What is Chicken Pho?

Chicken Pho is a light, but extremely flavorful brothy soup ladled over rice noodles, chicken, and vegetables, and served with fresh herb garnishes and sauces. Normally, the broth for Chicken Pho is made by simmering fresh chicken and aromatics for a long time, resulting in maximum umami from the bones and flavor extraction from the ginger, onion, and spices. The spices and garnishes like mung bean sprouts and Thai basil are not unusual, but they may not always be easy to find in conventional grocery stores, or out of season. Because it takes time and some effort to source ingredients, more traditional Chicken Pho is more of a weekend project in this house.

However, this "Easy" Chicken Pho lets us get to something similar with most of the flavor with a little less time and effort like boneless skinless chicken breasts and boxed chicken broth so that we can have a steaming hot bowl of brothy noodles on, say, a busy Tuesday night.

How to Make Chicken Pho Fast and Easy

Rather than simmering a whole chicken in water, essentially making a homemade chicken stock, we're relying on the quick-cooking convenience of boneless skinless chicken breasts (or boneless skinless chicken thighs) and boxed chicken broth.

We're also using ingredients that we can grab while we're in the regular ol' grocery store, rather than making additional stops for certain special vegetables and herbs. In place of bean sprouts, I use thinly shredded cabbage, which has the same crisp, crunchy texture and generally neutral flavor as bean sprouts, based on a tip I read from a Vietnamese chef but can't remember where! Thinly sliced cabbage but is definitely available year-round and in all grocery stores.

Thai basil is a type of basil that has a purple stem and flowers and it's almost always available as an import in Asian grocery stores or at the height of summer at some local farmers' markets. However, if you don't have access to it, your Vietnamese Grandma all-day authentic pho might get mad, but your weeknight express Easy Chicken Pho doesn't care.

Easy Chicken Pho Health Benefits

Depending on your health and dietary needs, Easy Chicken Pho can be part of a healthy lifestyle! The health benefits come from the savory, aromatic stock, the chicken's protein, and all the fresh vegetables and herb garnishes that come alongside each bowl.

As published, this recipe for Easy Chicken Pho is:

• dairy-free
• gluten-free

Some of this of course, depends on the boxed chicken broth. Store-bought chicken broth may contain sugar or other ingredients that contain gluten e.g. soy sauce, your Chicken Pho broth will have some degree of these ingredients as well. Read the labels!

Ingredients You Need for Shortcut Chicken Pho

The list of ingredients seems long for something deemed a "shortcut," but don't be intimidated! The chicken, noodles, and broth are required, obviously. The last section is the list of garnishes for the bowl that you can pick and choose from.

Here's what you need for the most aromatic, savory, satisfying bowl of Rotisserie Chicken Pho:

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), about 12 ounces
• rice noodles for pho, 10-13 ounces

For the Pho Broth - required:

• onion, ¼ for broth
• ginger, 1 1-inch piece
• garlic, 4-5 cloves; garlic is not traditional in pho, but I add it because I just do and when making shortcuts, we'll take added umami wherever we can get it
• cilantro, 10 sprigs separated, stems for broth and leaves for garnish
• spices, any or all of: star anise, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick OR Chinese five spice powder
• fish sauce, 2 teaspoons
• sugar- optional, 1 teaspoon (if you like sweeter, restaurant style pho, use up to 1 full tablespoon)
• sea salt , plus more to season at the end

Pick and choose any and/or all to garnish your bowl, whatever is available to you

• red onion, ¼ for garnish
• green onions, ¼ cup thinly sliced
• finely shredded cabbage (or bean sprouts if your grocery has them!), 2 cups
• lime, ½
• jalapeño or Fresno pepper, ½
• hoisin sauce, for serving
• sriracha sauce, for serving

optional herb garnishes: fresh mint, and if you have access, Thai basil, 2 sprigs optional

Pho is served with rice noodles called bánh phở, which are wider and flat, similar to fettuccine or tagliatelle. They are available both fresh and dried. You may not be able to find rice noodles specifically for pho, but rice noodles labeled for pad thai can work too!

For reference the rice noodles that are round and cylindrical in shape are called "bun" and labeled as rice vermicelli. They are not always super thin like western style vermicelli pasta, and can range in diameter from super thin like angel hair to about as thick as spaghetti.

• This organic rice noodle is labeled as "pho."
• I use brown rice noodles when they are available, or like this.
• For thinner rice vermicelli, this well-known brand is available at Asian markets and online.

Pro (Am) Tip: The flat-shaped rice noodles are easier to pick up with chopsticks, i.e. not as slippery!

Like every condiment and seasoning, there are a lot of brands of fish sauce on the shelves at the market and they all range in quality, flavor, and saltiness. Here is what to look for:

• anchovies (or other fish) and salt as the only 2 ingredients
• if there are additional ingredients, choose the brand/bottle with the fewest ingredients, preferably without added sugar, preservatives, or coloring
• protein content at least 2 g means there is less dilution with water
• color/darkness doesn't indicate quality so you can ignore that.
• some popular, good brands are Squid (Thai) and Three Crabs (Vietnamese)

Almost every Asian cuisine has some sort of fish sauce, and even Italian cooking has one called colatura!

YOU MUST USE FISH SAUCE for pho, even if you think fish sauce is "fishy." The ONLY time not to use fish sauce is when you are vegan or vegetarian, in which case, use vegan fish sauce, which is made from mushrooms.

Additional Ingredients Notes and Resources

Spice Bundle: star anise, black peppercorns, coriander, cinnamon or Chinese Five Spice. Chinese five spice is an actual blend of, you guessed it, five different spices, sometimes a few more. While the exact blend and proportions vary across homemade recipes and store-bought brands, in general, Chinese five spice comprises: 1) star anise 2) fennel 3) cinnamon 4) cloves, and 5) where much of the variation comes in but usally in the "spicy heat" family like ground ginger, pepper, or Sichuan peppercorns. When I buy a prepared blend, this is one I look for, which has white pepper instead of ginger.

Hoisin Sauce. Hoisin sauce is a rich, velvety fermented soy-based sauce commonly used in Chinese cuisine, both by itself as a finishing sauce or condiment, and as an ingredient in other dishes.

Sriracha Hot Sauce. We all know the sriracha sauce that comes in the rooster bottle with the green top, but that is not the only one. I found a (mostly) organic sriracha sauce by Sky Valley at Whole Foods.

