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Looking for some mouthwatering Thanksgiving dinner ideas to impress your guests this year? Look no further! This list has everything you need to create a memorable and delicious feast.

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Collage of Thanksgiving dinner recipes.

Who Doesn’t Love Thanksgiving?!

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner ideas, it can be a little overwhelming knowing where to start, especially if you’re the HOST. Don’t fret, we are sharing all the best recipes and tips to help you plan. We’ve included main dishes, appetizers, side dishes, and of course, dessert! To make things even more simple, use our Free Thanksgiving Menu Template to help plan your Thanksgiving dinner menu!

From juicy roast turkey and fluffy mashed potatoes to golden brown dinner rolls and classic pumpkin pie, this list has everything you need for a memorable holiday feast. Below you’ll find our top recipes for each section. We hope the list can give you inspiration for creating your own delicious menu.

Kristyn’s Turkey Dinner Tip

Don’t know what to do with all the leftover turkey? Check out our List of Leftover Turkey Recipes.

PRO TIP: Pin or bookmark this list so you’re ready with your entire Thanksgiving menu!

Table of Contents


From the perfect turkey recipe to easy, crowd-pleasing alternatives, the main dish is guaranteed to be the star of your holiday table.

5 from 36 votes

How to Roast a Turkey

Total Time: 3 hours
Learn how to roast a turkey with all the tips and tricks you'll need to make a turkey full of flavor for Thanksgiving or any holiday.
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5 from 41 votes

Crockpot Ham Recipe

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Crockpot ham has a quick prep and requires minimal effort. Covered with a brown sugar glaze, it's our favorite way to make a holiday ham!
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4.99 from 120 votes

Crock Pot Pot Roast

Total Time: 7 hours 5 minutes
This melt-in-your-mouth crock pot pot roast is tender and flavorful. It takes just 5 minutes of prep before your slow cooker works its magic.
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5 from 31 votes

Honey Glazed Ham

Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Tender and juicy honey glazed ham is smothered in our simple 5-ingredient glaze creating our favorite recipe for holiday ham!
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5 from 25 votes

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Slow cooker roast chicken takes 5 minutes to prep then the crock pot does all of the work – the result is effortlessly flavorful!
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Creamy swiss chicken bake in a casserole dish.
4.95 from 459 votes

Swiss Chicken

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Indulge in cheesy comfort with creamy swiss chicken bake, an easy weeknight dish smothered in decadent creamy goodness.
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5 from 22 votes

Prime Rib Recipe

Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
This perfect prime rib recipe is cooked in the oven with a secret trick that gives you the most tender meat ever!
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4.97 from 82 votes

Steak Marinade

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Our all-time favorite steak marinade requires only four ingredients and makes mouth-watering steak that tastes amazing!
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5 from 31 votes

Easy Meatloaf

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
This easy homemade meatloaf recipe is hearty, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned—just like the classic comfort food you grew up with!
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5 from 8 votes

Easy Turkey

Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Directions for a perfectly roasted and seasoned turkey every time. Herb-glazed roast turkey is a juicy, moist show-stopper.
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Comfort food favorites that pair perfectly with any main dish.

No ratings yet

Thanksgiving Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Total Time: 30 minutes
One skillet Thanksgiving Brussels sprouts are topped with bacon and goat cheese for a next-level side dish in only 30 minutes!
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No ratings yet

Apple Pecan Salad

Total Time: 10 minutes
Topped with a poppyseed dressing, fresh apple pecan salad is a delectable combination of flavors and textures.
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5 from 121 votes

Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Total Time: 35 minutes
These buttery smooth BEST mashed potatoes are our go-to potato side dish for every dinner and holiday get-together. They're my FAVORITE!!
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Funeral potatoes being scooped out of casserole dish.
5 from 1282 votes

Funeral Potatoes Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
This classic cheesy funeral potatoes recipe is a holiday favorite, perfect for feeding a crowd with its rich, comforting flavor!
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5 from 1528 votes

