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A French-inspired Thanksgiving menu with make-ahead recipes, champagne pairings and a more relaxed approach to entertaining.
Thanksgiving is one of America’s most cherished celebrations, a day for gathering with family and friends, returning home, cooking the dishes that have become part of family tradition and giving thanks for the people and things that matter most.
These Thanksgiving menu ideas bring together the abundance of an American holiday meal with a little French sensibility, with make-ahead recipes, Champagne pairings and a more relaxed approach to entertaining.
And, of course, so much of Thanksgiving happens around the table. It is a celebration built around food, generosity and the pleasure of having people you love gathered together in one place. The traditional Thanksgiving table is unmistakably American, but I love the French approach to a meal: giving food the time and attention it deserves, choosing good ingredients, planning ahead, putting something delicious in the oven, opening a bottle of wine and, most importantly, sitting down to enjoy it with everyone else.
So this year, why not bring a little French sensibility to Thanksgiving?
This is not an attempt to turn Thanksgiving into a French meal. Far from it. The beauty lies in the meeting of the two traditions: the abundance and warmth of an American Thanksgiving, with the French pleasure of seasonal food, thoughtful preparation and a table designed for lingering.
And there is one ingredient that brings the whole thing together: champagne. Not simply as an aperitif, but throughout the meal. Champagne’s natural acidity and cleansing effervescence make it an extraordinarily versatile wine with food, with the freshness to lift rich dishes, the texture to work with crisp and creamy foods alike, and enough complexity to sit happily alongside everything from a simple canapé to roast poultry and dessert.
So here is my French-inspired Thanksgiving menu: a little bit French, entirely delicious, and designed so that the person doing the cooking actually gets to sit down at the table.
To begin
Gougères
Main course
Roast turkey or Poulet rôti (French Roast Chicken)
Accompaniments
Green beans
Pommes Dauphinoise
Roasted sweet potatoes
Roasted carrots and parsnips
Fresh baguette and butter
To finish
Tarte Tatin
§§§
Mastering basic choux pastry is a very handy skill in French cooking, and gougères are one of the most delicious ways to put it to work. These classic French cheese puffs are made from choux pastry enriched with cheese and are a timeless favourite for aperitifs, cocktail parties or simply as an elegant snack.
For Thanksgiving, I particularly like them as they are light enough not to spoil the appetite, but savoury, cheesy and moreish enough to disappear rather quickly once the champagne is poured. They can also be made ahead: pipe the gougères onto a parchment-lined baking tray, refrigerate, and they’ll be ready to pop straight into the oven the moment the doorbell rings. It’s one less thing to think about when you’re entertaining.
Champagne pairing: Champagne Bérêche et Fils ‘Brut Réserve’ NV is a perfect match for gougères. A classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Meunier, it has bright citrus notes and elegant minerality, with the freshness and structure to complement the richness of the cheesy pastry.
From Celebrating Champagne: My gougères recipe appears in Celebrating Champagne: A Wine For All Seasons on page 267, along with the technique for mastering the choux pastry that makes these little French classics so irresistible.
Gougères: A timeless French canapé, perfect for aperitifs, cocktail parties or simply as an elegant snack. Paired here with Champagne Bérêche et Fils ‘Brut Réserve’ NV.
If turkey is part of your Thanksgiving tradition, keep it. There is no reason to change a dish that has become part of the ritual, particularly when the people gathering around your table are expecting it. The French influence can come through in the way you prepare the rest of the meal, from the champagne to the accompaniments and dessert. Keep the traditions that matter, and add the things that bring you pleasure.
And don’t feel that turkey needs to be treated as a difficult champagne pairing. A beautifully roasted turkey, good stuffing and a proper pan gravy can be magnificent, and champagne is more than capable of holding its own beside it. I’d look for a champagne with freshness but enough generosity to work with the richness of the meat, stuffing and gravy.
