9 Traditional Thanksgiving Recipes

Traditional Thanksgiving recipes vary depending on location, background, accessibility, and family traditions, but there are some common themes among Thanksgiving menus:

• Appetizers: Popular Thanksgiving appetizers may include items like baked brie with cranberry sauce and crackers, mini savory pies, cheesy dips, and an array of veggies.
• Bread: Buttery dinner rolls, cornbread, buttermilk biscuits with chives and cheddar cheese, a French baguette, or simple slices of white bread can soak up the juices and gravy of your other Thanksgiving dishes.
• Desserts: Pecan pie, apple pie, and pumpkin pie are common Thanksgiving desserts. Serve yours alongside whipped cream or ice cream. For something without pie crust but with all the flavors of fall, try pecan cheesecake, apple cider cake, or brown sugar cookies.
• Sauces: Even with the juiciest turkey, sauce still plays an important role in your turkey dish. A staple is turkey gravy that you make with pan drippings, shallots, and turkey or chicken broth, and thicken with a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and water mixed together). Cranberry sauce is another common Thanksgiving recipe.
• Side dishes: While the Thanksgiving turkey is the centerpiece of many tables, the side dishes play an equally important part. Side dishes include mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole topped with caramelized marshmallow, stuffing, crispy Hasselback potatoes, mac and cheese (or macaroni and cheese), and baked parmesan potato gratin.
• Turkey: Whether it’s roasted turkey breast for a smaller crowd or a whole roast turkey, turkey is the most common protein to serve on Thanksgiving Day—so much so that the holiday is also known as “Turkey Day.”
• Vegetables: Popular vegetable dishes to serve with Thanksgiving dinner include green bean casserole, butternut squash soup, roasted Brussels sprouts, candied carrots, sautéed garlic green beans, fresh fennel salad, and roasted acorn squash.

Thanksgiving menus will vary from household to household, but here are several traditional recipes for the holiday:

1. 1. Cornbread: You might like your cornbread sweet or you might like it spicy, but a benefit of cornbread is that it can take on many different types of flavors to suit your needs. Bake yours in a cast-iron pan or make it as muffins. Try out any of these seven variations of cornbread.
2. 2. Cranberry sauce: Making cranberry sauce from scratch may require more work than opening a can, but homemade cranberry sauce can taste better. Whether you like your sauce sweet or tart, you have full control of the flavor. Check out this classic cranberry sauce recipe.
3. 3. Gravy: There’s no one right way to make gravy for Thanksgiving. Choose between thick and creamy or loose and brothy. Switch up the spices to add different flavor profiles to the gravy and remember to make enough to include with your leftover turkey. Try out these gravy recipes, including a gluten-free option.
4. 4. Green bean casserole: There are many casserole recipes for green bean casserole, but the classics have crispy fried onions on top (crunchy nuts work, too). Some recipes call for canned soup, while others use homemade bechamel. For the classic kind, try out this recipe for green bean casserole.
5. 5. Mashed potatoes: Whether the potatoes are actually mashed or are more of a purée, creamy mashed potatoes are one of the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes. Add cream cheese, scallions, sour cream, or garlic for garlic mashed potatoes. Check out Chef Thomas Keller’s recipe for puréed mashed potatoes.
6. 6. Pumpkin pie: Pumpkin pie is on many Thanksgiving tables because of the seasonality of pumpkin and how well it pairs with warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Serve the pie with whipped cream for additional sweetness or top it with crunchy nuts. Try out this homemade pumpkin pie recipe.
7. 7. Roasted sweet potatoes: You can use sweet potato in casserole recipes, soup recipes, and even vegan burrito recipes, or try turning the vegetable into sweet potato pie. For Thanksgiving, simple roasted sweet potatoes can balance out other, richer dishes. Give this roasted sweet potato recipe a try.
8. 8. Roasted turkey: For the main event of your Thanksgiving meal, your roasted turkey recipe can involve brine or no brine, a dry or wet brine, flavor on the skin or under the skin. Try this juicy roasted turkey recipe as an option.
9. 9. Stovetop wild rice: While it’s not actually rice, stovetop wild rice serves as a viable option for a Thanksgiving side dish. Turn it into a wild rice salad with pistachios and pomegranate seeds tossed in a light vinaigrette, or serve it hot with simple seasonings. Try this stovetop wild rice recipe.

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