Our Quiet Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner 2026: Smoked Turkey & Autumn Sides
Our Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner 2026 was a quiet, cozy celebration this year — just the three of us at home, enjoying a beautiful homemade feast, familiar family traditions, and the wonderful flavors of autumn.
Sometimes those are the very best holidays of all.
This year, I made a beautiful roasted smoked turkey, and I nestled it with aromatic stalks of fresh marjoram, oregano, and rosemary, along with a few bay leaves, to perfume the bird while it roasted. Yes, we stuffed it too — because for us, a holiday turkey just feels more complete that way.
I also made whole roasted onions, finished with a lovely balsamic glaze, which gave them a deep sweetness and a gorgeous savory richness. Alongside that, we had one of our absolute holiday essentials: mashed turnip mixed with mashed potato. Let me just say this plainly — no holiday dinner is complete for us without mashed turnip. It simply would not feel like Thanksgiving otherwise.
For a sweet and tangy accompaniment, I made a rustic applesauce using apples straight from our own tree — and we have a plethora of them, thankfully. I stirred in some fermented cranberries I had saved from a fermented cranberry beverage I strained earlier and tucked away in the freezer for such a time as this. They added the perfect bright, lively contrast to the richness of the meal.
It was a humble feast, but an absolutely beautiful one.
If you’re looking for more holiday inspiration, do have a peek at my Thanksgiving collection here:
Our Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner 2026 Menu
For our Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner 2026, I prepared a delicious seasonal menu featuring roasted smoked turkey, balsamic-glazed onions, maple-roasted delicata squash, mashed turnip and potatoes, and homemade applesauce with fermented cranberries.
Our Thanksgiving dinner this year included:
- roasted smoked turkey
- stuffing
- whole roasted onions with balsamic glaze
- Sweet and Spicy Maple-Roasted Delicata Squash with lemon olive oil, cayenne, paprika, butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup
- mashed turnip and mashed potato, mixed together
- homemade applesauce made from apples off our tree
- fermented cranberries folded into the applesauce
Everything was wonderfully autumnal, savory, comforting, and exactly what we were craving.
There is something so satisfying about a plate filled with the foods that mark the season — especially when so much of it comes from what you already have on hand, what you’ve preserved, or what you’ve tucked away for later use. That is one of the things I love most about cooking this time of year.
For us, Thanksgiving is not only about a lovely meal — it is also about memory, comfort, and the little traditions that make a holiday feel like your own. The mashed turnip is one of those traditions for us. It belongs on the table, always.
Sweet and Spicy Maple-Roasted Delicata Squash: The Showstopper!
Oh, my goodness! How could I nearly forget one of the absolute stars of our Thanksgiving dinner?
Sweet and Spicy Maple-Roasted Delicata Squash!
This was one of those side dishes that turned out so beautifully, it deserves a recipe post all its own!
I started with a beautiful delicata squash, cutting it in half lengthwise and then cutting each half into quarters. I scooped out the seeds, but I certainly didn’t throw them away! I saved them to dry for planting in next year’s garden.
Next, I pierced the squash flesh with a sharp knife, making little holes to help the flavors work their way into the squash.
I rubbed the pieces with fragrant lemon olive oil and seasoned them with salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
Then, into the oven they went at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 50 minutes, until the squash was beautifully roasted and tender.
But I wasn’t finished!
For the final touch, I nestled a little knob of butter into each of those openings, sprinkled the squash with a bit of brown sugar, and finished everything with a splash of maple syrup.
Can you imagine those flavors together?
The natural sweetness of the delicata squash, the bright character of the lemon olive oil, the warmth of the paprika, the little kick of cayenne, and that glorious combination of butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup!
It was absolutely incredible!
The squash was tender, flavorful, sweet, savory, and just a little spicy. It was a beautiful addition to our smoked turkey and other autumn side dishes.
And the best part? Delicata squash has a thin, edible skin when properly cooked, so there’s no need to peel it.
This is definitely a dish I’ll want to make again, and it deserves a permanent place in my Cooking With Kimberly recipe collection!
If you love this beautiful autumn vegetable as much as I do, explore more delicious ideas in my Delicata Squash Recipes category on Cooking With Kimberly. I’ll be sharing this sweet and spicy maple-roasted version as its own recipe, too!
What We’re Eating the Day After
Since it is only Monday, we are still very much enjoying the same Thanksgiving foods — and I am not mad about it one bit.
For lunch, we had gorgeous leftover turkey sandwiches on sourdough with mayonnaise, mustard, fresh Swiss chard from the garden, and tomato from the garden. I love that little seasonal twist of using Swiss chard instead of lettuce — it feels hearty, fresh, and very much of the moment.
Tonight, we’ll simply be reheating plates of our Thanksgiving dinner and enjoying it all over again.
Who knows what this week will hold? Leftovers have a way of becoming all kinds of delicious things.
If you love turning holiday leftovers into something wonderful, be sure to check out this playlist too:
Leftovers Are Part of the Celebration Too
Truthfully, leftovers are one of the great joys of Thanksgiving. There is something wonderful about opening the fridge the next day and knowing there is still a little holiday magic waiting for you.
Whether you reheat full plates, pile turkey high onto sandwiches, or begin transforming everything into soups, casseroles, salads, and other creations, the meal keeps on giving.
That is part of why I love Thanksgiving so much. It is not only one dinner — it is a whole feeling that lingers for days.
And if Pearl ever wants to look back and remember what exactly we did one Thanksgiving, here it is: we kept it quiet, we kept it cozy, and we ate very, very well.
A Quiet Holiday, A Full Heart
Looking back on our Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner 2026, I’m reminded that a memorable holiday doesn’t require a crowded table. Sometimes, a quiet celebration with the people you love and the foods that mean something to your family is more than enough.
I hope your Thanksgiving was full of comfort, deliciousness, and moments worth remembering — whether your table was crowded or very small, whether you celebrated all weekend or only for a simple meal at home.
Sometimes the quieter holidays end up being the sweetest ones.
From our table to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
I’d love to hear what you had for your Thanksgiving dinner — and what you’re doing with your leftovers too!
Watch more holiday inspiration here:
Until next time…
Be a Champion in Your Kitchen, and Eat Deliciously!