In fact, you’re not really pairing champagne with turkey alone. You’re pairing it with the whole plate: the turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, vegetables and cranberry sauce. That is exactly where champagne’s versatility comes into its own.
For those cooking for a smaller gathering, however, or simply wanting to do something a little different, a beautifully roasted chicken makes a very good alternative.
A beautifully roasted chicken has all the qualities I love about a festive main course: crisp golden skin, succulent meat and delicious pan juices that become the beginning of a wonderful sauce. It also has one enormous advantage when you’re entertaining: it is achievable. I love a roast chicken arriving at the table, carved at the last minute and surrounded by generous bowls of vegetables and potatoes.
Roast poultry is also a particularly happy match for champagne. The richness of the bird, the crisp skin and savoury pan juices work beautifully with champagne’s freshness and natural effervescence.
Champagne pairing: Champagne André Clouet ‘Silver’ Brut Nature NV is a beautiful match for roast turkey or roast chicken. Made from 100% Pinot noir, with a portion of the wine matured in barrels, it combines generous richness and savoury depth with a subtle sweetness on the palate, complementing golden roast poultry, crispy skin and all the trimmings.
From Celebrating Champagne: My roast chicken recipe appears in Celebrating Champagne: A Wine For All Seasons on page 214.
A golden roast chicken takes centre stage in an elegant table setting, celebrating the art of relaxed entertaining and gathering around the table.
A festive table should feel abundant, but that doesn’t mean every dish needs to be complicated. I particularly like side dishes that can be prepared ahead and brought to the table generously, leaving the cook free to enjoy the meal.
For a French-inspired Thanksgiving menu, the accompaniments are an opportunity to introduce a little variety without losing the familiar flavours that make the holiday special. Green beans bring freshness, potatoes provide something wonderfully comforting, and roasted root vegetables make the most of the season.
This is one of those recipes I return to again and again. Fresh green beans, mint, toasted almonds, dried cranberries and lemon make a wonderfully colourful side dish, and much of the preparation can be done ahead.
The cranberries provide a lovely nod to the traditional Thanksgiving table, while the mint, lemon and almonds take the dish in a distinctly French direction. It is fresh and full of texture, with enough brightness to sit comfortably alongside roast turkey, stuffing and gravy. I also like the way it looks on the table. A long platter of glossy green beans, scattered with cranberries, almonds and fresh mint, brings colour to a meal that can otherwise be dominated by golden and creamy dishes.
Make-ahead tip: Prepare the beans and dressing ahead of time, then assemble the salad shortly before serving so that the herbs remain fresh and the almonds retain their crunch.
There are potatoes, and then there are pommes dauphinoise.
Thinly sliced potatoes baked slowly with cream, milk, garlic and nutmeg become something quite extraordinary: soft and yielding in the centre, golden and bubbling on top. It is the sort of dish that feels entirely at home on a Thanksgiving table, particularly alongside roast turkey or chicken.
Despite its apparent richness, pommes dauphinoise can be an excellent match for champagne. The wine’s acidity provides a refreshing contrast to the cream, while the bubbles help keep the palate lively between mouthfuls.
One small French rule worth remembering: traditional pommes dauphinoise does not contain cheese. The potatoes, cream, milk and aromatics are quite enough. You do not need it.
It is also a useful dish for entertaining because it can be assembled ahead and baked when you need it. Served straight from a shallow gratin dish, it brings a little French comfort to the Thanksgiving table without asking the cook to do too much at the last minute.
Make-ahead tip: Assemble the dish ahead of time, cover and refrigerate, then bake before serving. Allow enough time for the potatoes to cook through and the top to become beautifully golden.
From Celebrating Champagne: My pommes dauphinoise recipe appears in Celebrating Champagne: A Wine for All Seasons on page 279.
Golden pommes dauphinoise, the classic French potato gratin, baked with cream, garlic and nutmeg.
Sweet potatoes already have a natural place on the American Thanksgiving table, and I would keep them there. Their gentle sweetness and soft texture provide a lovely contrast to savoury roast turkey, stuffing and gravy.
