With a little creativity, you can make a showstopping Thanksgiving dinner without any butter, cream, or cheese. Instead of those staples, add interest to your dishes with flavors of crab, bacon, fresh herbs and bold, tangy vinaigrettes. These recipes offer solutions for every course of the meal.
 Dungeness Crab Toast with Avocado
Fresh Dungeness crab and avocado are a match made in heaven. Here, the combination is transformed into a delicious appetizer served on crostini. |
 Cauliflower-Kale Soup with Crispy Kale Topping
Kale lends a beautiful green color to this silky cauliflower soup, which gets its texture from olive oil and stock instead of milk. A garnish of crispy kale chips and pine nuts adds a satisfying crunch. |
 Mesclun and Roasted Pears with Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette
Grainy mustard is delicious mixed with apple juice and cider vinegar in this dressing. The pears turn sweet when roasted, and toasted pumpkin seeds add texture — the flavors are so bold, you won’t miss any cheese. |
 Turkey Two Ways
Cooking the turkey in sections is an easy way to make sure that both the white and dark meat stay tender and juicy. Here, we brine and confit the thighs and drumsticks, and apply a spiced rub on the breast before roasting. |
 Wrinkled Potatoes with Green Dipping Sauce
Mashed potatoes do a fine job of soaking up the flavors on a Thanksgiving plate. But for a departure from the norm, try these boiled “wrinkled” potatoes paired with a a bright acidic dipping sauce. |
 Focaccia Stuffing with Sausage and Chestnuts
Instead of butter, Italian sausage, olive oil and roasted chestnuts flavor this savory stuffing. It’s made with our mix, created by the legendary La Brea Bakery of Los Angeles. |
 Green Beans with Sweet-and-Sour Bacon Dressing
Sweet, salty and sour flavors mingle irresistibly in this simple yet bold-flavored dish of green beans dressed in a bacon vinaigrette. It’s a festive addition to a Thanksgiving spread, but you’ll love using the recipe for summer picnics, too! |
 Tart Cranberry Sorbet
Sweetened tart cranberries are the star of this refreshing, elegant dessert. It makes for a light, beautiful finale to a filling holiday meal. |
Find Thanksgiving table ideas, essential tools and dozens of recipes at the Williams Sonoma Thanksgiving Headquarters.
