15 Unexpected Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Menu

Change it up, shock your guests, and create some new traditions

Thanksgiving is once again upon us, which is annoying because I was going to write about lasagna today, but then I realized no one wants to hear about lasagna this week. People are planning their holiday menus — at least if they celebrate Thanksgiving — and most everyone is focused on turkey, stuffing, sides, and other exciting things. But what if someone was thinking about lasagna? Well, I’m still not writing about it in this column, but it got me thinking about “unexpected” Thanksgiving dishes. What could be some fun curveballs to shake up the usual parade of sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts?

The term “unexpected” vis-à-vis Thanksgiving is of course a bit loaded. Every family and culture brings its own unique traditions to the table; so for me to sit here and exclaim that some of these dishes are wholly surprising may be wildly tone deaf. But, if we’re thinking about the Good Housekeeping Americana version of the holiday, we’re usually eyeing a menu that resembles this:

• Turkey

• Stuffing

• Cranberry sauce

• Mashed potatoes

• Sweet potato casserole

• A roasted veg

• Salad

I would argue that mac & cheese, green beans, and dinner rolls are also par for the course. But are we opposed to throwing in some unexpected party crashers? I’m not. Here are some thoughts. And remember it’s all about the inspiration, even if you don’t use these exact recipes.

Quick but important caveat: I have never tried these dishes at Thanksgiving. Maybe this year will be the year. Also, some of these recipes I’ve never made, but I’ve included them because they excite me.

Frizzled Chickpeas

I wrote about these chickpeas very recently — TL;dr: they’re great and easy and delicious. I don’t know if chickpeas are standard on your Thanksgiving table, but they’re not on mine. Feels like a missed opportunity. Frizzled chickpeas would be a bright, flavorful counterpoint to some of the heavier items in the spread.

Roasted Sausage and Grapes

This excellent recipe hails from Al Forno restaurant in Providence, RI, but it entered my life like so many things do: via Ina Garten. First, don’t get into a huff: I’m not saying you serve this in place of the turkey. That’s wild, even for me. But as a bonus protein, this could be fun. Let me tell you about it. Grapes are first braised in wine, then roasted with Italian sausages, and finally topped with balsamic that reduces into a syrup. The sharp flavors are balanced by the sausage’s garlic and fennel notes, creating a wonderful combo that complements many of the dishes on a standard Thanksgiving table. One could even argue — although I would never dare to do so myself — that the reduced grapes could sub in for cranberry sauce. Just thinking out loud!

Avocado-mango salad with queso fresco, bacon and toasted pumpkin seeds

Thanksgiving is a time where we see lots of cheese, cranberries, and butternut squash in our salads. For a great example, check out Ina Garten’s wonderful Roasted Butternut Squash salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette. But why not remix the classic Thanksgiving salad? Rick Bayless offers up this utterly delicious recipe in his book Mexican Everyday, which, by the by, is a great addition to any cookbook collection. Anyhoo, this salad gives us sweetness from the mango, indulgence from the cheese, and warmth from the toasted pumpkin seeds. Rick Bayless suggests subbing bleu cheese in for the queso fresco, and I second this. The extra bite and funk plays beautifully with the mango. The real star is the dressing though. Ugh the dressing! First you add lime juice and some of the toasted pumpkin seeds to a blender (and btw, toasting pumpkin seeds is a very enjoyable process). Then you saute some garlic and a chile in oil and then add all of THAT to the blender with some honey. It’s bliss. I made this salad VERY frequently in the early 2010s, and I only moved on from it because I made it too damn much. But it’s a real winner and perfect for Thanksgiving.

Or maybe Persimmons with Torn Burrata and Fresh Lemon

Playing further with the whole fruit-and-salad thing, Andy Baraghani has a recipe for Persimmons with Torn Burrata and fresh lemon in his award winning cookbook The Cook You Want To Be. I’ve never made the recipe, but I don’t see how it’s not perfect for the occasion. I may need to bring this to my Thanksgiving table. After all, it’s November: persimmons ARE the moment HUNNY. Okay, I’ll stop now.

Or maybe Peas with Big Hunks of Feta and Zhoug?

Also from Andy Baraghani, also from The Cook You Want To Be, Peas with Big Hunks of Feta and Zhoug is the sort of bright veggie side we all may need after consuming a few mouthfuls of stuffing. I feel like I’ve made this recipe before… but just as likely I’ve merely salivated over the picture instead. Someone make this and report back please.

Should I complete the trifecta and recommend a third recipe from this book? This feels unfair because I would have totally recommended multiples by other authors, but screw it. This is my newsletter, and I’ll do what I want!!

Roasted Carrots with Hot Green Tahini

There are a ton of really cool roasted carrot recipes out there. Last year for Thanksgiving I made a wonderful version from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen. Colu Henry, Alison Roman, and several others have fun takes on the carrot genre as well. But since I’m apparently endorsing all things Andy Baraghani today, let me revisit this excellent recipe I initially busted out for the series finale of Succession of all things. Here, roasted carrots sit on a bed of nutty, spicy green tahini, making for a visually striking side dish. Undeniable.

