4-Hour Thanksgiving Dream Menu The Soul Food Way

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What if you could serve a full Southern soul food Thanksgiving feast: turkey, sides, and dessert, in just four hours?

Welcome to The Soul Food Pot’s 4-Hour Thanksgiving Dream Menu, where holiday magic meets modern kitchen shortcuts! These are my tried-and-true Southern soul food recipes, steeped in tradition but simplified with time-saving tools like the Instant Pot and air fryer.

The Soul Food Pot 4-Hour Thanksgiving Dream Menu

Because the holidays should be full of joy, not kitchen stress. So grab your apron, pick one main, a few soulful sides, and one sweet dessert, and let’s make this Thanksgiving the easiest, most flavorful one yet!

How to make Thanksgiving dinner in 4 hours

Every dish on my 4-hour menu is built for speed, flavor, and soul. Proof that you can serve a made-from-scratch Southern Thanksgiving without spending all day in the kitchen.

Simply choose your favorites from my 5-star Thanksgiving recipes below. The quick, soul-filled dishes that make your 4-hour holiday feast taste like it took all day! 

Now you’re cooking smart!

  1. Choose 1 main dish recipe.
  2. Choose 3–4 side dishes.
  3. Choose 1 dessert.

Then, as the kids would say, “Let her cook!” 

What if you don’t have multiple Instant Pots?

Pro Tip: What if you don’t have multiple Instant Pots?

The Soul Food Pot® 4-Hour Thanksgiving Dream Menu

Your Thanksgiving, simplified! My 4-Hour Thanksgiving Dream Menu is a time-saving plan packed with Southern flavor, giving you all the soul in a fraction of the time. Go from turkey to pie in record speed!

Main dishes

Fast feasts, full of flavor.

Black Folks Southern Turkey Recipe
Oven-Roasted Southern Turkey
⏲️ Cook time: 1 hr 30 min
My signature Southern turkey, brined in a homemade apple cider blend for the juiciest, most flavorful bird, all in under two hours!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Turkey Breast Recipe
Instant Pot Turkey Breast
⏲️ Cook time: 25 min
All the flavor, none of the fuss. Tender, juicy turkey breast cooked to perfection in minutes.
Check out this recipe!
Black Folks Instant Pot Smoked Turkey Legs
Instant Pot & Air Fried Smoked Turkey Legs
⏲️ Cook time: 60 min
Crispy, juicy, and full of smoky Southern flavor. It's holiday turkey made fast and fun!
Check out this recipe!
Southern Soul Food Turkey Wings
Instant Pot & Air Fryer Turkey Wings
⏲️ Cook time: 60 min
My succulent turkey wings are a modern twist on Thanksgiving dinner. Air-fried to crisp perfection, your taste buds will gobble-gobble with joy!
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe – The Southern Way
Instant Pot Whole Chicken
⏲️ Cook time: 1 hr 10 min
If turkey isn't your thing, try my easy Instant Pot whole chicken recipe. It's giving juicy, flavorful, and drop-in-the-pot-and-walk, for fall-off-the-bone tender meat!
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Cornish Hens Recipe The Soul Food Way
Instant Pot Cornish Hens
⏲️ Cook time: 25 min
Elegant, flavorful, and perfectly cooked in record time. A mini Thanksgiving feast made effortless.
Check out this recipe!

Sides

Fast, flavorful, and soulful.

