5-Ingredient Thanksgiving Recipes To Make The Holiday Just A Bit Easier
Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
Thanksgiving cooking can be a bit stressful. There's a lot of dishes to juggle, and each one often has a few components, and a laundry list of ingredients to prep. It's no wonder home cooks are always looking for time-savers, shortcuts, and kitchen hacks for making the big holiday dinner a little easier. Of course, you don't want to sacrifice any of the time-honored classics for the sake of ease, but sometimes its nice to incorporate a few unfussy recipes alongside the family favorites. That's where these 5-ingredient recipes come in. If you don't count a few staples, like salt, pepper, oil, or water, all of these recipes require only a handful of ingredients, which makes cooking easier and the grocery shopping a little less expensive, too.
Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
These mashed potatoes may not use very many ingredients, but the key ingredient the recipe does include is cream cheese, which gives these spuds a creamy texture and tangy taste.
2-Ingredient Biscuits
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
It doesn't get any easier than a 2-ingredient biscuit. Now you have no excuse to buy the canned kind.
Classic Baked Macaroni And Cheese
A quick trip to the oven turns this simple combo of noodles, butter, milk, cheese, and flour into a gooey Thanksgiving side everyone will love.
Turkey Gravy
This silky smooth gravy starts with turkey drippings, and then uses good-quality stock and flour to turn it into an easy topping for mashed potatoes, turkey, dressing, and more.
Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
If you're looking for a new way to serve green beans this Thanksgiving, try this easy recipe made with super savory Parmesan cheese and bacon.
Oven-Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sometimes simple is best, and these baked sweet potatoes prove just that. Although delicious just served with butter, you can top them with any of your favorite toppings including other dishes on the Thanksgiving table, like a dollop of cranberry sauce.
Slow-Cooker Green Beans
Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
If oven space is tight, turn to this slow-cooker recipe that will have even the picky eaters excited to eat green beans this year.
Skillet-Roasted Carrots
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Rainbow carrots, if you can find them at your local grocery store, really take this simple side dish to the next level.
Super Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Mashed potatoes might be the Thanksgiving default, but these just as easy and super crispy spuds are great way to mix things up this year.
Classic Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a year-round food in the South. Have a plate of this classic appetizer ready for when guest arrive, so they have something to nibble on while you put the final touches on Thanksgiving dinner.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Courtney West/Southern Living
Some people prefer canned cranberry sauce, but if you're on team homemade, this is the recipe for you. Ready in under an hour, and only requiring 5 ingredients (not counting salt), you can easily wow guests with it's fresh flavor that you just won't get with the store-bought stuff.
Simple Roasted Turkey
Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
There are countless ways to prepare a turkey. You can smoke it, fry it, grill it, and more, but sometimes a Simple Roasted Turkey without all the bells and whistles is all you really need.
Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts get a bad rap, but this recipe will help rectify that. Crispy, cheesy, and not at all mushy, these will convert even the staunchest Brussel sprouts haters.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Yukon gold and russet potatoes aren't the only spuds good for mashing. Add a little color to the Thanksgiving table with this orange mash that is just as delicious loaded with gravy as regular mashed potatoes.
Brown Sugar-Glazed Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
Sweet, salty, and crisp, this vegetable side has it all. The best part? The recipe is ready in 20 minutes and doesn't take up any oven space. And if you don't count the salt and pepper, it only requires 5 ingredients.
No-Knead Buttermilk Bread
Making bread from scratch can be a lot of work, but not with this recipe. Not only does it not require many ingredients, but it doesn't even require any kneading.
Cheddar Cheese Straws
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
A classic holiday appetizer, cheese straws require a little patience while piping, but otherwise mostly uses pantry staples and can be made in the days before Thanksgivng.
Southern Skillet Cornbread
Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Whether you want cornbread on the Thanksgiving table, or you just want to bake a fresh batch for dressing, this 5-ingredient rendition is an easy way to make the classic from scratch and not turn to a mix.
Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
Maple is a fall flavor we just can't get enough of. It even makes vegetables like Brussel sprouts infinitely better.
Classic Green Bean Casserole
Rob Culpepper; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Assistant Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Sometimes store-bought is best, and this easy version of the classic Thanksgiving casserole proves it. This green bean casserole uses canned soup and premade crispy onions, and we don't think there's anything wrong with that.
Related: Our Favorite Traditional Recipes To Serve on Thanksgiving
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