Salt. Salt is an obvious and ubiquitous ingredient. I use this Kosher salt.

All other vegetables, herbs and produce I get from the the regular grocery store.

Substitutions and Variations

This EasyChicken Pho recipe, as with most noodle soups, is generally forgiving and flexible. In terms of ingredient amounts and ratios, you can eyeball/taste a lot of it. There are a few substitutions you can make to fit the recipe into taste preferences and dietary restrictions.

I have made this recipe many times as presented, as well as with the substitutions and variations as noted below:

Chicken Bone Broth. If you, like me, make gallons of bone broth every week and have it, use half Chicken Bone Broth in addition to the water with the ginger, onions, garlic, and spices and just simmer for about 30 minutes!

Rock Sugar or Other Sweetener. Traditional pho uses rock sugar to sweeten the broth, but if you would prefer refined-sugar-free, use half an Asian pear thrown in with the ginger, onion, and garlic, then discard before serving the individual bowls.

Fish Sauce. If you don't have access to fish sauce, or have an allergy, you CAN substitute a tiny bit of soy sauce or tamari, but know that this DRAMATICALLY changes the vibe. Fish sauce and soy sauce are used for both salt as well as their flavors, and they differ a lot. Note: some soy sauces and tamari contain gluten, so make sure to read the package label if you are gluten-free.

Noodles. Pho is traditionally served with rice noodles, but if you don't have them, no one is going to call the pho-police (pho-lice?) if you throw egg noodles, spaghetti noodles, spiralized zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash in the broth. The real point here is the broth.

Print

Chicken Pho, Fast and Easy Recipe

This ultra fast and easy Chicken Pho using chicken breasts and boxed chicken broth is the authentically inauthentic light, brothy, healthy dish you'll crave after

Course Main Course

Cuisine asian, Southeast Asian

Keyword chicken soup, leftovers, pho

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 600kcal

Ingredients

• 10-12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 chicken breasts)

Chicken Pho Broth

• 1 32-ounce container chicken broth
• ¼ onion sliced
• 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger
• 1-2 cloves garlic peeled and lightly crushed
• 10 sprigs cilantro leaves and stems separated
• 1 spice bundle: 1 star anise, 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon coriander seed, 1 cinnamon stick OR 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice powder
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste

Chicken Pho Bowls

• 1 8 ounces package dried rice noodles
• ¼ red onion thinly sliced and soaked in ice cold water for 10 minutes
• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 cups cabbage shredded, or whatever crispy crunchy fresh vegetables you have like julienne carrots or radishes
• ½ lime, cut into wedges
• jalapeño or Fresno peppers sliced

Optional for Serving

• Hoisin sauce
• sriracha hot sauce

Instructions

Cook Chicken Breast and Broth

• Place 10-12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ¼ onion, 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, 1-2 cloves garlic, stems only of 10 sprigs cilantro, 1 spice bundle: 1 star anise, 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon coriander seed, 1 cinnamon stick, and 32-ounces chicken broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn down heat to a bare simmer and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes (depending on thickness of breast or thighs).
• Remove cooked chicken to a plate or cutting board to cool slightly. Continue simmering broth until total cook time is 30 minutes, adding water to maintain the same amount of liquid.
• After 30 minutes, strain out the solids, either by pouring the contents of the pot through a mesh strainer into another large pot, or straining them directly out of the broth with a smaller mesh strainer. Discard solids. Stir in 2 teaspoons fish sauce, taste, and if needed, season with 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste.

Assemble Easy Chicken Pho Bowls

• Cook 1 8 ounces package dried rice noodles according to package. Divide cooked noodles between soup bowls.
• Top noodles with cooked chicken. Ladle 2 cups of broth into each bowl over noodles and chicken. Top the bowls with ¼ red onion, ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, and cilantro leaves.
• Serve immediately with 2 cups cabbage, ½ lime, cut into wedges, jalapeño or Fresno peppers on the side, and hoisin and sriracha sauces if using.

Notes

Leftover Chicken Pho without noodles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 day.

Nutrition information is an estimate per serving, without optional sauces added.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 600kcal | Protein: 35g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Fiber: 4g

The post Fast and Easy Chicken Pho, 25-Minute Shortcut for Weeknights appeared first on The Delicious Life.

Plus the actual Thanksgiving menu for this year, November 2026 at the end.

Skip ahead to individual letters using these links:

A is for Appetizers

The alphabet starts with A and dinner starts with Appetizers!

My family makes the HUGE mistake of going absolutely overboard (pun intended) every Thanksgiving because we graze from a cheese and charcuterie board all day long while cooking and are overwhelmingly full by dinner time. Nevertheless, you still have to hand an overfilled glass of Champagne to every person who walks through the door and offer some sort of appetizer because you just do, Ina.

This year and probably forever forward Thanksgiving will start with a "light" appetizer of mostly fresh vegetable crudités that no one will eat, or something not Thanksgiving-y in flavor at all like so you don't get "palate fatigue" by 3 pm. Like a smoked fish, caviar, and other delicious little things aka a "seacuterie" board, unless you live in New England and put oysters in your stuffing, in which case, never the fuck mind about seafood not being Thanksgiving-y.

Cheese and Charcuterie Boards

Step-by-step guides and free downloadable shopping lists for putting together PERFECT cheese and charcuterie boards every time:

• How to Put Together an Epic Cheese and Charcuterie Board - a masterclass
• Everything you need except the cheese for a Cheese Board - a visual guide
• How to Prep Vegetables for a Crudités Platter

And all the recipes and best ideas here:

• Classic Smoked Salmon Platter for the morning-of, while you're prepping (or the morning after!)
• Christmas Charcuterie Board, if Thanksgiving is really your pre-Christmas and you even have your Christmas tree up already
• Antipasto Board with Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette
• DIY Deviled Egg Board

Crudités, Veggies and Dips for Thanksgiving

Best Hummus Recipes:

• Avocado Hummus, the new favorite
• Beet Hummus, break up that field of beige and brown with a POP of bright pink color
• Edamame Hummus, super protein-packed!
• EASIEST Hummus with canned chickpeas
• Classic Hummus starting with dried chickpeas
• Hummus with No Tahini

Best Dips and Spreads for Thanksgiving:

• Avocado Green Goddess
• Caesar Salad Dip with Cottage Cheese
• Green Goddess Crudités Board with Green Goddess Dip
• Whipped Feta, Olives, and Pomegranate Salsa, served with Fluffy 2-Ingredient Flatbread
• Beet Dip with Yogurt
• Smoked Salmon Goat Cheese Spread with cold-smoked salmon slices
• Smoked Salmon Dip, the World Famous Recipe with hot smoked salmon

Hors d'Oeuvres for Thanksgiving

• Kimchi Deviled Eggs recipe
• Gougères French Cheese Puffs recipe
• Furikake Kettle Corn recipe

B is for Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and More Brassicas

Does the world need more than the 89 million recipes for broccoli and their cousins in the Brassica family for Thanksgiving? No. So will I spare you at least another half-dozen? Also no. Here are spicy, salty, umami-filled recipes for broccoli and their cousins for Thanksgiving!

