7 Thanksgiving Recipes in 7 Ingredients or Less

In all the years I’ve been developing Thanksgiving recipes, no one has ever demanded, “Give me a fancy menu with hard-to-find ingredients that will really show off what a sophisticated cook I am.” There are people who treat their holiday meal as a tour de force, but most of us are looking for a delicious menu that’s familiar enough and interesting enough and won’t drive us crazy in the making. That’s what I offer here.

I also limited the number of ingredients in any dish to seven (except for salt and pepper, which are so ubiquitous they hardly count, right?). Despite the fact that supply chains have been restored and inflation has eased a bit, supermarket food prices have stayed stubbornly high. But as these recipes demonstrate, you don’t need a lot of ingredients to deliver a lot of flavor.

So remember: It’s the holidays! A time for merriment and good cheer. May your feast be abundant and your cooking serene, and may all your loved ones be happy and healthy, now and in the coming year.

7 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Spicy Feta and Red Pepper Dip

Here’s a take on tirokafteri, a creamy, lightly spicy feta dip from Greece that every cook should have in their repertoire when company is coming.

Easy Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Cranberry sauce doesn’t get much simpler than this. The flavors are so perfect together, you just don’t need anything else.

Creamy Green Beans and Mushrooms with Crispy Garlic

Knowing that oven space is at a premium on Thanksgiving Day, we developed a stovetop-only take on the iconic green bean casserole. The old-school French cream sauce with white wine and butter adds a bit of nostalgia and a lot of deliciousness. And crispy garlic gives a crunchy finish.

Dry-Brined Turkey

We’re a big fan of dry-brining turkey. It’s less messy than wet brining, and we love the flavor and texture it creates. You’ll need three days to let the turkey cure—and be sure your bird isn’t pre-salted, as some frozen and all kosher turkeys are. Note: You can brine for just two days, but the flavor won’t be as good.

Easy Turkey Gravy

Despite popular belief, you can make gravy from the drippings of a dry-brined turkey. Whatever saltiness exists in the pan is easily diluted by the 4 cups of stock. And this gravy is so simple you can whip it up while your turkey is resting.

Sausage and Onion Dressing

Here’s a classic savory dressing that you bake in a casserole dish. Food scientists prefer this method, as stuffing the bird carries some risk of contamination. If you miss that baked-in-the-bird flavor, just drizzle some gravy or pan drippings over the dressing before serving. And if you are willing to add an eighth ingredient, 2 teaspoons of dried sage are a nice touch.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

Anyone remember this retro pumpkin pie? It doesn’t have a pastry crust, but the Bisquick gives the custard enough structure that it slices easily and feels substantial. For the perfect finish, top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice.

Amy Traverso

Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee and cohost of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with GBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.

More by Amy Traverso