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When is Thanksgiving 2026? + Free Shellfish-Free Menu

Thanksgiving 2026 falls on November 26, 2026 — 37 days to prepare

Shellfish-Free Thanksgiving feast spread

Approved Shellfish-Free Menu

The Pilgrim's Bounty Shellfish-Free Thanksgiving

Prep time: 240 minsDifficulty: Hard

Starter Course

Creamy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Roasted butternut squash and tart apple pureed with butter, onion, and cream - a gentle, golden start with no shellfish in sight.

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Creamy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Creamy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Serves 6 Prep 25 min Cook 45 min Total 1 hr 10 min

Step 1 of 5

Ingredients

3 lbs (1 large), peeled, seeded, and cubed1.4 kg (1 large), peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash
2, peeled and chopped2, peeled and chopped tart apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
4 Tbsp60 g unsalted butter
1 large, chopped1 large, chopped yellow onion
3 cloves, minced3 cloves, minced garlic
4 cups960 ml chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup180 ml heavy cream
1/4 tsp1 ml ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp1 ml ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper7.5 ml salt and 2.5 ml pepper kosher salt and black pepper

Method

1Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat; soften the onion for 8 minutes, then add the garlic for the last minute.
2Add the squash and apples with a pinch of salt; cook 5 minutes, stirring, until the edges start to soften.
3Pour in the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook 25 minutes, until everything collapses at the touch of a spoon.
4Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
5Stir in the cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg; warm through gently without boiling. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. A gentle, golden start — no shellfish in sight, none needed.

Watch out for

Doubling the cinnamon and nutmeg for 'more fall flavor' pushes the soup from savory to candle-scented — 1/4 tsp of each is the sweet spot.
Stirring the cream into a boiling pot can curdle it — take the pot off the heat, then stir it in.
Under-simmering leaves apple chunks that blend gritty — cook until everything collapses at the touch of a spoon, the full 25 minutes.

Easy swaps

Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples: any tart apple on hand, or a pear for a mellower soup
heavy cream: coconut milk, same amount — the soup goes dairy-free
unsalted butter: olive oil, same amount — a lighter but still silky soup

Main Feast Piece

Herb-Butter Roast Turkey with Cornbread-Sage Dressing

A grand herb-butter turkey with crisp golden skin, sage cornbread dressing, silky pan gravy, cranberry-port sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, maple-glazed sweet potatoes, and green beans with toasted almonds.

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Herb-Butter Roast Turkey with Cornbread-Sage Dressing

Herb-Butter Roast Turkey with Cornbread-Sage Dressing

Serves 6 Prep 1 hr Cook 4 hr Total 5 hr

Step 1 of 6

Ingredients

11 lbs, thawed5 kg, thawed whole turkey
1 cup (2 sticks), softened225 g (2 sticks), softened unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped60 ml chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp leaves30 ml leaves fresh thyme
1 whole head — half minced for the herb butter, half roasted for the potatoes1 whole head — half minced for the herb butter, half roasted for the potatoes garlic
2 Tbsp salt and 1 Tbsp pepper30 ml salt and 15 ml pepper kosher salt and black pepper
8 cups cubed1.9 L cubed day-old cornbread
1 large, diced1 large, diced yellow onion
3 stalks, diced3 stalks, diced celery
2, beaten2, beaten large eggs
3 cups720 ml warm chicken stock
1/3 cup, for the gravy40 g, for the gravy all-purpose flour
4 cups, for the gravy960 ml, for the gravy pan drippings plus stock
12 oz340 g fresh cranberries
1/4 cup60 ml ruby port
3/4 cup150 g sugar
1, zested1, zested orange
3 lbs, peeled and chunked1.4 kg, peeled and chunked russet potatoes
3/4 cup, warmed180 ml, warmed whole milk
2 1/2 lbs, peeled and chunked1.1 kg, peeled and chunked sweet potatoes
1/4 cup60 ml pure maple syrup
1 1/2 lbs, trimmed680 g, trimmed green beans
1/2 cup, toasted55 g, toasted sliced almonds

Method

1Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Mash the butter with the sage, thyme, minced garlic, salt, and pepper; work under the turkey skin and over the bird. Roast 3 to 3 1/2 hours to 165°F (74°C) in the thigh; rest 30 minutes.
2For the cornbread-sage dressing: sauté the onion and celery in 4 Tbsp butter until soft; toss with the cornbread cubes, sage, beaten eggs, and warm stock until moist; bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35 minutes until crisp on top.
3For the pan gravy: brown the flour in 1/3 cup drippings, whisk in the 4 cups drippings and stock, and simmer until silky.
4For the cranberry-port sauce: simmer the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and port with 1/4 cup water for 10 minutes, until jammy and glossy.
5Mash the boiled potatoes with the roasted garlic, butter, and warm milk. Roast the sweet potatoes with maple syrup and butter at 425°F (220°C) for 30 minutes. Blanch the green beans, then toss in a hot skillet with butter and the toasted almonds.
6Carve the rested turkey and serve the grand spread — crisp golden skin, savory dressing, and a proper shellfish-free table.