Rather than adding another complicated dish, I prefer to let the ingredients speak for themselves. Roasting brings out the sweetness of the potatoes and gives their edges a little colour, creating a side dish that is both familiar and satisfying.
A little seasoning and a balance of savoury flavours help keep the sweetness in check, allowing the potatoes to sit comfortably alongside the other dishes rather than compete with them.
Make-ahead tip: Peel and cut the sweet potatoes ahead of time and keep them submerged in cold water in the refrigerator to prevent discolouration. Drain and dry them thoroughly before roasting. To roast, drizzle with olive oil, season and cook until golden at the edges and tender in the centre.
Carrots and parsnips are wonderful fall vegetables, and roasting is one of the simplest ways to bring out their flavour. Their natural sweetness deepens in the oven, while the edges caramelise and the centres become tender.
For this menu, I would keep the preparation simple, with good olive oil, seasoning and a little fresh thyme. The aim is to bring out the character of the vegetables rather than disguise it. Their golden colour also looks particularly inviting alongside roast poultry and the creamy potatoes.
I like this sort of dish because it can be prepared without much fuss and served generously on a long platter in the middle of the table. It is French in spirit without being complicated, and it adds another seasonal element to a Thanksgiving meal.
Make-ahead tip: Peel and cut the vegetables in advance, then roast them closer to serving. A little fresh seasoning just before they reach the table brings everything together.
And then, of course, there is bread.
A good French baguette, sliced just before serving, with plenty of good butter.
It sounds almost too simple to mention, but that is precisely the point. A beautiful loaf of bread and excellent butter can make a table feel generous without adding another complicated recipe to the cook’s list. Put them within easy reach and let everyone help themselves.
And then comes the question of cheese.
Do you need a cheese course? No. But is this the perfect opportunity for one? Absolutely.
If your guests have room, a small French cheese course between the main meal and dessert can be a lovely way to slow things down. One or two excellent cheeses are enough. There is no need to construct an elaborate cheese board, particularly when there is still Tarte Tatin to come.
Choose cheeses with different textures and characters, perhaps a soft, creamy cheese alongside something firmer and more mature. Serve them with the baguette and allow everyone to take a little time before dessert.
And, naturally, this is another opportunity for champagne. A mature champagne with greater complexity, developed flavours and a little more richness can be magnificent with cheese. The right pairing will depend on the cheese itself, but it is worth considering a bottle with enough character to stand alongside the savoury flavours.
It is a lovely reminder that a meal does not need to be rushed from one course to the next. Sometimes the most memorable part of entertaining is allowing the table to linger a little longer.
A simple French cheese course – a selection of cheeses ready to share around the Thanksgiving table.
For me, the answer to Thanksgiving dessert is wonderfully simple – Tarte Tatin.
The great French upside-down apple tart is everything a festive dessert should be: caramelised, buttery, deeply fragrant and surprisingly uncomplicated.
The apples soften into the caramel while the pastry becomes crisp and golden, creating that irresistible contrast between fruit, caramel and pastry. Served warm, it is a beautiful way to finish a meal built around the flavours of the season.
It is also an excellent dessert to prepare ahead, leaving you free to enjoy your guests rather than disappearing into the kitchen. There is something particularly satisfying (and theatrical) about bringing a Tarte Tatin to the table and turning it out to reveal the glossy, caramelised apples.
Champagne pairing: J.M. Sélèque ‘Solessence Rosé’ NV offers an intriguing match for Tarte Tatin. Its red-fruit character, savoury notes and pronounced minerality bring freshness and complexity to the buttery pastry and deeply caramelised apples, creating a pairing that balances the tart’s sweetness with a more savoury dimension. The aim is to complement the fruit and caramel, rather than have the wine overwhelmed by them.
My Tarte Tatin recipe appears in Celebrating Champagne: A Wine for All Seasons on page 218.
Tarte Tatin, the classic French upside-down apple tart, with golden pastry and glossy caramelised apples.
