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Arguably America’s most food-focused holiday, Thanksgiving is a celebration of the year’s harvest. The Thanksgiving tradition dates back to 1621, when the English colonists of Plymouth and the Wampanoag shared a fall harvest feast.
It’s likely that first Thanksgiving feast featured dishes prepared using Native American cooking methods, as well as mainly (eastern) North American ingredients and spices.
To this day, classic Thanksgiving food is heavily centered on these original foods—albeit often with a modern twist. Examples are plentiful and include roasted turkey, root vegetables, beans, pumpkins and cranberries.
American development, the fate of Native Americans and the nation’s national parks are all closely intertwined and part of the same story. For more about this, I strongly recommend reading ‘The Empire of Shadows: The Epic Story of Yellowstone‘.
Almost all national parks are on land that was the original home of one or more Native American Tribes, all with their own culinary traditions and customs, while White settlers spread other types of (European) food across the country.
If you’re looking for alternative Thanksgiving recipes inspired by the national parks, their history and their fauna and flora, you’ll find a really fun selection below.
These national park-inspired Thanksgiving recipes are a mix of regional specialties, Native American recipes, and dishes featuring ingredients that are found in or near a certain national park, whether it’s seafood, game, vegetables, nuts or fruits.
You may also like these amazing Fourth of July grilling recipes inspired by the national parks!
Contents
National Park-Inspired Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes
TOASTED RAVIOLI WITH MARINARA SAUCE
Gateway Arch National Park
Inspired by Gateway Arch National Park, this toasted ravioli recipe is based on a popular breaded and deep-fried ravioli dish that was created and perfected in the Italian-American The Hill neighborhood in St. Louis.
WHITE FISH GRATIN IN SEA SHELLS
Glacier Bay National Park
Served with a few slices of freshly toasted baguette and topped with some curly parsley, this white fish gratin is a stunning and unforgettably creamy appetizer that reflects the richness of the waters of Glacier Bay National Park.
SALMON CAKES WITH GARLIC AIOLI
Olympic National Park
These flavor-packed salmon patties served with a creamy garlic aioli are perfect as a delicious Thanksgiving appetizer recipe. Inspired by Olympic National Park, this recipe celebrates the abundance of the Pacific Northwest.
OVEN-BAKED SQUASH BALLS
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The centuries-old farming history of the Cuyahoga Valley, from Native Americans more than a millennium ago to 19th-century and modern-day farms, inspired this oven-baked squash balls recipe, a fun and healthy appetizer for your Thanksgiving get-together.
National Park-Inspired Thanksgiving Soup Recipes
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH POPCORN AND CORNBREAD
Mesa Verde National Park
Featuring creamy butternut squash, crunchy popcorn and fluffy cornbread, this comforting butternut squash soup recipe is an homage to the culture and cuisine of the Ancestral Pueblo People who once lived in what is now Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.
TURKEY AND WILD RICE SOUP
Voyageurs National Park
Inspired by the natural abundance of the Voyageurs National Park area, this hearty and healthy turkey and wild rice soup recipe is a traditional recipe from Minnesota, perfect for cozy Thanksgiving evenings at home or around the campfire.
GROUND TURKEY TACO SOUP
Petrified Forest National Park
Inspired by the food eaten by the Pueblo People who once lived in what is now Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, this ground turkey taco soup recipe uses ingredients that are almost exclusively from the Americas.
Bursting with flavor and depth, it’s a wonderful soup for chilly afternoons and evenings, perfect as an alternative Thanksgiving recipe.
NEW ENGLAND COD CHOWDER WITH THYME BISCUITS
Cape Cod National Seashore
If you’re looking for a hearty Thanksgiving chowder recipe, this is an amazing one! Inspired by the fish-and-seafood-rich waters of Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, this creamy New England cod chowder recipe is accompanied by healthy thyme drop biscuits.
PAGANENS (ALGONQUIN HAZELNUT SOUP)
Isle Royale National Park
The rich Ojibwe culture of the northern Great Lakes, including Isle Royale National Park, was the inspiration for this traditional Algonquin hazelnut soup, also known as paganens. This easy-to-make soup features hazelnuts, shallots and parsley.
National Park-Inspired Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
SOCKEYE SALMON WELLINGTON
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
The National Park Service says that the Copper River in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is home to “some of the finest salmon in the marketplace today.”
This savory sockeye salmon Wellington recipe reflects the abundance and quality of the park’s salmon population, an impressive Thanksgiving holiday dish that tastes amazing and is pretty easy to put together.
WILD RICE AND BISON STUFFED ACORN SQUASH
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
This fantastic wild rice and bison stuffed acorn squash recipe is a great Thanksgiving dinner idea.
It honors the time when Native Americans lived in the area that is now Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a time when countless bison roamed the badlands and prairie, when wild plants were gathered, when soils were cultivated in traditional ways.
WILD GAME CHILI
Grand Teton National Park
An adaptation from the iconic wild game chili that has been served at the Signal Mountain Lodge in Grand Teton National Park for years, this hearty chili is amazing after a long hike or a wonderful national park dish to serve at Thanksgiving parties.
MUSHROOM QUICHE
Mount Rainier National Park
Washington’s Mount Rainier National Park is one of very few national park where mushroom foraging is permitted.
Even if you’re not able to use mushrooms from the park itself, this Mount Rainier National Park-inspired mushroom quiche recipe is still worth trying out. Enjoy it as a hearty Thanksgiving brunch option or delicious Thanksgiving dinner.
SOUTH CAROLINA CHICKEN BOG
Congaree National Park
This South Carolina chicken bog recipe is as typical a regional dish as you’ll find anywhere in the United States, while its name literally corresponds with the main natural feature of Congaree National Park—swamps. A delicious and hearty Thanksgiving dinner idea, for sure!
CARAMELIZED ONION AND MUSHROOM MAC & CHEESE
Shenandoah National Park
There are two reasons why Shenandoah National Park is the inspiration for this creamy caramelized onion and mushroom mac and cheese recipe.
One, the park is home to over 400 species of mushrooms and you’re allowed to pick small amounts of the edible ones. Two, mac and cheese is one of the classic Southern side dishes. This makes this a great Thanksgiving recipe inspired by a national park.
BISON MEATBALLS IN SMOKY BELL PEPPER AND BEAN SAUCE
Badlands National Park
If you’re looking for a hearty Thanksgiving dish inspired by America’s national parks, a delicious dinner for a chilly fall evening, look no further than this Badlands National Park-inspired bison meatballs recipe with smoky bell pepper bean sauce and Native American fry bread.
National Park-Inspired Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CREAM PIE
Appalachian Trail National Scenic Trail
This peanut butter and jelly cream pie recipe is the dessert version of one of America’s classic sandwiches, the PB and J, which also happens to be a great and convenient lunch while hiking. So, enjoy this rich and creamy pie and imagine you’re on an adventure on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail!
APRICOT CRUMBLE BARS
Capitol Reef National Park
Inspired by the historic orchards and amazing food products you can buy at Capitol Reef National Park, this apricot crumble bars recipe makes dozens of sweet dessert bites.
KEY LIME PIE
Dry Tortugas National Park
If you’d like to add some summer vibes to you Thanksgiving meal, consider making this phenomenal key lime pie recipe. The obvious inspiration for this dessert is Dry Tortugas National Park, which encompasses the remotest of the Florida Keys.
Enjoy its combination of deliciously creamy filling, sweet and tangy Key limes, and a crunchy graham cracker crust. This is a keeper!