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This vegetarian Thanksgiving menu is the one I cook when the whole table is meat free, or when half of it is and I refuse to let anyone feel like an afterthought. There are twelve tested recipes across five courses: a start, two mains, four sides, two breads and two puddings, and not one of them is a sad plate of extra vegetables.
In short, this is a complete meat free Thanksgiving dinner for 6 to 12 guests: hummus and crackers to start, vegan lasagna and baked mac and cheese as the mains, four sides, cornbread, dinner rolls, pecan pie and pumpkin dump cake. Four dishes are vegan, seven can be made ahead, and the timeline runs one oven for dinner at about 5pm.
Below you will find every dish, then my make-ahead timeline from three days out to the last half hour, an oven schedule, how much to make for 6, 8 or 12 guests, and a quick vegetable stock gravy. Honestly, it is the plan I wish I had the first year I hosted.
Quick Breakdown
How This Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu Works
I built it the way a proper feast runs. Something to nibble while the oven is busy, a centrepiece, a crowd of sides, warm bread and two puddings. So nobody misses the turkey, because the table is already full.
- Two mains, not one: a vegan lasagna and a baked mac and cheese, so vegans and cheese lovers both get a proper centrepiece.
- Four vegan dishes: the hummus, the crackers, the lasagna and the mushrooms contain no animal products at all.
- Mostly made ahead: seven of the twelve can be baked or assembled before the big day.
- Labels checked: I have flagged the few ingredients that can hide meat or fish, like Worcestershire sauce and some shop pie crusts.
To Start: Dips and Crackers
First, something for people to graze on while you juggle trays. Both of these are made days ahead, which is exactly what you want on a busy morning.
1. Hummus
My hummus (vegan) starts with ten minutes of simmering the tinned chickpeas, because soft, warm chickpeas blend into something silky rather than grainy. Then tahini, lemon, garlic and a full two minutes in the processor do the rest. Cold water, not more oil, makes it light. I spoon it into a wide bowl, swirl it and leave guests to it.
2. Sourdough Discard Crackers
These crackers (vegan) use the discard you would otherwise pour away, plus flour, olive oil, salt and dried herbs. The whole trick is rolling the dough almost paper thin between two sheets of parchment, so they snap rather than bend. In fact, they are the first thing I bake for the holiday, because they keep beautifully in a tin.
Get the Sourdough Discard Crackers recipe →
The Mains
Next, the centrepieces. One is vegan and one is gloriously cheesy, and both slice into neat squares that look generous on a platter.
3. Vegan Lasagna
This lasagna (vegan) is hearty enough to stand in for the turkey. Tempeh or smoked tofu and mushrooms give the sauce a meaty bite, while macadamias or cashews blended with lemon and nutritional yeast make the creamy layer. Better yet, instant sheets mean no boiling, and you can make the sauce and nut cheese in advance, then assemble it the day before.
Get the Vegan Lasagna recipe →
4. Baked Mac and Cheese
This baked mac and cheese is the dish the cheese lovers head for first. Three cheeses melt into a simple white sauce, then buttered white breadcrumbs go over the top and bake into a crisp golden lid. Still, the middle stays soft and creamy. Take the sauce off the heat before the cheese goes in, and it never splits. Of course, it is also the dish children eat without being asked.
Get the Baked Mac and Cheese recipe →
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu Sides
Then come the sides, which are honestly the heart of any vegetarian Thanksgiving menu. Two potato dishes, a green bean bake and a pan of garlicky mushrooms cover creamy, crunchy and savoury.
5. Buttery Mashed Potatoes
These buttery mashed potatoes are the ones my mother-in-law judges me by. The secret is draining the potatoes well and letting them steam in the hot pot, then stirring in the butter before the warm cream. As a result, they turn fluffy instead of gluey. Never use a blender, because the starch turns to glue in seconds.
Get the Buttery Mashed Potatoes recipe →
For the fluffiest result, push the steamed potatoes through a potato ricer instead of mashing; it is quicker than it sounds and leaves no lumps at all.
6. Fresh Green Bean Casserole
In this green bean casserole, fresh beans, blanched for exactly five minutes, are what turn the classic from grey and soupy into the side people queue for. The creamy mushroom sauce and crispy onions are just as you remember. The card lists Worcestershire sauce as optional; regular Worcestershire contains anchovies, so use a vegetarian one or leave it out, and check your condensed soup label.
