No-Fail Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

I did my research on what most "Traditional Thanksgiving Meals" contain in their menus. What I found was a list like this one: Roast Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Dinner Rolls, Yams, Pumpkin Pie. To that I'd add a Green Bean Casserole, some Sparkling Apple Cider, and subtract Yams for what I'd normally serve for Thanksgiving. And these are just the traditional Thanksgiving meal basics! Even if everything came out of the oven just right, you can imagine how long a meal like this would take to prepare from scratch. If you're considering simpler options for this year's Thanksgiving meal, read on for my no-fail meal ideas for a simpler [yet still mostly traditional] Thanksgiving.

Turkey Breast Cutlets
Instead of the 20-pound turkey that you may normally purchase for Thanksgiving, consider a pack of Turkey breast cutlets. Just like you'd purchase chicken breasts in the grocery store, you'll find packages of pre-sliced turkey breasts cutlets. If you sometimes find turkey to be dry, why not marinate the breasts in cranberry juice overnight for added flavor and moisture to the poultry? Turkey and cranberries taste great together, after all. Baking these cutlets in the oven for the 20 minutes, or so, it takes them to cook up is such a no-fail approach to roasting turkey. It's such a simpler task when compared to not only baking a huge turkey, but also basting it, putting foil on just the right places, and checking it numerous times until it's thoroughly cooked! Plus, the left-overs won't last several Thanksgivings either!

Canned Dinner Rolls
Let's not pretend here. You know the refrigerated section of the grocery store has those Pillsbury Dinner Rolls, right? If you've ever had them, you'll know they are super soft and tasty! Don't feel guilty: if you want a no-fail Thanksgiving dinner, purchase some of these long rounded containers and bake the dough they contain in the oven right after the turkey breast cutlets come out to cool. Serve with butter (or without - they're just as good without!). Unless you don't set the kitchen timer, these Thanksgiving dinner rolls will be absolutely no-fail!

Boxed Stuffing
For the easiest and most-guaranteed no-fail stuffing idea, purchase a boxed stuffing mix. Kraft's Stove Top is the one I'd recommend - and any flavor. If I remember correctly, all you do to prepare this stuffing is boil some water before stirring in the prepared dry stuffing. You then remove the pot from heat, and after 5 or so minutes it'll be ready to eat. This boxed stuffing tastes really good, and if you've never had it before you just may buy this product all year round.

Green Bean Casserole
A vegetable side dish doesn't get much more no-fail than a green bean casserole. Gather the ingredients (4 cans Green Beans, 1 1/3 French Fried Onions, 1 can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1 tsp Soy Sauce, & 1/2 cup Milk), mix them together in a baking dish (using only half the onions), and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Then, remove from the oven, sprinkle the remaining onions over the top of the dish, and bake for another 5. You literally mix and bake; it's so simple for Thanksgiving.

Boxed Mashed Potatoes & Packet of Gravy
With all the time it takes to make home-made mashed potatoes, I'd recommend the boxed version any day that you want them to be easy and no-fail, but especially for a busy day like Thanksgiving. The Super Target brand, Market Pantry, makes a great-tasting boxed mashed potato, and it's a really inexpensive product, too. These mashed potatoes are almost as simple to make as the boxed stuffing; you boil water, add butter, add the dried potatoes & the flavoring mix it comes with, stir, and remove from heat for about 5 minutes. And don't forget the gravy! Just purchase a small packet that you add to water and heat up. This Thanksgiving side dish will be waiting on you!

Canned Cranberry Sauce
I have no idea how you'd make the real thing (okay I suppose you'd cook some cranberries for a while and then mash them until they make a smooth sauce - that's my guess). No matter how it's done, it's gotta be easier to buy a can of pre-made Cranberry Sauce! All the brands I've tried have been very good! Just do like my grandmother did: open the can, pour the contents onto a narrow platter, and slice it up for easy serving. Unless you drop the sauce on the floor, this is for sure a no-fail side dish!

Sparkling Juice or Cider
For a special no-fail beverage, choose a sparkling juice in a nice bottle. My family loves the sparkling apple cider, sparkling grape juice, and sparkling cranberry juice. The bottles look great on the table, or when poured into glasses. You may want to purchase more bottles than you think you'll need, as these liquids go fast because they're so good!

Frozen Pumpkin Pie
A frozen pumpkin pie from the grocery store can easily be your no-fail Thanksgiving dessert. Once the Thanksgiving meal is over and your family and/or guests are ready to relax their bloated selves onto the sofa, you can pop this pie right from your freezer into your pre-heated oven. It'll be ready somewhere within the hour for anyone who wants it (or wait until later if you want to serve it warmed). Don't forget the Cool Whip to go on top of each piece. Mmmmm! And so easy!

There you have it, my no-fail Thanksgiving meal ideas for a basic traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, if you really want to go no-fail you may want to pre-order with Boston Market and let them do all the kitchen work for you!