One of the biggest challenges for dinner guests on Thanksgiving is choosing a dish to bring along that won't take up precious oven space for reheating. It's too risky! That's why we always choose something that can be served cold, or better yet, at room temperature. Here are some of our go-to ideas for impressive and low maintenance take-along dishes.
Brussels Sprout Salad with Dried Cranberries
This salad is cook-free for easy prep and easy portability. We like dressing it closer to dinner, so bring along any bowls or tongs so you don't have to bother your host while they carve the turkey.
Roasted Delicata Squash with Buttermilk Dressing
This is a rich, hearty dish that you can serve just like a salad for the best of both worlds.
In a perfect world, you would make your bread the morning of Thanksgiving, but up to a day ahead is okay, too. Just pop it in a hot oven while you get ready to let it crisp back up. Our favorite Thanksgiving-friendly toppings are caramel onions, fresh sage leaves, or even just flaky sea salt.
Pumpkin Date Cake with Maple Caramel Sauce
This cake is delicious however you serve it, which makes it the perfect bring-along dish. Once refrigerated, the sauce will need to be reheated. To avoid this, make the sauce, or at least reheat it, before you leave for your dinner. If by dessert, there's space to warm the sauce, you can do it in a small pot or for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave. But it's not required!
Iced and Spiced Brown Sugar Cookies
These cute little cookies have a secret: they are so easy to make and hold for a whole week. That means you can bake and ice these the weekend before Thanksgiving and wrap them up right, ready to bring anywhere you have to go. We think the pumpkins are cute for fall, but you can make them any shape you want. If you don't have a cookie cutter, cut the cookies into equal squares or cut them into circles with a glass. And yes, the icing dries hard, so you can stack them on a plate or even in a zip-top bag.
You'll be a hero if you bring along a fall-themed cocktail, and this one meets the brief! Mix 10 servings of the ingredients in a jar or pitcher (bring your own!) without the sparkling cider, leaving a few bottles near the bar for guests to add as they serve themselves. Make sure to check your mix before leaving the house. It may need to be diluted with extra cider or water so it's not too strong.