Glazed Carrots

Total Time: 20 minutes
Tender, tasty, and ready in a flash, sweet brown sugar glazed carrots are a four-ingredient side dish that's always a crowd-pleaser.
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5 from 129 votes

Creamed Corn

Total Time: 20 minutes
Better than the canned version, this smooth and buttery creamed corn recipe is easy, cheesy, and delicious!
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5 from 97 votes

Easy Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Total Time: 30 minutes
This easy green bean casserole is a holiday classic, featuring sauce-covered green beans and crispy onions baked to golden perfection.
4.99 from 173 votes

Best Homemade Mac and Cheese

Total Time: 40 minutes
This is the cheesiest, creamiest, altogether best homemade mac and cheese you'll ever make! The whole family will definitely approve!
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5 from 16 votes

Homemade Stuffing Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This homemade stuffing, made with sourdough bread, is exactly what you need to pair with your Thanksgiving turkey!
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5 from 28 votes

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and pecans is a tasty staple at our house and one we couldn't live without!
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4.99 from 117 votes

Mashed Potato Gravy

Total Time: 10 minutes
Our favorite mashed potato gravy boasts a smooth, rich, and savory flavor, and can be made without drippings!
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5 from 2 votes

Corn Casserole Recipe

Total Time: 50 minutes
Moist and tender corn casserole requires only a handful of ingredients for an easy side that is packed with flavor!
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5 from 22 votes

Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Total Time: 17 minutes
Fresh cranberry sauce tastes amazing with every other dish on your Thanksgiving table. Make it ahead of time for less stress!
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5 from 371 votes

Cheesy Potatoes Recipe

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Crockpot cheesy potatoes are the perfect, easy side dish for your next meal or holiday gathering. Just dump, cook, and enjoy!!
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5 from 8 votes

Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Oven-baked cheesy scalloped potatoes are warm and comforting. They make an easy deliciously savory side for any dish!
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Bowl of crock pot creamed corn.
5 from 19 votes

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Dinner wouldn't be complete without rich, flavorful crock pot creamed corn! It's creamy, buttery, and preps in minutes – a holiday favorite!
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5 from 19 votes

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Creamy, cheesy crockpot mashed potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to any meal. They are SO easy to make – especially for busy holidays!
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4.99 from 287 votes

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Everyone loves a good slow cooker recipe, and this crock pot mac and cheese is so simple, cheesy, and delicious!
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5 from 20 votes

Crockpot Green Bean Casserole

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Crispy, creamy crockpot green bean casserole is beyond easy and just as tasty as the original oven-baked classic!
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Roasted brussels sprouts on white plate.
5 from 204 votes

Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Total Time: 40 minutes
Oven roasted brussel sprouts have a perfectly crispy outside and a melt-in-your-mouth center, and take just 10 minutes to prep!
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5 from 10 votes

Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Savory cornbread stuffing is the perfect side dish, especially for holiday meals! The texture is perfect and the flavor is delicious!
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Because no Thanksgiving table is complete without warm buttery rolls!

5 from 269 votes

Dinner Rolls Recipe

Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Our dinner rolls recipe delivers a soft, buttery best-loved recipe, perfect for holidays or any occasion and impossible to resist.
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4.93 from 26 votes

Easy Yeast Roll Recipe

Total Time: 50 minutes
These easy yeast rolls can be made in under an hour with just 4 ingredients! With how quick and simple they are, they will become your new go-to dinner rolls.
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4.97 from 78 votes

Potato Rolls Recipe

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Potato rolls are soft, fluffy, and buttery homemade dinner rolls that stay fresh longer thanks to creamy mashed potatoes in the dough.
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5 from 19 votes

Simple Yeast Roll Recipe

Total Time: 2 hours 12 minutes
Our classic yeast dinner rolls delivers pillowy soft, fluffy rolls that are easy to make, and perfect for any meal.
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5 from 5 votes

Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe

Total Time: 14 minutes
These addicting copycat cheddar bay biscuits whip up in under 15 minutes, and they taste even better than the real thing!
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5 from 8 votes

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls are so soft they melt in your mouth!! They are huge, buttery, and just like the real deal!
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5 from 197 votes

Crescent Rolls

Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes
Flaky homemade crescent rolls are soft and tender. They are perfect for Sunday dinner or a holiday gathering!
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5 from 29 votes

Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Total Time: 22 minutes
This golden flaky buttermilk biscuits recipe is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Enjoy them on their own, with jam, or smothered in gravy!
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End your dinner on a high note with our favorite pies and simple treats that everyone will be thankful for.

