45 Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas That’ll Make You Forget All About Turkey

A showstopper Thanksgiving dinner entrée of beef tenderloin wrapped in mushroom paste and crispy, buttery puff pastry.

These short ribs are a rich winter meal, too, easy and forgiving to cook under their sleek caps of fat, melting into tender chunks of pull-apart beef in the oven. Serve over mashed potatoes for an ultra-cozy Thanksgiving dinner.

Partner this special-occasion cut of beef with good wine, a swipe of homemade horseradish cream, and a platter of golden roasted potatoes and you’re on your way to a delicious Thanksgiving meal.

Ultra-tender chunks of beef chuck roast, seared vegetables, and a rich, velvety red wine sauce make this French stew ultra-cozy for Thanksgiving dinner.

This impossibly tender, center-piece cut of beef tenderloin is the Thanksgiving dinner of your dreams.

Tender braised beef in a rich, caramelized onion gravy (it's perfect over mashed potatoes!).

The beef brisket that makes the whole house smell like a cozy day perfect for snuggling on the couch after the big meal.

It’s all about the béchamel sauce and bolognese. This classic lasagna is the perfect make-ahead main for Thanksgiving.

Make a traditional Sunday roast for Thanksgiving, with rosemary roasted beef, carrots and parsnips, crispy potatoes, creamy horseradish sauce, and warm gravy. Serve with perfect, pillowy Yorkshire pudding.

Oven-braised beef short ribs and tender potatoes in a rich and flavorful sauce. Serve with steamed white rice and lumpia Shanghai for a comforting Thanksgiving dinner everyone will love.

For the most tender cut of beef, look to this tried-and-true method. While the beef slowly braises, it gives you time to make a side dish like mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.

The slow-cooker yields tender, fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs swimming in a savory broth, made deeper and richer thanks to several glugs of Cabernet. Serve with creamy polenta for the coziest Thanksgiving dinner.

These Korean braised short ribs are the definition of umami-rich winter comfort food.

This classic French stew is the coziest thing you’ll cook on Thanksgiving.

Layer buttery mashed potatoes over French-inspired chicken pot pie filling for the ultimate comfort food.

This roast chicken recipe features apples, savory chicken with crisp skin, and hearty cabbage deeply flavored with all the juices from the chicken.

This easy take on the traditional French dish is just as delicious (and perfect for Thanksgiving!).

Braised chicken thighs and bursting-with-flavor potatoes are the stars of this impossibly easy and delicious recipe perfect for Thanksgiving dinner.

A cozy French classic that’s really easy to whip up at home.

If you're leaning towards roast chicken on Thanksgiving, you cannot go wrong with this herb-packed rendition from Zuni Cafe. Take advantage of all the drippings and toss them with a salad of toasted bread and fresh greens, just like they do at the restaurant.

Apple cider gives chicken thighs a caramel-spiced sheen in this one-skillet dinner you won't want to miss.

Chicken pot pie is quintessential comfort food for so many people. Nothing’s cozier than a warm, savory filling encased in a buttery, flaky pie crust.

A sweet and savory sauce made of maple syrup and Dijon mustard is the secret to serving the most flavorful chicken thighs.

Thanks to ample hands-off cook time and a totally luxurious result, these braised chicken thighs is the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner party main.

Thick, tart pomegranate molasses makes an excellent foil for succulent chicken legs and crispy potatoes in this oven-roasted skillet dinner.

The most delicious Thanksgiving centerpiece you can serve. highly recommend slathering it in a spice mixture and a brown sugar maple glaze before baking it in the oven — a process that transforms it into something magical.

Standing tall like a crown, this roast is an impressive choice for Thanksgiving dinner. It delivers juicy, tender pork chops for a crowd using our foolproof oven method of roasting the meat first at a higher temperature to achieve a golden crust, then finishing at a lower temperature to cook it evenly throughout.

The secret to the best-ever pork tenderloin? Heat the skillet in the oven! It's key for an irresistible caramelized crust.

Honey butter and a crunchy spiced sugar coating makes this the very best Thanksgiving-worthy ham.

If you prefer to skip turkey on Thanksgiving, a juicy pork loin roast is a nice alternative when you need a main to feed a crowd.

Juicy honey mustard pork tenderloin, tender green beans, and baby potatoes cook together for an easy sheet pan dinner for Thanksgiving.

Brushed with bourbon, brown sugar, and orange, then roasted until juicy and crispy, this ham is the centerpiece you want on your Thanksgiving table.

If the word stuffing makes your taste buds perk up and immediately think of your upcoming Thanksgiving feast, then listen up! This is the perfect time to satisfy that craving with these stuffed pork chops loaded with buttery, cheesy breadcrumbs.

Flavor explodes when you treat whole pork shoulder in the style of bo ssam, the Korean dish of pork slow-cooked in spices then carved into delicate slivers.

This slow-cooker pork loin is cooked over a bed of thick-cut carrots and red potatoes with a sweet and tangy sauce to bring it all together.

Learn how to stuff and bake a whole pumpkin with cornbread, mushrooms, and kale to serve as a vegetarian entrée for Thanksgiving and beyond.

A vegetarian Thanksgiving lasagna with luxurious layers of tender lasagna noodles, bathed in a creamy crème fraîche and pumpkin sauce, and studded with roasted squash and warm cascades of melty Fontina cheese.

Stuffed butternut squash is the ultimate vegetarian showstopper. Served in roasted squash halves, its hearty filling of whole grains, leafy greens, mushrooms, and dried cherries will leave you feeling cozy and nourished.

A brightened-up version of the classic comfort food, featuring the flavors of Greek spanakopita: spinach, feta cheese, fresh dill, and lots of lemon.

These cheesy stuffed poblano peppers on a bed of garlicky tomato sauce are sure to impress everyone at the table. Serve it with a side of Mexican rice for the perfect vegetarian Thanksgiving meal.

This easy, cheesy spinach lasagna is total comfort food for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

An easy meatless pot pie filled with sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and kale that's prepared and baked in a skillet.

Beautiful stuffed shells with a caramelized onion ricotta filling, a Gruyère cheese sauce, and a cheesy breadcrumb topping.

A cozy recipe for creamy polenta topped with a savory vegetarian mushroom ragu.

While this lasagna is packed with vegetables, it doesn't skimp on the pasta or cheese. It's the perfect vegetarian main for Thanksgiving dinner!