Thanksgiving Menu Ideas
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Many of you have asked for Thanksgiving menu ideas. Here is a visual reference of all our favorites from 2013. If you want to change things up, you can search the nearly 400 recipes that are posted on meee blawg. These are also some of the most pinned recipes this year. 🙂 Love you all! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We’re giving thanks for you.
In other news, we already have our Christmas tree up. That’s what happens when you tell your 4-year old about Christmas way too early! “Is Christmas soon?” “Is it going to be Christmas tomorrow?” “How many months until Christmas?”…
Appetizers:
Main Course:
Turkey (I’m really embarrassed to tell you that you need to talk to your Mom for this one. I still haven’t posted a turkey recipe. Fail. I beat myself up every year for not posting one. My mom makes the turkey every year and I just eat it,… I know, I’m such a mooch. Let’s change the subject real quick and talk about salmon.
Side Dishes:
Gravy:
Salad:
Dessert:
This was a difficult decision. Here goes…
Drinks:
Here’s my little giblet at our church Thanksgiving celebration. P.S. look at that bread in the background! Any of you have mad bread baking skills like that?
Here’s a closeup of that fancy bread.
Sounds like Thanksgiving to me! What are you cooking up for Thanksgiving this year?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha,
I did this menu for thanksgiving everyone loved it, thank you. I keep checking for your menu ideas for Christmas, but there is nothing yet. Did I miss it?
Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your family!
Thanks for the great recipes
This is the closest thing I have for the Christmas menu Ideas, hope this helps. Merry Christmas and Awesome New Year to you and your family as well Nagi :).
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY! This year my son is cooking our feast….turducken! I get to relax, but it’s hard as I keep wanting to help in the preparations but he won’t let me. 😉
Zina, thank you so much! Have a happy Thanksgiving and take full advantage of taking the year off 😉 Sounds like you have a very good son 🙂
I love your blog. It’s Thanksgiving which means it’s time to give thanks.
I want to thank you for your great recipes.
I adopted a 12 year old boy from Ukraine last year and he misses his food the most. Without your blog I would be lost. If your ever in South Jersey and want to come and cook with me your more than welcome. I have learned so much from you.
THANKS and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Noelle
Thank you so much for your sweet words. God bless your family and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I’m giving thanks for you!!
400 recipes…WOW…Can you imagine how many hours in the kitchen, photographing and posting?:) Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Natasha!
I should have kept track. Thousands of hours I’m sure 😉 but it’s completely a labor of love 🙂
Natasha, thank you for the menu ideas!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
I made your Danish it was delish and didn’t last long. Thank you
Oh I’m so happy you liked the Danish 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving to your family as well 🙂
thank you, Natasha!
here are a few pictures – http://irishagold.blogspot.com/2013/11/fo-of-week.html
Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Beautiful! Happy Thanksgiving to you and family.
Thanks Liz 🙂 happy Thanksgiving to you as well!! 🙂
Great post for us Slavic people! That bread baker has some major talent.
I know, seriously!! I once made a fancy bread but it didn’t come close to this one! 🙂
Natasha! I just love you blog!!! I don’t know how you have time for everything! You are AMAZING young lady! You answer to every single post. That tells me that you are kind and caring person! It’s very sweet of you!! I have children of your age and grandchildren of your son’s age and still learned so much from you! You are my inspiration! Have to tell you, your son is so cute, handsome little man:) God bless your beautiful family! BTW I have two uncles with their families and cousins live in Boise, Idaho. Who knows, maybe you see them sometimes 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving to your Family as well!
It’s still a fairly small town, so maybe I do know them :). Thank you so much for your sweet words. 🙂 God bless yoru family as well and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I usually put up a tree right after Thanksgiving. But we will not be home until mid-Dec so it probably wouldn’t feel like Christmas until we come back.
Maybe this year we can get a fresh cut tree :)))
We had a fresh one two years ago and then were annoyed about the cleanup so we didn’t hesitate to buy the one we have on super clearance a couple years ago 😉 Have fun on your vacation. From your IG and FB posts, it looks like you are having a blast!
The secret to a great turkey is brining.
I put the turkey in a simple salt, pepper, and water brine; though there are complicated spiced brines as well.
My family approved recipe (going on 9 years now) is brined turkey stuffed with cooked grechka. Then spears of carrots and garlic “zubtsi” are inserted into the meat all around: this is done by spearing the turkey with a small paring knife and inserting the carrot or garlic into the cut. (Probably 40 1- inch carrot spears and 40 garlic “zubtsi” halved). Mayo rubbed all over and spices sprinkled on top.
Since brining cuts the cooking in half, I have the turkey done by 12:30. We usually eat at 1.
A little explanation (not mine):
“But how does brining work? The salt solution passes through the permeable meat cells during the soaking process using the method of osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane – in this case the meat cells. Through diffusion, the salt and water within the meat cells balance with the salt and water in the surrounding brine which results in a higher concentration of salt and water in the meat. Food chemists disagree about the mechanics of this diffusion and how salt travels across membranes, but at the end of the day, the diffusion results in more water and flavor within the cells of the meat.
The high concentration of salt also denatures protein strands. In their normal state, the strands are tightly wound; denatured strands unwind and tangle. During cooking, this unusual structure traps water molecules and holds onto them. The end result of this osmosis is less moisture is lost during cooking. This year, I couldn’t cook on Thanksgiving day so I invited friends over for pre-Thanksgiving. The turkey turned out just as good as last year. Even the leftover bird was moist after being reheated in a microwave. Which means that this is a recipe that will stay in the folder in my kitchen for years to come…
Happy Thanksgiving!”
http://science.kqed.org/quest/2009/11/25/the-science-behind-brining/
My mama in law was sharing with us the other day that she brines her turkey as well. I HAVE TO post a turkey for next year. I guess I should probably buy one and experiment now! 😉 Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Your little boy is so cute (: and that bread is incredible!
Thank you and Isn’t it??!! :-O
Natashochka, you are simply AMAZING. No words…. You are truly gifted.
And you are truly sweet. Thank you 🙂
Very timely, Natasha! I have extended family over for Thanksgiving – will try some of your recipes to make it Ukrainian-style! Thank you for sharing!
That’s the best kind! 😉 If you post any pictures of the dishes you make, please tag me so I can see them!! 🙂
Sounds good!
So many good ideas on what to make for Thanksgiving! I have never cooked a turkey either..confession time. 😉 We don’t have our Christmas tree up yet, but my husband is similar to your son, and we will probably be putting it up after Thanksgiving. 🙂
That bread is gorgeous! Wow!
Haha; your husband. Since we are in confession time. Last years turkey was a total bomb. lol That’s part of why I don’t have one posted this year.