can also follow along with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. I’ll see you there.

Home » Over 75 Best Southern Thanksgiving Recipes
Julia - author and publisher of Julia's Simply Southern Food Blog Recipes

About Julia

Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Carlee

Thursday 12th of November 2020

These all look so good, I want to try them all!

Julia Jordan

Saturday 14th of November 2020

That would be a wonderful feast and I'd help ya taste everything!