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This vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner is everything you could want and more in an easy holiday meal (all you need is a few sheet pans!). From the beautiful butternut squash centerpiece to the cranberry sauce-topped brie bites, it’s oh-so-warming, comforting, and festive!
save this recipe!Your New Thanksgiving Go-To
Step aside, turkey—there’s a new holiday star in town. This one-pan vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner perfectly showcases the bounties of the autumn harvest (namely butternut squash!).
Given its bright colors, versatility, and foolproofness, can we turn it into a crave-worthy main course? Heck to the yes! But we’re not stopping there. We’re making the whole dang meal, friends.
This is the gourmet, meat-free Thanksgiving spread that dreams are made of (especially if those dreams entail a dinner that’s relatively easy and doesn’t dirty up the whole kitchen!).
Reader rating
“3rd year making the amazing, and easy Thanksgiving meal. 10 out 10 every year!!!! Even meat eaters love it. Thank you!” —Cara
Here’s What The menu Consists Of
- Stuffed Butternut Squash: We’ll fill a butternut squash with a herbed rice mixture (flavored with mirepoix veggies, garlic, vegetable broth, feta cheese, dried cranberries, apple chunks, and fresh sage and rosemary).
- Brussels Sprouts And Cranberries: Grab some fresh or frozen cranberries, fresh Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, and peppa!
- Crispy Potatoes: We’ll need baby red potatoes, baking soda (to make them extra crispy!), oil, and more fresh rosemary (thyme also works!).
- Stuffed Puff Pastry Bites: Start with a base of 4-inch puff pastry squares (find them in the frozen foods aisle), stuff them with Brie and store-bought or homemade cranberry sauce, and brush them with an egg wash to turn them crispy and golden brown.
- Vegetarian Gravy: This doesn’t cook on the pan, but I highly recommend topping your meal off with gravy made from butter, flour, veg broth, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Reader rating
“My husband, a meat eater, described this meal as the best Thanksgiving dinner he had ever eaten. Every part of the meal was delicious, and I plan on making it for our Christmas dinner as well.” —Robin
Best. Thanksgiving. Ever.
This is an overview of the process, with details on why we’re doing things in certain ways. For the full printable recipe, jump to the recipe card!
The 1st Bake – Butternut Squash
Preheat to 375°F (186°C). Halve and seed the squash, coat in oil and salt, and bake cut-side down until tender (30–45 min).
Make The Butternut Stuffing
Sauté the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic until fragrant. Add wild rice and broth; simmer covered until broth is absorbed and rice is tender (30–40 minutes). Stir in feta, cranberries, apple, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Boil The Potatoes
Boil potatoes with baking soda and salt until tender. Drain, shake to rough up the edges, then toss with oil, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Brussels Sprouts
Toss sprouts with cranberries, oil, salt, and pepper.
Cranberry Brie Bites
Cut puff pastry, press into muffin tins, brush with egg, and add Brie and cranberry sauce.
The 2nd Bake – Stuffed Butternut and Sides
Scoop squash flesh, mix with stuffing, and pack it back into the squash.
Place stuffed squash, potatoes, and sprouts on the baking sheet. Bake 30–45 minutes, broiling briefly at the end for extra browning if needed!
Vegetarian Gravy
Make a roux with butter and flour, add broth, then season with soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and spices.
Serve
Slice stuffed squash, serve with sides, and drizzle with gravy!
And that, friends, is what I call an epic vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner! If you have any questions about this recipe, please leave a comment below. Sarah personally checks and responds to these daily!
Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner on a Sheet Pan
Ingredients
Butternut Squash
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
- ¼ tsp salt
Butternut Stuffing
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 1 cup finely chopped white onion, ½ of an onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup wild rice blend, 200 g
- 2 cups vegetable broth, 480 mL
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, 113 g
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, 25 g
- 1 granny smith apple, diced
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
- ½ tsp each salt and pepper
Potatoes
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary or thyme, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Brussels Sprouts
- 24 oz trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts, smaller sprouts can be left whole
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Cranberry Brie Bites
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed, a 17.3 oz-package typically contains two sheets
- 1 egg, whisked
- 8 oz Brie, cut into 12 wedges
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
Vegetarian Gravy
- 2 Tbsp butter, 28 g
- 2 Tbsp flour, 10 g
- 1 cup vegetable broth, 240 mL
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 15 mL
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 10 g
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
1st Bake
- Bake Butternut: Preheat oven to 375°F (186°C). Cut 1 medium butternut squash in half lengthwise and spoon out seeds. Liberally coat all sides with 1 Tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt, and lay face down in the middle of a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until butternut is fork-tender.
Prep
- Make Butternut Stuffing: Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat then add 1 carrot, 1 rib celery, 1 cup finely chopped white onion, and 2 cloves garlic. Cook until fragrant and veggies are brightly colored, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup wild rice blend and 2 cups vegetable broth, cover, and let simmer until rice is cooked to al dente and broth is absorbed, about 30 to 40 minutes (if rice is still uncooked when broth is gone, add a splash more broth or water and continue cooking). Stir in 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, ¼ cup dried cranberries, 1 granny smith apple, 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, 1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage, and ½ tsp each salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
- Boil Potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil (about 6 cups water) and add ½ tsp baking soda and 1 Tbsp salt. Add 2 lbs small red potatoes (quartered) and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain water and let potatoes sit uncovered for 2 minutes to dry. Put on the lid, then vigorously shake to chuff up the outside of the potatoes. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp fresh rosemary or thyme, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper, then shake once more to coat evenly. Set aside.