Champagne is often thought of as the beginning of a meal. The bottle is opened, glasses are poured, everyone raises a glass, and then another wine takes its place once dinner begins.
I have always thought champagne deserves a little more consideration than that.
One of the things I love most about champagne is its ability to work with food. Its freshness and natural acidity bring balance to rich dishes, while its texture and complexity allow it to sit comfortably alongside an extraordinary range of flavours.
Thanksgiving is a particularly good example. On one plate, you might have roast turkey, savoury stuffing, rich gravy, creamy potatoes, roasted vegetables and sweet cranberry sauce. These are very different flavours and textures, offering wonderful opportunities to explore how different champagnes complement different dishes.
When choosing a champagne, consider its composition, the grape varieties used, its structure and the character it brings to the glass, then match it to the food as you would any other wine. A champagne with sufficient body and richness can stand alongside roast poultry and its accompaniments, while freshness and acidity help balance the richer elements of the meal.
This is also why I enjoy introducing champagne to dishes that might not immediately come to mind when opening a bottle. Champagne is not simply a wine for celebrations or the first course; it deserves a place throughout the meal, with each champagne chosen to complement the dish it accompanies.
When planning a menu, I consider the composition and character of each champagne alongside the flavours, textures and richness of the food. Just as you would select different wines to accompany different courses, champagne can be chosen with the same care and consideration, from the first canapé to the main course and dessert.
If you would like to explore champagne and food pairing in greater detail, this is something I explore throughout Celebrating Champagne, with seasonal recipes and champagnes selected to complement each dish.
For now, my advice is simple: think of champagne as a wine for the table, not simply for the toast, and enjoy the possibilities that open up when you pair it thoughtfully with food.
Thanksgiving is not French, nor does it need to be. But there is a lovely connection between the traditions.
Thanksgiving is about gathering, generosity, abundance and gratitude. French culinary culture has long placed its own emphasis on seasonality, hospitality, good ingredients, wine with food and the ritual of sitting around a table together.
The connection is not that one tradition should imitate the other. It is that both understand something rather important: a meal can be about much more than the food.
It can be about the people who prepared it, the people who brought it, the bottle that was opened, the stories told around the table, the second helping nobody really needed and the conversation that carried on long after dessert.
And perhaps that is why Thanksgiving is such a natural occasion for champagne.
Champagne has always seemed to me to be less about the wine itself than about what happens when the bottle is opened. It marks an occasion, makes an ordinary moment feel a little more special and brings people together.
You do not need a special reason to open a good bottle, but Thanksgiving is certainly one of them.
There is a tendency, particularly around the holidays, to make entertaining unnecessarily complicated. More dishes, more decoration, more recipes and more things to do.
I prefer the opposite.
Choose food you genuinely want to eat. Prepare as much as you can ahead. Open something delicious. Put the food in the middle of the table and then sit down.
Because ultimately, that is what good entertaining is about: not perfection, but hospitality.
And if Thanksgiving is fundamentally about gathering around a table, then perhaps the greatest luxury is not serving an extraordinary meal. It is actually being there to enjoy it.
If you enjoy this way of thinking about food, champagne and entertaining, this is the philosophy behind my book, Celebrating Champagne.
It is not a technical Champagne textbook. It is a book about champagne at the table: seasonal food, French-inspired recipes, entertaining, stories, rituals and the simple pleasure of bringing people together around something delicious.
Inside are 40 seasonal French-inspired recipes, each paired with champagne, along with the stories and rituals that make Champagne such a wonderful part of everyday celebration.
So if you’re looking for a gift for someone who loves cooking, entertaining, Champagne or simply gathering good people around a table, Celebrating Champagne was written for precisely that person.
Discover Celebrating Champagne: A Wine For All Seasons
Discover Celebrating Champagne in America
Celebrating Champagne: A Wine For All Seasons by Sally Hillman – the perfect Thanksgiving and Christmas gift
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