Favorite Thanksgiving Foods (Plus Dairy-Free Allergy-Friendly Meal Substitutes)

Thanksgiving Foods are some of my favorite kinds of food. An old-fashioned and traditional American Thanksgiving Dinner is something to be thankful for!

Just a quick rundown on why I love Thanksgiving Foods …

• I love my mom’s recipe for stuffing/dressing!
• I love eating turkey with mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce all in one amazing bite!
• I love eating a loaded salad with homemade French Dressing and banana peppers.
• I love dipping a dinner roll into the gravy.
• I love the little taste of candied yams with browned marshmallows that I always have to try (and I never like it enough to take a full serving).
• I love the sparkling juices.
• And, of course, Pumpkin Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert!

I am sharing a list of my mom’s traditional Thanksgiving Foods, with links to the closest recipes. The Stuffing is really the best part and the most “unique” to my mom. It is a family recipe passed down from her mom, with my mom’s own touch added to it. Her recipe is a “family secret treasure”, so the following recipe will have to do. 😉

In recent years when we have had to miss my family’s gathering due to our children’s compromised immune systems, I have started my own simple, yet yummy Thanksgiving dinner tradition. I try to make it as close as possible as my mom’s big meal, but since we have a dairy allergy in our house I have to adjust recipes. So, I am also sharing the changes I make to accommodate our family’s needs at the end of this article. 

Family Favorite Thanksgiving Foods

Stuffing – this recipe is very close (minus the turkey breast). We would also include chopped turkey meat (the giblets actually. Minus the liver. ), diced onions & celery, eggs, and evaporated milk instead of water. We would use plain bread crumbs, so I guess this recipe includes the onions and celery in the stuffing mix already. I mostly chose this recipe to represent my mom’s since it has apples and raisins in it like hers does. We would stuff it into the turkey and then put the rest in casserole dishes to bake in the oven.

Candied Yams – we would use “candied yams” bought from the store and top with marshmallows.

French Dressing – this is pretty much the same as my mom’s recipe, which I think came from my Dad’s mom!

Crescent Rolls – these are similar to my mom’s. She would make a few dozen of these, all soft and flakey. Good memories of her putting them to “rise” under the wood burning stove in the kitchen-eating-area.

Pumpkin Pie – my mom always just followed the recipe from the can of Libby’s pumpkin puree. This is a recipe for the pie crust, similar to what she would use.

We always have a huge roasted and stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, salad, pickle & hot pepper tray, veggies (corn, green beans), and sparkling juice. We end the day with desserts like the traditional pumpkin pie along with a variety of other pies and cakes.

Dairy-Free Allergy-Friendly Thanksgiving Dinner

Mashed Potatoes – make using mayo (or Vegan, Soy-free Earth Balance Buttery Spread) in place of butter and chicken broth in place of milk.

Stuffing – make using mayo (or Vegan, Soy-free Earth Balance Buttery Spread) in place of butter and chicken broth in place of milk.

Pumpkin Pie – this recipe is similar to what I have made, though I use unsweetened canned coconut milk in place of rice milk, olive oil in place of canola oil, and my homemade “truvia“ in place of white sugar.

Dinner Rolls – I use a no-knead artisan recipe to make rolls quickly. This recipe is similar but has a fun fall twist that makes it perfect for Thanksgiving.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving foods?? 

Thanksgiving Resources We Love!

Wilton Armetale Give Us This Day Bread Serving Tray, Rectangular, #601008Pioneer Woman Willow Oven Mitt/Pot Holder and Kitchen Towels 6 Pc Set/BundleThe Pioneer Woman Fall Flowers Salad Plate Set, 4-Pack, 10.75 x 11.00 x 4.50 InchesFall Flowers Butter Dish and Cow Creamer,The Pioneer WomanAutumn Fall Leaves Party Paper Plates and Napkins Set by Autumn LeavesChoosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy