20 Thanksgiving recipes if you want to try something new

If you have some apples left over from your trip to the orchard, slice them up for a tart and sweet autumn salad that also includes cranberries, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and an apple cider vinaigrette. Feel free to customize the ingredients to your liking, or follow this recipe from Flavor Mosaic.

Have you ever tried beer can chicken or turkey? If not, now is your chance to put a unique but easy spin on your ordinary turkey dinner. As the recipe from Food Network (which includes a mustard, garlic, and paprika rub) explains, you’ll need to fire up the grill for this one!

Broccoli is more than just a side—it can also be the star of a salad! Craft it based on your preferences, or try this version from Well Plated with bacon, cranberries, green onions, pumpkin seeds, and a honey dressing.

Salads aren’t the only autumn appetizers on this list, we’ve also got soup! This comforting, seasonal butternut squash soup from Love and Lemons serves six, so it’s perfect for small Thanksgiving gatherings. (Or double it!)

Green bean casserole is so easy, most people have the recipe memorized: green beans, a can of mushroom soup, and crispy fried onions. But why not spice it up with some extra ingredients, like cheese, or bacon, or both? Try this recipe from Handle the Heat, which also nixes the soup in favor of a from-scratch sauce composed of milk and sour cream.

Switching from regular stuffing to cornbread stuffing can add some serious flavor to your Thanksgiving meal. This Food Network recipe is a good place to start, and it comes Simon & Garfunkel-approved, as it contains parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Upgrade your traditional cranberry sauce with this orange-cranberry recipe from Once Upon a Chef. It might involve a couple of extra steps, but only requires five simple ingredients!

If you like mashed potatoes but want more points for presentation, try these duchess potatoes from A Spicy Perspective. The prep is pretty similar to mashed potatoes, but the spuds get piped through a bag with a star tip, giving them their spiral appearance.

Want a mashed potato replacement? Swap them out for gratin dauphinoise, also known as “potatoes au gratin.” Instead of mashing your taters, you slice Yukon gold potatoes and add butter, garlic, Gruyère, heavy cream, milk, and a few spices and seasonings. Visit the Kitchn for some guidance in your kitchen.

Firing up the grill for Thanksgiving? Or looking for a reason to? Banish your Brussels sprouts to the fires of your barbecue with this recipe from The Mediterranean Dish. Even sprouts-doubters will enjoy this one!

Wrapping anything in bacon makes it better, so it’s about time your Thanksgiving turkey got the bacon treatment. Food Network can show you how to pull it off with a maple-roasted bird sauteed in butter and sage. It also includes cornbread stuffing, so if you already made the cornbread stuffing earlier in this slideshow, you’re one huge step ahead!

We’ve seen cauliflower stand-in for chicken and pizza crust in recent days, but don’t forget that mashed cauliflower can be a healthier alternative to mashed taters. Well, a healthier base, at least, as this version from Cafe Delites also includes garlic, butter, sour cream, and parmesan cheese.

Pass on the pedestrian pumpkin pie and instead bake these pumpkin bars from Sugar Apron. In case you need more convincing: they’re covered in a cream cheese frosting.

This dip is the perfect appetizer before your big meal, as hummus is a crowd-pleaser, and the addition of pumpkin keeps it seasonally relevant. Crowded Kitchen has the recipe.

Ever think about trading in your turkey tradition for pheasant? Not only can this dish be simpler than cooking a big bird, but pheasant is actually healthier in terms of fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Use this “Simple Roast Pheasant” recipe from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the James Beard Award-winning blog from Hank Shaw.

Another turkey alternative? Cornish hens, which are smaller and thus better for small families and couples. If this dish is new to you, try this recipe from Amira’s Panty, as you can make a pair of hens right in your slow cooker!

Or you could stick to a traditional turkey with a non-traditional prep in your slow cooker! This is another great option for smaller gatherings or when you just don’t feel like roasting an entire turkey. We like this simple version from The Recipe Critic, which only requires turkey, orange juice, cranberry sauce, onion soup mix, and salt & pepper.

Ditch the dip and serve your spinach-artichoke appetizer in muffin form instead. This recipe from Brit + Co includes spinach, artichoke hearts, cornmeal, two types of cheese, and a few other ingredients.

If you want a more creative way to serve sweet potatoes, 86 the casserole and treat yourself to some tots. No, not the frozen kind—but these homemade tots from Simple Healthy Kitchen, which are baked instead of fried.

Make this sweet, moist pumpkin dessert available to your vegan guests using this recipe from Crumbs & Caramel that nixes the cream cheese. Bonus: The recipe includes a section on how to make candied pecans!