Table of Contents
- Herb Butter Turkey
- Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Make Ahead Gravy
- Green Bean Casserole
- Honey Baked Ham
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- The Best Mac and Cheese
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Creme Brulee Pumpkin Pie
- Aunt Shirley Rolls
- Pecan Pie with Streusel
- Funeral Potatoes
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Cranberry Sauce
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Sea Foam Salad
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Dijon Deviled Eggs
- Cranberry Glazed Ham
- My favorite things for hosting Thanksgiving
- More Thanksgiving favorites
Thanksgiving makes even the most confident cook start second-guessing everything.
- Why does my cranberry sauce look like a crime scene?
- Which end of this turkey do I stick my hand in?
- If I call the smoke alarm “the Thanksgiving timer,” does that make it festive?
It’s ok guys, you don’t need to secretly Google “is crying into gravy considered seasoning” while pretending everything’s fine 😂
I’ve rounded up 20 classic Thanksgiving recipes that taste just like Grandma’s, minus the mystery instructions written in cursive on a butter-stained index card.
We’re doing it all: juicy turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, show-stopping sides, flaky pie crusts, and enough buttery rolls to satisfy even your 8-year-old, beige-foods-only, carb-loving nephew. I’ll walk you through every intimidating step (yes, even the pie crust, deep breaths) and help you make your holiday spread as nostalgic and delicious as the ones you remember.
Roll up those sleeves and get ready to outshine Aunt Carol this year. Let’s make Thanksgiving taste like tradition!
Herb Butter Turkey
1
Herb Butter Turkey
Forget dry, bland bird! This easy recipe has become a family favorite. A simple brine and a delicious herb butter guarantees that you will have a moist, flavorful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving.
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Thanksgiving Stuffing
2
Stuffing Recipe Thanksgiving
This is the stuffing that has all of those traditional flavors you love: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Sometimes you just want it to taste exactly like grandma’s homemade masterpiece!
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Make Ahead Gravy
3
Best Make Ahead Gravy for Turkey
Save yourself the headache of trying to hurry and make gravy while the rest of the food is on the table and getting cold! Forget having to whisk lumps and skim off fat while everyone else is staring at you because you misjudged your timing. What, just me??
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Green Bean Casserole
4
Green Bean Casserole Recipe with Fresh Green Beans
I’ll admit I kind of avoided this for years. It just seemed like a gloopy mystery mess! This green bean casserole from scratch will have people crowding in line for seconds! The crispy homemade onions on top and the delectable sauce make you never want to see the canned soup version again.
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Honey Baked Ham
5
Honey Bake Ham
I now know why people spend so much money on these! It’s so simple, plus you get to play with your kitchen torch, the results are absolutely insane. The edges are like candy! Such an incredible mix of savory and sweet.
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Creamy Mashed Potatoes
6
Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe with Cream Cheese
These mashed potatoes are absolutely famous in my family. Aunt Shirley brings them every year to holiday meals and they are the first thing to disappear. The secret ingredient makes them like soft, pillowy clouds that melt in your mouth.
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Sweet Potato Casserole
7
Baked Sweet Potato Casserole
This is better than any marshmallow topped sweet potatoes you have ever had! The dreamy pecan streusel is the food of the Gods. I dare say it makes these sweet potatoes as good as pie.
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The Best Mac and Cheese
8
Gourmet Mac and Cheese
I am a convert of having macaroni and cheese on your holiday menu. Whoever started this trend, I would like to hug them! This is the absolute best mac and cheese. When I first put it in my mouth I literally stopped to shout hallelujah!
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Jiffy Corn Casserole
9
Sweet Creamed Corn Casserole Recipe
I’ll never have another Thanksgiving without this cornbread casserole. So quick and made with a Jiffy mix. I honestly want to make a pan just for me. It’s creamy, corny, custardy and sweet.
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Creme Brulee Pumpkin Pie
10
Best Pumpkin Pie from Scratch
Pumpkin pie used to be so blah to me. I jazzed it up with a crackly, torched sugar topping and I’ll never go back. Tradition with a twist!
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Aunt Shirley Rolls
11
Aunt Shirley’s Famous Dinner Rolls
These rolls are so light, so fluffy, with SO much heavenly buttery goodness it’s no wonder they are famous in my family. I want to live in a world where eating just rolls for dinner is totally appropriate. You won’t regret spending the time to make these for Thanksgiving!