Get the Fresh Green Bean Casserole recipe →
7. Scalloped Potatoes
My grandmother made scalloped potatoes without cheese, and she was right. Thin potato slices bake slowly in a cream sauce seasoned with smoked paprika and garlic powder, until the top browns and the middle goes silky. Slice them about 3 mm thick and keep them even. Also, do not rinse the slices, because their starch thickens the sauce.
Get the Scalloped Potatoes recipe →
8. Garlicky Air Fryer Mushrooms
These garlicky mushrooms (vegan) are my secret weapon on the day, because they never touch the oven. Sliced button mushrooms are tossed with avocado oil, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley, then spread in a single layer in the air fryer. That space is everything; crowd them and they steam. They come out deep brown and juicy in minutes.
Get the Garlicky Air Fryer Mushrooms recipe →
The Bread Basket
After that, bread, because there has to be something to mop up the gravy. One is quick and goes in at the very end, and the other is baked the day before.
9. Skillet Cornbread
This cornbread hits a sizzling buttered cast iron pan and comes out with toffee coloured, crunchy edges and a soft middle. It needs no buttermilk, just cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, milk, an egg and butter. Mix until just combined and stop while it still looks a little lumpy. I bake it last, while the mains rest.
Get the Skillet Cornbread recipe →
10. Sourdough Dinner Rolls
These sourdough dinner rolls are enriched with milk and butter, so they stay soft for days. There is a faint tang under the sweetness, and the tops go deep gold from a brush of melted butter straight out of the oven. They do need patience, with 6 to 9 hours of rising, which is why I bake them the day before.
Get the Sourdough Dinner Rolls recipe →
Something Sweet
Finally, pudding, which is the sweetest part of the whole vegetarian Thanksgiving menu. Both of these are better made the day before, which means the oven is free for everything else.
11. Easy Pecan Pie
I make this pecan pie the night before, mostly so I can stop worrying about pudding. One bowl, an unbaked crust and no blind baking. Pull it out while the very centre still wobbles, because the filling firms as it cools. Some shop pie crusts are made with lard, so check the label or use an all butter one.
Get the Easy Pecan Pie recipe →
12. Pumpkin Dump Cake
Pumpkin dump cake is pumpkin pie underneath and a buttery, crumbly lid on top, with about ten minutes of real work. Pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and pumpkin spice are whisked together, then dry cake mix and melted butter go over the top. Do not stir it, because that dry layer is what turns crisp.
Get the Pumpkin Dump Cake recipe →
Make-Ahead Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu Timeline
Because almost everything on this vegetarian Thanksgiving menu can be done early, the day itself is mostly reheating. Purdue Extension suggests you simplify the day by preparing foods the day before, and that is exactly how I run it. This timeline assumes dinner at about 5pm.
| When | What I do |
|---|---|
| 3 days before | Bake the sourdough discard crackers and store them in a tin. Make the hummus and keep it in the fridge. Write the shopping list and check labels on stock, Worcestershire sauce and pie crust. |
| The day before | Start the dinner roll dough early (it needs 6 to 9 hours of rising), then bake the rolls. Bake the pecan pie and the pumpkin dump cake. Assemble the vegan lasagna, the mac and cheese, the scalloped potatoes and the green bean casserole (no onions), cover and refrigerate. |
| The morning | Make the mashed potatoes and keep them covered in the fridge. Slice the mushrooms but do not season them. Set the table and put out serving dishes. |
| About 2 hours before | At 2:45pm the scalloped potatoes go into a 350°F oven, covered. Half an hour later the green beans go in beside them. Take the hummus out of the fridge. |
| Last 30 minutes | Cornbread into a 400°F oven at 4:40pm. Season and air fry the mushrooms. Reheat the mash gently in a pan, make the gravy and slice the lasagna. When the cornbread comes out, rewarm the rolls under foil. |
That said, the two mains need their own slot. So I bake them together in the hour before dinner, as the oven schedule below shows.
Oven Schedule
One oven is the real puzzle of any big meal. However, these dishes cluster neatly around 350°F and 375°F, so I run two batches and leave the mushrooms and mash to the air fryer and hob.
| Time | Dish | Temperature | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:45pm | Scalloped potatoes (from the fridge) | 350°F | 55 to 60 minutes covered, then 15 uncovered |
| 3:15pm | Green bean casserole (from the fridge) | 350°F | 35 minutes, then 5 to 10 with the onions |
| 4:00pm | Turn the oven up; vegan lasagna and mac and cheese go in | 375°F | Lasagna about 30 minutes (its card says 360°F, so I check it 5 minutes early); mac and cheese 35 to 40 minutes from cold, then a 10 minute rest |
| 4:40pm | Skillet cornbread | 400°F | 20 to 22 minutes, then 5 minutes rest |
| 5:00pm | Dinner rolls, covered in foil | 300°F | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Day before | Pecan pie, pumpkin dump cake, rolls, crackers | 350°F to 375°F | As each card says |
Meanwhile, the potatoes and green beans come out at about 4pm and rest under foil while the mains bake. They stay hot for a good half hour, and the rolls follow the cornbread to the table a few minutes later.
