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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Joanna Gaines describes a comfort-food Thanksgiving built around dinner rolls with warmed butter, green bean casserole, pumpkin cheesecake and her mother’s cranberry sauce. Magnolia also publishes recipes for herb-roasted turkey and gravy and mashed potatoes alongside her account—but those recipes are not presented as a complete inventory of what her family serves.
What is Joanna Gaines’ Thanksgiving menu?
In her first-person Magnolia article, Gaines calls the meal “big on comfort” and says, “Nothing here is overly impressive or complex.” The recurring family favorites she names are:
- Dinner rolls served with warmed butter
- Green bean casserole
- Pumpkin cheesecake
- Her mother’s cranberry sauce, which Gaines says tastes even better the next day
The article also provides recipes for turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes. Magnolia published the article on November 1, 2024, crediting it to Gaines and noting that it was adapted from a 2023 Magnolia Journal special edition. Read Gaines’ Thanksgiving account and recipes at Magnolia.
What recipes does Joanna Gaines make for Thanksgiving?
Herb-roasted turkey and gravy
Magnolia’s accompanying recipe specifies a 12-pound turkey, a 325°F oven and a listed roasting time of 2 hours 45 minutes. It gives a yield of 10 servings and directs cooks to check for 175°F in the thickest part of the thigh. These are the recipe’s published directions, not independent testing or general food-safety guidance; use a reliable thermometer and follow current food-safety recommendations for poultry.
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- Magnolia Table is infused with Joanna Gaines' warmth and passion for all things family, prepared and served straight from the heart of her home, with recipes inspired by dozens of Gaines family favorites and classic comfort selections from the couple's new Waco restaurant, Magnolia Table.
- Jo believes there's no better way to celebrate family and friendship than through the art of togetherness, celebrating tradition, and sharing a great meal. Magnolia Table includes 125 classic recipes—from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to small plates, snacks, and desserts—presenting a modern selection of American classics and personal family favorites.
- Complemented by her love for her garden, these dishes also incorporate homegrown, seasonal produce at the peak of its flavor. Inside Magnolia Table, you'll find recipes the whole family will enjoy, such as:
Mashed potatoes
The recipe calls for six large russet potatoes—about 3½ pounds—with salted butter, milk, salt and pepper. It yields 6 to 8 servings. For a more rustic texture and color, Gaines recommends peeling the potatoes in stripes, leaving some skin on.
More Magnolia Thanksgiving recipe ideas
Magnolia’s October 11, 2024 Thanksgiving collection is a planning roundup, not a single prescribed Gaines-family menu. It includes recipes attributed to Magnolia Table, Magnolia Table, Volume 2 and episodes of Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines.
| Course | Ideas in Magnolia’s collection |
|---|---|
| Starters | Cheese Balls, 4 Ways; prosciutto-wrapped apples with arugula, white cheddar and balsamic reduction; baked brie with a sweet nut topping; spinach-artichoke dip with garlic toast |
| Sides | Mashed potatoes; Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with brown sugar, pecans and marshmallows; homemade green bean casserole with crisp fried onions; Becki’s Mac and Cheese with cheddar, Gruyère and cream cheese; dinner rolls |
| Mains | Sunday Pot Roast; beef tenderloin with horseradish sour cream; Friendsgiving Casserole with Holiday Cranberry Sauce |
| Desserts | Pecan bars; apple pie; chocolate soufflés |
Browse Magnolia’s Thanksgiving recipe collection for its full roundup and recipe attributions.
What is Joanna Gaines’ Friendsgiving casserole?
Friendsgiving Casserole is a cookbook-linked alternative main: cooked shredded chicken and dried baguette pieces are layered with a creamy sauce, sour cream and chicken broth. The chicken can be home-roasted or rotisserie chicken, and the recipe index suggests serving the casserole with cranberry sauce.
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- Harper Collins Magnolia Table Volume 2 Book
- Harper Collins Magnolia Table Volume 2 Book- Following the launch of her #1 New York Times best-selling cookbook, Joanna Gaines gained a deeper commitment to the value of food being shared.
- Inspired to get back in the kitchen and beyond her comfort zone, Joanna developed new recipes for her family, and yours, to gather around.
- From breakfast to dinner, plus breads, soups, and sides, this cookbook gives readers abundant reasons to gather.
- Beautifully photographed, dishes nclude: mushroom-gruyere quiche, pumpkin cream cheese bread, stuffed pork loin, lemon-lavender tart, and more.
The official Episode 2 recipe index lists 1 hour 10 minutes of preparation, under 45 minutes of cooking and a yield of 8 to 10 servings. Those are separate prep and cook estimates; the index does not state an exact total elapsed time. Its Holiday Cranberry Sauce takes 5 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to cook and 2 hours 30 minutes to cool, and makes 1½ cups. It combines fresh cranberries, orange juice, sugar, a cinnamon stick and orange zest, so plan for the cooling time if serving it with the casserole.
What sides go with a Joanna Gaines Thanksgiving dinner?
For the family menu Gaines describes, green bean casserole and rolls are the named sides; mashed potatoes appear as a separate Magnolia recipe. If you want to build out the table from Magnolia’s broader collection, its Southern Sweet Potato Casserole and Becki’s Mac and Cheese offer additional hearty sides. The Episode 2 index also includes Green Beans Amandine, made with green beans, butter, garlic, brown sugar, sherry or sherry vinegar, cider vinegar and toasted almonds; it lists about 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking.
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For planning, the same index gives mashed potatoes 10 minutes of prep and under 45 minutes of cooking, with a yield of 6 to 8 servings. The recipes do not provide a tested comparison of oven-space demands, make-ahead performance or allergen substitutions, so check each recipe’s ingredients and coordinate cooking times for your own kitchen and guest list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to find the official recipes
Magnolia’s Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines — Recipe Index, Episode 02 contains directions for Friendsgiving Casserole, Holiday Cranberry Sauce, Green Beans Amandine, mashed potatoes and Cherry-Almond Crisp. The crisp combines cherries with lemon and almond, an oat-and-almond topping and vanilla ice cream; the index lists 15 minutes of prep, 20 minutes of baking and 20 minutes of cooling, yielding 6 servings. The index identifies recipes associated with the show and cookbook; it does not make the full Thanksgiving roundup a personal menu.
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