When it comes to planning Thanksgiving dinner, we here at One Green Planet understand that it’s no easy task. Ideally, you want all the flavors in a medley of herbs, spices, and flavors to perfectly complement each other. So, why not throw a themed Thanksgiving?

If there’s one thing that comes to mind when we think comfort food, it’s Southern cuisine. So, with that in mind, we searched the Food Monster App to pull together a list of our top picks, from entrées to sides and desserts, that’ll help you throw together the best plant-based Southern Thanksgiving ever. Here they are:

The Main Dish

1. BBQ Seitan Ribs 

Source: Seitan Ribs

These lip-smacking strips of deliciousness are messy and fun to eat. Tender, meaty homemade Seitan Ribs from VEGANIZE IT! are slathered in sticky homemade barbecue sauce, seared, and then baked until slightly crisp and caramelized around the edges. Serve these with a side of potato salad and coleslaw.

2. Chili Cornbread Casserole

Source: Chili Cornbread Casserole

The only thing more delicious than golden cornbread dipped in chili is a Chili Cornbread Casserole by Melanie Sorrentino! The hearty chili is made with rice, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and plenty of seasoning. As is, this recipe is ridiculously easy and minimalist. Add some sautéed green peppers and onions into the chili mix if you want to amp it up a bit.

3. Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Casserole 

Source: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Casserole

This Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Casserole by Gabrielle St. Claire is comfort food heaven. Sweet, creamy butternut squash is paired with decadently cheesy macaroni elbows and sealed with a unique flatbread topping. The finishing touches put it over the top, from the smoky Shiitake bacon to the red pepper flakes and maple syrup. Normally, we’d say this casserole is perfect to make for a week of easy meals, but we know this one will only last a few days.

Gratitude: Plant-Based Thanksgiving Cookbook

No other holiday captures the spirit of home cooking the way Thanksgiving does. This is why you need the ultimate Thanksgiving cookbook, One Green Planet’s Gratitude: Plant-Based Recipes to Create your own Thanksgiving Tradition! In the cookbook, you’ll find our 100 most popular plant-based thanksgiving recipes like Soft Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts, Spiced Apple Cake with Cashew Frosting, Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding with Nut Crumble Topping, Cinnamon Apple Hand Pies, and hearty entrees like Roast Root Vegetable Stack With Dukkah, Vegducken: Butternut Squash Stuffed With Eggplant, Zucchini, and a Mushroom Lentil Stuffing, and Seitan Roast With Sausage and Pear Stuffing and Apple Cider Gravy and so much more!

4. Lentil Loaf With Smoked Paprika Glaze

Source: Lentil Loaf

Flavorful, tender, and moist without being sticky, this Lentil Loaf by Lee Khatchadourian-Reese is perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. The smoked paprika glaze adds a nice touch, too. I think this is my best vegan meatloaf yet.

5. Jackfruit Fried Chicken

Source: Jackfruit Fried Chicken

The stringy texture of young jackfruit lends itself perfectly to emulating pulled pork or chicken recipes. In this Jackfruit Fried Chicken by Sarah Pether, jackfruit is marinated in a creamy soy milk marinade, battered in zesty breadcrumbs, and fried to perfection. Enjoy these with your favorite vegan mayonnaise or ranch dip.

Sides

1. Rosemary Chicklins and Dumplins Stew 

Source: Rosemary Chicklins and Dumplins Stew

This Rosemary Chicklins and Dumplins Stew by Annie and Dan Shannon is a famous Southern dish, made vegan. Maybe it’s because it’s so fun to say “dumplins” like a Sugarbaker in shoulder pads on Designing Women. But before the Great Depression, this dish was made famous by French-Canadian trappers, who were thought to have created this rustic version of coq au vin in the heart of the Great White North. During the Great Depression, it became all the rage in the United States because it was the perfect way to use leftovers from other meals. These days, it’s just beloved for being gosh darn delicious.

2. ‘Buttery’ Skillet Cornbread

Source: Buttery Skillet Cornbread

This amazing Buttery Skillet Cornbread by Brandi Doming doesn’t get its namesake from vegan butter or oil. Nope, all the rich, buttery taste comes from a magic secret ingredient: pecans! These amazing nuts are ground into flour and mixed with cornmeal to make a supremely moist, nutty, and luscious cornbread – without any added oils.

3. Biscuits and Mushroom Gravy 

Source: Biscuits

Life can taste good with these fluffy, soft, gluten-free Biscuits by Molly Patrick accompanied with mushroom gravy. It’s the ultimate comfort food side that will leave you craving for more. These are great for dinner parties, but also make great leftover snacks/sides for yourself.

4. Coconut Milk Braised Collard Greens

Source: Coconut Milk Braised Collard Greens

Traditionally a southern dish, collard greens are a great way to get your daily dose of green, leafy, veggies. This recipe for Coconut Milk Braised Collard Greens by Courtney West is great as a main course or alongside an entrée. Garlic, pepper, cumin, and mustard seeds give this recipe a great spice, while coconut balances it out with a delicious creaminess. Customize this dish with your own spice combination, or serve it over quinoa!

5. Okra Fritters 

Source: Okra Fritters

This recipe for Okra Fritters by Yana Chistyakova will give you the perfect dish to bring to your Thanksgiving gathering. The batter is seasoned well and provides a crisp golden shell that is complemented by the tender okra inside. Plus, these battered okra are simple, quick, and incredibly easy to make.

Desserts

1. Sweet Potato Pie

Source: Sweet Potato Pie

It’s not a Southern-style Thanksgiving without Sweet Potato Pie! And this sweet potato pie by Leah Moldowan steals the spotlight from pumpkin. Top it with pecans and coconut whipped cream to really wow your guests.

2. Red Velvet Brownies

Source: Red Velvet Brownies

These Red Velvet Brownies by Stacey Horler are rich and chocolatey, with a subtle hint of vanilla. If you need your chocolate fix, then these moist, dense brownies will be a hit. They get their gorgeous color, not from food coloring, but from beets. Not only this, but the beets also add to their richness!

3. Pecan Pie Brownies

Source: Black Bean Brownie Pecan Pie

Decadent, fudgy, and flourless, this Black Bean Brownie Pecan Pie by Jessica Bose is a new take on the classic pecan pie. A topping of glazed pecans sends it over the top!

4. Hummingbird Cake

Source: Hummingbird Cake

Hummingbird Cake is an old-Fashion Southern layer cake. Made with moist banana and pineapple cake, spiced with cinnamon, studded with pecans, and topped off with cream cheese frosting, this dessert by Amy Lyons is super decadent. This elegant and delicious cake is perfect for any special occasion.

5. Trifle

Source: Maple Banana Tiramisu Trifle

Trifles may be an English dessert, but they’ve worked their way onto many-a Southern dessert tables. This Maple Banana Tiramisu Trifle by Christina Ross is a seasonal take on two European desserts: English trifle and Italian tiramisu. The result is a sophisticated dessert worthy of any Thanksgiving dessert spread.

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

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