Our Best Thanksgiving Recipes Ever
We've gathered our best Thanksgiving recipes for a meal you'll never forget. Mix and match from turkeys, side dishes, desserts and more to create the ultimate Thanksgiving menu.
Appetizers
Appetizers help out if you're a bit behind schedule—if they're good, no one will mind waiting. Many appetizers can easily be made ahead and most can be bought prepared.
- Marinated Olives
- Baked Goat's Cheese with Figs and Walnuts
- Toasted Cumin and Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese with Flatbreads
- Cheesy Spinach Squares
- Oysters Rockerfeller
- Crostini with Green Olive Tapenade
- Stuffed Filo Tartlets
- Fava Bean, Garlic, and Herb Crostini
- Cheese Straws
- Mushroom Bruschetta
- Devilled Eggs
- Artichoke and Scallion Dip
- Cheese Puffs
- Chicken Liver Pate
- Stuffed Mushrooms
Soups
If you're feeling extravagant, pretend you're Martha Stewart and serve a hot soup in a hollowed-out pumpkin. Soups make a great first course and are easily made ahead, often tasting better a day or two after they are prepared.
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Brussels Sprout Soup with Hazelnut Pesto
- Pumpkin Soup
- Hearty Millet and Butternut Squash Soup
- Apple-Squash Soup
- Mushroom Soup
- Winter Vegetable Soup
- White Bean Soup
- Carrot Soup
Salads
Serve one or two salads for both color and texture contrast, as well as for those guests who choose lighter foods. Like soups, some salads taste better after a day or two of sitting; others need to be made at the last minute. Plan accordingly. One option is to make a large green salad and offer a variety of dressings. Or, try one these favorites:
- Goat's Cheese and Beetroot Salad with Praline
- Celeriac Salad
- Shaved Fennel Salad
- Winter Salad
- Carrot and Orange Salad
- Bittersweet Chicory Salad
- Green Salad with Herbs
- Bibb Lettuce Salad
- Spinach, Pear and Endive Salad
- Marinated Goat Cheese Salad
Side Dishes
Some families feel that it just isn't a holiday dinner without some form of sweet potato on the table. Many feel the same way about mashed potatoes. And a few green vegetables aren't the worst idea on this calorie-laden day. Here are the best side dishes for a delicious fall feast:
Potatoes
- Mustard Mashed Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes and Carrots with Citrus
- Ultimate Mashed Potatoes
- Smashed Potatoes and Celery Root with Sour Cream
- Untraditional Mashed Potatoes
- Cheddar Mashers
- Potato Gratin
- Pommes Mousseline
- Mash
- Potato-Herb Galette
Sweet Potatoes
- Fried Sweet Potato Balls
- Apple Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Maple-Glazed Grilled Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Puree with Horseradish
- Roast Sweet Potato with Sesame Glaze
- Sweet Potato and Sage Gratin
- Sweet Potato Biscuits
Cranberries
- Cranberry Sauce with Grapefruit and Pecans
- Cranberry-Orange Relish with Ginger
- Southern Cranberry Sauce with Pecans, Dried Apricots and Bourbon
- Cranberry Sauce
- Brown Sugar Cranberry Relish
- Maple, Orange and Chiles Cranberry Relish
- Cranberries and Cream
Puddings
Other Side Dishes
- Warm Green Bean Salad
- Cauliflower Salad with Caper and Raisin Dressing
- Bacon Braised Green Beans
- Green Beans with Caramelized Red Onion and Mushroom Topping
- Roasted Green Beans with Sage Butter
- Honey Soy Ginger Glazed Carrots
- Braised Leeks
- Carrot and Coriander Galette
- Carrot and Parsnip Puree with Fresh Tarragon
- Marinated Butternut Squash
- Roasted Acorn Squash
- Roast Squash with Ginger
- Twice-Baked Acorn Squash
- Squash and Gorgonzola Tart
- Peas with Ham
- Mushrooms in Cream Sauce
- Savory Onion Tart
- Walnut and Caramelized Shallot Couscous
- Barley with Leeks and Fennel
- Broccoli and Bean Saute
- Creamed Spinach with Pine Nuts
- Creamed Rutabaga
- Glazed Carrots with Thyme
- Mixed Root Vegetable Gratin
- Cauliflower Gratin
- Glazed Shallots with Red Wine
- Peas with Lettuce
- Citrusy Brussels Sprouts
Turkey Recipes
- Roast Turkey 101
- Roast Organic Turkey
- Roast Turkey with Spiked Gravy
- 45-Minute Roast Turkey
- Brined Roast Turkey with Sage Butter Rub
Stuffing
The age-old question is: Does the stuffing belong inside or outside the turkey? For novice cooks, we recommend baking outside the bird; it's easier and safer. Once you get the hang of roasting 12 or more pounds of bird, you are ready to get fancy.
Whichever way you cook your stuffing, it makes great leftovers! Each of these recipes is sure to please your guests:
- Chestnut and Pancetta Stuffing
- Corn Bread Stuffing
- Whole Grain Stuffing with Dried Fruit and Pecans
- Sausage, Sage and Mushroom Stuffing
- Sausage and Apple Dressing
Bread
Even if you serve the old standby, brown-and-serve dinner rolls, bread fresh from the oven is a must on the holiday table. Bake bread or muffins the day before or ask one of your guests to bring a seasonal specialty. Here are some favorite recipes:
- Easy Garlic Knots
- Cranberry-Orange Bread
- Southern Skillet Cornbread
- Walnut Bread
- Amish Pumpkin Bread
- Herb and Olive Bread
- Apple Roquefort Bread
- Easy Cheesy Bread Rolls
- Apple, Pine Nut and Olive Oil Polenta Bread
- Sesame Seed Rolls
- Whole Wheat Rolls
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Sweet Potato Scones
Pie
In most families, when it comes to Thanksgiving, there is pie and then there is everything else. Here are great recipes for the most popular holiday pies:
- Apple Pie
- Simple Apple Pie
- Linda Lewis's Pumpkin-Coconut Pie
- Pecan and Maple Tart
- Deep-Dish Apple Pie
- Mince Pies
- Apple and Raisin Sour Cream Pie with Crumb Topping
- Apple Mince Walnut Pie
- Custard Tart
- Pecan Tarts
- Pear and Walnut Tart
- French Apple Tart
- Prune and Almond Tart
- Apple and Pear Galette
Dessert
- Apple Pie in a Glass
- Apple Pie Cake
- Rum Whipped Cream with Cinnamon
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pear and Chocolate Cake
- German Apple Cake
- Apple Fruit Cake
- Almond and Orange Cake
- Angel Food Cake
- Applesauce Cake
- Apple Cream Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Creme Brulee
- Pumpkin Seed Brittle
- Picarones
- Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
- Apple-Ginger Crisp
- Cranberry Apple Tartlets
- Pear Hazelnut Crisp
- Pear Gratin
- Rosemary Roasted Pears
- Apple Pandowdy
Chime In
Do you try new dishes for Thanksgiving or stick with your favorites?