No ratings yet

Butter Pecan Cake

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Indulge in the delicious goodness of our butter pecan cake, topped with a toasted pecan buttercream frosting for a show-stealing sweet treat!
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Pumpkin Bundt Cake slice removed and placed on a plate with a fork.
5 from 1 vote

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Deceivingly simple spiced pumpkin bundt cake is smothered in tangy cream cheese frosting for a beautiful fall-inspired dessert!
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4.81 from 21 votes

Easy Pecan Pie Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Our BEST and easy pecan pie recipe requires only a handful of ingredients and has a quick prep – a classic that's perfect all year!
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4.98 from 1048 votes

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
This simple spiced pumpkin dump cake preps in minutes for a perfectly delicious shareable dessert all fall long!
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5 from 20 votes

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Homemade pumpkin pie is a best-loved recipe, and a must during the holidays delivering a perfectly spiced pumpkin filling and flaky crust!
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4.99 from 592 votes

Buttermilk Pie

Total Time: 1 hour
Our classic Southern buttermilk pie features a sweet and tangy custard filling prepped in just 5 minutes with a flaky premade crust!
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No ratings yet

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Total Time: 5 hours 35 minutes
Sour cream apple pie elevates the classic with a rich, tangy, and creamy custard and a buttery crumb topping!
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Easy pumpkin chocolate chip bars, cut and placed on parchment paper.
5 from 1 vote

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe

Total Time: 54 minutes
Soft, chewy pumpkin chocolate chip bars filled with warm spices, sweet pumpkin, and rich chocolate—your new favorite fall dessert.
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Homemade pumpkin roll sliced and served on a plate.
5 from 3 votes

Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
This classic pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling is soft, spiced, and swirled to perfection for an irresistible fall dessert.
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4.96 from 21 votes

Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe

Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
This chocolate cream pie has two types of chocolate in a creamy custard, topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls!!
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5 from 546 votes

Pumpkin Delight

Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
This four-layer pumpkin delight features a crunchy pecan base with creamy pumpkin, cream cheese, and a whipped cream crown.
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4.99 from 81 votes

Apple Pie Recipe

Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
With a flaky, buttery crust made from scratch, and a gooey, sweet filling, this BEST apple pie recipe will not disappoint!
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4.97 from 51 votes

Pumpkin Lasagna Dessert

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Pumpkin lasagna with layers of Oreos, cream cheese, pumpkin pudding, and whipped cream is a no-bake fall dessert that’s creamy and festive!
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4.96 from 155 votes

Pecan Pie Cheesecake Recipe

Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Pecan pie cheesecake combines a creamy cheesecake layer with a buttery, caramel-pecan topping. It is perfectly indulgent!!
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4.99 from 103 votes

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Total Time: 27 minutes
Spiced pumpkin cupcakes are so soft, moist, and flavorful. They pair perfectly with delicious homemade cinnamon cream cheese frosting!
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5 from 159 votes

Pecan Pie Bars Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour
With a buttery shortbread crust and caramelized pecan filling, it's impossible not to love these sweet and nutty pecan pie bars!!
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Multiple Thanksgiving sugar cookies.
5 from 16 votes

Thanksgiving Sugar Cookies Recipe

Total Time: 40 minutes
Thanksgiving sugar cookies decorated like turkeys are soft, adorable, and fun to make with kids for the holiday table or class parties!
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4.98 from 491 votes

Pumpkin Brownie Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour 3 minutes
These are the yummiest chocolate pumpkin brownies you will ever taste! They are sure to satisfy anyone's pumpkin addiction.
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No ratings yet

