A Southern Thanksgiving Table: Sips, Sides & Sweets for the Patio

The best of the table, carried outdoors.

Thanksgiving in Dallas is made for the terrace: a cool, clear afternoon, a sunset that arrives before the plates are cleared, and just enough chill in the air to draw everyone toward the fire. The centerpiece of the meal belongs to whoever is hosting. The sips, the sides and the sweets are where a Southern table shows its character.

This is the table we would set: a welcome punch, five sides in the Southern tradition, and two desserts, one of them finished outdoors. Five weeks out is the right moment to plan it. Set the pitchers out, light the fire, and let the afternoon take its time.

The Spread at a Glance

Make-Ahead Plan

Sips

A Southern gathering begins with something cold in a pitcher: one for the adults, one for everyone.

Bourbon Apple Cider Punch

Serves 12 · Make ahead

Ingredients

• 8 cups (½ gallon) apple cider, chilled
• 2 cups bourbon
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 cups ginger beer, chilled
• Thin apple slices, cinnamon sticks and orange wheels for garnish

Directions

1. Stir the cider, bourbon, lemon juice and maple syrup together in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Chill until guests arrive.
2. Just before serving, add the ginger beer and garnishes.
3. Pour over ice. For a zero-proof version, omit the bourbon and add 2 more cups of ginger beer.

Cranberry-Rosemary Spritzer (Non-Alcoholic)

Serves 8 · Make ahead

Ingredients

• ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water and 3 rosemary sprigs, for the syrup
• 3 cups cranberry juice, chilled
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 liter sparkling water, chilled
• Fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs for garnish

Directions

1. Simmer the sugar, water and rosemary until the sugar dissolves. Steep for 30 minutes, strain and cool.
2. Combine ⅓ cup of the syrup with the cranberry and lime juices in a pitcher.
3. Top with sparkling water just before serving. Pour over ice and garnish with cranberries and a rosemary sprig.

Sides

In Texas, the sides are the reason to come to Thanksgiving. These five are the Southern standards.

Cornbread Dressing

Serves 10–12 · Oven, 375°F for 45–50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pan (9×13) unsweetened cornbread, a day old, crumbled
• 4 slices white bread, toasted and torn
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter
• 1 large onion and 4 celery ribs, diced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage and 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 4–5 cups chicken stock
• Salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Melt the butter and cook the onion and celery until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sage and thyme.
2. Toss with the cornbread and toasted bread in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in the eggs and 4 cups of stock. It should look wetter than seems right; add stock until it is spoonable.
4. Spread into a buttered 9×13 dish and bake until golden and set at the edges.

Southern Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Serves 10 · Oven or grill (indirect heat), 350°F for 35–40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 lb sharp cheddar and 8 oz Colby Jack, shredded from the block
• 2 eggs
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk, plus 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp paprika, pinch of cayenne

Directions

1. Boil the macaroni 2 minutes short of the package time. Drain and toss with the butter.
2. Whisk the eggs, both milks and the seasonings together.
3. Layer the macaroni and three-quarters of the cheese in a buttered 9×13 dish. Pour the custard over and top with the rest of the cheese.
4. Bake until set and browned on top. Rest 10 minutes so it slices cleanly.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble

Serves 10 · Grill (indirect heat) or oven, 350°F for 35–40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 lb sweet potatoes (about 5 large), baked until soft
• ½ cup butter, melted
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, ½ cup milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt
• Topping: 1 cup chopped pecans, ¾ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup flour, 4 tbsp melted butter

Directions

1. Scoop the sweet potatoes from their skins and mash with the butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
2. Spread into a 9×13 dish. Mix the topping and crumble it evenly over the top.
3. Bake over indirect heat with the grill lid closed until the topping is crisp and the edges bubble.

Slow-Simmered Collard Greens

Serves 8–10 · About 2 hours, mostly unattended

Ingredients

• 2 large bunches collard greens (about 3 lb), stems removed, sliced into ribbons
• 1 smoked turkey wing or 2 smoked ham hocks
• 1 onion, diced, and 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt and hot sauce to serve

Directions

1. Simmer the smoked turkey wing or hocks in the stock for 1 hour to build the pot liquor.
2. Add the onion, garlic and greens a handful at a time as they wilt down.
3. Simmer, partly covered, 1 to 1½ hours until silky. Pull the meat from the bone and stir it back in.
4. Finish with the vinegar, sugar and pepper flakes. Salt to taste and pass the hot sauce.

Classic Deviled Eggs

Makes 24 halves · Make ahead

Ingredients

• 12 large eggs
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish, plus 1 tsp of its juice
• Salt, black pepper and smoked paprika

Directions

1. Cover the eggs with cold water, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover and let stand for 12 minutes. Move to an ice bath.
2. Peel, halve and lift out the yolks. Mash the yolks with the mayonnaise, mustard, relish and pickle juice until smooth.
3. Season, pipe or spoon back into the whites and dust with smoked paprika. Keep chilled until serving.

Sweets

One pie made the day before, and one cobbler that finishes over the fire as everyone gathers.

Texas Pecan Pie

Serves 8 · Oven, 350°F for 55–65 minutes

Pecan pie is the official state pie of Texas, and Texas pecans are the ones to use.

Ingredients

• 1 deep-dish 9-inch pie crust, chilled
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp bourbon (optional) and 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ cups pecan halves

Directions

1. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, bourbon, vanilla and salt until smooth.
2. Scatter the pecans in the crust and pour the filling over them.
3. Bake until the edges are set and the center has only a slight tremble. Tent the crust with foil if it browns too quickly.
4. Cool at least 4 hours. It slices best the next day.

Cast-Iron Peach Cobbler over the Coals

Serves 8 · Fire pit or grill, about 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups sliced peaches (frozen is ideal in November), thawed
• ½ cup sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg
• Batter: 1 stick (½ cup) butter, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, 1 cup milk
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Toss the peaches with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon and spices.
2. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Whisk the batter ingredients and pour over the butter. Do not stir.
3. Spoon the peaches evenly over the batter.
4. Cover and set on a grate over medium coals for 35–45 minutes, until the batter rises around the fruit and turns golden. Check at 30 minutes. (On a grill: indirect heat at 375°F, lid closed, about 40 minutes.)
5. Spoon into bowls while warm, with a scoop of ice cream.

From the Studio

We plan an outdoor table the way we plan the room around it: drinks at the door, food along one long counter, the fire at the far end where the evening settles. Guests should never have to cross the path of the cook to reach the punch. Get that order right and a Thanksgiving afternoon moves outdoors without anyone noticing it was planned.

Hosting Outside in Dallas

Pitchers first. Set the drinks on a side table near the door so guests serve themselves on the way in.

Light before you need it. The sun sets around 5:20 p.m. in late November. Have string lights, lanterns and candles on before dinner, and the fire going by dessert.

Throws by the door. Dallas evenings can drop 15 degrees once the sun is down. A basket of wool throws keeps everyone outside longer.

Complete Landscape Design & Build

If your outdoor kitchen, covered terrace, or fire feature is not yet ready to host a day like this, our design studio would welcome the conversation. We design and build outdoor living spaces made for gathering — a true extension of your home. Start a conversation with Kingswood Landscape.