Leeks with Anchovy and Soft-Boiled Eggs

In January I did a “Cookbook Deep Dive” on Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, thinking that this would become a regular feature on the ol’ Substack. Eleven months later, it remains the only post of its kind. IRREGAHDLESS, probably every recipe highlighted on that post would work for Unexpected Thanksgiving™, but I’ve decided to land on Leeks with Anchovy and Soft-Boiled Eggs because I can see it translating into a fascinating side dish. Plus, Thanksgiving is really an arena for leeks to shine. This is a small recipe, serving only two as a main, but it can easily scale up, and with the pile of broken soft boiled eggs on top, the dish threatens to be downright dramatic. And yes, I’m not afraid to have soft-boiled eggs on a Thanksgiving table. That being said, if you’d like something more traditional from the book, McFadden’s Gratin of Brussels Sprouts, Gruyère, and Prosciutto is to die for (sorry, no link!).

Broccoli Forest Loaf

Back in September I extolled the virtues of savory baking, noting the success I had with this Hetty Lui McKinnon recipe. Two months later I’m kicking myself that I haven’t revisited it. Welp, maybe I will this Thursday. Firstly, I can’t think of any savory loaf that wouldn’t be welcome at Thanksgiving. Second, a loaf with broccoli trees in it? It just feels right.

Roasted Mushrooms with Sour Cream, Herbs, and Lemon

I really enjoy Colu Henry’s vibe, and I contemplated including her hit NY Times recipe Savory White Beans with Herb Oil on this list, but really it’s this mushroom dish from Colu Cooks that I’d want to see at Thanksgiving. It’s basically just roasted mushrooms with herbs on a bed of sour cream, but then there’s a crispy garlic chili oil with shallots and fennel seeds that really brings it all together. You can easiliy sub yogurt or creme fraiche for the sour cream, and if you really want to be clever, I bet chili crisp — which is having its sriracha moment in pop culture — would be a neat swap for the garlic oil. I really don’t think you can go wrong with roasted mushrooms. Hop on your culinary Mayflower and plot a new course for yourself!

Speaking of mushrooms…

Mushroom & Apple Matzo Kugel

Shall we talk about beshert (which is basically Yiddish for kismet)? I just opened up Adeena Sussman’s book Shabbat to a random page and landed on this recipe for Mushroom & Apple Matzo Kugel. “That seems perfect for Thanksgiving,” I told myself. And even more perfect for today’s column. Reading the line notes, Sussman writes that the recipe was a favorite of her mother’s and her sister currently “makes it for Thanksgiving.” I MEAN... it’s destiny! This kugel’s got mushrooms, it’s got apples, it’s got celery, it’s got dill? No dill actually. That’s fine. I love the idea of repurposing Passover food for Thanksgiving. INTO IT.

Pan Sushi Dynamite

I wrote about this recipe last year from Sheldon Simeon, and many people seemed to be fascinated by it. For good reason. It’s absolutely delicious. This Hawaiian spin on sushi yields a large pan of fish that seems destined for potlucks; so why not Thanksgiving? This would be an excellent hors d’oeuvre for guests while they wait for the turkey to come out of the oven. I might hesitate to add it to the official spread, if only because I’m not sure we want it crossing paths with errant gravy on the plate.

Or maybe Garlic Noodles?

Sheldon Simeon has also blessed us (#blessed) with show-stopping garlic noodles. They may play strangely with other Thanksgiving staples, but do we really care? Don’t we just want good food?

Sweet Patatas Bravas Salad

Circling back to Hetty Lui McKinnon for a moment, I noticed that Tenderheart features a recipe for Sweet Patatas Bravas Salad, a Spanish twist on sweet potatoes. For those looking to remix the whole sweet potato casserole thing, this might be your jam (and if not, McKinnon has a whole chapter dedicated to sweet potatoes; so really, pick your poison). This is another recipe I haven’t made, but I am literally losing my mind as I sit here typing, reading, and typing some more. Get this: roast sweet potatoes and boil some pearl barley. Then, while both those things are going, make a pureed bravas sauce from tomatoes, garlic, shallot, smoked paprika and chili powder, which you’ll thick on the stovetop. Also make a garlic aioli. Combine the sweet potatoes, pearl barley, and bravas sauce, top with aioli and almonds. Good God I’m about to faint. I wish I could source a link to the recipe, but I can’t find one. Stay tuned.

Garlic Green Beans

I am not a huge green bean lover. I often find them to be very MEH. But that’s also because they tend to be used and abused in sad ways, resulting in limp, flaccid bean experiences. Rather than the usual wet green bean travesty, why not pivot to a far more interesting Thai preparation? I lean towards Kris Yenbamroong’s recipe from his Night + Market cookbook. The dish admittedly does involve deep frying, which may not be high on your list of Thanksgiving desires, but each batch of beans takes only 40 seconds. We love that. However, a potential complication: the green beans require a wok. I’m sure a cast iron skillet would work decently in a pinch.

Annoying, I can’t find a link for Yenbamroong’s recipe, but I’m still publishing this paragraph because it may inspire some of you to head in a Thai direction.

Or maybe Dry-Fried Green Beans

Several hundred miles north of Thailand is the Sichuan province of China, home to a vast array of culinary techniques and flavor bombs. If a Thai variation on green beans doesn’t thrill you, maybe you’ll be more excited by the classic Sichuan dish Dry-Fried Green Beans by The Woks of Life? Or maybe go for famed Sichuan expert Fuchsia Dunlop’s vegetarian version which has a vegetarian option. Screw it — here’s J. Kenji López-Alt’s version too!

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What are some of your favorite “unexpected” Thanksgiving dishes? Are you open to change or are you a traditionalist? No judgement!