Broccoli Recipes for Thanksgiving

• Charred Broccoli, Brady and Connor's all-time fav recipe
• Sesame Broccoli, steamed so you don't use up oven space!
• Garlic Sautéed Broccoli, Din Tai Fung dupe

Brussels Sprouts Recipes for Thanksgiving

• Crispy Shaved Brussels with Pomegranate and Walnuts
• Pan-Roasted Miso Brussels Sprouts and Shiitake Mushrooms
• Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Kimchi
• Pan-Roasted and Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pear
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lemon, Capers, and Mint

Cauliflower Recipes for Thanksgiving

• Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Walnuts and Parsley
• Cauliflower Gratin from Thomas Keller's Bouchon
• Garlic and Herb Cheese Pull-Apart Cauliflower

C is for Cranberries, Condiments, and all other Dips, Sauces, and Spreads

Look, we serve this DEAD-EASY classic Homemade Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce every year, and we also serve 9 million other sauces and condiments including kimchi because in case you haven't tasted, turkey is a bland palate blank palette for flavors.

• Classic Whole Cranberry Sauce with flavor variations and ideas
  • make extra so you have some leftover for these recipes including the most popular Cranberry Bread
• Pomegranate Salsa
• Spicy Pomegranate Salsa
• My Favorite Store-bought Kimchi
• Peruvian Green Sauce Aji Verde ** very very spicy
• Middle Eastern Garlic Sauce, Toum
• Italian Salsa Verde recipe
• Perfect Pickled Onions
• Ssam Jang, spicy salty and full of umami

D is for Defrosting Turkey

I know. D is Dessert. Or Drinks. Maybe even Decor. All natural choices for letter D for Thanksgiving, but I have been traumatized for life by one Thanksgiving a little more than 10 years ago when I underestimated the time I needed to defrost a titanic turkey glacier and on the morning of Thanksgiving, I found the turkey partially STILL FROZEN. Not to fear, because the Internet says that you can "flash-defrost" a turkey by submerging it in water and changing out the water every half-hour until the turkey defrosts.

I did that, and because I thought I was a genius, I did it in HOT WATER to defrost it even faster! And then I read the Internet again and found out that defrosting a turkey is only safe if you defrost it in cold water and are vigilant about keeping the water temperature at or below 40 degrees, and is wholly UNSAFE in warm or hot water because the warm water becomes a bacteria-breeding hot tub.

The truth is, not likely you're growing a super-colony of turkey-borne bacteria, and even if you were, you'd probably kill them when you very safely roast your turkey, BUT I am so paranoid about poisoning, and you know killing my own family like some epic netflix series finale, that I threw the entire turkey into the trash and we won't even talk about what we actually had for Thanksgiving that year.

How to Defrost a Frozen Turkey

Needless to say, if your turkey is frozen, plan ahead for the defrosting the turkey safely according to the USDA food safety guidelines. Here are the highlights:

• in the lowest part of your refrigerator
• play it even safer, plan to have it fully defrosted a day in advance
• if you are brining your turkey, you need to keep that in mind and might have to add time to your turkey prep schedule
• Dry-brining the Zuni Café-style turkey takes three days (see "J" below), though the recipe adapter, Russ Parsons has tested the brine on a frozen turkey, and apparently you can brine the bird WHILE it is defrosting in the refrigerator. Praise the mother fucking lard.

E is for Eggs, Endives, and Entertainment

If you need a Thanksgiving food that starts with E, serve deviled Eggs as an appetizer. Or make Endives with Whipped Creme Fraiche and Caviar as a starter.

Otherwise, E is for Entertainment.

Start putting together a playlist now. My family doesn't let me play anything except Christmas carols all day, but for all those hours I am gleefully alone in the kitchen zone washing, prepping, and cooking ahead of time, I play Sadé, Led Zeppelin, Michael Bublé, and WuTang.

Don't call me a grinch. I listen to Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You year-round.

F is for Fresh Green Salads

No one eats salad at Thanksgiving. NO ONE. I don't know why we even bother with this here. But I swear I will eat an entire bunch of unwashed cilantro before I serve any kind of meal without a fresh salad, even if it sits pristinely on the table untouched. If nothing else, throw whatever fresh greens you can find into a bowl and douse it with this so-good-it's-drinkable Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

• Fall Harvest Salad with Apples and Walnuts, pictured above
• Fall Farmers' Market Salad with Maple Citrus Vinaigrette
• Autumn 'Caprese' Salad with Persimmon, Pomegranate, and Prosciutto
• Shredded Kale, Radicchio, and Romaine "Caesar" with Anchovy Vinaigrette and Roasted Pistachios
• Arugula Pear Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing

G is for Thanksgiving Gravy

I am not a fan of gravy, as I prefer a thinner, lighter "pan sauce" made from poultry drippings and wine without any sort of flour or cornstarch thickener, but if I ever left gravy off the Thanksgiving table, I'd be excommunicated from the family. So the compromise in our family is that Green Bean Casserole gets a makeover-more on that later, and why G is decidedly not for Green Beans-and Gravy stays because every single day of our entire lives, we don't eat anything like any of the traditional Thanksgiving foods except on Thanksgiving, so let us have the white people equivalent of salsa and sriracha on everything for one day gah goddamnit it.

• Champagne Pan Sauce
• Roasted Garlic Mushroom Gravy
• Miso Shallot Gravy

H is for Haricot Verts aka Green Beans

See? Even for this list, I had to compromise between Gravy and Green Beans for "G" my God the metaphor is come to life. Haricot verts, like "fitness" for fat loss, is just marketing for a skinny type of green bean.

