Easy Thanksgiving Recipes That Will Feel Top Chef Worthy

In years past, my role in my family’s Thanksgiving was to provide lame jokes that served as a buffer for unwanted, awkward conversations (dating, politics, etc.) and unplanned, rather painful moments of silence. There was one year (2018, never forget) that I stepped out of my comfort zone of comedic relief and attempted to be a glorified top chef. I got up at 7 a.m. to create a Pinterest-inspired dessert layered with crushed pretzels, cream cheese frosting, and strawberry Jell-O. “How hard could it be?” I asked. And those, my friends, were my famous last words.

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In my attempt to prove that I was more than just a gal with some good one-liners, I actually ended up staying in my lane of providing our family humor because this layered dessert was a horrific disaster. The Jell-O never solidified, the pretzels were stuck to the bottom of the baking dish, and we ended up with a floppy dessert soup that not even my grandmother could pretend to love.

The pain of Jellogate 2018 has dissolved just enough that I’m ready to be hurt again! But this year, I’m doing my research and only tackling what I know I can handle. Enter this list of easy, Ashley-approved, foolproof recipes that are bound to wow my immediate family. If you’re not kitchen savvy, have no fear—this is our year. These recipes are simple AF but will make you feel like a top chef: