Favorite Recipes of Military Families for Thanksgiving Day (2024)

As military families who have moved and lived all over the world, our recipes have been touched by those places we called home. This extends to the holidays. While some families remain traditional in their Thanksgiving meals, some embrace the new eats and traditions. Here are some favorite recipes of military families to celebrate the holiday straight from the well-worn recipe cards, and perhaps some inspiration on what to add to your table this year.

Sunday Rib Roast

As an alternative to turkey, the Barefoot Contessa’s roast has amazing flavor with a mustard horseradish sauce to elevate the dish. Once the meat is at room temperature, it is ready to be cooked with the cook time totaling a little under two hours meaning more oven time for other dishes if needed.

Stuffed Ham

Move over turkey, it’s time to stuff the ham! The stuffed ham is a southern Maryland staple that may date back to the colonial period — but the reality is that no one knows the beginnings of the stuffed ham. No matter it’s origins, it is a staple at southern Maryland tables and for those military families who have traveled from home, they continue the tradition wherever the military sends them. The ham is stuffed with seasoned cabbage, kale, and onions — stuffed into the slits at the sides of the ham and covered in a cheesecloth to keep the contents inside the ham.

Butternut Squash, Rosemary and Garlic Lasagna

For the vegetarian family and friend members at the table, this lasagna is a creamy and filling dish. Rosemary is steeped in the milk to create a herby milk base, and the milk is then added to a roux to create the creamy sauce while the 3 pounds of squash cook to soften. To make the lasanga, one cup of sauce is added to the bottom of the dish and topped with a layer of cooked lasagna sheets and covered with a blended squash-garlic-Parmesan cheese mix. Alternating layers of the noodles, squash and sauce are done until all is used. Top with more cheese for a cheesy finish and bake at 375 for 30 minutes for a creamy pasta dish that may surprise even the non-veggie fans.

Green Bean Casserole

This was by far the most requested and stated favorite. It might be a simple one, but it is a classic. Mix one can of cream of mushroom soup with ¾ cup milk, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 2–14 oz cans of green beans and 2/3 cup of crispy fried onions together in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until hot and stir. Top with the remaining 2/3 cup crispy fried onions and bake until the onions are golden brown.

Spinach Casserole

Another green veggie dish is a hit at the Thanksgiving table. Combine 1 8oz plain Greek yogurt or sour cream with 1–2 packets of onion soup mix (depends how strong you want it). Mix in 1 package of cooked spinach (one box of frozen spinach). Top with fried onions. For ease of baking, bake at whatever temp everything else is cooking until the top is crisp and the onions have browned a little.

Sweet Potatoes — Multiple Ways

Some people go traditional with brown sugar and pecans on top, some embrace the marshmallows! One thing to keep in mind is that some places military families live do not have traditional sweet potatoes — Okinawa for one doesn’t always have fresh sweet potatoes on hand so purple potatoes are substituted making this dish a colorful and memorable one!

Carrots and Parsnips

Dating back to the days of Ellis Island and immigration, a common vegetable at the table was what could be found — and parsnips cooked and then mashed like potatoes and topped with gravy were a staple then and common now as a way to remember and honor those family roots. Cooked carrots are another easy to find root vegetable, and when cooked bring out the sweetness of the veg.

Cranberry Sauce

And not the can folks.

This recipe is so simple, and there are so many variations you can add to it. The basic recipe is bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil. Add to the boiling concoction, 2 cups of washed cranberries. Bring this to a boil and allow the berries to pop. You can cook less if you like whole berries, or more for all popped berries. Want to add a citrus twist? Do ½ cup orange juice instead of ½ cup water. Or add lemon zest at the end. Or split ½ brown and ½ white sugar for a deep molasses flavor. There really are so many ways to change up this recipe, and it adds zing to those post-Thanksgiving Day sandwiches.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

One military family shared that this recipe is a stable from childhood and just has to be made and enjoyed for the Thanksgiving holiday feel real and complete.

Mashed Potatoes with Spinach

Mixing together two vegetables may not be commonplace, but they sure make sense when yo mix in mashed potatoes with sour cream, cream cheese, butter, pepper and cooked spinach.

Cornbread Dressing

Stuffing, or dressing, is a side dish or stuffed inside a turkey and is a bready accompaniment to the day. It can be dressed up with rice, andouille sausage, oysters, cranberries, onions or celery. With a variety of seasonings. The best recipes are the ones passed down from family members, and shared with friends at the table.

Corn Pudding

Mix together one can of whole kernel corn, 1 can of cream corn, 8 ounces of sour cream and 2 beaten eggs. Pour into and spread evenly in a buttered dish. Pour one box of Jiffy corn mix over the mixture making sure to spread evenly. Pour one stick of butter melted over the combination. Mix all together. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Meatballs

While this dish may seem non-traditional, it is the family time it is associated with that has sparked it’s continuation at the thanksgiving dinner table. One family shared that meatballs were made with her grandfather and mother growing up, and the duty to making the dish has passed out to family members over the years now including her children and mother. The meatballs are then cooked in the sauce, cooking slowly for hours.

A common thread for many recipes is that they are associated with memories — memories with friends for a friendsgiving when living halfway around the world from family or memories of making the dish with a family member on holidays as a kid. Whatever the reason, these recipes are traditions.

What is on your thanksgiving menu this year?