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

Total Time: 1 hour 57 minutes
These delightful pumpkin cheesecake cookies combine two irresistible desserts into one irresistible bite, perfect for fall!
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4.89 from 70 votes

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Total Time: 5 hours
Pumpkin pie cheesecake bars are full of fall spices. This layered dessert is sure to impress at any holiday gathering!
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How to roast turkey - all the tips, tricks and recipe for success!
No ratings yet

50+ Best Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes

Looking for some mouthwatering Thanksgiving dinner ideas to impress your guests this year? Look no further! This list has everything you need to create a memorable and delicious feast.
Servings: 10
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 40 minutes
Total: 3 hours

Video

Ingredients 

  • 1 turkey, thawed
  • 5-6 stalks celery, chopped
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 4-5 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves minced garlic, peeled
  • 2-3 apples
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 6 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 3 tablespoons compound butter, (such as Italian Garlic Butter)

Glaze

  • 1 cup molasses
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • 3 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 425°F.

  • Cut your celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Add ⅔ of them to the bottom of your roasting pan.
  • *Note: Be sure to use a roasting pan with an elevated rack to keep the bird somewhat above the liquid.
  • Prepare the turkey by removing the added items (neck, giblets, gravy packet) – no need to rinse the turkey – leave the tie on the legs – this helps keep it together.
  • Place the turkey in the prepared pan and stuff the remaining veggies inside the turkey.
  • Add one apple, cut in half, inside the turkey.
  • Place remaining apples (also cut in half) around outside of the turkey.
  • Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon pats. Carefully lift skin away from meat and slide pats of butter between the skin & breast.
  • Add chicken stock to the bottom of the pan.
  • Melt the compound butter and brush over the entire turkey.
  • Roast in preheated oven, uncovered for 30 minutes.
  • Remove, baste, tent with foil – return to oven.

Reduce heat to 375°F

  • Continue roasting an additional 2-2½ hours depending on the size of your turkey (check label for exact cooking times per size). Basting every 40-45 minutes.
  • Check temperature near the end – once you reach a minimum of 165°F in the thickest part of the turkey, it's time to add your glaze.
  • Whisk glaze ingredients in a small bowl to combine.
  • Brush glaze over turkey and return turkey to oven, uncovered, and cook an additional 15 minutes to crisp the skin.
  • Remove and let rest 10-20 minutes before carving. Be sure to discard all veggies and fruits from inside the turkey and in the roasting pan before discarding.

Notes

Recipe Tips.
  • To determine the size of turkey needed, calculate 1-1½ pounds of turkey per person.
  • To ensure your turkey thaws properly, move it to the fridge on the Monday before Thanksgiving for 4-11 lbs, Sunday for 12-15 lbs, Saturday for 16-19 lbs, and Friday for 20-24 lbs.
  • Only stuff the turkey immediately before it goes into the oven; never prepare it stuffed the night before (bacteria growth can happen). Do not pack the stuffing tightly, as it needs air circulation to cook properly.
  • Once the turkey is out of the oven, scoop all the stuffing out of the cavity into a separate serving dish along with the veggies from the roasting pan.
  • To enhance the flavor even more, you can also use a Turkey Brine.
  • Use the turkey drippings to make Turkey Gravy, which is perfect to pour on Mashed Potatoes.
Store. Remove the meat from the bones and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freezer for 2-3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 603kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 57g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 212mg, Sodium: 1098mg, Potassium: 1329mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 4650IU, Vitamin C: 9.2mg, Calcium: 137mg, Iron: 4.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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14 Comments

  1. Doug Weaver says:

    5 stars
    Kristyn,
    May you and your family have the Happiest Thanksgiving. You have some great recipes, that I copy for later.
    God bless all of you.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thank you!! Hope yours was wonderful as well!

  2. Karen says:

    5 stars
    This is such a great all-in-one-stop for Thanksgiving recipes! These recipes are fantastic! Thank you for sharing!

  3. Jessica says:

    5 stars
    So many great recipes to choose from!! I’ve got all of mine printed and ready to go.

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