How Much to Make for 6, 8 or 12 Guests
For 6 or 8 guests, one batch of most dishes is enough, with two batches of the mash and the mushrooms (and of the lasagna for 8). For 12 guests, make two batches of most dishes, three of the mash and four of the mushrooms, while one pumpkin dump cake still covers everyone. With twelve dishes on a vegetarian Thanksgiving menu, people take a spoonful of everything rather than a full portion of one thing. So one batch of a recipe stretches further than its card suggests. Here is how many batches I make.
| Dish | One batch makes | 6 guests | 8 guests | 12 guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hummus | 6 servings | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Sourdough crackers | 6 servings | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Vegan lasagna | 4 servings | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Baked mac and cheese | 6 servings | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Mashed potatoes | 4 servings | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Green bean casserole | 6 servings | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Scalloped potatoes | 7 servings | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Air fryer mushrooms | 3 servings | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Skillet cornbread | 8 slices | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Sourdough dinner rolls | 12 rolls | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Pecan pie | 8 slices | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Pumpkin dump cake | 12 servings | 1 | 1 | 1 |
A Quick Vegetable Stock Gravy
Gravy is where meat sneaks back in, because most granules and many stock cubes are made with chicken or beef. Instead, I make a simple pan of it with vegetable stock while the mains rest.
- The base: melt 3 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil for a vegan gravy), whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour and cook it for a minute until it smells biscuity.
- The liquid: whisk in about 2 cups of hot vegetable stock a little at a time, then simmer until it coats a spoon.
- The depth: a splash of soy sauce and a pinch of black pepper. Better yet, tip in the juices from the mushroom basket.
- Check the label: make sure your stock cube says vegetable and has no hidden meat extracts.
Pour it into a warmed glass gravy boat just as everyone sits down, and keep the pan on a low heat so you can top it up when it runs low.
Tips for Your Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu
- Plan early. University of Tennessee Extension suggests planning your holiday meal about two weeks ahead and shopping the week before, which takes the panic out of the final days.
- Read three labels. Worcestershire sauce (anchovies), shop pie crusts (sometimes lard) and stock cubes are the usual culprits.
- Check the cheese. Many cheeses are made with animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian label on the cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey Jack.
- Feeding meat eaters too? Serve this spread alongside my traditional Thanksgiving dinner and everyone shares the sides.
- Want more choice? Swap any dish for one from my vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes roundup.
- Cool leftovers quickly. Get everything into shallow containers and into the fridge within two hours of serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Planning the Menu
What do vegetarians eat on Thanksgiving?
Everything except the turkey, and usually a hearty main instead. In this menu that means vegan lasagna or baked mac and cheese, plus the usual potatoes, green beans, bread and pie.
What can vegetarians eat instead of turkey?
A hearty main with real presence on the table, such as the vegan lasagna or the baked mac and cheese in this menu. A lasagna, a bubbling pasta bake or a big savoury tart all slice into generous portions, so the main still feels like the main.
Can I make this vegetarian Thanksgiving menu fully vegan?
Partly. The hummus, crackers, lasagna and mushrooms are already vegan. However, the mash, potatoes, casserole, breads and puddings rely on butter, cream, milk or eggs, so you would need vegan versions of those.
Cooking and Timing
Is green bean casserole vegetarian?
It can be, but check two things. Regular Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, and some condensed soups contain meat stock. Use a vegetarian Worcestershire or leave it out, and choose a condensed mushroom soup made without meat stock.
How far ahead can I make a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner?
Up to three days ahead for the crackers and hummus, the breads and puddings the day before, and most bakes can be assembled the day before too. Only the mushrooms, cornbread and gravy are truly last minute.
How do I fit a whole Thanksgiving dinner in one oven?
Bake the puddings and rolls the day before, then run a 350°F batch for the potatoes and beans and a 375°F batch for the mains. The air fryer and hob handle the rest.
How long do vegetarian Thanksgiving leftovers keep in the fridge?
Most keep 3 to 4 days. Get leftovers into shallow containers in the fridge within two hours of serving; the mash, pecan pie and pumpkin dump cake keep up to 4 days and the hummus up to 5. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