• Bacon-wrapped Green Beans
• Greens Beans with Lemon and Feta
• Blistered Green Beans with Garlic-Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions (vegetarian XO sauce)

I is for Thanksgiving Ice Cream

Between I and J, I had a harder time figuring out what to do with the letter I because I refused to put Ice Cream on this list because you can have ice cream three times a day every day of the year, so why waste Thanksgiving dessert on something as quotidien as ice cream? Ok, fine, you can churn your own cranberry pumpkin sage latte whatever Fall Harvest flavored ice cream, you goddamned superhero of Thanksgiving.

OOOOR. You can be realistic and buy pumpkin pie ice cream from the freezer case in any grocery store, and if you still want to be a superhero, you can turn it into Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches with Lattice Pie Crust Cookies.

J is for Thanksgiving "JudyBird"

The "Judybid" is former Los Angeles Times Food editor Russ Parsons's Zuni Café-style Dry-brined Turkey, so named for the Zuni's chef and founder Judy Rodgers. I don't need to re-print the recipe that's probably one of the more famous recipes for roast chicken, and now turkey, out there. Plan ahead. It takes three days to brine the turkey, which means you start brining on Monday morning.

• Russ Parsons's take on Judy Rodgers's Zuni Café-style Dry-brine {Los Angeles Times}

K is for Kale Kitchen Tools

The obvious answer here, is Kale, Kale Salad, and all its other various forms.

But let's talk about Kitchen Tools instead.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, there are a LOT of fancy tools, equipment, gadgets, and electronics to help with cooking the dinner, but there is only ONE tool you MUST BUY if you don't have one already: a meat thermometer.

Everything else, from an extra-large roasting pan with rack to food mill, is nice to have. If you have the money, buy them, but you probably already have something that you could tweak to work and use the money you save for some new Loubs. But there is nothing that can accurately tell you when the turkey is ready for showtime, i.e. cooked all the way through, not over cooked, killed any possibility of foodborne illness except for a thermometer.

That all being said, the following is a list of all the tools, gadgets and equipment we use in the kitchen for Thanksgiving, generally in order that you will need and use them.

Knives and Cutting Boards

• LARGE CHEF'S KNIFE: this is the knife I use every damned day. Pro-tip: get all your knives professionally sharpened the first week of November. If you've never had your knives sharpened before, it will change your life.
• KITCHEN SHEARS: I cannot live without kitchen shears. If you don't have a pair, I have no idea how you are able to live.
• MANDOLINE or Japanese Benriner. I have used this my entire life.
• CUTTING BOARD: I have these cutting boards in all different sizes, especially for Thanksgiving time when there is a lot of prepping, potentially by multiple people.
• LARGE WOODEN CUTTING/CARVING BOARD: This is the very large cutting board I use to carve the turkey. The other 364 not-Thanksgiving days of the year, it doubles as a cheeseboard. A board with a trench is nice to have to catch the juices for gravy when you're carving the turkey, and this one is the exact same one as mine, but with the trench on one side. I originally called the trench a "moat," in case you're wondering what I'm talking about.

Gadgets and Small Appliances

• FOOD PROCESSOR: My time with my food processor that I've had for 15+ years is coming to an end because it's just getting old, and they don't make replacement parts for this exact model anymore, so it's time to move on... to the EXACT SAME equivalent food processor because I love it and it's on MAJOR SALE.
• SLOW COOKER: You will use on the day of as a container or to keep something like mashed potatoes warm, with the intention of transferring to a pretty serving bowl but will end up just handing someone a large spoon and telling them to scoop straight from the slow cooker. The next day, you will use this to make bone broth with the leftover turkey bones. I have this one. It's a little small for a very large turkey, but works for almost everything else.
• KITCHEN TIMER: I know. You can use your phone's timer. But... "Have you seen my phone?" I don't know about you but I set my phone down ALL OVER THE PLACE and lose track of it ALL THE TIME, so having a designated kitchen timer and one that has multiple timers that's like, stuck to the refrigerator door or something, is helpful.
• SALAD SPINNER: I don't know why I am including a salad spinner when we all know that no one eats salad, so why are you even going to make one? That being said, you still need to have a salad on the table BECAUSE YOU JUST DO.

Tools and Equipment for Turkey

• TWINE: to truss the turkey (and all other days for chicken). This brand is eco-friendly.
• HEAVY DUTY ALUMINUM FOIL: to shield the turkey breast the first few hours of roasting so it doesn't overcook. The obvious brand. 
• ROASTING PAN with RACK: This is the one I have been using for my entire Thanksgiving-hosting life. I have the larger one, which will hold up to a 25-pound turkey. The smaller one will hold up to a 15-pound turkey.
• FAT SEPARATOR: You need this for gravy and when you make bone broth. This is the fat separator I have, the kind that pours broth like a teapot out from a spout at the base of the pitcher, as opposed to dropping broth out of a hole at the bottom of the pitcher like a crop duster. 
• SHORT-HANDLED LADLE: for "basting." The bulb-ended syringe traditionally used for roasting turkey is annoying, and also a waste of space for its one job a year.
• THERMOMETER: I have two analog meat thermometers that work well and are very affordable. If you are into electronic gadgetry and don't mind spending the money, this is a great one that has a timer, can sync to your phone for alerts, etc.
• CARVING KNIFE and FORK: Every food blog, site, magazine, what have you is going to tell you need a "carving knife and fork set." You don't. You need your sharp-as-a-mofo chef's knife and a pair of kitchen gloves because I will tell you right now it is INFINITELY EASIER to carve a turkey grasping the side of the bird with your gloved hands than it is with a stupid giant fork that you will use one time, this year, and never again, because you will realize that using your gloves hands is just easier. Don't buy a carving knife and fork. Unless you want me to earn $0.12 commission off your purchase at amazon.