Instant Pot Candied Yams The Soul Food Way
Instant Pot Candied Yams
⏲️ Cook time: 5 min
Classic sweetness in minutes! The fastest way to get that caramelized, cinnamon-kissed flavor on the table.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Collard Greens The Soul Food Way
Instant Pot Collard Greens
⏲️ Cook time: 15 min
All the slow-simmered taste, done fast! Tender, smoky greens without hours on the stove.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Mac And Cheese
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
⏲️ Cook time: 3 min
Soulfully seasoned, golden, creamy, and cooked in record time. Comfort food speed-run approved!
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Cornbread Dressing The Soul Food Way
Instant Pot Cornbread Dressing
⏲️ Cook time: 50 min
Southern tradition made efficient. Mix, bake, and serve a pan of holiday nostalgia without the wait.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Instant Pot Fresh Cranberry Sauce
⏲️ Cook time: 5 min
From pot to serving bowl in a matter of minutes! Bright, tangy flavor faster than you can open a can.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Southern Cinnamon Apples Recipe
Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples
⏲️ Cook time: 8 min
Quick, cozy sweetness, cinnamon-spiced apples ready before dessert time.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes The Soul Food Way
Instant Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes 
⏲️ Cook time: 10 min
Fluffy, buttery, and ready in half the usual time. Plus, no endless stirring required.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Green Beans The Soul Food Way
Instant Pot Green Beans
⏲️ Cook time: 2 min
Fast, flavorful, and foolproof. Tender green beans seasoned to perfection in a flash.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Cabbage
Instant Pot Cabbage
⏲️ Cook time: 4 min
Tender, savory cabbage that tastes like it simmered all day. But you’ll be done before the turkey rests!
Check out this recipe!
Old-Fashioned Jiffy Cornbread Recipe With Cream Cheese
Jiffy Cornbread with Cream Cheese
⏲️ Cook time: 25 min
Whip, bake, done! Buttery, rich, moist, and delicious cornbread that comes together quicker than the oven preheats.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Glazed Carrots The Soul Food Way
Instant Pot Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
⏲️ Cook time: 4 min
Glossy, brown sugar-butter carrots in minutes. It's the easiest side that still looks gourmet.
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Deviled Eggs
Instant Pot Deviled Eggs
⏲️ Cook time: 5 min
Prep-friendly and speedy. Soul food deviled eggs that vanish almost faster than you can make them!
Check out this recipe!
Soulful Seasoned Ranch Oyster Crackers Recipe
Soulful Seasoned Crackers
⏲️ Cook time: 5 min
These aren’t your average oyster crackers. An easy appetizer, they take just minutes to make but taste like soulful, seasoned, cozy comfort in every bite!
Check out this recipe!

Desserts

Sweet, simple, and speedy.

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Pie The Soul Food Way
Instant Pot Sweet Potato Pie
⏲️ Cook time: 40 min
All the rich, spiced flavor of my signature Black folks' sweet potato pie, made silky smooth and holiday-ready while shaving off a fraction of the time.
Check out this recipe!
Southern Banana Pudding Recipe With Instant Pudding
Instant Banana Pudding
⏲️ Cook time: 20 min
Quick to layer, quick to love. Creamy, dreamy Southern banana pudding made easy with instant pudding.
Check out this recipe!
Southern Peach Cobbler With Canned Peaches
Peach Cobbler with Canned Peaches 
⏲️ Cook time: 50 min
Sweet, syrupy peaches under a buttery crust. Classic comfort baked with a pantry-friendly shortcut!
Check out this recipe!

Easy 4-hour Thanksgiving dinner ideas for a family

Now you’re ready to cook up your own 4-hour Thanksgiving dream menu! A table full of flavor, love, and Southern tradition served faster than ever.

Easy 4-hour Thanksgiving dinner ideas for a family

So go ahead and choose your favorites from the list above!

Whether it’s my signature apple cider–brined turkey, creamy Instant Pot mashed potatoes, or my sweet potato pie recipe shared over 65,000 times, every dish is made to fill your home with warmth and your heart with joy.

Because at The Soul Food Pot, Thanksgiving isn’t just a meal. It’s a feeling. A soulful, flavorful, unforgettable celebration of family, food, and legacy. 

⏲️ Your dream Thanksgiving — ready in 4 hours or less! Grab the playbook!

Like this post? Pin the below image to your Pinterest “Soul Food Recipes” board!

4-Hour Thanksgiving Dream Menu by The Soul Food Pot
The Ultimate Soul Food Recipes Guide
The Ultimate Soul Food Recipes Guide
What is soul food? Soul food recipes are African-American recipes full of flavor! A legacy of Southern cooking the Black way. Check out this collection of the best soul food recipes!
Check out this recipe!

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