- Prep Brussels Sprouts: Toss to combine 24 oz trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts, 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Prep Brie Bites: Cut 2 sheets puff pastry into 12 squares, Press each puff pastry into a muffin tin well. Brush dough with 1 egg (whisked). Evenly divide 8 oz Brie and ½ cup cranberry sauce into each. Set aside.
2nd Bake
- Stuff the Butternut: When the butternut is fork-tender, scoop flesh from the inside, being careful not to puncture the skin and leaving a ¼ to ½-inch thick layer on the outside. It's okay if the innermost part is still a little tough – just scrape it out firmly. It will continue to cook in the next step. (Hold it with a clean towel if it’s too hot to handle.)Stir the scooped-out flesh in with the rice mixture, then stuff the mixture into each half of the butternut, firmly packing it in (you'll have leftover stuffing). Stick the two halves together and secure them together by tying them with kitchen string. Set back on the baking tray.
- Sides: Spread out potatoes on one side of the butternut and Brussels sprouts on the other (it’s okay if they’re not completely in a single layer now).
- Bake Everything: Set your main baking sheet on the lower rack and the muffin tin on the upper rack. Cook 30 to 45 minutes, or until puff pastry is golden and the Brussels sprouts and potatoes are browned at the edges.Check on pastry at the 20 minute mark. If pastry has finished before veggies, remove it from the oven and transfer the main try to the middle rack (stir around the veggies while you're in there). Switch oven to broil and watch very closely, cooking for just 1 or 2 minutes until veggies darken at the edges. DO NOT even walk away from the oven during this time.
Prepare To Serve
- Clean! Now while everything bakes is a great time to clean up the kitchen to prepare for serving.
- Make Gravy: Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp flour, and while whisking constantly, pour in 1 cup vegetable broth. Bring to a gentle simmer until it reaches a thick gravy consistency. Whisk in 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tsp onion powder, and ½ tsp garlic powder, remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Serve: Carve stuffed butternut into 1-inch thick slices and serve topped with gravy, along with your crispy potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and Brie bites. Extra rice stuffing makes a great side (room temperature is okay!). Happy Thanksgiving!
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
We’ve tried this with quinoa and also with bulgur. Both work really well. We served for our vegetarian friends alongside a turkey for the turkey eaters. Our turkey eaters took seconds of this!
I’m so happy to hear this! I’ll have to try it with a different grain this year just to change it up. Quinoa and bulgur sounds great! 😀
This is not nearly enough protein.
A serving of this has 35g of protein, which is about 75% of an average woman’s protein needs for the day. Have an egg or two for breakfast and you’re all set!
Thanksgiving is about protein? I think Stuffing, Pumpkin Pie, and CARBS. Thanks Sarah for a great recipe. My family enjoyed some healthy food for a change 🙂 It was great!
You can make it with quinoa instead of rice if you want to up the protein content!
Such a great idea, thanks for the tip! 😀
This looks lovely. I’m not a vegetarian, and my turkey is never dry! I do love trying new foods and a vegetarian meal can be just as yummy as a meal with meat. I’m making this over the weekend.
Hope you like it, Jennifer! This seemed to be a popular one with both meat and plant eaters over Thanksgiving 😀
Thank you for this blog! I got online looking for ideas for a vegetarian Thanksgiving for a small number of people this year…. and found this whole-menu meal. Looks perfect for us!
YAY! So happy you found this recipe! 😀
My hubby hates Brussel sprouts, any other veg recommendations? Thanks
Broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus! 😀
This recipe came at the best time. Thanksgiving by ourselves rather than extended family. So just cooking for my wife and me. That being said, I have a beautiful Kobach squash that is crying “eat me”. Could I substitute the Kobach for the Butternut squash. Also, my wife doesn’t eat potatoes. What would you recommend for a substitute for the potatoes.
The Kobach would be great! I also love acorn squash with this 😀 You could sub it for sweet potatoes or cauliflower!
This meal was so delicious! Due to illness my husband and I stayed home so I made this for the two of us and we both loved it so much. Will definitely be making it again!
So so happy to hear it! Enjoy!! 😀
Definitely needed to cook the wild rice way longer than specified, I left it going for about 45 minutes by the time it was finally cooked fully. Squash took about 15 extra minutes too on the first bake. But turned out overall well, happy with it!
My husband, a meat eater, described this meal as the best Thanksgiving dinner he had ever eaten. Every part of the meal was delicious, and I plan on making it for our Christmas dinner as well. However, I will likely cook the cranberry brie bites as turnovers rather than in a muffin tin next time (some of the bottom were not quite cooked).
Wow, this is so exciting to read! Thanks so much for stopping in with your review, Robin! 😀
Stuffing was delicious! Added toasted pecans. Have made this many times. Is loved by all! Thank you!
I will be doubling this so I will likely need to use 2 baking sheets. Could you let me know if that is possible, and what adjustments in temperature and timing would I need to make?
I haven’t tried doubling this so I can’t say for sure, but it may just need a little longer in the oven! Keep an eye on the Brussels sprouts and take them out early if they start looking too crispy.