Tools and Equipment for Thanksgiving and Large Holiday Dinners

• RICER, MASHER, or FOOD MILL: for mashed potatoes. In the end, a large fork does well enough and won't cost you $20, but this is one of very few situations in which the tool really does make a difference in the texture. I use a ricer.
• BAKING SHEETS: I have always had and used half sheet pans my entire life, but only a few months ago, during quarantine when I was roasting FOR ONE ok, I discovered the glory of the quarter sheet pan, and even when cooking for a larger groups, the smaller size comes in handy because it just does. Both sizes work well as trays or "cheeseboards."
• WIRE RACKS for sheet pans. To bake or roast things that need air circulation while baking, also to use for cooling.
• CASSEROLE DISHES: I have a bunch of "vintage" corningware casserole dishes from my Mom, and a couple of LeCreuset stoneware ones.
• PARCHMENT PAPER to line baking sheets to make cleanup easier, or when you want to roast things without using a lot of oil. This eco-friendly (-ish) brand is available at Whole Foods, and also online.
• CAST IRON SKILLET. I don't know what you will need this for right now, but trust me, on the day of, if you have it, you will use it. I have this one in graphite gray.

For Storing Advance Prep and Leftovers

• Silicone Ice Cube Trays for storing leftover broth, sauces, and condiments
• STORAGE CONTAINERS/BAGS. Use the obvious brand.
• DELI CUPS: for liquid leftovers like gravy, and also for all that turkey bone broth you are absolutely going to make, right?

L is for Thanksgiving Leftovers

If your family, like my family, loves leftovers even more than the main event, roast two turkeys; one to eat for dinner, one entire turkey to carve up right into to-go portions that never even hits the dining table.

What to do with Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

• Turkey: Turkey Pho and using up the bones
• Japanese Turkey Curry (curry from scratch)
• Deer Valley Turkey Chili
• Turkey Bone Broth for soups and sipping the rest of the season

What to Do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce

For Leftover Cranberry Sauce, peep this post for how to store/freeze your leftovers, then, if you have ½ cup of leftover Cranberry Sauce:

• Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bread that you can also bake into muffins
• Dollop and swirl into the Easiest Classic Banana Bread for a Cran-ana Bread!
• Cranberry Baked Brie: slice the top off a wheel of brie, top with Cranberry Sauce, wrap in puff pastry, and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melty!
• Cranberry Bread Pudding uses ½ cup cranberry sauce plus dried cranberries

A full 1 cup or more of leftover Cranberry Sauce cane make:

• Cranberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with Cornflake Crunch Topping 
• Cranberry Sorbet uses at least 1 cup cranberry sauce or more
• Cranberry Oatmeal Streusel Muffins from Ahead of Thyme

No-recipe Ideas for a few tablespoons of Cranberry Sauce:

• Blend into a Cranberry Vinaigrette for salads all weekend
• a few tablespoons for Cranberry Grilled Cheese
• Spread onto you Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Sandwich
• Swirl into yogurt or oatmeal

M is for Mashed Potatoes and Other Potatoes

Maybe some other kinds of potatoes and also imposters, too. See Yams and Sweet Potatoes below for more.

If your gut is sensitive to potatoes or you are avoiding nightshades like I am, make the Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic recipe, or substitute in white sweet potatoes in any of the recipes below, or make one of the Sweet Potatoes recipes from the section below.

• Perfect All-American Three-Ingredient Fluffy Mashed Potatoes {recipe}
• Loaded Baked Potato Mashed Potatoes
• Individual Mashed Baked Potatoes - this sounds almost exactly like the recipe above but it's not.
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes (Skillet-fried) with Whipped Feta, Salsa Verde, and Hot Chili Honey
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes (Oven-fried) with Yogurt and Caviar
• "Mashed Potatoes" Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic and Truffle Butter {recipe}

N is for Thanksgiving, but NOT TURKEY

I have the perfect solution to accommodate dinner guests who don't like turkey at Thanksgiving.

Don't invite them to your house for dinner.

Unfortunately, you can't do that when it's like, you know, your own Dad. We cook an entire ham just for Dad, which he doesn't eat because he ends up eating turkey anyway (!!!), all the while insisting that he doesn't like it. Oooo. K. DAD. Eyeroll. This is my reality every year. We always have at least one other non-turkey option:

• Crispy Braised Chicken with Cannellini Beans and Greens {recipe} - you can do a whole roast chicken, but if a person doesn't like roast turkey, they probably won't like roast chicken either. Braise chicken thighs because NO ONE CAN HATE CRISPY THICC THIGHS.
• Roast Chicken with Two Lemons - The previous being said about roast chicken being too similar to turkey for some people, you know they're not similar at all, so here is a very cool way to roast chicken that puffs up the chicken skin into a shatteringly crisp balloon
• Citrus Roasted Salmon with Fresh Herbs
• Thomas Keller's Blowtorch Prime Rib
• Bourbon Maple Glazed Ham

As a side note, Thanksgiving foods that start with the letter "N" are a little more difficult to identify, but if you're interested in Naan (flatbread), Nachos, turkey Nuggets, Nuts and Nutella, New York-style cheesecake, or Noodles of any kind made to fit onto the Thanksgiving table, let me know. Leftover turkey Nachos are a given, but I could work on some spicy sichuan turkey Noodles.

O is for Other Vegetables for Thanksgiving

Is there anything else except Brussels sprouts, green beans, and my beloved sweet potatoes? Apparently, there is:

• Gochujang Glazed Carrots - yes! the dish Jeremiah made for the Conklins' Thanksgiving in The Summer I Turned Pretty
• BUTTERNUT SQUASH and HONEYNUT SQUASH
  • Roasted Butternut Squash with Feta and Pomegranate Salsa - pictured above
  • Roasted Honeynut Squash with Kale Pepita Pesto
  • Pan-Roasted Honeynut Squash
  • Butternut Squash Carbonara with Shiitake, Bacon, and Crispy Fried Sage
• KALE and OTHER GREENS
  • Cabbage Apple Salad with Miso Mustard Dressing
  • Creamed Kale
  • Kale Slaw
  • Kale, Kimchi, and Green Apple Slaw
• MUSHROOMS
  • Mushrooms Lentil Salad with Miso Mustard
  • Pan-Roasted Lion's Mane Mushrooms

P is for Thanksgiving PUMPKIN DESSERTS

I'm going to be honest here, I k i i i i i nda hate pumpkin pie with my entire being. The only part of me that doesn't hate pumpkin pie is the part that wrote this post: read about my hatred-turned-semi-hatred on the Cook's Illustrated Best Pumpkin Pie post.

This year, we're doing fruit for dessert. Just kidding. I love telling my family shit like that just to give myself negotiating leverage when it comes to green bean casserole and stuffing.

• Cook's Illustrated Best Pumpkin Pie, the end-all, be-all recipe for Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Butter Mochi - a bouncy, chewy alternative to pie
• Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake, a super easy single layer you can make in advance
• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Salted Caramel 

Q is for Quinoa, Rice, and Other Grains

Also, obviously, we have plain steamed rice on our table every year.

• Quinoa Salad with Baby Kale and Roasted Mushrooms
• Quinoa with Radicchio, Roasted Beets, Radish, and Red Onions
• How to Make Perfect Steamed Rice (in a Rice Cooker)

R is for Thanksgiving Rolls and Bread

Just buy the bread and rolls. If you are ambitious, organized, and stupid enough to actually bake your own bread and rolls, you wouldn't even be reading this list.

S is for Stuffing

Sage, salad, sauce, smoked salmon, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, sweets, all of which we cover elsewhere, so here is the dish that you either love or hate, stuffing.

• Stovetop Stuffing. The actual Stovetop brand in the box. Don't make this. Make the Bread Salad aka "Stuffing" below.

T is for Thanksgiving Table Setting

I set the EXACT SAME table setting every year, and also pretty much for every special occasion. I don't have separate dishware for different holidays or fancier dinner parties, and only "dress up" my everyday dishware with...nothing. Also, I don't have anything else to dress them up either because why? That being said, here are the very few things I have/use to set the table:

 

Individual Place Settings and Tableware

• CHARGERS: The large decorative "plates" under regular dinner plates are an inexpensive way to add some height/depth to the table. These gold ones are plastic so they're pretty affordable. They're from Michael's, and the same brand is also available online here.
• PLATES: I use the SAME plain, basic white dinner plates, salad plates, and bowls for every holiday, occasion, party, and meal. The advantage of simple, elegant white is that they work for everything. The disadvantages of simple elegant white dishes is there are no disadvantages.
• NAPKIN RINGS: The tiny leaf wreath napkin rings in the above photo are from Cost Plus (no longer available). These are even prettier and will work for Thanksgiving and winter holidays! Options: tie an herb sprig or colorful fall leaf around the napkin with twine. Place a spray-painted pumpkin or pine cone on the napkin. Fold the napkin into an origami turkey! Just kidding don't do that last one.
• NAPKINS: The same "all-white" philosophy goes for napkins. As you start adulting, you will use cloth napkins, so get simple, inexpensive white cotton napkins that you can replace easily if they ever get really stained, which will be every time you use them.
• PLACECARDS: The kids made place cards, which were cute for our dinner, but not for the photo. Sorry, kids.
• FLATWARE: I bought gold flatware a few seasons ago when it wasn't very easy to find gold flatware, almost regretting it because I thought gold would be a passing trend. So far, so gold: you can find gold flatware anywhere (though these are closest in appearance to mine)! If you like entertaining with both gold and silver, this flatware is more perfectly versatile for both. Just make sure it's dishwasher-safe (if you're into that sort of sanity-saving thing).

Glasses and Stemware

• GLASSES and STEMWARE: Wine glasses are probably the only tabletop item on which I have spent more than a few dollars. Embarrassingly, even as recent as a few years ago, my stemware was an eclectic-aka-garage-sale collection of wine-tasting souvenirs, corporate swag, and a few random three- and four-piece sets I had inherited from framily when they had broken too many others in a set. When I started adult dinner partying in a new home, I asked family for decent wine glasses as housewarming gifts. I have Riedel wine glasses in three different size/shapes, as well as an extra set of Champagne flutes because you can never have too many Champagne glasses.
• CHAMPAGNE GLASSES: Quick note on Champagne glasses because I know everyone loves the default coupe, which is retro and curvy and the tall; and the skinny flute, which is super sexy. But both of these glasses are not ideal for Champagne. The coupe has a high spill risk and because the bowl is so wide, lets the bubbles escape pretty fast. The flute is better, but because the diameter is so narrow, doesn't let the aromas of Champagne out. The best glass for Champagne is actually a regular white wine glass. I know. You're still gonna use that tall skinny flute, me too.
• CENTERPIECE: We don't arrange a complicated tablescape/centerpiece because we usually have to move all of it to accommodate all the food on the table. We grabbed a few leafy branches from the yard and threw the leftover Halloween pumpkin on the table with some candles and it looked pretty good!

U is for Upside-down Cake

• Orange Upside Down Olive Oil Cake pictured above
• Foolproof Lemon Olive Oil Cake (dairy-free) as the Ultimate Flex Upside-Down Cake, using apples, pears, plums, even plumped up dried fruit
• Fig Upside-Down Walnut Cake
• Persimmon Upside-Down Cake recipe from famous Sqirl Café

V is for Vodka and Spirited Thanksgiving Cocktails

• Cranberry Moscow Mule Cocktail
• Gold Rush Cocktail with Bourbon and honey
• Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail

W is for What else? Thanksgiving WINE

My favorite wine to drink at Thanksgiving is everything. The end. And The Beginning. And The Middle. MORE WINE.

Ok, now that we've gotten the wine tropes out of the way... no wine is more Thanksgiving-y than an American wine, so let's pick some favorite American wines for a few different "vibes," and let's be real, they're all California wines!

Check out the absolute Best Wine for Thanksgiving, including individual wine pairings for specific Thanksgiving foods and dishes. And since you're already here...

The tl;dr list of Best Wines for Thanksgiving:

• Easy breezy sparkler for everyone to start the day; literally, aren't we starting with mimosas-hold-the-oj at 9 am when we start roasting the turkey? Highly-rated Roederer Estate NV Brut from northern California's Anderson Valley is the obvious choice here. Classic old-world Champagne taste on a nouveau American budget. Fun fact: Roederer Estate's extended family is Louis Roederer, who makes one of my all-time fav Champagnes, Cristal.
• Classic California chardonnay for the aunties and the moms:
• California sauvignon blanc: Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc
• for the cool aunties who have 4 million tiktok followers: Stolpman Love You Bunches Orange wine
• for your rich brother: Kistler Pinot Noir
• for your own Mom for "dessert" because she doesn't like things that are "too sweet": make a Moscato Spritzer with Quady Essensia, made from orange muscat grapes, with a splash of sparkling water so that it's, again, "not to sweet"
• for grandpa who won't drink anything but Napa Cab:
• for your uncle who is actually younger than you because of the modern blended family:

X is for Xtras

These are the little details that didn't fit anywhere else on this list, like what ingredients, foods, or other things to have extra on hand because you never know what's going to happen. These are the perfect response to your Thanksgiving guests who ask "What should I bring?":

• Bottles of wine: you will never, ever, ever, have "too much wine." Ever.
• Ice: Your refrigerator ice maker can't make ice fast enough for a Thanksgiving dinner party. Bag of ice might come in handy for chilling wine and drinks in other places besides the kitchen.
• Chicken, beef, and/or vegetable stock. Ideally, you will have already simmered your own in a crockpot and frozen quarts of it, but a half dozen quart boxes of organic stock in the back of your pantry will save your dried out stuffing ass in an emergency.
• Butter (if you don't use extra butter, you can freeze it, though you will probably use it very soon for Holiday baking)
• Fresh herbs, namely parsley. Use extra herbs in your cooking. Use extra herbs as garnish.
• Garlic and onions
• Fruit and things to garnish the turkey serving platter
• Disposable storage containers to send leftovers home with guests
• Fresh flowers: put them in any room where a guest might wander in
• Alka-seltzer, advil/tylenol, and tums

Y is for Yams and Sweet Potatoes

I have tried to stop serving sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving because we eat them year-round (though in different formats), so they mostly take up valuable space that could be given over to things we don't get to eat year-round, like pomegranates and persimmons. But when we do serve Sweet Potatoes, like in so many things, we seek balance, and go waaaay savory with salt, vinegar, and funky cheese. 

• Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Whipped Feta and Pomegranate Salsa
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Herb Butter
• Crispy Smashed Sweet Potatoes
• Crispy Oven-Fried Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Aioli
• Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Z is for Zuni Café Bread Salad as Stuffing

"Zuni's Bread Salad" is what I call this dish every other day of the year, but because Chef Judy Rodgers describes it as "a scrappy extramural stuffing, it is a warm mix of crispy, tender, and chewy chunks of bread...all moistened with vinaigrette and chicken drippings" in her Zuni Café cookbook, I also call it "stuffing" during Thanksgiving so people will eat it, because no one wants to eat anything called "salad" on Thanksgiving.

• Bread Salad with Arugula, Dried Figs, and Roasted Pistachios

This Year's Thanksgiving Menu-2026

This is the Thanksgiving Menu we are having this year. Previous years' menus follow for those of you curious about the level of information hoarding that goes on in The Delicious Life, and just to see how very little shit changes over the years.

Print

The Perfect Thanksgiving Menu

This year's perfect Mediterrasian Thanksgiving, based on two of the world's healthiest diets, Mediterranean and Asian

Course Menu

Cuisine American

Keyword holiday recipes, holidays, thanksgiving

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

Starters

• 1 Classic Smoked Salmon Platter
• 1 Classic Homemade Hummus
• 1 Beet Hummus
• 1 Caesar Salad Dip with Crudités

Fresh Green Salads

• 1 Fall Harvest Apple Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Main Dishes

• 1 Miso Whole Wild Salmon
• 1 Classic Roast Turkey

Dressings, Sauces, and Gravies

• 1 Ssam Jang, Spicy Gochujang Dipping Sauce
• 1 Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• 1 Miso Mushroom Gravy
• 1 Basic Best Cranberry Sauce
• 1 Spicy Pomegranate Salsa
• 1 Italian Salsa Verde

Side Dishes

• 1 Crispy Smashed Sweet Potatoes serve with Salsa Verde
• 1 Crispy Shredded Brussels Sprouts
• 1 Maple Gochujang Honeynut Squash
• 1 Sauteed Green Beans with Mushroom XO

Desserts and Sweet Endings

• 1 Pumpkin Butter Mochi
• 1 Cook's Illustrated Classic Pumpkin Pie
• 1 Sgroppino Cocktail

Instructions

2+ Weeks Before Thanksgiving - Freezables

• Make Mushroom Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, and any homemade broths and freeze.

1 Week Before Thanksgiving

2 Days Before Thanksgiving

• Make Pomegranate Salsa, Italian Salsa Verde, Apple Cider Vinaigrette, and Anchovy Vinaigrette

1 Day Before Thanksgiving

• Remove Mushroom Gravy and Cranberry Sauce from freezer to refrigerator to thaw overnight.
• Bake Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Butter Mochi.
• Wash and slice all vegetables for Caviar Service and Smoked Salmon Platter
• Wash and shred greens and vegetables except apples for Salads and Brussels Sprouts
• Wash, cut, and boil sweet potatoes.

Thanksgiving Day

• Make Classic Roast Turkey.
• Assemble salads.
• Once turkey is finished roasting, roast the Salmon.
• Make Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, and Mushrooms.
• Assemble Caviar Service and Smoked Salmon Platters immediately before serving.

Thanksgiving 2023 - with a heavy lean toward the ocean

• Starter: Caviar and Classic Smoked Salmon Platter
• Caesar Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette and Toasted Walnuts
• Baked Salmon with Citrus and Herbs
• Classic Roast Turkey, Gravy, and Basic Cranberry Sauce
• Garlic Aioli , Pomegranate Salsa , Italian Salsa Verde
• Miso Brussels Sprouts and Shiitake Mushrooms
• Whipped Sweet Potatoes
• Roasted Mushrooms
• Cook's Illustrated Best Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving 2021

• Starter: Caviar and Classic Smoked Salmon Platter
• Caesar Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette and Toasted Walnuts
• Turkey a la Brasa
• Aji Verde
• Garlic Aioli
• Pomegranate Salsa
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Whipped Feta and Salsa Verde
• Greens and Beans and Rice

Quarantine Thanksgiving 2020

• Caesar Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette and Toasted Walnuts
• Roast Chicken, Pollo ala Brasa-style
• Aji Verde

East Coast Thanksgiving 2019

in Philadelphia, PA

• Starters: Wine and Cheese Board {guide}
• Salad: Avocado, Butternut Squash, Pomegranate Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• Roast Turkey with Traditional Turkey Gravy
• Cranberry Relish
• Mashed Potatoes
• Classic Bread Stuffing
• Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms
• Desserts: Apple Pie and Pumpkin Roll Cake

