Let one (or more) of these soulful recipe ideas grace your holiday dinner table this year and prepare to rake in an abundance of compliments from everyone who eats. Updated for Thanksgiving 2022!
The 2022 holiday season is around the corner and I don't know about you, but I like to plan ahead. I even wrote a holiday dinner guide to help you plan, too. Part of getting ready for the holidays is picking the right recipes to fill out your menu. For me, classic soul food dishes with a twist always make the cut. If you're trying to get right for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other gathering this time of year, start scrolling for my top 13 soul food holiday side dishes and desserts.
Real quick, one soul food classic you won't find on this list is my Grandma Carolyn's cornbread dressing, which you definitely need! It gets rave reviews every year and has taken the top dressing recipe spot in many families outside my own. Get that recipe exclusively in my Guide to a Flawless Holiday Dinner right now!
1. Baked Mac & Cheese
Baked mac & cheese is a must in any Black folks Thanksgiving spread and being the person to make it is an honor of the highest order. My Baked Browned Butter & Garlic Mac is perfect for the holidays. And my Baked Mac & Cheese Cups are perfectly ooey-gooey and single-serve, so they're great for smaller gatherings, kids, and easily packing to-go plates.
2. Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potatoes are central to Black American cuisine and get all the love around the holidays, from side dishes to desserts. Add my Spiced Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole to your Thanksgiving 2022 spread.
3. Seafood Cornbread Dressing
Cornbread dressing comes from the ingenuity and our enslaved ancestors in the American South. It has become one of those go-to Black recipes for the holidays and special occasions. This seafood cornbread dressing builds on my Grandma Carolyn's classic recipe plus crab, shrimp and lobster!
4. Buttermilk Biscuits
We typically serve biscuits, rolls, or cornbread at the holiday dinner table--or even all three. And you'd never know by looking at (or tasting) them but my fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits are vegan!
5. Candied Sweet Potatoes
Candied sweet potatoes, also known as candied yams, are simple to make and a must at this time of year. Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes take the pressure off, save precious stove top space while preparing holiday meals, and taste just as good.
6. Mac & Cheese with Bacon
One more soulful mac & cheese recipe for good measure: Three Cheese Bacon Mac & Cheese. This is also a baked mac & cheese with a bechamel style sauce containing three creamy, flavorful cheeses and crumbled bacon.
7. Mashed Potatoes
Now, mashed potatoes aren't technically soul food but as my Grandma would say, it is the way I make it! My Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes are restaurant-style decadence, made with plenty of love, garlic, and butter.
8. Peach Cobbler
While not originally a Black or even American recipe, cobbler, peach cobbler specifically, has become an official part of soul food canon. My Great Great Aunt Georgia's Peach Cobbler is a family heirloom passed down through storytelling and worth a spot on your celebratory menu.
9. Pound Cake
A well-made pound cake is probably at the top of my favorite soul food desserts list. Probably because my late maternal grandmother, Carolyn, specialized in them. Dense, buttery, sweet, and simple. I recommend you try my Pecan Praline Pound Cake for the holidays. It presents beautifully and is a real crowd pleaser. And I have several other pound cake options, in case you want to avoid using nuts!
10. Red Velvet Cake
You'll find this staple dessert at many Black family gatherings from Juneteenth cookouts to Christmas dinner and my Red Velvet Layer Cake with scratch-made cream cheese frosting will be a wonderful addition to the end of your holiday meal.
11. Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Why stop at just pecan pie or sweet potato pie when you can combine two classics in one and wow your guests with my layered Sweet Potato Pecan Pie recipe?
12. Sweet Potato Pie
At the same time, there's nothing wrong with keeping it simple. My Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie recipe is inspired by my late maternal Grandma Carolyn and Ms. Patti LaBelle and it is soul food dessert perfection.
13. Sweet Potato Praline Bread Pudding
Lastly, Black people can be particular about bread pudding and I'm no exception. This Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Praline Sauce hits the mark for me every single time. And I'm not the only one. People have stolen over this dish, you hear me? It's that good.
I hope this recipe roundup gets you set for the 2022 holiday season and beyond. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this list of soul food Thanksgiving recipes over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
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Cheryl says
All I can say is….OMG!! Bring on the holidays😋😋😋
Jazz says
Thank you, Cheryl!
Taneisha says
The seafood cornbread dressing was DIVINE! I can't express how good this recipe is. I will definitely be making my way through this list of delicious recipes for thanksgiving!
Marta says
Your pecan praline pound cake has been a staple at our holiday dinners for a couple of years now. We love how it tastes like butter pecan ice cream (our favorite) without the mess. So good.
Krys says
The Mac and Cheese with Bacon is a big hit with my kids! Definitely going to make it for Thanksgiving. I might even add some different types of cheeses to jazz it up!
Shani says
Jazz! My children were about to go to blows over the last corner of that Browned Butter and Garlic Mac and Cheese! (Little did they know that I had another little corner of it stashed for...myself.). This is the most decadent mac and cheese I've ever made and it's not crazy difficult to execute! Thank you so much from my entire family! I appreciate you so much!
Chenee Lewis says
I'm so ready for Thanksgiving with this list of goodies! I already love your peach cobbler and it's a hit every time I make it, so I know I'm gonna love everything else on this list too!!
Britney says
I tried the pecan praline pound cake and it was delicious! I can't wait to try more recipes on this list.
Robin Sparks says
I thought I might do a trial run of recipes prior to the holidays. Your seafood dressing made my list and frankly it was amazing!
Kaluhi says
I was looking for something sweet to add to my thanksgiving spread and the pound cake recipe you shared in this blog was PERFECT!!! We all enjoyed it and I will be making it again (likely even try those garlic mashed potatoes, they look divine!)
Jessica says
I'm testing recipes for Thanksgiving this week and I tried the sweet potato praline bread pudding. It was awesome. Definitely going on the menu!