The best Thanksgiving dishes I've made required zero fancy techniques and were all done before my oven finished preheating twice.
Last week at my local farmers market in Venice Beach, I overheard someone say they were skipping Thanksgiving this year because cooking stressed them out too much.
I wanted to tell them they were doing it wrong.
Thanksgiving doesn't have to mean spending all day in the kitchen or pulling off some culinary miracle.
The best dishes I've made have been simple, quick, and required zero fancy techniques.
After eight years of vegan Thanksgivings, I've learned that impressive doesn't mean complicated.
These six sides look like they took hours but they're all done in under 30 minutes.
They've saved me countless times when I'm running late or when my partner reminds me we're hosting in three hours and I haven't started cooking yet.
1) Maple-roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze
Brussels sprouts get a bad reputation, but when you roast them right, they become these crispy little flavor bombs that even the skeptics reach for.
The trick is high heat and not crowding the pan. Cut them in half, toss with olive oil and salt, then roast at 425°F for about 20 minutes. While they're in the oven, reduce some balsamic vinegar with maple syrup in a small pot until it's thick and glossy.
When the sprouts come out, drizzle that glaze over them and watch people change their minds about vegetables.
I started making these after my grandmother cried at Thanksgiving because I wouldn't eat her traditional dishes. Now I bring something that looks just as beautiful on the table, and honestly, hers go home in Tupperware while mine get scraped clean.
2) Garlic herb mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes are non-negotiable at Thanksgiving. The good news is they're already accidentally vegan if you know what you're doing.
Boil your potatoes until they're fork-tender, about 15 minutes. While they're cooking, heat some olive oil with minced garlic until fragrant. Mash the potatoes with the garlic oil, add some vegetable broth or oat milk until they're creamy, then fold in fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.
The result tastes rich and indulgent without any butter or cream. My partner's family didn't believe these were vegan until I showed them the recipe.
Skip the potato peeling if you want to save time. Leaving the skins on adds texture and nobody at Thanksgiving has ever complained about rustic mashed potatoes.
3) Glazed carrots with fresh thyme
Carrots are one of those vegetables that people forget about until they taste them done right.
Slice them on the diagonal so they look fancy, then cook them in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes. Add maple syrup, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper in the last few minutes. The natural sugars caramelize and create this glossy coating that makes them look like they came from a restaurant.
This is the dish I make when I need something that photographs well for my Instagram but don't have time to actually cook. The diagonal cut does most of the work.
What makes this work is that carrots are forgiving. You can't really overcook them in 15 minutes, and even if you undercook them slightly, they still taste good with a little crunch.
4) Cranberry-orange relish
Canned cranberry sauce is fine, but making your own takes the same amount of time as opening a can and tastes infinitely better.
Throw fresh cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, and a bit of maple syrup into a pot. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. That's it.
The fresh orange cuts through the tartness of the cranberries in a way that makes you wonder why anyone uses canned. Plus, watching the cranberries pop while they cook is oddly satisfying.
I learned this from a book I read recently about breaking free from inherited programming. Sometimes we do things a certain way just because that's how they've always been done, not because it's actually better. Cranberry sauce from a can is one of those things.
5) Green beans with toasted almonds
Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving staple, but the traditional version takes forever and dirties multiple dishes. This version gives you the same satisfying crunch in a fraction of the time.
Blanch the green beans in boiling water for about five minutes, then shock them in ice water to keep them bright green. In a large pan, toast slivered almonds until golden, add the green beans back in with some minced garlic, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook for another three minutes.
The almonds give you that crispy element without needing to make fried onions from scratch or open a can of condensed soup.
This was one of the first dishes I brought to a family gathering after I went vegan. My siblings now request it every year, which tells you everything you need to know.
6) Roasted sweet potato wedges with cinnamon
Sweet potatoes are already associated with Thanksgiving, but the traditional casserole with marshmallows takes way too long to bake.
Cut sweet potatoes into wedges, toss them with olive oil, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, then roast at 425°F for 25 minutes. Flip them halfway through so both sides get crispy.
They come out caramelized on the outside and creamy on the inside. If you want to make them look extra fancy, drizzle them with a little maple syrup in the last five minutes of cooking.
The best part about this dish is you can prep the sweet potatoes the night before. Cut them, store them in water in the fridge, then just drain and season them when you're ready to cook.
Conclusion
Thanksgiving doesn't have to be an endurance test. These six dishes prove that simple food, done well, beats complicated food done frantically every time.
I make at least three of these every year, and they've never failed me. They look impressive, they taste better than their complicated counterparts, and you'll actually have time to enjoy the holiday instead of being stuck in the kitchen all day.
The secret isn't fancy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients. It's just knowing which shortcuts work and which ones don't.
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