Thanksgiving Menu 2018

• Starters: Cheese and Char-crudité Board [how-to]
• Salad: Tri-Colore Salad with Avocado [recipe]
• Bread: Gluten-free Super Seed Bread
• Herb Roasted Turkey
• Traditional Turkey Gravy
• Cranberry Sauce , Pomegranate Salsa , Salsa Verde , Kimchi [resource], Peruvian Aji Verde Sauce
• Roasted Brassicas with : Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and Cauliflower 
• Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower 
• Mashed Butternut Squash
• Roasted Mushrooms and Shredded Kale
• Zuni Cafe-Inspired Bread Salad
• Desserts: Dessert Cheeseboard [how-to], Pumpkin Pie , Ice Cream and Sorbets [resource]

Thanksgiving Menu 2017

in Los Angeles, CA

• Starters: Smoked Salmon Dip with Veges and Crackers , Cheese and Charcuterie Board
• Salad: Italian Chopped Salad
• Bread: King's Hawaiian Dinner Rolls. I know. Why, family, WHY?!
• Zuni Cafe-Inspired Dry-Brined Herb Roasted Turkey
• Traditional Turkey Gravy
• Cranberry Sauce , Salsa Verde , Kimchi [resource], Aji Sauce 
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
• Simple 3-Ingredient Mashed Potatoes
• Oven-roasted Sweet Potato Fries
• Green Bean Casserole 
• Creamed Corn
• Basic Herbed Bread Stuffing
• Desserts: Pumpkin Pie , Apple Pie, Ice Cream and Sorbets [resource]

_{updated November 2022}

The post Thanksgiving A to Z, for 2026 appeared first on The Delicious Life.

Let's talk turkey.

Rather, let's not talk turkey, and talk about every food holiday this month other than Thanksgiving, of which there are lots, of which almost all are pretty damned exciting, not the least of which are National Sandwich Day on November 3, National Doughnut Day on November 5, National Nachos Day on November 6.

Hold up. Wait a minute.

Let me put some chips up in it.

There is an ENTIRE DAY DEDICATED to NACHOS. There is nothing stopping you now girl, nothing.

November is also National Pomegranate Month and National Vegan Month, the second one a paradoxical issue that I don't care to address at this time.

Check out the "holidays" below, calendar format first, list after. Some fun recipes included to help you celebr-eat!

Happy November!

And when you're ready and set, go plan ahead with the December Food Holidays calendar!

November Food Holidays Google Calendar

I made this a PUBLIC calendar, so you can add it to your own google calendar!

Use the blue arrows < > on the calendar to click month-to-month for more.

Month-long Celebrations in November

• Georgia Pecan Month
• Good Nutrition Month
• National Peanut Butter Lover's Month
• National Pepper Month
• National Pomegranate Month {make the Pomegranate Salsa pictured above}
• Raisin Bread Month
• Vegan Month

Week-long Celebrations in November

• 1st Week of November - National Fig Week (figs on TheDeliciousLife}

November Holidays, Day-by-Day

Every fourth Thursday of November is Thanksgiving. This year Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026.

• November 1: Cook for Your Pets Day
  November 1: Deep-Fried Clams Day
  November 1: Pâté Day
• November 1: Vinegar Day
  • Apple Cider Vinaigrette using what else, Apple Cider Vinegar
  • French Vinegar-Braised Chicken uses Banyuls vinegar
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette with the King of all vinegar, Balsamic
• November 1: World Vegan Day {info}
• November 2: National Deviled Egg Day
  • get the Kimchi Deviled Eggs recipe
  • a little more virtuous with avocado, Angeled Eggs
• November 3: National Sandwich Day
  • lots of sandwiches on TDL, but
  • Green Goddess Grilled Cheese is ATF
• November 4: National Candy Day
• November 5: National Chinese Take-out Day
  November 5: National Doughnut Day
• November 6: National Nachos Day
  • ALL the nachos, though if nothing else
  • Hash Brown Breakfast Nachos are most important
• November 7: Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
  November 7: Eat Healthy Day - this is EVERY DAY
• November 8: National Cappuccino Day
  November 8: National Harvey Wallbanger Day
• November 9: National Greek Yogurt Day
  November 9: National Scrapple Day
  November 9: Cook Something Bold & Pungent Day
• November 10: National Vanilla Cupcake Day
• November 11: National Sundae Day
• November 12: National Pizza with Everything Day
• November 13: Feast of St. Diego Alacala
  November 13: National Indian Pudding Day
• November 14: National Guacamole Day
• November 14: National Pickle Day
  • pickles are your croutons in my Dill Pickle Chopped Salad recipe
• November 15: National Clean Out the Fridge Day
  November 15: National Raisin Bran Cereal Day
• November 16: National Fast Food Day
• November 17: National Baklava Day
  November 17: Homemade Bread Day
• November 18: National Apple Cider Day
  • so good it's drinkable dressing, Apple Cider Vinaigrette recipe
• November 18: National Vichyssoise Day
• November 19: Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day
• November 19: National Macchiato Day
• November 20: Beaujolais Nouveau Day for 2025, every year 1 week before Thanksgiving
  November 20: National Peanut Butter Fudge Day
• November 21: National Cranberry Day
  • make the BEST Homemade Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce today, and freeze for Thanksgiving
  • save some fresh cranberries to garnish Cranberry Mule Cocktail
• November 21: Gingerbread Day
  • the one gingerbread recipe worth baking
• November 22: National Cashew Day
• November 22: National Cranberry Relish Day
  • the BEST Homemade Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
• November 23: National Espresso Day
  November 23: Eat a Cranberry Day
• November 24: National Sardines Day
• November 25: National Eat with a Friend Day
  November 25: National Parfait Day
• November 26: American Thanksgiving, 2026
  • the ultimate guide to Thanksgiving A to Z
• November 26: National Cake Day
  • Lemon Olive Oil Cake, dairy-free recipe
  • sooo seasonal Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Meyer Lemon Thyme Olive Oil Cake
• November 27: National Bavarian Cream Pie Day
• November 28: National French Toast Day
  • Cranberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast Casserole
• November 29: Chocolates Day
  November 29: National Lemon Creme Pie Day
  November 29: National Rice Cake Day
• November 30: National Mousse Day

Food Holiday Calendars for the Entire Year

• January Food Holidays
• February Food Holidays
• March Food Holidays
• April Food Holidays
• May Food Holidays
• June Food Holidays
• July Food Holidays
• August Food Holidays
• September Food Holidays
• October Food Holidays
• November Food Holidays - you're here!
• December Food Holidays

The post November Food Holidays, the Most Comprehensive 2026 Calendar appeared first on The Delicious Life.