Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner: Menu and Make-Ahead Plan

Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October, closer to the actual harvest than the American holiday. Most families eat on the Sunday or Monday of the long weekend. Here's a menu that works with or without a turkey, using recipes already on RecipesEh.

Mains

• Turkey or ham: roast whatever your family expects. If you're feeding a small group, a [tourtière](/recipes/tourtiere) is an easy, very Canadian swap and can be baked a day ahead.

Sides

• [Maple-glazed roasted root vegetables](/recipes/roasted-root-vegetable-medley-with-maple-glaze): carrots, parsnips and squash are at their best in October.
• [Fèves au lard](/recipes/feves-au-lard): maple baked beans, a Québec staple for a fall table.
• [Hearty lentil and vegetable soup](/recipes/hearty-lentil-vegetable-soup) as a starter that can be made two days ahead.

Desserts

• [Saskatoon berry pie](/recipes/classic-canadian-saskatoon-berry-pie): use frozen berries if fresh are out of season.
• [Maple syrup pie](/recipes/maple-syrup-pie) or [tarte au sucre](/recipes/tarte-au-sucre) for something sweeter.
• [Butter tarts](/recipes/butter-tarts) if you'd rather not slice pie.

Make-ahead plan

1. Two days before: make pie dough and soup; buy produce.

2. Day before: bake pies and tourtière; cook the beans; peel and cut root vegetables.

3. The day: roast the bird or reheat tourtière, roast vegetables in the last hour, reheat soup and beans.

Leftovers

Turn leftover turkey or ham into sandwiches, soup or a pot pie. Plug what's left into [What Can I Make?](/what-can-i-make) to find a recipe that uses it up.