Watch out for

Boiling the port with the cranberries for the full 10 minutes cooks off all its fruit — stir it in for the last 2 minutes so it stays glossy and deep.
Swapping in raw garlic for the roasted head would be brutal — a whole head only works roasted caramel-soft; squeeze out the paste, don't mince it raw.
Cornbread drinks stock unevenly, so a dressing that looks right at tossing can bake dry — wait 5 minutes, then add more warm stock if it looks thirsty before it goes in the oven.

Easy swaps

ruby port: cranberry juice plus 1 tsp balsamic — the same jewel color with no alcohol
sliced almonds: toasted pepitas for a nut-free table, or buttered breadcrumbs
cornbread cubes: day-old sourdough cubes — a chewier, tangier dressing

Sweet Confection

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

A luscious spiced pumpkin cheesecake on a buttery gingersnap crust, crowned with whipped cream.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Serves 6 Prep 30 min Cook 1 hr 15 min Total 1 hr 45 min

Step 1 of 5

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups crumbs (about 24 cookies)180 g crumbs (about 24 cookies) gingersnap cookies
5 Tbsp, melted, for the crust75 g, melted, for the crust unsalted butter
2 Tbsp for the crust, plus 3/4 cup for the filling25 g for the crust, plus 150 g for the filling sugar
24 oz (three 8-oz blocks), at room temperature680 g (three 225 g blocks), at room temperature cream cheese
1 (15-oz) can1 (425 g) can pumpkin puree
3, at room temperature3, at room temperature large eggs
1/2 cup120 ml sour cream
1 1/2 tsp7.5 ml ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp2.5 ml ground ginger
1/4 tsp1 ml ground nutmeg
1 pinch1 pinch ground cloves
1/4 tsp1 ml kosher salt
2 tsp10 ml vanilla extract
1 cup, for whipping240 ml, for whipping heavy cream
2 Tbsp, for the whipped cream16 g, for the whipped cream powdered sugar

Method

1Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Stir the gingersnap crumbs with the melted butter and 2 Tbsp sugar; press firmly into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes; cool.
2Beat the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until completely smooth — no lumps, or they'll haunt the texture. Beat in the pumpkin, then the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, spices, salt, and vanilla.
3Pour into the cooled crust and bake 60 to 65 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still jiggles like set gelatin. Run a thin knife around the edge, then cool 1 hour and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
4Whip the cream with the powdered sugar to soft peaks.
5Release the springform, slice with a hot dry knife, and crown each slice with whipped cream. Luscious, spiced, and sliceable — a full cheesecake is generous for six, and leftovers are a gift.

Watch out for

Beating cold cream cheese guarantees lumps that never smooth out — give the blocks and eggs a full 2 hours on the counter before mixing.
Skipping the warm knife-around-the-edge lets the cooling cheesecake crack — release it from the pan while still warm so it can contract freely.
Slicing with a cold, wet knife drags the filling — use a hot, dry knife and wipe it clean between every cut.

Easy swaps

gingersnap cookies (crust): graham crackers plus 1/2 tsp ground ginger — the same snap
sour cream: full-fat Greek yogurt, same amount — tangier with the same moisture
pumpkin puree: sweet potato puree, 1:1 — nearly identical, slightly sweeter

Accompanying Sides

Creamed Spinach with Parmesan and Garlic Breadcrumbs

Silky creamed spinach with nutmeg and parmesan, crowned with golden garlic-toasted breadcrumbs. The steakhouse classic, dressed for the harvest table.

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Creamed Spinach with Parmesan and Garlic Breadcrumbs

Creamed Spinach with Parmesan and Garlic Breadcrumbs

Serves 6 Prep 20 min Cook 20 min Total 40 min

Step 1 of 6

Ingredients

2 lbs900 g fresh spinach
4 Tbsp, divided60 g, divided unsalted butter
1/2 small, finely minced1/2 small, finely minced yellow onion
3 cloves, minced, divided3 cloves, minced, divided garlic
2 Tbsp16 g all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups360 ml whole milk
1/2 cup120 ml heavy cream
1/2 cup45 g freshly grated parmesan
1/4 tsp1 ml freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp, plus more to taste6 ml, plus more to taste kosher salt
1/2 tsp, freshly ground2.5 ml, freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup30 g fresh breadcrumbs

Method

1Wilt the spinach in batches in a large pot over medium heat with just the water clinging to the leaves, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Squeeze the cooled spinach in a clean towel until very dry, then chop coarsely.
2Melt 3 Tbsp of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Soften the onion 4 minutes, then add two-thirds of the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute to make a pale roux. Whisk in the milk in a thin stream, then the cream; simmer 3 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon.
4Off the heat, stir in the parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Fold in the chopped spinach and warm through gently.
5Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet; toast the breadcrumbs with the remaining garlic until golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
6Spoon the creamed spinach into a serving dish and shower with the garlic breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.

Watch out for

Leaving water in the spinach turns the cream sauce thin and sad — squeeze the cooled spinach until no more liquid comes out.
Boiling the cream sauce after the parmesan goes in can make it grainy — keep it at a bare simmer once the cheese is stirred through.

Easy swaps

fresh spinach: two 10-oz packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
parmesan: pecorino romano, same amount, for a sharper bite
fresh breadcrumbs: panko, toasted the same way, for an extra-crisp topping

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