10 Ideas for a Successful Thanksgiving
“Celebrate Turkey Day the magnifique way. Discover St Pierre’s top 10 ideas for a hosting a successful Thanksgiving.”
Thanksgiving is fast approaching and it is time to start planning how you are going to celebrate. Whether you have a big get together with all your loved ones or are opting for a small intimate dinner, make sure you have a day filled with happiness, food and gratitude.
We know that the preparation for Thanksgiving can be a stressful time, so to help with the planning, St Pierre has put together a list of our top 10 ideas on how to have a successful Thanksgiving.
Check out our Thanksgiving occasion page for more inspiration for your Thanksgiving, including recipe and meal ideas featuring our delicious brioche and bakery products.
Celebrate Turkey Day the magnifique way
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Start the day off with something sweet
Thanksgiving is a busy day, especially if you are hosting the dinner, so it’s important to make sure you don’t miss out on the most important meal of the day – breakfast! We have lots of magnifique breakfast recipes that you can try, from sweet to savory and everything in between. If you’re really tight on time, why not try a Traditional Brioche Breakfast using our Brioche Rolls and spreading them in butter or your favorite jelly or spread.
However, we think that you should start your Thanksgiving as you mean to go on, with something indulgent. So why not try one of these delicious recipes, perfect for a holiday treat and a great way to ensure you celebrate a successful Thanksgiving with your loved ones:
Eggnog French Toast
Using the flavors of the classic holiday drink to create a festive take on the classic French Toast. Serve with caramelized oranges and drizzle toffee sauce on top for a truly indulgent morning treat.
Spiced Honey Butter Toast
Sweet and spiced and all things nice, this Spiced Honey Butter Toast brings all the classic fall pumpkin pie flavors to your morning toast. Smothered in spiced honey butter and baked to create chewy slices of Brioche Loaf with caramelized edges, this is a treat worth having on Thanksgiving morning.
Cinnamon Twist French Toast
A literal twist on the classic French Toast using our Cinnamon Twist. Top with sliced banana and a drizzle of toffee sauce for a delicious banoffee pie flavor.
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Decorate your house and table with fall décor
Using fall colors of browns, oranges and dark greens, create a warming atmosphere in your home with some fall-themed décor. Add garlands of leaves, pine cones and pumpkins as well as lots of candles to create a cosy atmosphere. We think the key to successful Thanksgiving décor is to keep it simple – don’t go too wild with lots of colors, just stick to a couple. And keeping things minimal can make your table look classy.
Top tip: why not try creating a centerpiece for your table to really wow your guests. You could even do this food – especially brioche! Take a look at our Salmon & Avocado Brioche Holidays Wreath recipe for some inspiration.
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Serve some canapés and hors d’oeuvres
As your guests arrive, have some canapes ready to serve. Our Brioche Rolls, sliced into bite-sized pieces, make great bases for all different types of canapes, sweet or savory. A couple of our favorites include shrimp mayo or, for some real festive flavors, brie and cranberry bites.
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Make some fall drinks
What better way to make a warm and cozy atmosphere at your Thanksgiving celebrations than making some hot fall-themed drinks. Lattes flavored with pumpkin spice or gingerbread, hot chocolates topped with whipped cream and marshmallows or eggnog warmed served with cream and cinnamon. These are all delicious choices to serve to your guests as they enjoy their hors d’oeuvres.
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Serve some magnifique sides with your main course
The main feature of your Thanksgiving meal will of course be the turkey, but that doesn’t mean your side dishes can’t steal a bit of the spotlight. There are the classic side dishes of mashed potato, mac ‘n’ cheese and vegetables but of course we think the best side to your Thanksgiving meal is brioche.
Use our Slider Rolls or Brioche Rolls as dinner rolls and dip them into your gravy or cranberry sauce. You could also use our brioche to make garlic bread, this can be done with a variety of our products including our Brioche Loaf, Brioche Slider Rolls and Brioche Burger Buns. Simply smother them in garlic butter and herbs, we like to use parsley, and cook in the oven until the brioche is golden brown.
Top tip: for a successful Thanksgiving, make sure you have a checklist of all your sides to hand so that you don’t forget any. It’s handy to have all their cooking times next to each other as well, so you can time everything perfectly.
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End your meal with a sweet treat
There’s always room for something sweet after a big dinner, so make sure you’re ready with a showstopping dessert to wow your guests. Our range of Family Sharers are perfect for making delicious desserts, ideal for those big family get-togethers, and the best part is you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen making them. Serve them on their own, or slice and fill with your favorite fillings, our Family Sharers are so versatile.
Our range of Family Sharers are perfect for making delicious desserts, ideal for those big family get-togethers
We have put together a few ideas for you on how to serve our Family Sharers, filled with festive ingredients and flavors you’ll want to skip your main and go straight to dessert.
Pecan & Maple Twist
Use our Cinnamon Twist and fill with maple syrup frosting and candied pecans to create a delicious dessert filled with fall flavors.
White Chocolate & Cherry Almond Brioche to Share
Adding a touch of Parisian sweetness to your dessert with our Brioche to Share and filling with the luxurious flavors of cherry, white chocolate and almond to create this truly decadent dessert.
Chocolate Orange Brioche Star
Our Brioche Holiday Star is a festive treat made for sharing sweet moments with your loved ones this holiday season. So why not use it to create a showstopping dessert this Thanksgiving.
Slicing in half and filling with chocolate buttercream and tangerine segments to create the classic chocolate & orange flavor combination, your guests will certainly be impressed.
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Prepare something light for supper
After the big main meal and a delicious dessert, more food is probably the last thing on your mind. But just in case you, or any of your guests, get a little hungry later on in the day it is always good to be prepared.
Soup is an easy prepare-in-advance option to have for supper and can be saved for the next day if it isn’t all eaten! Pumpkin soup served with a grilled cheese is perfect for Thanksgiving, filled with fall flavors. We also love a French Onion soup served with a cheesy Brioche Bun for a warming end to the day.
If soup isn’t for you, why not try making bacon, brie and cranberry toasties. Full of festive flavors, this would be a delicious end to an amazing Thanksgiving Day.
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Don’t forget the classic Thanksgiving traditions!
Everyone has their own traditions for Thanksgiving but there are some classic traditions that we think are a must for any successful Thanksgiving celebrations:
- Make a wish with the wishbone from the turkey
- Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
- Go around the table and share what you are most thankful for this year
Thanksgiving traditions: parade, break the turkey bone, share what you’re most thankful for
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Have a nap!
After all that hard work preparing for the meal and then eating to your hearts content, have a well-deserved nap in the afternoon. Settle down with a warming cup of your favorite fall drink, turn on the fire and sleep off that delicious meal you have just eaten.
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Leftover meal ideas
Leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving. You can use the turkey to make curries, pies, soups – there are endless options. Our favorite way to serve any leftover turkey is in one of our magnifique baked goods like our Croissants, Brioche Burger Buns or Brioche Slider Rolls. Simply with any leftover turkey, vegetables, stuffing and cranberry sauce to create a deliciously packed sandwich.
