easy thanksgiving menu for new moms

Soon enough, Thanksgiving will be upon us! Can you believe it’s next week!? For many that means going to a friends or families home for the afternoon, talking, eating and leaving stuffed. But for many new mamas, you are the one doing the cooking.

We all want our Thanksgiving to be memorable, and for the food to be delicious. But with a little one in your arms, there’s only so much you can do before you drive yourself crazy with all of the prepping and cooking. This year, give yourself a pass (hey, you can always make that 6-course Thanksgiving next year), and instead make a simple menu. One with all your favorite Thanksgiving dishes, but with a few shortcuts.

If you’re cooking Thanksgiving this year as a new mama, and you want to keep it quick and easy yet delicious, check out this simple menu. It’ll keep you from being in the kitchen for hours, but will guarantee to make the tummies at your dinner table happy.

the new mama easy thanksgiving menu

turkey:

To feed 2-8 people, roast a 2-6-pound turkey or chicken.

even easier:

Go to the grocery store the day before and buy some slices of pre-cooked turkey, then just warm it up before your meal. Most of the time we serve the turkey sliced on a platter anyways; no one has to know you didn’t cook it!

stuffing:

Boxed stuffing, it takes just a few minutes on the stove or in the microwave. Add sautéed onions and celery if you want to make it semi-homemade.

side:

Choose one or two of your family’s favorite Thanksgiving sides: mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, etc. Consider making it the day before and just heat it up on Thanksgiving.

even easier:

sautéed green beans, sautéed carrots or microwaved corn.

gravy:

Stir in flour and water into the drippings, then whisk into a gravy. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

even easier:

Canned gravy, all the way.

cranberry sauce:

Canned. Hey, it’s actually pretty good!

dinner rolls:

Store-bought or if you have some time, your favorite bakery.

dessert:

Make your favorite pie or cookies the day before; ie. apple, pumpkin or chocolate pudding pie.

even easier:

Pick out whatever looks good to you at the store. If you pick out something a little fancier than what you usually make, no one will comment that it’s not homemade. Pumpkin cheesecake maybe!? Or if you’re having guests over and they ask what to bring, dessert is always super helpful!

Hello! I am Karen Folcik, a wife, mama, speaker and author of  Happy Tummies: A Cookbook for New Mamas. For recipes, tips and more follow me @happytummiescookbook on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.