4 vegan Thanksgiving recipes that feed a crowd without breaking the bank

Last November, I watched my tía Gloria pull off what felt like magic: she fed twenty-three people (three generations crammed into her living room) with a Thanksgiving spread that cost less than most people spend on a single turkey.

No tricks, no shortcuts on flavor. Just smart shopping, a few foundational recipes, and the kind of kitchen confidence that comes from feeding a family on a tight budget for decades.

She taught me something that night that I want to pass on to you: feeding a crowd doesn't require a fat wallet. It requires strategy.

The math is simple but brutal. The average Thanksgiving dinner costs about $65 for ten people, and that's before you account for dietary restrictions or the premium slapped onto anything labeled "vegan" at the grocery store.

Scale that up to fifteen or twenty guests, and suddenly you're staring down a hundred-dollar bill before you've even thought about dessert.

But here's the kicker: plant-based cooking has a built-in advantage. Beans, lentils, root vegetables, and grains cost pennies per serving compared to meat and dairy.

The trick is knowing which recipes multiply beautifully, which ingredients pull double duty, and how to make everything taste like you spent twice what you did.

These four recipes do exactly that. Each one feeds eight to twelve people easily, uses pantry staples you can buy in bulk, and tastes like the kind of meal people remember.

Even better? Three of them can be prepped the day before, which means you're not sweating over a hot stove when guests arrive.

1. Smoky mashed sweet potatoes with crispy sage

Sweet potatoes are the unsung hero of budget cooking. They're cheap year-round, they stretch beautifully, and they bring natural sweetness that makes people think you added sugar (you didn't). This is the side dish people will fight over.

Ingredients (serves 10–12)

• 5 lbs sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• ½ cup canned coconut milk (full-fat)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bunch fresh sage (about 20 leaves)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Poke sweet potatoes with a fork and roast on a baking sheet for 45–60 minutes until completely soft.
2. While potatoes roast, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Fry sage leaves for 30 seconds per side until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel.
3. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop flesh into a large bowl.
4. Add coconut milk, remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mash until smooth or slightly chunky.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with crispy sage.

Make-ahead tip: Roast the sweet potatoes the night before. Store them whole in the fridge, then mash them the day of. They actually taste better when the flavors have had time to marry.

2. Garlicky white bean cassoulet with herb breadcrumbs

This is the dish that makes people ask for seconds even when they're already full. It's rich, garlicky, and topped with golden breadcrumbs that add crunch to every bite. My abuela always said beans were humble food that deserved to be dressed up. This recipe does exactly that.

Ingredients (serves 10–12)

Bean base

• 6 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained
• 1 large onion, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Breadcrumb topping

• 3 cups stale bread, torn into small pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add tomato paste, thyme, and salt. Cook for 1 minute until paste darkens slightly.
4. Pour in diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Add beans and stir to combine.
5. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and let bubble gently for 15 minutes until liquid thickens. Taste and adjust salt.
6. Meanwhile, toss torn bread with 1 Tbsp olive oil, parsley, and a pinch of salt.
7. Spread breadcrumb mixture over beans. Transfer pot to 375°F oven and bake for 20 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden and crispy.

Make-ahead tip: Make the bean base up to two days ahead. Store it in the fridge, then top with fresh breadcrumbs and bake right before serving. The breadcrumbs need to be fresh for the right texture.

3. Maple-roasted root vegetables with tahini drizzle

Root vegetables are dirt cheap in November, and roasting them concentrates their natural sugars into something almost caramelized. This is the recipe that taught me gorgeous food doesn't have to be expensive.

Ingredients (serves 10–12)

Roasted vegetables

• 3 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 lbs parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 red onions, cut into wedges
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Tahini drizzle

• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2–3 Tbsp water
• Pinch of salt
• Fresh dill or parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Toss carrots, parsnips, and onions with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper on two large baking sheets. Don't crowd them or they'll steam instead of roast.
3. Roast for 35–40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until everything is golden and tender with crispy edges.
4. While vegetables roast, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, and water until smooth and pourable. It'll seize up at first. Keep whisking and adding water a tablespoon at a time until it loosens.
5. Season with salt.
6. Pile roasted vegetables on a platter and drizzle tahini sauce over the top. Scatter fresh herbs if using.

Make-ahead tip: Prep and cut all the vegetables the day before. Store them in the fridge in a covered container, then just toss with oil and maple syrup right before roasting.

4. Spiced lentil and mushroom Wellington

This is the centerpiece: the thing people photograph and talk about later. It looks impressive, but it's actually one of the easiest recipes here. The first time I made this for my family, my uncle asked if I'd ordered it from a restaurant. That's the power of puff pastry.

Ingredients (serves 8–10)

Filling

• 2 cups green or brown lentils
• 1 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Assembly

• 2 sheets vegan puff pastry (most store brands are accidentally vegan)

Directions

1. Cook lentils according to package directions until tender but not mushy, about 20–25 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook without stirring for 3–4 minutes to let them brown.
3. Stir and cook until all their liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes total.
4. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce, sage, and rosemary. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
6. Mix mushroom mixture with cooked lentils. Season generously with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.
7. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Mound lentil-mushroom mixture down the center in a log shape, leaving about 2 inches of pastry on each side.
8. Brush edges with water, then drape a second sheet of pastry over the top. Press edges to seal and trim excess. Cut a few slits in the top for steam to escape.
9. Bake at 400°F for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Make-ahead tip: Assemble the entire Wellington the night before, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate. Bake it straight from the fridge the next day, adding 5 extra minutes to the baking time.

The real secret

Here's what my tía Gloria knows that took me years to learn: the secret to feeding a crowd on a budget isn't just about finding cheap ingredients.

It's about choosing recipes that want to be made in large quantities, dishes where doubling the recipe doesn't double the work.

These four recipes share common ingredients (olive oil, garlic, salt), they use affordable base ingredients that fill people up (beans, lentils, root vegetables), and they all taste even better the next day.

That last part matters more than you think, because it means you can cook with confidence instead of panic.

The total cost for all four recipes? About fifty-five dollars to feed ten people a complete Thanksgiving meal. Add a bagged salad and a store-bought pie, and you're still under seventy-five dollars.

That's not just budget-friendly. That's room in your wallet for the things that actually matter: like sending people home with leftovers, or buying the good wine, or not stressing about whether you can afford to invite two extra cousins.

Because at the end of the day, Thanksgiving is about who you fed and how they felt when they left your table.