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Pecan Pie with Streusel
12
Pecan Pie with Brown Sugar
Pecan pie got an upgrade with brown butter and a divine streusel. Toffee bits melt into a glorious caramel. Make this and you will WIN Thanksgiving this year.
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Funeral Potatoes
13
Funeral Potato Recipe
A classic. Creamy, crunchy, cheesy potatoes. It doesn’t get better than Cheesy Potato Casserole for the holidays. I’ll take two helpings, please.
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Broccoli Bacon Salad
14
Broccoli Salad with Bacon Recipe
Everyone needs a good recipe for broccoli salad. This one has cranberries, sunflower seeds and bacon with a tangy homemade dressing. The perfect side for Thanksgiving. Add a little crunch and color to your table.
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Cranberry Sauce
15
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
I had no idea how easy homemade cranberry sauce is! This is an absolute game changer. No more tube of jiggly mystery. All you need is some orange zest, cranberries and sugar! The perfect compliment to your turkey.
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Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
16
Slow Cooker Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
I love making these slow cooker mashed potatoes on holidays. My oven is taken over by the turkey and I have other things covering my counters. These buttermilk mashed potatoes are made with NO peeling, NO boiling, NO draining! Just chop, wait a little, mash and eat. Such a time saver and the buttermilk gives them such a good flavor!
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Sea Foam Salad
17
Sea Foam Salad (Creamy Pear Jello)
This tradition that started decades ago runs deep in my family. Creamy Pear Jello is absolutely present at every major holiday and wouldn't be the same without it. Combining pears, jello, cream cheese and fresh whipped cream to make a light and spongey masterpiece worthy of any holiday table.
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Sweet Potato Pie
18
Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Traditional sweet potato pie gets boosted with a salted caramel whipped cream. A Southern classic that is super light and fluffy.
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Dijon Deviled Eggs
19
Dijon Deviled Eggs with Maple Candied Bacon
Not your average deviled eggs. Tangy dijon and a hint of smoke with maple candied bacon turn these eggs into a devilishly good appetizer.
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Cranberry Glazed Ham
20
Oven-Roasted Cranberry-Dijon Glazed Ham
Nothing is better than an oven roasted glazed ham. This one has fresh cranberries, making it perfect for the holiday season. Tangy dijon and a quick glaze make this ham super flavorful.
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My favorite things for hosting Thanksgiving
- Serving trays: these platters have handles, making them easy to transport from the kitchen or wherever your final destination is. Classic white porcelain will go with any decor. Oven and dishwasher safe, this is a great low-maintenance tray for entertaining and big enough to fit your turkey. Love that you get two!
- Fat separator: My fat separator comes in so handy when making homemade gravy. No more standing and skimming (and possible spilling on yourself).
- Roasting pan: This is the best roasting pan. I have had mine for years! It’s the perfect size for roasting turkey.
- Stand mixer: One of my best purchases, ever! If you are making a huge meal, like Thanksgiving, this will be your new best friend. It will last for decades and can help with anything from whipped cream to cookie dough. I would actually grab mine in a fire, that’s how much I love it.
- Flat whisk: This flat whisk is one of my favorite kitchen tools of all time. Perfect for sauces, gravy, and getting into the corners of any pan, this whisk works overtime when I am preparing Thanksgiving.
- Saucepan: This is my favorite saucepan. I will end up using it for SO many things over my Thanksgiving prep. It’s sturdy, it’s heavy, it’s perfect for making fudge, caramel, any kind of candy, but also just great for boiling water for pasta.
- Probe meat thermometer: This is my favorite meat thermometer for turkey. It is oven safe, so it stays in the bird while cooking and the display sits on your counter or sticks to the front of your oven. You will know exactly when to pull it out instead of hoping and praying that the little red popper works. Dry, overcooked turkey is a tragedy!
- Crockpot: Everyone needs a trusty Crock Pot! When making large meals, I love to utilize my crock and free up space on my stovetop. Keeping things warm until serving time is a major bonus when I am running around trying to get to the final touches.
More Thanksgiving favorites
- Cranberry Jalapeño Dip << one of my all-time fave holiday appetizers!
- Cornbread Stuffing with Bacon << yeah bacon’s in on it, and it’s even better
- Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes << if you’ve never had these together you’ve got to try this
- Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake << pie’s my true love, but I mean who can say no to cheesecake??
