Beyond Turkey: Our Very Best Thanksgiving Main Dishes

This delicious meal is tender and crispy at the same time. A bit of forewarning: It might have only 30 minutes of prep time, but this slow-roasted pork takes 19 hours from start to finish.

These individual-serving-size Cornish game hens are paired with a flavorful rye bread stuffing seasoned with fresh herbs and dried cranberries. A hen on each plate drizzled with a luscious Port-wine pan sauce makes an impressive presentation for Thanksgiving dinner.

Jumbo pasta shells are filled with a mixture of mozzarella, ricotta, and prosciutto. This crowd-pleasing dish can be made ahead and frozen, saving you time during the busy days leading up to Thanksgiving.

A mixture of chopped garlic, fresh sage, and olive oil makes a quick, flavorful rub for pork tenderloin. In sharp contrast to the hours-long roasting time of the typical Thanksgiving turkey, this juicy roast pork is ready in just 40 minutes.

Classic roast chicken has universal appeal any time of year, and will be right at home on the Thanksgiving menu. The cavity of this plump six-pound roasting chicken is stuffed with a lemon, garlic cloves, and fresh thyme, creating an aroma that will permeate the meat as it roasts.

Whether you have vegetarian guests coming to Thanksgiving dinner or your family simply loves lasagna, this version, made with fresh lasagna sheets and stuffed with ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses, will be a knockout. As an added bonus, it can be made a month in advance and stored in the freezer, tightly wrapped.

Rosemary-seasoned carrots and shallots roast alongside a juicy pork loin for an easy Thanksgiving main dish that's ready in just one hour. A simple white-wine-and-mustard pan gravy accompanies the roast to the table.

Dried bay leaves, fresh sage, and orange zest give this roast prime rib amazing aroma and earthy flavor. Rub the herb mixture over the roast the day before Thanksgiving and refrigerate overnight so the flavor permeates the meat. For best results, buy a new container of bay leaves for this recipe so their fragrance is at its height.

The perfect pairing of pancetta and sage brings big flavor to this roast pork loin. Tying the sage leaves and pancetta slices onto the roast with butcher's twine ensures they remain intact for a presentation that will impress Thanksgiving guests.

Try duck for a sophisticated Thanksgiving alternative to turkey. These duck breasts are glazed with a crimson cherry syrup and roasted to medium-rare, then served with a chutney of cherries, golden raisins, and tarragon. This recipe uses canned Bing cherries rather than fresh.

Roasting apples and pears alongside this herb-rubbed pork roast results in a sweet, seasonal side dish. To complete the Thanksgiving meal, the pork is served with a white-wine-and-apple-cider gravy made from the pan juices.

Sauteed chestnuts and shallots roast inside two small chickens, creating a flavorful Thanksgiving main course. Roasting the chickens breast-down for the first 20 minutes and then turning them over ensures moist, evenly cooked meat.

Fresh lasagna noodles are layered with sage-flecked butternut squash and creamy ricotta in a Thanksgiving main dish that will delight vegetarian guests. This dish freezes well, so you can get a head start on preparing the holiday feast.

A quick-roasting alternative to Thanksgiving turkey, these Cornish game hens get their gloss from a marinade of pomegranate molasses. Serve with hearty wild-rice salad.

Caramelized pears and fresh thyme give this pork tenderloin a fragrant allure. With only five ingredients, this easy, budget-friendly Thanksgiving main course will keep your stress level low.

Duck breasts are sandwiched together with a celery-root-and-wild-mushroom stuffing, pan-seared, and then roasted until the meat is medium-rare and the skin is crisp. The stuffed duck breasts are sliced before serving and drizzled with a simple yet elegant red-wine sauce. Just as with Thanksgiving turkey, any remaining stuffing can be baked separately.

Madeira-glazed mushrooms and garlic-sauteed spinach add layers of flavor to this meatless lasagna. Serve in place of Thanksgiving turkey or as a vegetarian alternative.

This recipe for rib-eye roast of beef makes enough for a Thanksgiving gathering of family and friends. The meat is served with brown sugar and balsamic vinegar-glazed shallots and a red wine pan sauce.

A whole salmon is stuffed with cilantro, orange, and onion to create a flavorful main course. Roasting a whole fish is easier than it looks, and this recipe is an impressive alternative to Thanksgiving turkey.

A Thanksgiving entrée that’s completed in an hour is a rare find. This tasty option is perfect if you’re trying to minimize time in the kitchen.