Here Are the Recipes You Need to Throw the Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

thanksgiving dinner plate

So you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year. Between decking out your space in fall-themed decor and making sure you have the perfect quilted table runner, there’s a lot on your plate before even thinking about the meal. But don’t sweat the main event — now you have a complete list of go-to recipes to help you crush Turkey Day.

The Main Meal

Turkey

roasted turkey

The secret to roasting the perfect turkey: plan ahead. Yes, it’s a multi-day feat. But if you follow this recipe (and take deep breaths!), you’ll have no trouble producing a bird with moist meat and deliciously crispy skin.

MAKE IT

Gravy

gravy in a glass boat

No turkey is complete without gravy, and no gravy is truly great without making a from-scratch broth beforehand. Throw in some pan drippings from your turkey and hello, gorgeous.

MAKE IT

Brisket

brisket and cranberry sauce Brisket for Thanksgiving? When the recipe’s this good, why not? Mix things up this year, or serve beef alongside the turkey. When it’s paired with homemade cranberry sauce, this meat is *chef’s kiss*.
MAKE IT

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

mashed potatoes

When the dishes are piling high, a recipe that only requires one pot is a total life-saver. This creamy side is made from start to finish in the slow cooker, freeing up time for all your other Turkey Day responsibilities.

MAKE IT

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Twice baked potatoes

Say hello to a dish so good, you’ve gotta bake it twice! This recipe is kinda like mashed-potatoes-meet-baked-potatoes, with a crispy skin and creamy center piled high with whatever flavorings you like.

MAKE IT

On the Side

Cranberry Sauce

glass bowl of cranberry-orange sauce

Three ingredients and three steps is all you need to get a sweet cranberry sauce ready to serve. Amp it up with orange zest and watch it disappear in a flash.

MAKE IT

Honey Roasted Carrots

honey roasted carrots

Cover carrots with honey and orange juice to highlight the natural sweetness of the popular fall veggie . Roast ’em to deepen the flavor and make your side dish oh-so-craveable.

MAKE IT

Braised Green Beans

braised green beans

Punch up green beans with vinaigrette and a good braise, and it’s like you have a whole new side dish. Trust us, you’re gonna want to make sure there’s room on your plate for these bad boys.

MAKE IT

Fall Harvest Salad

fall harvest salad

Think beyond the basic Caesar and top your greens with roasted butternut squash. While the gourd requires some prep work, the end result is so worth it.

MAKE IT

Dinner Rolls

homemade rolls

With all the food prep happening on Thanksgiving, baking dinner rolls may not be at the top of your to-do list. But these homemade wheat ones are so tasty, they deserve a spot on the table (especially when there are seeds, nuts and other special flavorings kneaded inside).

MAKE IT

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

butternut squash mac n cheese

Honestly, we might just load our whole plates with this sweet and cheesy recipe. The gourd makes a delicious sauce that’s nearly impossible to resist, especially once you mix in the melted cheese.

MAKE IT

Sweet Finishes

Pumpkin Pie

pumpkin pie

It’s not Thanksgiving without the classic autumn dessert. Whether you make it creamy with sweetened condensed milk or opt for a lighter texture with evaporated milk, you really can’t go wrong. Especially when it’s baked with a cookie crumb pie crust and topped off with a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

MAKE IT

Sweet Potato Casserole

sweet potato casserole

Another Turkey Day staple, this recipe puts the sweet in sweet potato casserole, but with a lighter spin. (You’ll definitely want room for seconds.)

MAKE IT

Mini Pecan Tartlets

mini pecan tarts

Warning: these tartlets are so cute, you may find yourself snacking on the bite-sized treats all day. We’re not sure what makes them so irresistible … just kidding, we totally do — it’s the sweet-and-salty flavor combo.

MAKE IT

Sweet Potato Soufflé

sweet potato souffle

This dessert is unbelievably light and airy. To prevent the soufflé from falling, gather up the crew to dig in as soon as it’s out of the oven.

MAKE IT

Pumpkin Croissants

pumpkin croissants

Flaky butter croissants filled with sweet pumpkin filling. Nope, it’s not a dream. Whip up a batch for Thanksgiving dessert, but be sure to tuck some away to enjoy the next morning.

MAKE IT

Share tips, start a discussion or ask one of our experts or other students a question.

Make a comment:
500 characters remaining

6 Responses to “Here Are the Recipes You Need to Throw the Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner”

  1. Sara

    <strong>Sent to support Where is the link to the recipe for Braised Green Beans? Supposedly, you are giving us tecipes for a complete dinner but NOWHERE is the link for the Braised Green Beans.

  2. Charleen

    Thank you so much! All the recipes look amazing - wish we celebrated Thanksgiving. I have decided to add the Brisket &amp; Pumpkin Pie to my Christmas menu. ALAS the link to the Pumpkin Pie Recipe is not working - please could someone fix it or send me the recipe.

  3. lamoco@shaw.ca

    Incredibly insensitive and inappropriate posts as people are being asked not to congregate in large numbers and to keep family gatherings small. The pandemic is raging. Be smarter.

  4. Maria Del Carmen Ratti

    Thanks, maravillosas recetas que preparare para mis dos nietos, nacidos en Racine, Wisconsin y que estan ahora en Buenos Aires,

  5. Barbara mack

    I wish that I could host a dinner this Thanksgiving and use each one of the recipes Craftsy has offered. Everything sounds sooo good. I also wish that life - family and otherwise - had not been disrupted by a pandemic which will not allow many to join their families in thanks giving this year. I hope that these will enable as many families as possible to enjoy the day and the return of normalcy no matter how brief and/or limited it may be.

  6. Colleen Deatherage

    Do you think "how to host a big supper" is really appropriate right now? It's a pretty questionable article. I like to think that you repurposed it from an older version but seriously, how about a "together apart" or "pick up and drop off" theme.